Olympic Training
I've completed my swatching for Zig Zag:
I'm substituting KnitPicks Merino Style for the incredibly pricey (but doubtless lovely) Lana Gatto Feeling. In theory, the two have the same gauge in stockinette. However, when I did swatches in pattern, I got a very different gauge.
The pattern is supposed to knit up to 23st./4in. double-stranded. I got closer to 20. I did a single-stranded swatch, and got 24st./4in. I blocked the two, and will have to do a final check when they dry. The row gauge is SPOT ON, although I'll need to double-check that as well after it dries.
Single-stranding also has a few other advantages:
- it gives a much nicer fabric. The double-stranded swatch is very stiff, since it's essentially an aran weight knitted on size 6s.
- it uses less yarn. I might even have enough left over to make another garment. Yay!
- it is infinitely easier for the cabling without a cable needle method. Doing that with double-strands is a serious pain.
- it is much more comfortable to knit. With the double-strands on proportionally small needles, I felt like I was wrestling with the yarn.
In other news, I had my a spinning lesson today with Lucy from my most L of LYSes. It was extremely helpful; I finally understand what I'm doing. It'll obviously take some practice before my hands get the hang of it, but I feel very well equipped for that practice. I spun a few yards of yarn using the drop spindle and Blue-Faced Leicester my lovely secret pal sent me:
Thanks, SP; this is really fun!
Lucy also showed me how to spin on a wheel. I had a really hard time using the double-treadle model we started with, but got the hang of it much more quickly when we switched to a single-treadle Saxony style. I think I'm going to need one of those in a few years...
It is awfully late, so I won't be showing pics of MY FIRST HAND-DYEING. I'll post those soon...
I'm substituting KnitPicks Merino Style for the incredibly pricey (but doubtless lovely) Lana Gatto Feeling. In theory, the two have the same gauge in stockinette. However, when I did swatches in pattern, I got a very different gauge.
The pattern is supposed to knit up to 23st./4in. double-stranded. I got closer to 20. I did a single-stranded swatch, and got 24st./4in. I blocked the two, and will have to do a final check when they dry. The row gauge is SPOT ON, although I'll need to double-check that as well after it dries.
Single-stranding also has a few other advantages:
- it gives a much nicer fabric. The double-stranded swatch is very stiff, since it's essentially an aran weight knitted on size 6s.
- it uses less yarn. I might even have enough left over to make another garment. Yay!
- it is infinitely easier for the cabling without a cable needle method. Doing that with double-strands is a serious pain.
- it is much more comfortable to knit. With the double-strands on proportionally small needles, I felt like I was wrestling with the yarn.
In other news, I had my a spinning lesson today with Lucy from my most L of LYSes. It was extremely helpful; I finally understand what I'm doing. It'll obviously take some practice before my hands get the hang of it, but I feel very well equipped for that practice. I spun a few yards of yarn using the drop spindle and Blue-Faced Leicester my lovely secret pal sent me:
Thanks, SP; this is really fun!
Lucy also showed me how to spin on a wheel. I had a really hard time using the double-treadle model we started with, but got the hang of it much more quickly when we switched to a single-treadle Saxony style. I think I'm going to need one of those in a few years...
It is awfully late, so I won't be showing pics of MY FIRST HAND-DYEING. I'll post those soon...
posted by Nadira at Wednesday, February 08, 2006
5 Comments:
I can't wait to see you knit this - It's been on my to-do list for a while, but finding an appropriate yarn was holding me back. They really called for it double stranded? Egads!
Oooh! I've also been wanting to make this as it's so PRETTY and a nice classic aran sweater without looking bulky and boxy. Can't wait!
As for your gauge issue, is there any way to go up a needle size on your single stranded swatch, or will that screw with the drape/density of your fabric or change it too much?
I'll probably swatch the next size up, depending on how the washed swatch measures up. I don't think it's critical, though. If I run with 24st/4in, I get a bust circumference of 36.5 in, which will probably be more flattering than the pattern's 38, particularly since I'll be getting a stretchier fabric. I could probably also sneak an extra stitch into the repeat under each arm.
Hi Atla. I dyed yarn to be self-striping, using several jars of dye in a larger pot of water on the stove (rather than the painting method). It worked out pretty well, although I learned a few things by making mistakes. I'll be posting on that (including links to the tutorials I used) soon.l
Oh shiny! I'm so glad you got to try out the spindle. --SP
ps: I'm knitting Olympics style too - so know I'm out there secretly, rooting for you to finish!
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