At Sunday's Sit n' Knit meet up, Penelope asked me whether I'd get empty-needle anxiety now I'd finished up my socks. I blithely said I wouldn't, I'm too busy with school and reading and blah, blah, blah......
I NEED YARN NOW!!!
But the yarn, she isn't cooperating. I have 9 balls (900m, some number near 900 yards) of Debbie Bliss Cathay in a gorgeous plum colour. I had initially thought that I'd like to make a Picovoli but that would only take 4 or so balls and did I really want two of the exact same thing? Eh, maybe I could knit it a smidge longer and add 3/4 length sleeves. But no. I can't get gauge. In fact I can't get anything like 22st to 4", more like 24". So I tried a needle size bigger, the fabric got a little too drapey.... and the stitch number stubbornly stayed at 23/4". Gah.
The thing is, there seems to be some kind or vortex surrounding my body that messes with measurements and the space time continuum. Measure around the boobs and I'm 34". Knit a sweater that when laid flat is 17" across the bust and when it's worn, it's too damn big. So what's a girl to do except bust out her rusty math. Bear with me.
Keep in mind that Picovoli has 2" negative ease. If the recommended gauge is 5.5 stitches per inch but I'm getting 6st/inch, that means I'm losing about 3" in overall diameter on the bust if I knit my size. (Given gauge 88st at 5.5st/inch = 16" x 2 = 32", 88st at 6st/inch = 14.666 x 2 = 29.333"). If I knit the next size up and keep the math the same I end up with a chest measurement of 33". But then there's the whole warping of physical versus observed measurements and the fact that I'm supposed to have 2" of negative ease. But is 2" a bit much to stretch a fairly dense fabric? I am asking for it to get all warpy?
Maybe I'm making this too complicated, it is after all a top-down shirt so I could shape as I go along. Obviously this doesn't fit well with my super-obsessive, must be in control self but I might just have to go with it.
Ok, well now I have math anxiety to go with your nothing-on-the-needles anxiety. Maybe you could knit a swatch and see what percentage of ease/stretch you got and put that into the equation. I'm only half serious/half joking and only half out of my head! Good luck!
ReplyDelete--Penelope (anxiety spotter)
All that math hurts my head. You're knitting top down, try on as you go!
ReplyDeleteOh yah, wash your swatch, too. See what gauge is then and add that to your math equation. *ouch*
ReplyDeleteI'm throwing caution to the wind and have cast on the 36" chest. I figure that as a sweater I don't want the thing to be skin tight anyway so a little less ease will probably be a good thing. As for washing swatches.... I'm still waiting for my wool wash to arrive from Knitpicks and the regular laundry has just been done. If I had to wait for that I'd never cast on anything!
ReplyDeletehandwash, silly!
ReplyDelete