HOW KNITTING FAILS WHEN YOU DON’T TO THE MATH!
A few weeks ago, I realized I was behind in getting a start
on a baby gift. I rifled through my yarn
stash and found a skein I thought would suit the pattern. In my haste to begin, I DID NOT do a swatch, I
DID NOT check my gauge, and I DID NOT check my needle size. I began knitting along, only paying
attention math wise, to increases and decreases and number of stitches
on my needles. About half way in, I
stopped to really take a look at what I was creating. Boy, did I wish I had done the math! My sweater that was intended to fit a 9 month
old, would probably fit a 10 year old!
Rats. I was forced to frog the
whole piece. (Rip it, rip it, rip
it.)
I learned my lesson.
My second attempt involved making swatches and testing needle size. The important thing to always remember in
knitting is to think of the ratio of the thickness of the yarn to the
size of the needle. Make a swatch, count
your stitches and compare that result to the recommend stitches per inch on the
pattern and then make adjustments, if necessary.
While I always try to look at the cup half full, I sure wish
I hadn’t wasted my time by not doing the math.
Winter is coming.
