Monday 31 December 2007

Three hour shrug


A quick project for this evening ----------->

it was a simple case of casting on, increasing for the first sleeve, knitting straight for the back of the body, then decreasing for the second sleeve.....on the knitting machine, of course.

I added a few rows of garter stitch (by hand) at each cuff to stop the rolling. The sleeves came out three-quarter length - not intentionally - but I'm happy with that. I've been wanting to make this for some time....like many of the things I make, it took a lot longer to plan and think about than knit!

The edges across the body curl, as it's stockinette, but that actually is a good thing in this case! It helps with the fit.

I used three balls of Red Heart Soft Touch (acrylic), unravelling the lacy knitting that I started a few months ago and didn't like.

A gauge swatch is even more important when knitting by machine. Yes, if you make a mistake, it's not a big time investment and can be reknitted quickly, but when the knitting is hanging from the machine it's impossible to tell what the gauge of the finished item is going to be. The needles are a set distance apart, and a weighted hem hangs from the bottom of your work. A good size sample square is essential, preferably left overnight to "relax" and give an accurate measurement. Then you can work out how many stitches and rows you need to knit. And even then, it doesn't always come out *quite* how you planned it!

2 comments:

Louise said...

I wondered which back belonged to you in the photo with your 'three' friends, now I know, funny I really did think your back looked like a Nicola! x

Nicola said...

Yup, that's me, second from the left. My rear view will look different after today, I'm having my hair cut.