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stellal
Seriously Hooked
New Zealand
956 Posts |
 Posted - 06/02/2007 : 9:51:02 PM
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I'm knitting a fair isle baby blanket in round for a friend, her choice of yarns and colours. And where we live the range of yarn is limited and for a baby superwash is probably a good choice. Both my babies were 'spilly' and one was a real gusher.
The needle size is 3.25 mm and the guage is 27 stitches to 4" or 10cm.
I've only ever done one steek before, Wendy's baby norgi at knitty.com - so I'm looking for some advice from those with much more steeking experience ,
Is 10 stitches way to big? The baby norgi has a steek in superwash that is only 4 stitches wide. I'm a little worried about bulk, but I don't want the superwash fair isle to unravel either.
Stella
I used to follow patterns, but disovered its far more fun to wing it with a little guidence from E. Zimmerman.
I don't spend nearly enough time knitting.
I don't have nearly enough yarn stashed for the future.
My knit to frog ratio is around 2:1 and on show here www.Knitknitfrog.blogspot.com
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baxterknits
Chatty Knitter
USA
261 Posts |
Posted - 06/03/2007 : 08:08:40 AM
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How will you be treating the steek before cutting it? (for some reason I can't get into Knitty, so I can't check the pattern you referenced.) The only steeking I have done involved machine stitching down both sides and cutting in the middle. 4-5 stitches was plenty for that.
BTW, a baby blanket at that gauge in Fair Isle is a real labor of love. You have a luck friend.
Cindy G
http://baxterknits.blogspot.com |
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stellal
Seriously Hooked
New Zealand
956 Posts |
Posted - 06/03/2007 : 7:11:27 PM
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I was planning to machine stitch, I have read that it can stiffen the work, and change the way it drapes, as I am trying to reduce bulk crochet seems like it would add bulk so i won't do that this time.
this is a special friend, from way back in high school, Gill is a great person, intelligent and nice to every one, not often you get both, and yet she dosn't suffer fools.
Stella
I used to follow patterns, but disovered its far more fun to wing it with a little guidence from E. Zimmerman.
I don't spend nearly enough time knitting.
I don't have nearly enough yarn stashed for the future.
My knit to frog ratio is around 2:1 and on show here www.Knitknitfrog.blogspot.com
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mokey
Permanent Resident
15302 Posts |
Posted - 06/03/2007 : 7:42:51 PM
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I knitted some Philosopher's wool sweaters, and I only used one stitch for a steek. Definitely go the machine route.
Brought to you by the tongue in cheek-y monkey
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Help me walk all over cancer
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baxterknits
Chatty Knitter
USA
261 Posts |
Posted - 06/03/2007 : 7:43:42 PM
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Sounds like a worthy recipient. I hadn't thought about the machine stitching affecting the drape, I suppose it might. Try it on a swatch first?? The crochet method sounds like it would add bulk to me, too. There's probably someone out there with a perfectly brilliant solution....
Cindy G
http://baxterknits.blogspot.com |
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Grand-moogi
Chatty Knitter
Australia
177 Posts |
Posted - 06/03/2007 : 8:12:11 PM
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[quote]Originally posted by stellal
...where we live the range of yarn is limited ...
Stella have you checked out Bendigo Woollen Mills? You can contact them and ask for some colour cards. They will put you on the list to send you new colour cards when they come out and you can mail order whatever you want. Their wool is beautiful and colours really lovely. No need to be limited in what yarn you can acquire. Prices very reasonable too compared with anywhere else.
www.bendigowoollenmills.com.au |
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Knitasha
Gabber Extraordinaire
USA
354 Posts |
Posted - 06/04/2007 : 3:49:34 PM
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There is a beautiful and not difficult hand-sewn method in Anna Zilboorg's book, Knitting for Anarchists.
It goes something like this.
Make your steek 3 stitches wide -- no wider.
With a tapestry needle and yarn, whip-stitch the right leg of each center stitch to the left leg of the adjacent stitch. Do this all the way up the steek. Begin again, whipping the left leg of the center stitches to the right legs of the adjacent stitches.
When you are finished, there will be a one-stitch ladder running between two rows of whip-stitching. Cut the ladder.
Zilboorg says that if you do the whip-stitching before machine stitching, the machine stitches will not stretch out the edge as they might otherwise do.
Try it on a swatch first......
"Where so many hours have been spent in convincing myself that I am right, is there not some reason to fear I may be wrong?"
--Jane Austen, Sense and Sensibility |
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stellal
Seriously Hooked
New Zealand
956 Posts |
Posted - 06/06/2007 : 01:18:50 AM
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quote:
Originally posted by Grand-moogi
Stella have you checked out Bendigo Woollen Mills?
thanks for the link they have a great range of colours in 5 ligher weight yarns, I have sent an email asking for a shade card, and expect from looking that an order will not be to far away
the prices seem really good, 200g balls as well.
stell
Stella
I used to follow patterns, but disovered its far more fun to wing it with a little guidence from E. Zimmerman.
I don't spend nearly enough time knitting.
I don't have nearly enough yarn stashed for the future.
My knit to frog ratio is around 2:1 and on show here www.Knitknitfrog.blogspot.com
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annieliv
New Pal
USA
7 Posts |
Posted - 06/09/2007 : 8:47:25 PM
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I would think that washable wool of any sort would be treated so that it doesn't felt. Part of what makes steeked items not ravel is that the wool on the cut edges is encouraged to felt. I have dampened the steek and rubbed it against itself all up and down the steek and then in the morning cut it.
Did you say how you intend to finish the cut edges? A 10 stitch steek at about 7 stitches per inch would give you 5 stitches per side or about 3/4 of an inch. I assume that could be turned under twice for a hem, but it would be fairly minimum. Or you could pick up stitches along the cut edge, knit a band to cover the folded back cut edge, and hand sew that in place. Crochet over it sounds good too. Then I think you could get away with fewer than 5 stitches.
I have done lots of fair isle knitting, but only one steeked sweater. I love knitting fair isle in the round! Back and forth is a pain. I have got to get comfortable with steeking.
The fair isle baby blankets I have made started with a rectangle of stockinette with the baby's name and birth date knitted in with purl stitches. Early ones had the name done in duplicate stitch and contrasting color. Then I pick up stitches all around the edge and knit round and round, increasing either side of a corner marker every other row. |
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gulf knitter
Seriously Hooked
USA
737 Posts |
Posted - 06/11/2007 : 10:40:59 AM
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| I would machine stitch AND crochet. And then knit on a double sided border so that the cut edge is not exposed to any friction. Steeks do work best on fibers that felt! Sarah. |
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stellal
Seriously Hooked
New Zealand
956 Posts |
Posted - 06/13/2007 : 01:44:24 AM
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I'm going with the 3 stitch, whipped stitch steek, and then machine sewing. the blanket is to have a picked up and knitted binding folded over the seam - and I know I can pick up a row or two inside the intended stitch if I have to. Its not like it has to fit, the facing will just be a little wider to compensate ...
I've only ever steeked super wash, I'd love to steek more 'pure' fair isle yarn, one day one day
dreams - they are free
Stella
I used to follow patterns, but disovered its far more fun to wing it with a little guidence from E. Zimmerman.
I don't spend nearly enough time knitting.
I don't have nearly enough yarn stashed for the future.
My knit to frog ratio is around 2:1 and on show here www.Knitknitfrog.blogspot.com
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how many stitches for a super wash steek ?
