Tuesday 16 January 2007

Gauge Gripes

OK, most if not all of you are non-knitters and can zone out here but there might be a few knitters, or there will be eventually. And as I make reference to knitting in the title today I will piss and moan about getting the correct gauge (number of stiches per inch for all you non-knitters - very helpful if you are following a pattern and actually want the item to fit).

My piss and moan is because my gauge is always off. I knit too loose. Better than too tight I suppose. But this means that when I get yarn and a pattern I have to do several swatches. And when I buy yarn I don't know if I have the needles I need. So sometimes I go home, knit a swatch, find out that I don't have the correct needle and am stalled at the start line for a week or two before I can get Cory (husband) to drive me to the LYS. We have a car, I have a drivers licence, but the car is standard and I only know how to drive automatic right now. The car was way cheaper with standard. I will learn to drive standard. But it is icy and snowy and I have little time right now.

I knit tighter on my crystal palace bamboo dpns. This is good. I think. hmmm. not sure. All my other needles are metal...

In other news this is what I have on my needles right now:
socks by artyarns - either merino or supermerino, unsure
charcoal cardigan (still)
finished "my so called scarf" in manos de uruguay jungle (for step-mother in law)
finished plain garterstich scarf in lion brand stripes (6 year old girl... it will be a hit - but the yarn... well I think I'm becoming a yarn snob)

as soon as I get the concept of posting pictures I will post pictures.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

what kind of car did you guys by?
and can i get the address for your uclagary site?
thanks
jo

Amy Lane said...

Yeah--eventually you collect enough needles to be able to have those experiments at home...it seems to take forever, but it happens... I'm just like you--I knit loose so my first gauge swatch is almost always using needles one size down, and it does seem like the wooden or bamboo needles knit tighter. (Wood is always my choice W/natural fibers...it just FEELS better...)