| Tuesday, April 05, 2005 |
| More Sweater - from concept to completion |
Monday night:
12:30am: Finally stop working on the machine. I'm hot, sweaty, and just a skoch cranky, but have most of a sweater front to show for it. I had intended on doing the back first, but realized 97 rows in that I had 4 sts too many, and decided that due to my boobs I'd rather have the extra width in the front, rather than the back. I say "most" of a sweater front 'cus I made a v-neck, and had to put 37 sts on a holder while I worked on one side of the neck. I was too tried to finish both sides. At least I know that I accomplished something! No way could I have knit 171 rows by hand in one night!
Tuesday (today):
12:30pm - 6:00pm: Spend time at work contemplating sweater while working. Figuring out how best to tame the beast. Laugh at the weakness I showed yesterday and know that I have now conquored the knitting machine. Ignore forboding music playing softly in my mind.
6:48pm: Get home from work and make supper, trying hard to ignore the knitting machine still set up on the kitchen table. Eat standing up at the island, eyeing the km from time to time. Smile and think how easy it all is, once you know how to do it.
8:00pm: Place leftover sts from yesterday's front on machine. Take a few moments to decide how best to do this, as the sts are so tiny. Finally decide to use the transfer tools.
8:45pm: Front is finished! I still couldn't figure out how to bind off, if it is the same thing as when I bind off a bunch of sts for the armpit, or if there is another trick when you're binding off the last sts, 'cus you'd still end up with one st at the end. I resorted to the same thing as for the other side of the front: drop the rem 6 sts and BO with needles. (I did this for the front 'cus I accidentally passed the carriage without any yarn in it, and it dropped everything off the needles.)
9:15pm: After some guacamole and low-carb tortilla chips, I sit down at the machine. I confidently cast on with waste yarn, do a few rows, then switch to my main yarn. I get 17 rows in when the carriage jams. I take it off but can't figure out how to start knitting again in the middle of a row. I decide that I'm so few rows in, it would be better to start over. I drop everything and frog. I start again. After 23 rows I glance at the knitting I've created and see that I've somehow managed to knit in a knot in the yarn. It's on the wrong side, but it's still a clump of yarn the size of a nickel that will either pop out on the right side, or hit my back really uncomfortably. I decide again to start over.
10:07pm: I come upstairs to get a screwdriver to pop the lock on the downstairs bathroom 'cus I must have accidentally locked it and shut the door. I decide to update my blog while here. Downstairs I have 45 rows OTN. I've decided not to be cocky with this machine. After all, I still have the sleeves too.
To "B" from bknits from the comments: I figured out the whole money thing. Turns out that yes, I bought 11 sk at 6.99 ea, yes I returned 11 sk, but of the 11, 8 were 7.49 and then a 20% disco 'cus they were on sale (that I forgot about) and 3 were 7.49 with a 10% disco (that I get on all purchases). So they were right after all.
To Lucia from the comments: You have a fantastic site! I'd actually looked at the pattern when googling "machine knit raglan sweater generator" but I really wanted something knit in pieces and your other ones are knit in the round, plus I wanted something knit bottom up. I'm using an old bulky HK 100, Singer I think, and I can't do in the round on it. I'm not really a machine knitter yet lol, just practicing to see if I like it before I buy one. My bf was ready to drop big money on ebay to buy me a machine, but I felt so afraid it would just sit there if I didn't enjoy it! Luckily my knitting teacher lent me one of hers to try out. It's....well, I don't know how to describe it yet. I wouldn't call it fun. It's not peaceful or exhilirating or destressing like hand knitting. So far it's stress-inducing. :)
To Jenanne from the comments: Oh my God is there so much prep work! Geez with my hand needles you just sit down and go. With this OY VEY! Not to mention the space it takes up and the time commitment. I can't sit down and do a few rows while waiting to leave, I need to plan, prepare. Hopefully it will be worth it. I had to lose the ruffle though, dropped the sts yesterday and wasn't about to reknit it for another hour before getting on to the machine. Plus I HATED transfering the sts to the machine. I don't know what the proper way is to do it, but it was obnoxious and took forever. Since I CO with waste yarn, I'll have live sts so I can do a border on the needles at the end. I'm not sure if I'll keep the ruffle. I think a nice cable that winds around might look better. I'll see once everything is blocked and I can try it on. |
posted by Jennifer Lori @ 10:07 pm   |
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| 2 Comments: |
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I did learn, over the years, that I best like my machine knit sweaters if I just start them with waste yarn and plan to add the borders by hand later (often a seed stitch border, though I've done cables and ruffles and ribbing and lace and... well, you get the idea).
One of the best investments I made in my machine knitting was attending a three day conference on the topic in a state near mine. I learned SO MUCH and came home with great books, etc.
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Hi Jennifer. Just wondering where you take your classes and like to buy your yarn. I've yet to find a LYS that I really like in Montreal and usually buy online.
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I did learn, over the years, that I best like my machine knit sweaters if I just start them with waste yarn and plan to add the borders by hand later (often a seed stitch border, though I've done cables and ruffles and ribbing and lace and... well, you get the idea).
One of the best investments I made in my machine knitting was attending a three day conference on the topic in a state near mine. I learned SO MUCH and came home with great books, etc.