Saturday, June 10, 2006

Another day, Another D'oh

A progress shot of a tank I'm working on.


I don't know if I've mentioned this one yet. I'm just winging it without a pattern and only a vague plan for what I'll do at the arm holes and for the neck and back... I'm using a simple lace pattern that has almost a chevron look, which breaks up the variegated look of the yarn. I've started a couple of projects with this yarn but always frogged them, it pools kind of funny. I like how it looks with this lace pattern, so, no frogging yet.

However, today, when I was measuring it and laying it out for a progress shot, I noticed something interesting.

This is a close up of how the lace pattern should look:


This is a close up of how the lace pattern should NOT look:


Say it with me now: D'OH

I was able to salvage the knitting without frogging, it's not perfect but it will work. Luckily it sort of gets absorbed into the pattern, so I'm going to pretend it's not there.

Happier knitting:
In spite of my vow to finish something I already had on the needles I started something new. BUT... I had a good reason! I did! Honest!! I had planned to knit something for, well, the wife/baby of one of my co-workers. I don't know her well, but he had joked once about me knitting something for them, and, well, of course I'm going to knit something for them. So, I'm knitting a big blob:


Okay, you're smarter than that. It's a Pinwheel Blanket.

It's a little difficult to figure out the diameter of this blanket (if you have made one and have some magic math-free way to figure it out, please let me know. I mean, other than just trying to measure from the center of the blob up to the needles.) At the time I took this picture, I was moving to a longer circular needle and was able to measure. The radius (I'm hoping I have the correct terms here. It's been a while since I took any math) was 10 inches at that time, with about 300 stitches around. I figure I need at least a 32 inch diameter so it'll probably end up being closer to 500 stitches* on the needles.

It's in the round, so it is a good hockey watching project. It was going really fast for the first 6 - 8 inches of radius. Then it slowed right down. You increase 10 stitches every other round. You do the math. (I don't want to do the math. Even though, in this instance I can do the math.)

Thanks for all the nice comments on the skirt (and the good wishes as to my health. All better now!). I think I might try to copy the skirt and make another one. I so rarely wear skirts but maybe I would more in the summer if I had some simple ones to wear.

*I first typed 5000 before I noticed it. That's what it feels like. I should have left it

5 comments:

  1. Oooh - these things that feel like a lovely quick knit, but then have a gazillion stitches by the time you get to the edge - I did a tam jacket that did that - still, as you say, it's an excellent mindless knit - and it's looking lovely.

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  2. Larissa, who hosted a Pinwheel blanket knitalong on her Stichmarker blog worked up a spreadsheet that calculates diameter and circumference according to gauge and number of stitches:

    http://larissmix.typepad.com/stitch_marker/files/pinwheel_calc.xls

    I finished mine recently: in my case (gauge: 20 st = 4 inches) 500 stitches yielded a 32 inch diameter once blocked (36 inches including border).

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  3. Non knitters tend to presume much of knitters. The blanket is delightful and I hope the recipient is genuinely grateful. It really needs a label with how many hours of work went into it.
    Cheers Gillian

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  4. It's funny, my sewing teacher just broker it to the class that sewing involves math. Gah!

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  5. Grumperina also has extensive pinwheel blanket notes.

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