In the midst of busyness, it's nice to have some little projects to do - they go so quickly! It's not so nice when they don't turn out right.
I knit this little beanie for LB (with plans to make Tiny Dancer one next). I wanted to make beanies like the ones that seem so popular lately - all stockinette, tight over the ears. After studying multiple hem options and several beanie patterns, and doing some gauge-based calculations, I cast on for my very first hemmed project.
Who knew that something could be both too big and too small at the same time?
from the side, it looks all rightsort of
from this angle, though, you can see it's too bigsee the gap at the ear?
I cast on too many stitches
and from this angle, you can see that it's also too smallsee how it only covers the left ear if it's not remotely covering the right ear?
I decreased too early. I think the hat needed at least another inch.
Still, you can see how pleased he is. Little Buddha is a guy who loves accessories. But this will have to be a do-over. He really does need his ears covered for winter. The trick will be getting the hat away from him long enough to frog it and reknit.
yarn: KnitPicks Swish Superwash, in Dark Navy with Fired Brick stripes
needles: Addi Turbos, size 6, 16" (plus dpns for the top)
pattern: a mishmash
goal: a stockinette beanie with hem
verdict: do over! will probably cast on about 20% fewer stitches this time, and may try doing the hem differently
In my comments, yesterday, Meredith mentioned that when she does toe-up socks, she has trouble binding off loosely enough to get the socks on. I had the same problem!! The first sock I only got on through much finagling. The second one, I thought I had learned my lesson, so I bound off with needles one size bigger. It is still tough to get on, though not quite as tight
as the first one. I guess next time I'll try going up another needle size or two. Or does anyone else have suggestions? Is this a common problem with toe-up socks?
yarn: KnitPicks Swish Superwash, in Dark Navy with Fired Brick stripes
needles: Addi Turbos, size 6, 16" (plus dpns for the top)
pattern: a mishmash
goal: a stockinette beanie with hem
verdict: do over! will probably cast on about 20% fewer stitches this time, and may try doing the hem differently
In my comments, yesterday, Meredith mentioned that when she does toe-up socks, she has trouble binding off loosely enough to get the socks on. I had the same problem!! The first sock I only got on through much finagling. The second one, I thought I had learned my lesson, so I bound off with needles one size bigger. It is still tough to get on, though not quite as tight
as the first one. I guess next time I'll try going up another needle size or two. Or does anyone else have suggestions? Is this a common problem with toe-up socks?
5 comments:
Glad it's not just me! I used Amy's suspended bind-off (http://www.knittinghelp.com/knitting/basic_techniques/bind-off.php) with a larger needle and still wasn't totally happy, but they were my first socks so perhaps it will go better the next time.
Ha! I did the same thing with a hat for DS, but yucky acrylic so there is no way I'm going to frog and redo. The kids can use it for playing and I'll have to make a real hat for outdoors, I guess!
Cute beanie -- too bad it didn't fit.
Try the EZ sewn bind-off. It can be just about too stretchy. Try doing it inside out, actually. :-)
I've also heard that Swish will shrink (row gauge) even though it's superwash, so you might keep that in mind when recreating the awesome too big too small hat. :)
My preferred bind-off method for toe-up socks:
Purl the first two stitches together, then loosen that stitch up and place it back onto the left needle. Do the same thing again...purl the loosened stitch - now the first stitch on the left needle - together with the second stitch. Loosen it up and slip it back over to the left needle. Continue purling 2 together and slipping the loosened stitch back to the left all the way across. Pull the end through the last stitch left.
Easy and works well! Just be sure you keep all the stitches REALLY loose.
Post a Comment