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anderknit
Permanent Resident
USA
2549 Posts |
 Posted - 07/07/2004 : 07:31:55 AM
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I read the old threads on this, but I have a different question. I am going to start a baby blanket with a stitch I chose from a pattern library. (It's called Diamond & Lozenge but looks like baby blocks almost, and it is reversible. I plan to do the border in seed stitch, also reversible.) To figure out how much yarn to buy, should I swatch, measure the swatch, frog it, measure how much yarn I used, and then multiply to get to the size blanket I want? I'm having brain-lock and can't think of another (easier?) way to do this. Any advice will be appreciated.
"Courage doesn't always roar. Sometimes courage is the quiet voice at the end of the day saying, 'I will try again tomorrow.' " |
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Lissa
Permanent Resident
USA
4942 Posts |
Posted - 07/07/2004 : 07:36:37 AM
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Instead of frogging it, take it to the post office (if you don't have a food scale) and weigh the swatch. Then figure its area (length X width). Then determine the area of the finished piece. If you need 12 "swatch" areas to make the finished area, multiply the swatch weight by 12 - you'll get the weight of the yarn needed. So, if your yarn comes in 100 g balls, and your swatch weighs 10 grams, you'll need 1200 grams, or 12 balls. My math may be wrong, but the formulas work!
Lissa
Hey - I MEANT to do that! |
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achrisvet
Permanent Resident
USA
5986 Posts |
Posted - 07/07/2004 : 10:27:28 AM
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Excellent, Lissa. I asked for and got a digital food scale for Christmas that measures in grams or ounces. I use it as much for knitting as for food. I make baby booties for my church charity. I can weigh a completed pair and then weigh the left over yarn to see if I have enough left in the ball for another pair.
Anita
PS, I was using your tag line a lot last week. I was on vacation, golfing with my husband. I kept hitting these shots that would ricochet off something and land in a good spot. Hey, I meant to do that! No one believed me.
See my completed projects!
http://www.picturetrail.com/achrisvet |
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anderknit
Permanent Resident
USA
2549 Posts |
Posted - 07/07/2004 : 1:05:05 PM
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Wow, thanks. I never thought of weighing it, as I never think about weights of skeins, just yardage. I just love this forum - it always shows you another side, another way of looking at things. Thanks again.
"Courage doesn't always roar. Sometimes courage is the quiet voice at the end of the day saying, 'I will try again tomorrow.' " |
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Licensed2Cook
Permanent Resident
USA
3554 Posts |
Posted - 07/07/2004 : 4:20:00 PM
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How much yarn to buy? I used to say "all you can carry" or "all that they have" but I need to work on that strategy as it has clearly created another problem altogether. I'll simply follow the advice above so as to stay out of trouble.
Dee
~Licensed2Knit |
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anderknit
Permanent Resident
USA
2549 Posts |
Posted - 07/07/2004 : 5:00:03 PM
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Dee, you are too funny. I think I'll stick with the weighing or frogging, and try not to go overboard with the yarn purchase. Aside: This stitch is cool - I love that it is reversible, and it really is beginning to look like stacked blocks from one angle. Kind of like an MC Esher drawing.
"Courage doesn't always roar. Sometimes courage is the quiet voice at the end of the day saying, 'I will try again tomorrow.' " |
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Anya
New Pal
15 Posts |
Posted - 07/08/2004 : 07:26:08 AM
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| What is "frogging"? |
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anderknit
Permanent Resident
USA
2549 Posts |
Posted - 07/08/2004 : 07:33:20 AM
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Frogging is ripping out (large amounts) of knitting. Why? Because a frog goes "rippit, rippit" (sort of). By the way, undoing knitting stitch by stitch is "tink"ing, which is knit-ting backwards.
"Courage doesn't always roar. Sometimes courage is the quiet voice at the end of the day saying, 'I will try again tomorrow.' " |
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fmarrs
Guardian angel
USA
9776 Posts |
Posted - 07/08/2004 : 09:32:21 AM
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I use a postal scale. It is excellent for small weights.
fran |
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anderknit
Permanent Resident
USA
2549 Posts |
Posted - 07/12/2004 : 2:35:29 PM
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Lissa et al - I dug out a postal scale I had, and it worked wonderfully! I weighed the swatch and then the swatch+leftover yarn from skein, did the math, and figured out how many skeins I needed. Thanks so much, and instead of having a frogged mess, I have a lovely washcloth to send along with the blanket!
"Courage doesn't always roar. Sometimes courage is the quiet voice at the end of the day saying, 'I will try again tomorrow.' " |
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bogrady
Warming Up
Canada
68 Posts |
Posted - 07/15/2004 : 08:22:20 AM
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Have you ever seen the computer program Math Wizard? It calculates how much yardage needed for a project based on gauge and size. Very handy piece of equipment. I rely on this program and Sweater Wizard to help me keep my yarn needs realistic. My LYS has a Sweater Wizard program in the store for customers to use - it gives you a very basic pattern and the rest is up to the creator.
Bev |
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fmarrs
Guardian angel
USA
9776 Posts |
Posted - 07/15/2004 : 1:18:10 PM
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This is heresy again and I fully expect to be stoned with balls of yarn, but an old trick I use is to find a baby blanket, etc in a pattern book, and see what the weight is for that pattern and then make sure I have that much yarn available. It works well. It was only when so much variety yarn was produced that the yardages became more important than the weights. But if you are working with classic yarns, weight can be as accurate as yardages.
fran
p.s. please start throwing the yarn balls now, I'm replenishing my stash. |
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