December 27, 2007
Goodbye half-done mittens ...
Alas.
I've been working on some mittens as a gift.
I already frogged them once, early on, because I was totally doing the two mittens at once on two circulars wrong. (Which, when I finally got it right, I must say is a way cool thing to be able to do, knit both at once!) Then I frogged them again after a few rounds of ribbing because the knit was too loosey on the big needles, and I thought I might want a few more stitches, too. So I was pleased with how these were looking. And they seemed like they'd be stretchy enough to accomodate even larger hands.
But I don't know. I think they'll be too stretched out for the recipient, when worn. They actually fit me fairly well, but they aren't for me.
I kept going, for awhile, not wanting to waste the effort I put into them.
But I think it's better that I frog mid-palm than complete them and have them be an "it's the thought that counts" sort of gift.
Goodbye mittens, about to be cut down in your unfinished youth. So sad.
Oh, and I owe Rosanne a MEME which I'm going to rebelliously call a MEME, so look for that, oh ... eventually. 'Cause right now I've got some frogging and knitting to do.
Posted by Kim at December 27, 2007 11:07 PMGood-bye, sweet mittens!
Posted by: Barbie at December 28, 2007 9:40 AMA meme? What's that? *giggle*
Posted by: Rosanne at December 28, 2007 7:54 PMI've done that before - kept knitting even when I knew it wasn't going to work out. Why? I don't know. I always end up frogging out more that way.
I haven't tried that method of knitting in the round. How does it work? Do you use different ends of the yarn?
Posted by: marcia at January 2, 2008 9:21 PMHi Marcia!
I saw your lovely cable-fingerless mitts! Niiiiice!
The two circ knitting in the round is pretty easy -- if you're just doing ONE thing, like a hat, you knit one half on one needle (ex. Blue to blue) and the other half on the other needle (ex. Green to green) and each half is always on the same needles. Does that make sense?
When you're knitting two items at the same time, you do it the same way, but use two yarns (or two ends, I'm just using two skeins) so you'd knit the first mitten (or sock) M1 blue to blue needle, then 2nd mitten M2 blue to blue, switching yarns, then switch needles and do the 2nd side of M2 (green to green) and then the 2nd side of M1 (green to green, picking up the 1st yarn)
Here's pretty good instructions for one item on two circs: http://www.az.com/~andrade/knit/twocirculars.html
Here's the directions I used for casting on and getting started with the two mittens at once:
http://www.socknitters.com/2circs/lessontwo.htm
I have to admit I'm *loving* that both are getting done at once, rather than finishing one and hoping to get to the 2nd and hoping it matches, LOL!!! I might start doing my socks this way, instead.
The only caveat would be that you might have to convert 4-needle patterns to two needle patterns, but that's not so hard, I don't think. LOL.
:-)
kim
p.s. - I'm back to about the same point on the final (?) reknitting. I had a few issues with the later cast ons and joins and such.
Posted by: Kim at January 2, 2008 9:41 PMGiving up a project in the middle is hard. But if it's not working it's a step in the right direction.
