The Knitters Thread

dandy-candy

Bigger needles will make the item the right size (and the test square) but the stitches will be bigger and more holey looking. If its just stocking stitch it isn't such an issue, its just whether you like that look.

[Deleted User]

homealone wrote: »

I am one of those knitters who are too excited to get my project going to ever check my tension/guage first. it has meant jumpers being 3x bigger than they should or they just end up looking really baggy and out of shape. I never have the type of wool that the pattern says so that doesn't help either. it is only now after knitting for many years that I have noticed the recommended needle size on the band of the wool. so for the first time I am checking and not doing well. my pattern calls for 5.5 mm needles and wool band says suitable for 4.5mm, not enough to make much difference or so I thought. but I carried on with the test square and am so glad I did. with 14 sts on 24 rows I should have had a 4'' square, however I ended up with a 2.5'' square. so what should I do now? use smaller or bigger needles or find a pattern using 4.5mm needles?

Don't start by looking at the wool or needles to get a garment to fit. Below is what I do to ensure something I knit fits.

(1) Find a garment in your wardrobe that fits well. Lay it out on a flat surface and measure the armpit to sleeve cuff length, the armpit to hip length and the armpit to top of the shoulder length and the width across the bottom of the garment. Make a note of these measurements.

(2) Look at the pattern you wish to knit and find the picture of the finished garment showing finished measurements. The main ones to look for at the moment is the bust and the hem sizes. Using my measurements I would look for the 36 inch chest measurement. If the garment says finished size 36 inches and the style of the knit is not baggy then I know that the finished 36 size will not fit my 36dd chest and so I would look to knit the next size up. Some garments will show 'to fit size 36' and then when I look at the finished size picture the actual finished size is 37 or 38 for the size 36 garment. This means the pattern has some 'ease'

(3) Now take into account the yarns being used. Some yarns are slightly stretchy and others are not. So if I knit a cardigan with cotton yarn (no stretch) if for the size 36 the completed size is 36 1/2 Inches I know that the yarn will not stretch and so I must knit the size bigger.

(4) Now I know the size I wish the finished garment to be (say 38) in the bust when knitting the size 36. The hem size for the 36 sized garment is 20 inches for the front and 20 inches for the back. So the wool I use needs to knit up to 20 inches on the amount of stitches given for the size 36. If not then you need to knit a bigger size (do not swap the needle size). So say I knit a tension swatch for the size 36 and it only measures 16 inches across the bottom then the size 36 is too small. So I then cast on the stitches for the size 38 garment which gives me 18 inches along the hem. Finally I cast on the number of stitches for the size 40 garment and it will give me a 20 inch hem width. This means that for the wool I am using in would knit the size 40. Don't forget this will use more wool.

(5) For the arm length ignore the pattern length and knit to the size you measured earlier. The same for the armpit to hip length, not forgetting this will use more wool if you make them longer.

I hope this make sense. Have to go to work now, but I can check later to answer any questions or help with your pattern.

Spider

iQueen

homealone wrote: »

I am one of those knitters who are too excited to get my project going to ever check my tension/guage first. it has meant jumpers being 3x bigger than they should or they just end up looking really baggy and out of shape. I never have the type of wool that the pattern says so that doesn't help either. it is only now after knitting for many years that I have noticed the recommended needle size on the band of the wool. so for the first time I am checking and not doing well. my pattern calls for 5.5 mm needles and wool band says suitable for 4.5mm, not enough to make much difference or so I thought. but I carried on with the test square and am so glad I did. with 14 sts on 24 rows I should have had a 4'' square, however I ended up with a 2.5'' square. so what should I do now? use smaller or bigger needles or find a pattern using 4.5mm needles?

Many ball bands now give the range of needles/hooks that the yarn is normally used with, eg 4.5-5.5mm = Aran weight. This is only a guide because knitters are individuals who may naturally work to a tighter or looser tension. Also, different methods of knitting (English, Continental etc) can also affect tension.

There is usually a tiny grid on the ball band too, showing the number of stitches and rows to expect from the yarn using the recommended needle size.

Check that your yarn is the right weight for your pattern. If you use the recommended yarn in the pattern, you should be able to achieve the correct tension using the size needles recommended in the pattern, or one size larger/smaller.

