Monday 16 November 2009

Remember that Brown?

Remember the brown I was working on last week? Well, it was going along just fine till I had Mr. Needles try it on.

I was then faced with the glaring fact that I don't do math.

Or my gauge is off.

Or my skill at figuring out how much ease this sweater needs when winging it is non existent.

I am winging it, you see. I am putting the full force of what I learned doing the gansey class into the making of this sweater. Take the measurements, do your gauge and knit. And it was working too when I discovered that it was several sizes larger than Mr. Needles.

I checked the math. it was right. I checked the gauge. Bang on. (who'd a thunk it) Ease? OK, then so lets go through that process.

I started with one of Mr. Needles nicest sweaters and took the measurements from it. I added 4 inches to allow for ease of movement...

Dummkopf.

I took the measurements from a sweater. The sweater already has a nice 4 inches of ease built into it. The 4 I added are precisely the 4 inches that this is too large. sigh.

But never fear. There are several things I learned her. I want a longer than the original garter stitch welt at the bottom. I had already planned to add to it when the rest of the project was done. And I have a really really good idea of how much yarn I am going to use up before I am done. According to the the length of what I already knit, I will use no more than 15 balls, and possibly as low as 13 balls of yarn. I think I have 24 in the stash. Not going to run out of yarn.

And so it goes. I have today and tomorrow to knit back to where I am right now, I have some socks bits to work on for the class (so students can knit a heel flap with me), AND I have another couple of baby things to knit. The lady who cared for Mr. Needles mom before she went into a care facility and my good friend's son have presented me with the opportunity! Ah Baby things. So quick to knit. so little yarn.

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