Thursday, May 23, 2013

The Summer Summer Series (Knitting): Stressed Much?

WTF is going on? I appear to be knitting with CRAZY tension on the fitted boucle jacket. My original stockinette gauge was 7.5 stitches per inch. I did lots of swatching. I blocked the swatch (it softened but didn't much grow).  I started the back piece. Again and again, I got 7.5 stitches per inch for a number of inches.

Lately, it seems things have been looking a bit, um, tight. I re-tested gauge below the ribbed waist (the first phase of knitting). It was 7.5 stitches. I tested gauge above the ribbed waist. It was 8.5 stitches an inch. If you don't knit, that won't mean much. If you do, you'll know this makes masses of difference to a finished garment. Which is particularly problematic when you're trying to achieve 0 ease (aka perfect fit). 8.5 stitches per inch will make my garment inches smaller than I've planned on. It's even smaller than the pattern's original gauge which I couldn't get, despite all of my efforts, and on the basis of which I drastically altered the pattern.

I've debated what to do. I'm not much of a ripper-outer (obvious mistakes excepted). And, aside from the waist (which I was concerned about enough to knit in the same needle size as the rest of the garment, though the instructions advise you to size down), I'm fairly sure I can sort this out between blocking and going up a needle size. Fortunately, I've made this decision prior to reaching the back-piece underarm section (the under-arm / chest area is the place where I need the most room). As of now, I've switched from the 2.25mm (US1 needle) to the 2.5mm needle (a needle that doesn't seem to correlate in US sizing. I think it's a US1.5?) and this is how I intend to continue. Unless my gauge changes again.

Depending on what comes next, I may opt to increase the dimensions of the front pieces. More likely, I'll keep changing needle size, if necessary, so that I'm sure I've obtained the gauge according to how I rescaled the original pattern. It seems like the wisest approach at this point - though I can't go up or down more than one needle size without risking a weird-looking end result. And of course, as vertical gauge changes with new needle sizes, I continue to make adjustments on that account.

Gotta say, this isn't the mindless knitting experience I was hoping for (after the major, week-long math project that was the original pattern alteration). But it is what it is:

We're getting somewhere - though not at a great pace...
Today's questions: How do you handle knitting projects of varying gauge? (While I certainly have my share of unexpected challenges, this isn't one I've experience before.) Do you leave them for a while? Do you rip back? Do you use a variation of my methodology? I generally knit with lots of negative ease - which means I've got lots of latitude on gauge. This time I'm putting my sense of balance to the test. Sure, I practically always wish I'd made things smaller. But you never know when that's gonna change.

15 comments:

  1. Hmmm, I've never noticed my tension changing that much in one garment. It's generally pretty consistent, a bit on the tight side. Is yours reflecting stress in the rest of your life, do you think?
    Not sure what I'd do in the same situation, but your solution sounds reasonable if you're not willing to rip. And that wool yarn should respond pretty decently to blocking. . . good luck!

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    1. I think it is reflecting some tension. But I can't restart a garment every time there's tension!? I have a lot of tolerance when it comes to knitting. You know I'll plan obsessively. But once I get going, I like to actually finish the thing.

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  2. I've never found that a swatch gives me a very good indication of my final gauge. I'm in a really different state of mind when I'm knitting a swatch, compared to a big piece that goes on over days. Is it Yarn Harlot who says to knit a sleeve as a swatch? That would work for me.

    I rip back a lot. Somehow it's more painful to end up with something that doesn't fit when i've made the WHOLE CLOTH?

    But on the other hand, trusting your sense of balance sounds like fun!

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    1. I know what you mean about the swatching. I suppose I could have knit a sleeve. Maybe that's what I'll do in future. Thing is, I still don't want to rip out! :-)

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  3. I measure/try on (if a sock) a lot as I go and rip out if it's not working out. Often I deliberately go up a needle size on the ankle of a sock to give myself some needed room.

    I actually have two sets each of #1 (2.25 and 2.5mm) and #2 needles (2.75 and 3mm). It's amazing how 1/4mm makes a difference over the course of a sock or other knit!

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    1. OK, can you clarify from your comment - are you saying that US1 needles are 2.25 and 2.5 mm and US2 needles are 2.75 and 3 mm? I get very confused about US to UK sizing. I thought all 4 of those mm sizes correlate to different US sizing.

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  4. Likewise I am not sure that my tension has changed that much in one garment (though probably wouldn't notice if it did as I make things with positive ease and rarely measure gauge more than once after starting).

    I would steam it now to see if it stretches out enough. You don't want to get another 4 inches in before having to frog...?

    (She says, while procrastinating on frogging her own vest)

    ;-D

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    1. It's weird. I think it might be because the needle size is so small and the stitch is endlessly unchanging stockinette. I know how the original swatch blocked so I'm confident the fabric will release nicely. My only real concern is that the needle change will be visible. Going up has got me back to gauge. At least for now.

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  5. I have nothing of any value to add to this, but I'm glad for you that you've found this now, when you can do something about it.

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    1. How's your sweater going??

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    2. I need to do the calculations for the shaping and am prevaricating! I need to bite the bullet as there is also a yarn substitution too. I know once I make a start I'll be slapping my forehead wondering why I waited. It's half term this week so maybe once there back at school I shall make a pot of coffee and crack on.

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  6. You know I'm a big advocate of ripping back if it's not right. If this were mine, I'd take it back to the waist ribbing and try again. It's usually my experience that if I don't like it half way through, I'm going to like even less when it's done.

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    1. Oh I know! I can feel your angst over my continuing on. I figure, in a worst case scenario, I'll rip it back at the end of the project. I mean every piece is its own and, in a rip-back instance at the end, I will have hedged my bets and lost. I'll also be that much closer to the end in sight of the total project. This is the kind of weird risk-taking I have appetite for.

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  7. Very concerning that gauge can suddenly change on ya! Actually this happened to me a while back but mine got larger. Luckily it was top down so I just added extra decreases and went from there.
    Now I'm scared it will happen on my current project which would be less forgiving lol!
    Omg I feel your pain!

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    1. You can't worry about it. I mean, it's never happened to me before and, having gone up a needle size (for the moment, touch wood) the tension has returned to gauge. Here's hoping it contines!

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