If you are using a different brand of the correct weight, you may have to use whatever size needles give you the closest tension to that stated in the pattern. Usually, it is more important to get the stitch number as accurate as possible, because the number of rows is easier to adjust.

If you are hoping to use an entirely different yarn eg pattern calls for DK and you want to use chunky or laceweight, you may have to do some (or a lot of) redrafting, and there is no guarantee that the pattern will work well with a vastly different yarn.

I hope this is some help.

Woollyworld

Recommended needle sizes are always a guide as we all knit to different tensions. I have finally, after many times of knitting items that don't fit accepted that I must do a gauge square. I always have to go down at least 1 needle size

Auntie_Sceb

Trixsie1989 wrote: »

Hiya can someone help please. I want to knit or crochet some baby things for a friend of mine, blankets,jackets,booties etc. haven't done any knitting or crochet in a while so not sure what wool would be best to use? Also want to start some stuff for me and oh for next winter,jumpers and scarves etc would I need chunky wool for that? Xxx

I recently started knitting and I found some lovely free patterns on Garn Studio (Drops) web site. I have knitted strawberry hats for two babies (you can also do blueberry for boys). I used Sirdar Snuggly DK it was really soft and the colours are good but also machine washable.

I also knitted two ponchos for babies again using Garn Studio patterns (they have loads of free patterns) using Sirdar Big Softie with a lovely soft result and again machine washable. Drops yarn is reasonably priced but because a lot of it is 100% wool or alpaca it is hand wash which I don't think is ideal for a baby. The Sirdar Big Softie was on offer when I made the second poncho so even better!


You can see my finished results on pinterest - same ID.

bagpuss38

Hi fellow knitters.
I wonder if anyone can help.
I have seem the most lovely chunky knit throw at mr T.
Its cream and just made in knit stitch with tassels.
Trouble is that it cost £35.
Anyone reckon i could make it for less.

Where would i get the wool and how many balls required?
Thanks for reading

Auntie_Sceb

Bagpuss38

You may be able to make it for cheaper but you may have to compromise on colour.

Garn Studio due a nice baby blanket - 68 x 85 cm, Stocking stitch with moss stitch border. They do other blankets too but for this size you are looking at £10.40 for 8 balls wool (+ £2.95 postage - free over £25 Wool Warehouse) if you use their Drops Eskimo - lovely wool lovely colours but handwash. Obviously for a throw you are looking quite a lot bigger.

Busy Fingers Shop is currently doing some shades of Sirdar Big Softie (super chunky machine washable) for £2 (50g 45m). (£3.95 postafe free over £50)

Knit and Sew does more of a choice of shades and does an offer if you buy 10.15, 20 of the same yarn (£2.80, £2.64, £2.49). (£2.90 postage free over £30)

iQueen

bagpuss38 wrote: »

Hi fellow knitters.
I wonder if anyone can help.
I have seem the most lovely chunky knit throw at mr T.
Its cream and just made in knit stitch with tassels.
Trouble is that it cost £35.
Anyone reckon i could make it for less.

Where would i get the wool and how many balls required?
Thanks for reading

I knitted this blanket for my baby GS, in Chunky Acrylic - for easy-care. It was knitted using a common diagonal garter st dishcloth with 6mm needles and took 455g of Chunky yarn for 36in x 36in, before adding the edging, which was knitted in Aran weight 172g.

My local hardware store sells Robin Chunky Acrylic for £1.49 per 100g. (You may find it a few pence cheaper.) 500g of Chunky (approx 600m) = £7.45 and 200g of Aran (370m) = £2.98... total £10.43

A 72in x 72in blanket would cost about £20.86 - 1200m Chunky and 800m Aran weight.

You should be able to do the large blanket cheaper, using two 400g balls of Aran weight (1600m) @ £6 each and 300g DK (900m) @ £4.47 (3 x £1.49) for the edging, if you can get similar prices to me, = £16.47. The leftover 400m of Aran weight would do the tassels.

carefullycautious

Hope you don't mind my asking a question,

I am looking for a cheap stand to go by my chair to hold knitting book or patterns as I need to keep looking at the charts. Has anyone any ideas where I could find a free standing stand.

I have thought about a music stand do you think this would work?

Many thanks

Auntie_Sceb

What about a cookbook stand? There's loads on eBay. Music stand also sounds like it would work - I'm such a slow knitter and use very simple patterns I haven't found I needed anything - yet!