Stitchboard Admin message #377
Re: Tunisian gauge
March 28, 2014 at 4:33:00 PM  (in response to BetwixtTheStitch message #1)
 
Sherry,

I understand about patterns with measurements...I feel the same way...just thought it would be nice to get your pattern out there somehow! 

Ugh, I'm so upset.  I don't know where I went wrong.    May have been that I did the gauge with the smaller needles.    But it really defeated the purpose of working with two strands very nicely!    No wonder it was a lot of stitches, as well.

So I'm hoping the larger needles won't make it too lacy...but it shouldn't with doubled yarn and all.  Though nothing like frogging a bunch, huh?! 

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Stitchboard Admin message #379
Re: Tunisian gauge
March 29, 2014 at 11:08:51 PM  (in response to BetwixtTheStitch message #3)
 
Sherry,

I agree...good crochet software would come in very handy!

Two strands on the smaller needles didn't make it stiff...definitely thick, but not stiff.  I was trying to also avoid the curl, because I'm knitting this top-down.  I did three swatches so far, all producing different measurements, of course.    Seed stitch, which does not curl, but didn't look all that nice for sewing around the bottom of the sweatshirt hem...stockinette stitch, which curls like crazy, sigh, and rib stitch, which would need many more stitches, and then I'd have to decrease to go into the "regular" pattern, which I really don't want to do.

And since it's acrylic...no blocking.

So now I'm thinking...measure what was done wrong first...then rip it all out, sigh.  The measure first part is to see how different the gauge is with needles two sizes smaller.  I don't remember if it was too large or small with the too-small needles.

Then start again, either really stretching out the rib stitch when applied to the sweater...or just let the bloody thing curl.  I don't feel like fighting with it, so perhaps that's the way to go.  Could also go seed stitch...sigh...but it doesn't seem as solid as stockinette.

In redoing the gauge swatch, I discovered that the larger needles produced similar measurements to whatever I'd used before, so I must have swatched with the correct size needles...then knit with the wrong ones, sigh.  Back to measuring the bottom of the sweatshirt again, too (as it may have been different before, as it's impossible to get an exact measurement, since you know how sweatshirt fabrics stretch! 

So despite all of the measuring, this whole thing will be, sigh, winging it.

I plan to knit about 6" of stockinette for the bottom of the shirt, probably will just not worry about the curling (since acrylic can't be blocked, I'm hoping the weight of the sweater bottom will keep it down).  There is a two row overlap where it will be sewn onto the hem on the bottom of the sweatshirt.  Then after the 6", will switch to smaller needles and work in 2x2 rib for another 3 or 4".  I like the idea of a larger ribbed area than is usually found on a sweatshirt...and that's the way my crazy mind's eye is seeing it!

It's pretty plainly basic.  Also thinking of perhaps duplicate stitching some pink polka dots in a similar pattern to the black polka dots on the shirt, but not positive about doing that, since it would require purchasing more yarn.

It's just a pain of a project, may require some fudging, but once it's done, it's done!

At this point, I'm guessing the worst part isn't going to be the sewing on, for a change!    Not that I'm looking forward to that, either. 

Thanks...just looking forward to having the bloody thing done...hopefully in time to actually, gasp, wear it before the end of the cold weather!  

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Stitchboard Admin message #381
Re: Tunisian gauge
March 30, 2014 at 6:38:11 PM  (in response to BetwixtTheStitch message #5)
 
Sherry,

Ugh, isn't stretchy fabric awful?!    Every time I measure it, I get a different measurement, which is annoying, since the knitting can only be done to one measurement! 

Exactly, I can fudge it because it's not a "serious" thing, for someone else!

Hmm, I'll think about the pink, but no priority now.  Not sure I want to get into all of the figuring on how to make polka dots as round as possible.    Maybe later on, I could attempt matching some pink to the pink of the shirt. 

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Stitchboard Admin message #383
Re: Tunisian gauge
March 31, 2014 at 9:45:45 PM  (in response to BetwixtTheStitch message #7)
 
Sherry,

Thank you...the eyelash yarn idea is perfect!    I should keep my eyes open for a pink or blend with pink and other colors...wouldn't that be pretty?!  It would tie in with the pink of the shirt, but not overtake it.  And it would take so little that the rest of a small skein could be used for a stuffed animal or something.

LOL, the fabric paint is probably not the way someone like me should go...even with a template, I have two left thumbs!    But I'm loving the idea of the interesting texture that would be produced with a bit of eyelash yarn.    Or a ribbon yarn.  I have one skein that got a little bit of mold on the outside, so that part of it is unusable...but wouldn't it be great to cut off the bad part and use it for the dot patterns?  Could even use an actual spool of ribbon for that, should I be unable to locate eyelash yarn. But I'm thinking there must be a skein of eyelash here somewhere!  Too bad this didn't come up a few years ago, when our dollar store had skeins and skeins of eyelash and other yarns for $1...heeeey, where were you?! 

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Stitchboard Admin message #385
Re: Tunisian gauge
April 3, 2014 at 11:35:41 PM  (in response to BetwixtTheStitch message #9)
 
Sherry,

I agree...thank you so much for sparking the idea!    I saw a gorgeous pink/blue/green that I have in the back of my mind, but don't know if that was in my stash or in one of the stores.  Sigh, knowing my luck, probably in one of the stores. 

I only saw the $1 skeins once, though people kept saying they were available so many times...I just never made it to the store.  Now I'd have to get it for 40% off, unless it's somewhere in my stash.    But I'm so loving this idea!  And maybe instead of polka dots, I could duplicate stitch an entire row or something. 

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Stitchboard Admin message #387
Re: Tunisian gauge
April 4, 2014 at 6:57:51 PM  (in response to BetwixtTheStitch message #11)
 
Sherry,

Thanks!    You know, another possibility would be to just do single duplicate stitches here and there.  So what if they don't match the positions of the polka dots?! 

The yarn was in the dollar stores for a little while...but hasn't been back for many, many years, sigh.    The groups were all abuzz with the news at the time!

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Stitchboard Admin message #389
Re: Tunisian gauge
April 5, 2014 at 7:24:30 PM  (in response to BetwixtTheStitch message #13)
 
Sherry,

That's why I'm not too worried about it.  If I can even find the kind of fiber I have in mind.  What I'm thinking of is this cute curly pink, green and purple kind of stuff.  It would have a great visual impact!

Yahoo groups...this was years and years ago.    Guessing many of them don't exist anymore.  But for a while they were the staples for info!

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