Hello! I've just joined the KAL here, and am looking very forward to getting started on my CPH. Normally, I'm a dive-right-in kinda gal, but what I have planned for this sweater requires a little forethought, and some advice.
I'm planning on knitting this with yarn I bought in a little gift/tourist shop in Ireland. It was only labeled as "250 g", and I bought three hanks; however, two of them are the same color, while the third is a complimentary color. After doing some measuring and weighing, I've determined that each hank is approximately 470 yards (there is a possibility that it's more, but I wanted to be conservative).
To use this yarn for this project, I would like to knit some or all of the cables in the complimentary color, so here's my current dilemma: how do I figure out how much yardage the cables use up? I don't want to do too many of the cables and not have enough of the CC, but I also don't want to do too few and end up running out of my main color before the cardigan is finished.
Does anyone have any advice concerning these calculations? I'm rarin' to go on this sweater, but I want to minimize frogging.
One additional question (or more like a poll): when knitting with really wooly wool, what type of needles do you all use (bamboo, metal, plastic, etc.)?
CPH PATTERN AVAILABILITY
************* THIS JUST IN *************
Lisa Shroyer, editor of Knitscene magazine, has compiled a book entitled The Best of Knitscene, featuring a "reworking of Heather Lodinsky's "Central Park Hoodie" [Yarn Market News, January 2012], available from Interweave Press. The links below take you to the pages for the paper version and the eBook version.
Paper [144 pp, paperback, $24.95]
eBook [144 pp, PDF, $19.95]
The book includes 20 of the most popular knitting patterns from the first five years of Knitscene magazine, including Connie Chang Chinchio's Geodesic Cardigan and Katie Himmelberg's Phiaro Scarf. The offerings vary widely from mitts, hats, socks and scarves to vests and sweaters, in addition to providing tips and designer profiles.
**************** UPDATE ****************
PATTERN AVAILABLE NOW!!! :-)
The pattern for the CPH is now available for purchase from Knitting Daily as a downloadable PDF! The pattern includes expanded sizing for PLUS sizes—52", 56", and 60"!
The Knitting Daily Blog has featured the CPH in some posts:
The CPH--PLUS!
The CPH--Which Size to Knit?
The Finished Plus Size CPH
The CPH Plus Size Gallery
If you receive the Knitting Daily email, you already know that the CPH is the NUMBER ONE best-selling pattern in the KD Online Store!
Lisa Shroyer, editor of Knitscene magazine, has compiled a book entitled The Best of Knitscene, featuring a "reworking of Heather Lodinsky's "Central Park Hoodie" [Yarn Market News, January 2012], available from Interweave Press. The links below take you to the pages for the paper version and the eBook version.
Paper [144 pp, paperback, $24.95]
eBook [144 pp, PDF, $19.95]
The book includes 20 of the most popular knitting patterns from the first five years of Knitscene magazine, including Connie Chang Chinchio's Geodesic Cardigan and Katie Himmelberg's Phiaro Scarf. The offerings vary widely from mitts, hats, socks and scarves to vests and sweaters, in addition to providing tips and designer profiles.
**************** UPDATE ****************
PATTERN AVAILABLE NOW!!! :-)
The pattern for the CPH is now available for purchase from Knitting Daily as a downloadable PDF! The pattern includes expanded sizing for PLUS sizes—52", 56", and 60"!
The Knitting Daily Blog has featured the CPH in some posts:
The CPH--PLUS!
The CPH--Which Size to Knit?
The Finished Plus Size CPH
The CPH Plus Size Gallery
If you receive the Knitting Daily email, you already know that the CPH is the NUMBER ONE best-selling pattern in the KD Online Store!
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3 comments:
I think you should definately start with a gauge swatch in the color and cable pattern that you are going for. Once you have that done, you can measure just how much yardage you used for 24 rows of that cable pattern. If it is about 1/3 when compared to the rest of the main color used in the gauge swatch, then you should be fine. Use measurements from the swatch to figure out how many cables you will be doing for the whole sweater. Multiply, and see if that coincides with the yardage of the amount of yarn that you have. If you have any of the contrasting color left over for the hood, you can always add a cable to the hood as we have seen before, or even make the button band the contrasting color. Although, that is up to your discretion and design concept. I like your idea. Please do not get discouraged. I would love to see photos.
As far as needles go, I have been using metal (Boye Needlemaster) on my Cascade 220, 100% Peruvian wool. I am not sure what you mean by "wooly wool", but that is about as pure as you can get. I have also used Addi turbos on Manos Del Uruguay, which is still 100% wool, but not would tightly and evenly in all areas. I have found that the yarn glides easily over the needles, and makes it almost effortless to get the stitches going. As far as bamboo needles go, I think Crystal Palace Yarn makes the best, because it is coated with something that makes the yarn slide easier. Clover bamboo needles seem to get caught up with the wool yarn. However, if you were using a more slippery yarn, that may work better for you. Or, if you were making socks I think it would be a good bet too...since you would want to prevent slipping. I hope this helps in your quest for the perfect needle.
Thanks for the response, Shameka! That's a very good idea, and it seems to be the only way I'll really be able to figure out how much yardage is taken up by cables. I've ordered some metal needles, so as soon as they show up, I'll be on to swatching and calculating. Hopefully this will turn out great and I'll get some progress pictures up soon!
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