I love starting a new project. It's so exciting to get your pattern, your yarn, and fun friends to knit along with you. The anticipation of breaking into that first ball of yarn and knitting up the first side of your new cardigan is electrifying.
Then, the big downer. I have to knit a gauge swatch. I know WHY it's important but, boy, does it bring my party down...
Needless to say, I sat down to knit my gauge swatches yesterday before starting to knit VK's Drop-Collar Cardigan. What made it worse? This sweater required me to knit TWO! Aaagh!
Well, I guess the designers of the pattern know a thing or two since my gauge ended up different depending on the pattern. My gauge for the seed stitch was a little tighter than the rib and there is lots of rib in this sweater -- this means I will need to watch the length of the body and the sleeves and knit a few rows less of the rib than the pattern calls for...BTW, the yarn I'm using for this sweater is Debbie Bliss Cashmerino Chunky.
I will most likely keep my needle size the same and knit up a size. I was already in between sizes, so the gauge swatch decided me. Unfortunately, I have to make the changes and knit ANOTHER gauge swatch (oh yeah, and wash and block it too!).
If you are interested in following the knitting of this sweater by different knitters and different materials, you can follow our progress on the Knit Together blog. If you're interested in learning more about the gauge swatch process, there's a very good article on Knitty.com about the importance of gauge swatches and what to do when your gauge swatch is wrong. I only knit one sweater without knitting a gauge swatch and that was the first and last time. It was way too large so I never wore it.
OK, I had no intention to get you feeling down about MY gauge swatch, so...to perk ourselves up a bit, I present you with these fetching fingerless gloves also from Knitty.com which use only one skein of Debbie Bliss Cashmerino yarn (which is soft and divine and comes in lush colors)...
Knitty's free online magazine also has this adorable mitten/fingerless glove pattern that looks like a matroyshka doll...
but my absolute fave of the day are these mittens that come {via Oh Joy}!
Aren't they great? Makes my mind start thinking of all the other words we could put on the mittens...like how about your team colors and "Touch" "Down" or a Mom waving goodbye to the school bus with "Love" "You" -- Wonder what else we could come up with?
Wednesday, November 12, 2008
Ready, Set...Swatch?!!
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5 comments:
That coat should look great on you, Susan! I love Debbie Bliss yard, too. I'm about to embark on a hat/mitten due from the Dec. Knit Simple....usually the word simple scares me, like there's an automatic hex or something. We'll see. Happy Knitting.....I will follow along! (drooling, probably...)
I love those mittens. As for other things....I am afraid I did come up with an idea, have one digit stick out above the others, but that would be rude.....
Must be the time of day because I immediately thought the same as Vicky! :-) Unfortunately (or maybe fortunately) mittens aren't going to get any wearing time here in Houston; especially not from me! (but they are cute, kinda)
I too hate making gauges, but they are necessary, ain't they?
However, this pattern is worth the effort!
Fetching is a very fun pattern. It's so fast and cute, I've made it about 5 times already.
I'm glad you've started your swatches. The company will make this a fun sweater to knit.
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