2006--The Year of the Sweater Week 11 UPDATE p45 - Page 67

knitqueen · 03-10-2006, 11:52 PM

Wynnie, did you shorten the length of the sweater?? It suggests 16", I did about 14.5" instead, based on the measurements I took from a few of my other favorite shirts. I hope I don't regret skimping on the length.

Hildegard_von_Knittin · 03-12-2006, 06:21 PM

Somehow I missed week 10

But I figured it didn't matter since so many people are done

Week 11: Blocking

Some stuff you will/might need:
rust free t pins
a spray bottle
an iron (important--don't actually IRON your sweater--see the knitty link below for directions)
a tub or BIIIIIIG thing for water
lots of (clean) towels
a sweater drying rack
tape measure
blocking board (or something you can pin to, like a bed)
20 minutes

What you will use depends on how you will block your sweater, which depends on what fiber you used to knit it :-)

Basically, blocking is the last step in completing a garment. This is where you will make sure it's shape fits you. With blocking, you can fix a sleeve that is a little short or even out the hem line. Make sure you don't stretch anything you don't want stretched (like the ribbing, tubey ladies!) by accident! Here's what I did when blocking:

Fill up the tub with a few inches of tepid water
Dunk the garment in, let it soak up water for a minute or 2
Carefully pull it it out, taking care not to stretch it out of shape
Roll the it in the towels gently squeezing out excess water--DO NOT WRING!!!!!!!!!
Squish up anything that is too long, or gently tug anything that is too short.
Pin on a towel to your blocking board or the bed
Let dry and viola!!!!!!

Since my Tubey has a LOT of ribbing that I don't want to stretch out, I will probablly....
Pin the sweater to a blocking board or the bed
Spritz with water
Do minor shaping up (squishing, stretching)
Let dry and viola!

Please read THIS ARTICLE from knitty for more specific directions.
It also details what you should do to block specific types of fiber, such as cotton or alpaca or novelty stuff (if you used those). Amy suggests this page for blocking techniques, in case you need more of an endorsement than just mine :-)

Happy blocking*! You're almost done!!!!!!

*As always, a naked manservent could make this happier

WynnieG · 03-12-2006, 06:21 PM

I knit for 16", but really should have made it like 19", maybe even 20".

I'd take it apart and reknit but I spent so much time swearing at it the first time that I really don't think I want to go there. Besides, by the time I meet my next weight goal my chest measurement will have shrunk again, making the sweater appear longer when worn. :D

CateKnits · 03-16-2006, 09:22 PM

I finished Tubey! Which is the sweater I STARTED for this KAL. :rollseyes: So I've done two in three months.

I'll get a picture later. I still have to weave in the ends.

Hildegard_von_Knittin · 03-21-2006, 04:18 AM

Okay! hopefully everyone is done their sweater! (i;'m not!)

Week 12: wear your sweater with PRIDE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! And when people say "wow, I like your sweater!" nyou can say "Well, THANK you! I made it MYSELF!!!!!" and then act like it was *nothing* to throw together ;-)

Sweater #2--a summer tank-- will start the first week of April. I am going to recommend a cotton yarn, so if you're not sure what you want to use yet, now is a good time to start scopeing some yarn you like. Remember, this is a DESIGN your OWN, so nooooooo patterns! You're going to use MATH! Yippee!!!!!

CateKnits · 03-21-2006, 05:19 AM

Is it cheating if I started the Spring one already?

I'm designing it as I go, so it probably won't fit, anyway!
(Not that I have a problem with making two for this one, too. Maybe I could end the year with 8 sweaters!)

Jan in CA · 03-21-2006, 05:43 AM

Originally Posted by Hildegard_von_Knittin

Okay! hopefully everyone is done their sweater! (i;'m not!)

Week 12: wear your sweater with PRIDE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! And when people say "wow, I like your sweater!" nyou can say "Well, THANK you! I made it MYSELF!!!!!" and then act like it was *nothing* to throw together ;-)

I've been wearing it for weeks! I love it!

Quote:

Sweater #2--a summer tank-- will start the first week of April. I am going to recommend a cotton yarn, so if you're not sure what you want to use yet, now is a good time to start scopeing some yarn you like. Remember, this is a DESIGN your OWN, so nooooooo patterns! You're going to use MATH! Yippee!!!!!

