The Knitters Thread

PipneyJane

wondercollie said:

@snowbird20 anywhere is good in the winter when it's -40!  We did the Mexico and Jamaica for a few years.  Discovered that we prefer southern Spain.  Weather is good runs around 24 when we go and minimal rain (maybe once while we are there)..  We like the shops, restaurants, people, and the beach walks.  Florida is too humid for me.

Right, knitting.  finished the mitred square blanket and managed a single crochet border.  My order from Hobbii arrived.  I wasn't really worried but was getting fed up of posters on FB saying they were ripped off.  Sheesh, when I was a child, six weeks from Europe was the norm.  

I chicken out of the cardigan I was going to knit after fully reading the pattern.  I knew it was top down BUT and it's a big BUT, it turns out I had to do a steak for the button band.  I'm looking for a similar pattern.

Which pattern was the cardigan, @wondercollie?  We might be able to find something similar for you on Ravelry.

- Pip

Savvy_Sue

wondercollie said:

I chicken out of the cardigan I was going to knit after fully reading the pattern.  I knew it was top down BUT and it's a big BUT, it turns out I had to do a steak for the button band.  I'm looking for a similar pattern.

Had to google that: guess you mean steek? Have tried googling but don't really understand how it works. Can understand you reluctance - the idea of cutting my precious knitting ... :eek:

judexx

Savvy_Sue said:

wondercollie said:

I chicken out of the cardigan I was going to knit after fully reading the pattern.  I knew it was top down BUT and it's a big BUT, it turns out I had to do a steak for the button band.  I'm looking for a similar pattern.

Had to google that: guess you mean steek? Have tried googling but don't really understand how it works. Can understand you reluctance - the idea of cutting my precious knitting ... :eek:

Know just what you mean - over the years I have tried many different knitting patterns & techniques, but doing a steek is one I've always shied away from - there's no frogging your way back from that if it goes wrong 

wondercollie

It's the Festuca Short Cardigan.  I liked the though of it being seamless.  I picked a petrol blue.
I'll have to google.  I think I will print off the Anna Jacket and maybe make a lot shorter.
Auto correct loves me with a passion on my phone or tablet.

snowbird20

i made a hat!  it's a simple hat but looks quite passable and NOT a single dropped stitch!  making the matching scarf for the daughter.  

PipneyJane

wondercollie said:

It's the Festuca Short Cardigan.  I liked the though of it being seamless.  I picked a petrol blue.
I'll have to google.  I think I will print off the Anna Jacket and maybe make a lot shorter.
Auto correct loves me with a passion on my phone or tablet.

Would you believe that there isn’t a pattern of that name listed in Ravelry?  I’ve found something via Google.  Is it this pattern from Hobbii?  I wrote the following before I looked on Google, but it still holds true.

It should be simple enough to convert any steeked cardigan to a knitted-as-a-cardigan-in-one-piece project with an open front.  Read the pattern carefully.  Does the front have more stitches than the back?  It should do.  Does it include a strip of stitches in the middle of the front, which are different to the ones on either side?  (It may or may not do in a plain sweater.). That would normally be the place where you’d cut the steek in the middle and fold the edges over to form a seam allowance.  

Are you ready to do some maths? How many stitches is the steek allowance?  Minus those from the total number of stitches specified for the front.  Divide that number in two and add back 1 or 2 stitches, e.g. if the front was 128 stitches with an 8 stitch steek allowance, you want each front to be either 61 or 62 stitches, depending on the ribbing for the waist.  (If it’s K2P2 ribbing, you’ll need more than K1P1.)  Cast on one front, place a marker, then cast on all the stitches for the back, place a marker, then cast on the second front, turn and work your first row.  After you’ve worked the first row, place an additional marker after the first and last stitch(es), the ones that you added back to the fronts.  When you get to the point of placing the pattern (lace, colourwork, cables) on the fronts, those quarantined stitches at each end won’t form part of the pattern - they’re there so that you have a firm space in order to pick up your button bands.

Does that make sense?
 
I have done steeks.  They only work well with very grabby yarn, stuff that won’t unravel if you drop a stitch.  Pure wool is best.   I don’t like doing them either, because there is no changing your mind afterwards and frogging the damn thing.  (I took a class from Alice Starmore which included them.)

HTH

- Pip

Savvy_Sue

Just to say I picked up another set of 4.5 needles and a long cable ready to do my sleeves 2 at a time. Couldn't get another set of the smaller needles I need for the ribbing, so may need to do them straight and then go into the round once they're done. 

CAFCGirl

Hello All,
How are your projects coming along?
I haven't picked up the loom in a fair few days, but I had to knit a basket for an order so that gave me a kick up the bottom to have a search back through my inspiration notebook.
I'll be knitting another succulent for a gift for my sister's birthday and am going to attempt some long yoga socks too. 
Weather is considerably cooler now so dealing with yarn is bearable/enjoyable again LOL

PipneyJane

CAFCGirl said:

Hello All,
How are your projects coming along?
I haven't picked up the loom in a fair few days, but I had to knit a basket for an order so that gave me a kick up the bottom to have a search back through my inspiration notebook.
I'll be knitting another succulent for a gift for my sister's birthday and am going to attempt some long yoga socks too. 
Weather is considerably cooler now so dealing with yarn is bearable/enjoyable again LOL

My replacement 2.25mm circular needle arrived last Monday and I eventually finished the Waistband Of Doom on Sunday night.  It's something I remember from the last time I made It Cannot Fail to Please is that the waistband takes forever. I knit a lot of jumpers in the round but nothing takes longer than 40 rounds of 288 stitches in K1 P1 rib on 2.25mm needles. 

As an aside, the only reason I'm reknitting this pattern is that I soaked the original in Eucelan after I finished it.  The next time I went to wash it, I put it in the "handwash" cycle of the washing machine and it both shed a lot of fibre and shrank.  It's not the yarn - this jumper was knitted with the leftovers from a previous project, which has been through the washing machine multiple times without a problem.  There's something in Eucelan that means that you will always have to handwash the garment in future.  (I got a similar result with my alpaca-and-silk blend Blanche Too, but that didn't shrink as much, so is still wearable.)

- Pip

snowbird20

i have 3 winter scarves for the kids going--two are almost done, one i just started.  I have to go pick up some more yarn to finish one of them.  finished a hat for dd, need to whip up 2 more for the little grands and a hooded cowl for a great-niece.  I can at least do simple knits.