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Knittin' Gal
trials & tribulations
of a newbie knitter

Just Once

Wednesday, April 13, 2005
You know, just once, JUST ONCE I'd like to finish a project without having to rip it apart before I am done. Yes, I ripped apart my Kiri Shawl yesterday and believe you me, it was painful. Why did I rip it apart? *sigh* Well, I was curious yesterday and I wanted to figure out exactly how many stitches would be on the needles per repeat etc. So, I created an Excel spreadsheet and did some simple math. I worked out that on the 15th repeat, I should have 391 stitches on my needles. When I say 15th repeat, it could be the 14th actually as I am not sure how one counts repeats *mental note* I will have to ask the gals about this during out next meeting.


So, there I was, all ready to start my 9th repeat (or it could be 8th). I knew how many stitches I should have on the needles and lo and behold, I didn't have it!! So, I thought that maybe there was a mistake in my calculations etc. I proceeded to knit as per the pattern and naturally, it didn't work. Ripped out that lines and then examined my work and wouldn't you have it... I found a mistake about 1.5 inches down my work.



If you look closely, you'll see that that chain is broken.


So, I spoke to Laura and she advised me on what to do. Unfortunately, every single line after that mistake is wrong and I had to rip. I did think of weaving in what they call a lifeline just before the mistake but I wasn't looking forward to it. So, rip I did... I pulled it off the needles.



After coming off the needles, the shawl was bigger than what I thought it would be.


After my work came off the needles, I noticed that the lace pattern isn't as "loose" as I had hoped it would be. I tried stretching and pulling it etc but it was just too tight. My needles were a little small (3.5mm). So, I decided to change the size of my needles and am now trying to get it right. When I say trying, I mean trying. For some strange reason, since I ripped up my work, I can't seem to get past row 17 of the pattern without making some awful error! I've casted on and ripped my work apart no less than 3 times yesterday... I can't get past row 17. In frustration, I pulled everything apart and decided to take a break from knitting.


Oh hindsight, even with my stitch markers and all that I think that my row counting wasn't exact. I saw Doreen writing down numbers in her little notebook during our last meeting. After she'd finish a line, she'd mark it off. I thought that I was safe using my counter thingy... I'm pretty good at turning the counter after each line. However, the counter that I used is a little loose and perhaps it moved without me knowing. So now, to be safe, I have this piece of paper which I am using to mark off each line I do. Hopefully the next time round, I'll get it right!

9:09 am :: 4 comments ::

Knittin Gal :: permalink


Kiri Shawl

Monday, April 11, 2005
A quick one here... taking a break from an oh-ever-so-hectic Monday...


I've been knitting like a mad woman possessed!! I don't know what it is but I can't seem to stop, not even when I am in physical pain. Yawp... you read that right. I am in pain... for some strange reason, my right bicep feels a little strained... my right elbow feels funny, like the muscles / tendons in there have been pinched and my little right finger feels numb. Also, both my hands feel cramped but does that stop me... NOOOO!! I must be mad.


I've decided to use my what-use-to-be-for my Kiri Shawl KidSilk Haze yarn to make a scarf. I'm doing it in double strands and the results have been quite surprising. Check it out...





Am quite pleased with the result actually.



Then, late Saturday night / early Sunday morning, I decided to try casting on for my Kiri Shawl. I'd purchased 4 balls of Katia Mississippi 3 Print in a beige / natural colour and believe you me, this one is heaps easier to work with than the KSH!!!




Katia Mississippi 3 Print :: Colour 204

Unfortunately, the photo above doesn't really show the colours but I think that it's lovely. So I did my cast on and began working on the pattern... didn't stop till about 2.30am on Sunday morning and believe it or not, I dreamt about the shawl that night / morning. I even woke up early to work on it!! How mad is that?


So, in less than 48 hours, my Kiri Shawl looks like this::






I've done 7 pattern repeats and the total number of stitches on my needles is 189. Somehow, I am beginning to think that the needles I am using (3.5mm, 60cm) isn't going to be long enough. I've used approximately 3/4 of my first ball. I think I bought too much yarn but better safe than sorry. I have to say that I don't really like working with circular needles because one can't really stretch it out to see what the garment really looks like. So far so good...




A close up


Need to work, need to work, need to work... must forget about knitting, MUST FORGET ABOUT KNITTING, MUST FORGET ABOUT KNITTING!!!
11:23 am :: 3 comments ::

Knittin Gal :: permalink


The KSH Nightmare

Sunday, April 10, 2005
My name is Jackie and I am a failure as a KidSilk Haze (KSH) knitter *sigh*. After much deliberation, I've decided to quit trying to knit in KSH. I think that I am not built to knit in this oh so fine yarn. Try and try as I might, I simply can NOT knit with it. Something almost always goes wrong and ripping it apart is a nightmare as it seems to have a mind of its own and doesn't want to be undone. This is one unforgiving yarn!


So, a few weeks ago, a few of us from the KL Knitting Meetup Group decided to start a knit-a-long. The pattern for this project was the Kiri Shawl. We got together and bought some KSH from eBay and were anxiously awaiting the arrival of the said yarn. Well, arrive it did and at the time of writing, one of the members of the knit-a-long has given up on the yarn. I've also given up and I feel GUILTY! I LOVE challenges and I thought that this would be a great one but I'm out of my league. It's time to admit defeat.


