Pink, Interlace, Lace, Gauge and My Dream Job

Hello my lovely blogger stalkers! I hope you are all well and happy and have plenty of yarn around you during this hectic time of year. For me, knitting has been my salvation as I only have two more weeks until I complete my first year at graduate school. I'm starting to stress: headaches, stomach aches, sobbing uncontrollably (okay, maybe not the last one, but the urge to sob is there). To help me through it all I dedicate a good chunk of my time to knitting. This is a requirement for my well being. I get my work done, so I'm not neglecting anything. Fact: I spent close to 6-8 hours on a PowerPoint presentation with a recorded voice over for one of my classes. A project only worth 10 points! But I had to spend that much time to get it right and somewhat acceptable. Therefore, I need to spend equal or more time knitting or holding yarn. Life is all about balance. Anyway, here's what I've been working on:

Pretty pink fingerless gloves for Erin!

It's like Thing...only in pink!

They're a bit small on me, but Erin is small.

These were quick to knit up. I finished the first one in less than 5 hours. And that's with interruptions. I won't tell you where...

So pretty!

Then last night I finished knitting Sara's cowl! But I had to block it. Since it's wool it stretches a bit and the finished piece has to measure 24 inches. So I took it into the bathroom and gave it a quick, gentle rinse under the sink and then lightly squeezed out the excess water. I then pinned the cowl onto a piece of cardboard I saved for such blocking excursions (I don't block too many pieces, otherwise I'd invest in blocking boards. Cardboard works well enough). Blocking your knitting is important because it flattens the work. For this cowl, the "weaved" joins were a bit bunched. Blocking helped to flatten it out so it's easier to wear. Most people block lace pieces and sweaters. It can also give your piece shape depending on how you pin it. I had a purse I felted and I pinned the handle into a lovely curve.

I'm so artsy! (I can almost feel my photography friends shudder).

I just adore the colorway!

And that leaves the sock I'm knitting! It's a beautiful lace pattern (I won't block it though, no point when it's just going to stretch out a bit anyway from wear!) made with a gorgeous purple yarn! I described the yarn in an earlier blog post. It's lovely and makes me so incredibly happy that I purchased a different shade of purple for another pair of socks. What's really surprised me knitting this up is how well the Harmony circular needles are working! The last few pairs of socks I've tried to make with the Harmony needles was so excruciating that I gave up after about an inch or so. I'd have ladders (gaps in my knitting where the tension wasn't tight enough) and the yarn would catch on the needles! All sorts of issues. But for these socks, it's working beautifully.




And finally, dear bloggers...here's a question I received from Ginger about gauge:

"My primary knitting projects have been afghans and Christmas socks--both years ago. I have a problem already with the gauge. The pattern says 4" square. On #7 needles, I knit two gauges, one in stockinette and one in moss, the pattern stitch. No stitches per inch are indicated on the pattern. My pieces measure 4 1/4 inches. Do I need to use another needle size to make the right size garment? (#8?)."

The quick and simple answer is, yes, adjust your needle to get the correct gauge. Her gauge is most likely off because of her tension. Her tension isn't wrong; everyone's tension is just different which is why they include gauge instructions in patterns. Gauge is defined as the "tightness (or looseness) of your knitting" (Radcliffe, The Knitting Answer Book). In this case, you should switch to a bigger needle and repeat the swatch in the moss stitch instructions (20 stitches/28 rows = 4 inches) and in stockinette stitch (19 stitches/26 rows = 4 inches). The pattern doesn't include stitches per inch, but it should be around 7 stitches per inch. Try a #8 and see what you've got.

That is all my knitting friends! Remember to knit and/or crochet this week! If you have a question regarding knitting, please drop me a line! I'd be happy to find the answer for you!

Ps. I just visualized my dream job: reference librarian in a knitting library! How magical would that be?!