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August 22, 2004
Argh!
I have done so well with seaming the T-3 shirt, right up until I got to the neck that is. I have ripped the neck out two times so far. The first neck was five rows of ribbing and then the darning needle bind off. Way too floppy and the neck was a bit too high. Next, I bound off the front and back sections that were still live (fifteen stitches in the front and another fifteen in the back) and put a single crochet edging on. It wouldn't even begin to go over my head. Rippit rippit.
I broke out my fantastic new knitting resource, the Reader's Digest, Knitter's Handbook by Montse Stanley. If you don't have this already, I strongly suggest you take a look at it. She is very opinionated about how to knit (I won't call her knitting police though) but her writing is interesting and she adds in quite a bit of history for us geeks. I wouldn't recommend it to someone just learning but for the intermediate to advanced beginner, this is an inspirational resource. My only suggestion for improving this book is to be more consistent on suggestion uses for the various techniques (for intance, in the cast on section she suggest how floppy or firm it will be but in the bind off section she doesn't). Anyway, she has a bunch of bind off techniques detailed, so I just have to pick one. Anyone got any bright ideas for a stretchy but not floppy bindoff? I forgot to mention the reason the problem is so hard - I am using 100% cotton, so the yarn itself has no give.
In other news, I started a baby blanket for another expecting neighbor. I found some yarn while in the States that is just amazingly soft. And acrylic. (insert Psycho shower music). It is Lion Brand Polar Spun. I am pairing it with a worsted weight, off white run of the mill acrylic (more stash busting woohoo). The Polar Spun by itself is so cloud-like that the swatch looks like a shag rug. Combined with the other yarn, you can see a little bit of stitch definition. I have decided to use size 15 (U.S.) needles, Denise circs of course, with a knit/purl block pattern. So far, it is so beautiful, fun and soft that I am thinking it will be very hard to give away. One of my children has already tried to lay claim to it. Now, if only Polar Spun came in non pastel colors.
Posted by DebC at August 22, 2004 09:57 AM
Comments
Hey Deb what fertile neighbors you have!
Have you tried to bind off in rib? That is what I use on crew/round neck sweaters, just give a slight tug on the knit sts. Keeps neckline stretchy-ish but not so tight you can't get it over your head. I'm really good at binding the necks off too tight, was so happy once I discovered the rib BO.
Posted by: Wendy at August 24, 2004 07:05 PM
hi there!
so sorry I didn't get back to you sooner about the labels! I didn't catch your comment!
I bought the labels at www.namemaker.com (http://www.namemaker.com/100woven.asp) . I'm very happy with them! They look great (not craftsy-country like a lot of labels I see out there..hehe)I chose style F100.
Oh, i LOVE polarspun!!! I sold a bunch of scarves in their blue/white color scheme. It's so soft and is surprisingly very warm! Yeah, I do wish they had other non-pastel colors.
have fun :)
Posted by: may at August 27, 2004 06:27 PM