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- Newsgroups: rec.crafts.textiles
- Path: sparky!uunet!spool.mu.edu!uwm.edu!linac!att!cbnews!cbnewsm!cbnewsl!sjf
- From: sjf@cbnewsl.cb.att.com (susan.j.flaster)
- Subject: Update on Gauge, Fair Isle, latest project
- Organization: AT&T Bell Laboratories
- Date: Thu, 21 Jan 1993 14:32:50 GMT
- Message-ID: <1993Jan21.143250.4642@cbnewsl.cb.att.com>
- Keywords: Thanks for advice
- Lines: 74
-
- Thanks to all you wonderful people who answered
- my posting on gauge and Fair Isle. I learned a
- lot from you and your enthusiasm led me to a
- an increased interest in knitting. I even joined
- a local knitting club!
-
- Basically, my first problem was that I bought worsted
- weight yarn when the pattern called for sport yarn.
- It was advertised as sport yarn and I was taken in
- by the ad copy. Of course my gauge was much too big
- and a few of you told me to find out what the normal
- gauge of the yarn was and to recalculate my pattern.
- I did that and then my next problem was with color
- knitting.
-
- The pattern had a beautiful Fair Isle pattern and I
- quickly found that when I got into the design, the
- knitting just tightened right up. A lot of you have
- had the same problem and offerred some solutions. I
- also got some books out of the library and realized
- that I have to practice in order to produce something
- I would be happy with. I took the easy way out and
- made the item (a baby blanket sleeper) in solid color.
- I also started practicing changing colors, knitting
- loosely, holding the yarn in 2 hands, etc.
-
- As I said before, reading the net and corresponding
- with some of you has gotten me real excited about
- the craft. I've been reading some of the history
- and collecting more patterns. I'm also working on
- 2 or 3 items at a time.
-
- My latest crazy idea is a red, white, and blue
- variegated short sleeve sweater. Our chorus is
- doing patriotic songs for the spring concert and
- we are asked to dress in red, white, and blue.
- Naturally I have nothing in my wardrobe of these
- colors since I am very fair and stay far away from
- bright red or real white. So I found a pattern for
- a drop sleeve, short sleeve sweater with a color that
- I am adapting. I am making the ribbing tighter than
- the pattern and using variegated yarn instead of the
- stripes and cable design called for. I could only
- find the variegated yarn in worsted weight and I am
- using a matching deep royal blue for the ribbing edges
- and collar. I also used circular needles up to the
- armhole and then divided for the front and back. I
- have passed the armhole, nearly finished the back and
- have started the front. It should look striking for
- the concert . . . I stand in the first row!
-
- Have stopped my marathon knitting for baby until it's
- born so I can see how big it is. This is my first
- grandchild and it's over a week late. Besides the
- short sleeve sweater I'm working on a beautiful aqua
- V-neck cardigan for myself with a lace pattern down
- the fronts & sleeves. Finished the back and fronts.
- I fell in love with the washable wool while on a trip
- to Cape Cod, Massachusetts. It was so cold there that
- I wore a wool sweater constantly and decided I would
- like to have one beautiful, warm sweater. I have read
- that wool is not always so warm, that it lets the body
- breathe. I have never found wool to be cool, however.
-
- This has been pretty long but I promised to post the
- results of my previous requests. There were so many
- replys; I hope I have summarized satisfactorily.
-
- Sue Flaster
- att!hogpa!sjf
-
- --
- Susan J. Flaster (Sue) att!hogpa!sjf
- Bell Laboratories, Whippany NJ
-