Tension, tension, tension!
Well, I finished the hat — and it’s too small. Now,part of me is okay with this — after all, the hat was just a quick projet to try while I got to know the yarn; I figured it would be more exciting than knitting a tension square. However, once I got into it, I really began to like its simplicity And once it was done, I found I really did like it.
And yet… It’s too small. I’ve since figured out the reason for this — ideally, the perfect tension for the yarn should be 9 stitches and 12 rows over 4″, whilst using 10mm needles. When I use this needle size, I come out too tight — and so, it would be best for me to up a needle size or two.
I ended up knitting a tension square after the hat. Blah. But it did knit up quickly and I was pleased to find that I can achieve the correct tension using 12mm needles. And so I’m now knitting a jumper — but afterwards, I may just go back and re-knit that hat. It was certainly quick enough. :) For now though, it’ll make a cute fashion accessory for one of the soft toys… Or maybe for one of the cats! LOL …
Here it be in all its glory. I really do love this colour — so frosty! You can click for larger should you wish:
I’ve not had this problem with other stuff, so it just goes to show how important knitting a tension square is before starting a project with a new yarn!
SBQ: Thread Clippings
I’m an avid reader of Stitching Blogger’s Questions, but I think this is the first time I’ve answered one. This week, the question is:
What do you do to your thread clippings? Do you just scrap them or do you use them in something else?
Well, for me it depends on the length of the clipping. If it’s shorter than is usable — i.e. I can get less than three stitches out of it — then I bin it. If it’s longer than that, I wind it around the original thread so that I know what colour it is (i.e. a short piece of DMC 666 ["Christmas Red", to you non-stitchers out there] will get wrapped around the remainder of the thread skein) and store it until I come to use it. I tend to do this with every colour possible, except DMC 310 (black), which I always keep no matter the length — black is always, always useful. :-)
Sometimes I forget where my head is at…
Last night at my knitting circle I started a new WIP, having bought some of Sirdar’s new Big Softie yarn. Now, let me say that I love this yarn already — it really does live up to its name and it’s a joy to work with! I am thrilled — just can’t stop touching it… LOL :)
Anyway, the current WIP is a hat, in shade 335 (“Blancmange”) — which is really a lovely polar-ice blue. Gorgeous. The hat pattern is in four sizes — three child sizes, and one adult. I cast on the appropriate amount of stitches, knit away, and get to my decreases. Part-way along the first row of decreases, I realise that the number of stitches on my needles don’t match the pattern.
It takes a fews seconds to click — and by this point, my heart-sister Jo is laughing at me… Yup, you guessed it — I’d cast on for the smallest child size. Then I’d worked as per the adult decreases.
My reasoning is this: usually, I work the smallest size for a top (as that’s normally around a UK size 10). Because I’d seen the hat pattern as per any other pattern, I just did as normal… Except it’s not a pattern for a top, and so I have to work to the largest size in this case. I realised this and worked accordingly — but only when I reached the decreases. I didn’t realise this before I started. And so I’ve now ripped it all back and started again.
*headdesks*
One of these days, I swear someone will remind me to pick up my head on my way out… LOL
And now for something cute…
I recently picked up a copy of Cross Stitch Card Shop magazine and it had this adorable chart in it for a very sweet Hello Kitty. The magazine reckoned a stitching time of 2-3 hours, so (as I was looking for something quick and easy) I decided to stitch it.
As it happened, this little girl took me around 5hrs 30mins – 6hrs to stitch! Now, whether it was because I was using 28ct linen rather than the 14ct aida recommended, or that the magazine had timed it incorrectly, I don’t know… But this chart sure did take longer than I anticipated (and I’m not a slow stitcher)!
Despite that, though, I do find her rather sweet. :)
Now all I need to do is decide what to do with her … ROFL!