I tried casting on for the shawl no less than 4 times with the KSH. Every single cast on ended up in disaster. Why? Well, I'd be making mistakes and unraveling one's work is almost impossible in this yarn. On my 4th attempt, I got to the 11th line and found that the number of stitches I had on the needles didn't match the pattern.




First few lines of the Kiri Shawl in KSH


In frustration, I decided to give up.


Then, being the pig-headed person that I am, I decided to try an easier pattern using the KSH. So, I decided to try knitting the Ripple Shawl in the KSH. The pattern said that it was very easy so I thought, why not? So, I casted on the appropriate stitches and proceeded. It was fine going for a while but another lesson for the day... one should never ever try knitting when one is under the influence of medication *sigh*. I was going fine for a while... then, I wasn't feeling too well (down with the flu) so I decided to take a nap. After my nap, I proceeded with my project. Unbeknownst to me, I'd either missed out on a line or added another one and started doing the pattern on the wrong side of the work. I didn't notice this until I was about 4" into the project.





An attempt at the Ripple Shawl in KSH


So, another piece of work down the drain and even more yarn wasted.


Still, unwilling to totally give up on the KSH, I decided to try making a scarf out of it, but this time, using double strands... and this time, it WORKED!! For some strange reason, when you double up the yarn, it is a LOT easier to work with AND it doesn't stick together! Unraveling one's work is easy!!


So, I am now doing a scarf in the KSH, using a modified pattern from the Ripple Shawl and I am doubling the yarn. So far so good...









A close up

2:03 pm :: 1 comments ::

Knittin Gal :: permalink


Advancing

Tuesday, April 05, 2005
Hehehe... I think I'm improving as a knitter. After successfully completing my Cozy I was eager to start my next project. Unfortunately, the wool / yarn that we ordered from eBay hadn't arrived yet. Yawp. I've joined a knit-a-long with two other gals from the KL Knitting Meetup Group. Against my better judgement, I thought, "why not??". It's going to be a challenge and I'll be learning heaps.

Why is it a challenge I hear you cry? Well, firstly, we'll be knitting in this really fine material called
KidSilk Haze (KSH). This sure is fine, FINE material and I'm a little scared of it to be quite honest. One of the other gals from the group, Vanessa of Coloursknits used it to make a cardigan and it turned out beautiful. But the texture of the material is a little overwhelming. She advised us to make sure our nails were trimmed and smooth, to avoid snagging the material. Well, Doreen, Laura and myself got together and made a group purchase for the KSH. Doreen and I chose the KSH in Dewberry, a sort of lavenderish colour and Laura chose Marmalade, a really sweet "apricotish" shade.

Well, the yarn arrived last week and has since been distributed. To be quite honest, I didn't really look forward to starting the project, as I was a little sceptical about this thingy called a provisional cast on. Didn't have a clue on what it was! Then, the pattern said to cast on THREE stitches... only THREE??!! What on earth???!!

After much delay, I whipped out my knitting books yesterday and used some spare acryllic yarn I had and experimented. Hehehe... it isn't as hard as I thought it was going to be. After 2 attempts, I got the hang of it and proceeded a trial run for the shawl. Check it out...



Kiri


Am pretty proud about this one... thankfully, the lessons I learnt when I did my Cozy left me well equipped to handle this project. I whipped out my stitch counter thingies and didn't make too many huge mistakes. But then, I had a looked at Doreen's, attempt and I'm thinking hmmmm... 1. it looks a little different than mine and 2. the lass only used ONE stitch marker thingy and mine is ladened with it!! Oh... no prizes for guessing which one is the professional and the amateur. Doreen's Kiri project:



it looks nothing like mine!

A closeup of my trial shawl:



Kiri :: closeup

Oh dear... now I am hoping that I am on the right track... maybe her's just LOOKS different because it's on circular needles. I don't have my circular needles yet but I'm planning on getting them this weekend. In the mean time, I am pretty confident about casting on for real on my 4.5 straight bamboo ones. Wish me luck... *sigh*. I think I'm going to need it. Had enough problems with thick acrylic...

On another note, whilst waiting for the yarn to arrive and courage to start my KSH project, I started experimenting with knitting in multicolours... did one square for my blankie and it is FRUSTRATING. I think I spent more time unravelling the yarn than I did actually knitting the square. Everything kept getting tangled up!




My heart square.

At the worst moment, I had 7 "balls" of yarn hanging off my needles. There HAS to be an easier way to manage all that yarn. I read somewhere about this tool called "yarn bobbins" and I might just go have a look for it during the weekend. As an alternative, I cut up a few old business cards and tried using those... not a good idea. McGyver I am not. It created more hassle! The back is rather messy I think. My weaving skills aren't up to notch yet but I am working on it.




A close up of the messy back.

Still, this is a good experience. I think I might stay away from multicoloured projects for now... small squares are OK... I shudder to think about large projects! How people do it I have absolutely no idea!

10:42 am :: 3 comments ::

Knittin Gal :: permalink