Math? Are you kidding? Cotton? Any kind? I REALLY want to start swatching or something! Can you tell us anything? Pretty please!

silveridger · 03-21-2006, 06:24 PM

OK, so if we're scoping out cotton yarn we like and find some, how about some numbers so we can get it while it's still available? Every time I find yarn I like and go back later to buy it, it's gone

. I don't mind setting it aside until April, but I'd rather not be scrambling to buy yarn during that first week, IYKWIM.

That's me, compulsive as always.

jhelanee · 03-21-2006, 06:42 PM

I like the idea of giving us some (rough) yarn-purchasing guidelines now so we can start bargin-hunting.

Also, I was wondering if we could start a new thread for the second sweater. (Make things easier to follow if we don't have "finishing up sweater 1" and "planning for sweater two" posts mixed together.

Hildegard_von_Knittin · 03-22-2006, 04:15 AM

I'm glad everyone is so excited!

I will start a new thread for the next sweater! It will be easier to navigate, i think. Thanks for the suggestion!

Yarn amounts, yarn amounts.... I wasn't sure how to tackle this problem. I was going to suggest that you go to a yarn store, pick out 1 ball of a yarn you like, knit a swatch to determine gauge, then go back and buy more yarn after you determine how much you need. But, that leads to problems, biggest of all the store not having enough of the yarn you need, OR not of the same dyelots, and having to wait for orders yadda yadda..... Here's what I'd suggest instead:

Look at some patterns for tanks in your size. LOOK AT does not mean FOLLOW :-) Look at several patterns (knittingpatterncentral is a good place to start for free patterns, and Knitty has lots of tanks) and get a ballpark figure of how many yards you need. If it doesn't outright tell you that you need X number of yards, you can determine this by multiplying the number of balls of yard by their yardage (for instance, if it says you need 11 balls of yarn, and the yarn is 100 yards in a ball, you need 1100 yards of yarn). Then, buy that same number of yards in whatever yarn youwant to use. Look at SEVERAL patterns and get an average--it's usually better to over estimate, too, because you don't want to run out.

The XRX books "the knit stitch" "the purl stitch" and "color" AND the Knitters magazine that the patterns come from ALL have yardage amounts. If you don't own these books, scope them at your LYS, library, or borrow from a knitty friend :-)

You can also ask your LYS owner if they will A) let you return unused balls and/or B) hold a few extra balls in that dye lot for you in case you run out. My LYS is very accomodating in that respect.

I got a ball each of knitpicks cotton yarns (not the crayon though, blech), and I'm going to order one more of all their NEW yarns ASAFP, and then knit a swatch for all of them, and decide which one I like best, THEN order whatever amount of yarn I need. (this is the long draw out Hildie is anal retentive way of doing things) Your LYS might allow you to swatch a few of their cotton yarns before you decide what to buy. Just ask!

I was going to have a couple "rules" for this KAL, like you have to do some kind of bottom edge border, you need to use more than one color, some kind of texturized stitch pattern.... but I'm not sure if that will go over. Any of those things might effect how much yarn you need to buy, soooooo if anyone is opposed to THOSE specific things let me know now and I'll nix them. Or maybe I'll just make them suggestions instead of "rules" :-) I don't want to seem overbearing.....

yes cate you are cheating!

that's okay though... maybe you should be in charge! ;-) You don't have enough to do, right? Actually, though, that will be good, because this will be my first "design as you go" too (that i will finish anyway), and you'll be able to tell us what we're doing wrong

When the new thread is started, I'll (try to) merge everying from THIS thread that is relevant to THAT thread...

OH, and it doesn't HAVE to be cotton. If you find something esle that you like (a ribbon yarn might be neat) use it! I'm going with cotton because it's cool for summer time and washable. If youwant to make a wool summer tank top

go ahead... we won't want to be near you while you're wearing it, but hey, it's YOUR tank!

FINALLY, if you do use cotton, make sure it "works" with your needles... you might need to buy some aluminum needles if youdont' like how it feels with bamboo or casein or plastic or whatever you usually knit with.... If you're using cotton for this KAL and you haven't before, I would knit a bunch of swatches--it doesn't have to necessarily be with the exact yarn you're using for the tank (but for real practicing, it should be! either buy extra, or plan on unravelling), so you get used to how it feels and knits up. Cotton is kinf of unforgiving... shows all those little bumps and booboos and changes in gauge, so practicing is good!