Wednesday, February 27, 2008

The gauge grinch strikes again

I've been busted! Another daughter has joined Ravelry. Neither of them has posted much yet. DD Julie has a blog (link on my sidebar). I really enjoy seeing what she's doing. Now I'll have to use generic names for any gift projects, especially for them and their families.

My sweater sleeve grows slowly. Many of you know the feeling. Knit, knit, knit, measure. No change! Knit, knit, knit. measure again. I have done all the increases that I calculated. The sleeve is still too narrow and shorter than expected. Check the gauge on the sweater body in the lice section. I wish I had measured the gauge of the swatch before washing. I think the yarn relaxed after its bath. Refigure using the new figures. I've almost finished the "extra" increases and the sleeve width looks good. I'm at 16" long and close to the 20" circumference that I aimed for. Lice will continue until 19" and then the zigzag pattern like the yoke peerie. The sleeve will be worked straight after I finish the increases. I'll count the rows of lice to make the other sleeve match.

I have a design commission with a June deadline. I'm going to make 2 children's sweaters out of sock yarn. Thursday is my day off. I'm thinking it's time to wind the yarn into a ball and start swatching. It'll be a break from the small needles. I'm using 2.5 mm needles for both the sweater and the socks. Actually,that's wrong. I can't go up much in needle size or the fabric will be too loose, maybe US#2/2.75mm. I plan a boy and a girl sweater in related colors.

It snowed again. The weather can't make up its mind. We've had a lot of warm days this winter, so the snow has not piled up as it does some years. We have 8" on the ground right now. No school today, since most of the snow fell overnight. By Sunday it should get above freezing, and melting will commence. Dog and I shoveled the front walk instead of checking out the neighborhood. This morning, we made a path one shovel wide. This evening, we widened part of it. In the morning we'll finish the front walk. I hope our plow service comes tonight. Most of the snow fell after they plowed last evening. Calls have been made, but the snow remains.

1 comment:

fiberfanatic said...

I'm in the middle of a baby sweater. Gauge was 9.5 rows per inch on swatch. Suddenly it has changed to 10. I believe it is called more knit-knit-knit. sigh
Second time the gauge has changed on this sweater! Last time it went from a size 2T to a preemie, just because my gauge changed. I think the project may be cursed. grin