the situation…

Checking my first swatch, if you remember, it was 21-0-21 sts. The reason for that was I could measure it with the green gauge to see what sort of stitch count would result from the stockinette. Hopefully you can see, even on the T9 part, it was 32 sts to 10 cm. The design I want to use is that ‘swing-style tunic’ that is quite wide at the hemline, like finished circumference of 150 cm/59 in. and the 32 st count would at best get about 128 cm/50 in. To get a wider fabric that still has the look (flat front, nothing too exotic) and simplicity of stockinette (single bed knitting), I like to use that one-row-tuck (1RT) https://knitwords.blogspot.com/2023/05/egg-on-my-face.html

that I’ve used many times before. If you need more reading, put 1RT in the search box at the top left of this blog page and it will bring up a ton of stuff that I’ve posted in the past and by the way, using the standard gauge electronic machine here but can be done on a punchcard machine - see above link!;)

Made real swatch - going with that HodgePodge trim, https://knitwords.blogspot.com/2020/07/half-cocked.html

With my favourite 1RT, at T8 and T9. Measured the swatches, hot off the machine, then wash and dry, measure final - this way you can get a feel for the amount of shrinkage, maybe for future reference, but also note, the majority of shrinkage is in the length. T8,  27 sts and 46 rows, became 28 sts and 52 rows. T9, 25 sts and 42 rows, ended at 26 sts and 46 rows.

mystery yarn…

I mean yarn that I am unfamiliar with! ‘Found’ this large cone (750g) of denimy shades of cotton on my shelf - the label says ‘Astro Dye Works, 6/2 K/P cotton’ (also has a ‘BTYarns’ label), so yeah, it’s pretty old. I think I inherited it a couple of years ago when a m/k friend sent me a big box of her stash that she knew she would never use. I’m sure I paid it no attention at the time because there was several cones of wool crepe deluxe that I was swooning over. 

I’m looking for some inspiration for a new project and thought this might fit the bill - I love that Tennessee Tunic  https://knitwords.blogspot.com/2023/03/tennessee-re-visited.html

from last year and think I’d like a more ‘everyday’ version of it - I have no idea what the 6/2 means- I know it’s something relating to the yards per pound but that 6/2 doesn’t tell me what stitch size to use or what gauge to expect. It’s a bit thicker than Yeomans Brittany (3/14) or Bramwell Montana but not quite what those would be double stranded which I would use at T7 or so.

 https://knitwords.blogspot.com/2021/05/brittany-is-very-fine-314-2-ply-cotton.html

Didn’t want to double strand it, that would make it thicker than I would like for that tunic and it would change the little ‘camo’ shading that is happening. 

Here’s what I do: cast on 21-0-21 ns, and knit about 10 rows at T5 to get the feel of it; seems kind of tight, so go up/bigger stitch size. Then using 2 rows of T10 to separate,  knit 20 rows at T6, T7, T8 and T9 - it’s looking rather airy by now so end it. Because this is cotton, some shrinkage is expected and since it is such a large cone, I’ll wash and dry this piece before I decide on what stitch size to use for the real swatch using one of those 1RTs that I like.

P.S. Showing the purl side of the swatch because the higher stitch size dividing rows show up better in the photo.

guesstimating…

 Part 3

Was so happy that the dish cloth worked out, made a couple without turning off the machine, afraid to lose my ‘spot’ on the needle bed. While doing that and all the other things running through my brain, I decided to use red Bonita (100% mercerized cotton - NLA of course) - I have two full, untouched cones of 500g each and a part cone of 210g which I hoped would be enough for d-i-l, Agnieszka’s, range cover. She’s such a sweetie, she deserves to have red! 

Had a small, partial cone of Bonita in tan and quickly made a 4X3 repeat dish cloth (36-0-42 ns, 132 rows, 38g) to use as a swatch. From that, determined the size required for the range cover,  (10 wide X 7 high plus 10 checkerboard rows for top border - 90-0-96 ns, 290 rows). I could try to sound pretty smart here and tell you I figured this out mathematically but really what I did was place the dishcloth in the corner of the range top and guesstimated it would need 2.5X wide by 2.5X high…it worked, but had to go into a new full cone by a few grams to get ‘er done! Final weight, 230g!

While doing those things, and inspired by the fact I got DAK8 on the new computer, decided to try something. Fired up the old laptop and on the second try managed to pull my stitch pattern files off on a flash drive! Ha! I got Janet’s dishcloth files back along with my saved ovencover file (and tons of real stuff!)! Also, in my rummaging, found this old 4 part usb thingy so now I could hook everything up!

Sent a request for new lock number - had to wait for Monday, but got it! 

Tried out the SL4 - it worked!

Loaded my oven cover file without worrying about where it was centred!

Knit another green one for me, a backup is always good!

Only lost the signal three times…

how far…

does one go to prove a point? Even if just to oneself? 

Part 2. I penciled in that stitch pattern, thinking how easy it would be with DesignaKnit, to be able  see it on-screen and check the repeat visually, before having to actually test-knit it to see if it works. Determined to not admit defeat kept me invested. As I concentrated on making the dots in those small, little squares, I vaguely recalled having a conversation with my friend Dee who said she had her DAK8 on windows 11. I didn’t really take that to heart at the time because she has a brother machine and all the cables are different and it’s the Silver SL4 that had been causing my grief in the past. She said you could use DAK by leaving the cd in the disc drive. Now, I’m thinking, do I even have a cd of DAK8? A little rummaging and I found it. Gosh, new computer, do I have a disc drive? Yeah! Unopened box! Figured it out, pretty easy, really. I sent an email to my buddy Mike.  https://knitwords.blogspot.com/2019/09/its-raining.html

He said yes, DAK8 can be used with windows 11 and check Softbyte’s website for any updates. Did that and downloaded an update because my copy was pretty old, like pre-2011. It seemed to work, but then, I got an application error message tab that said 'memory could not be read. Click ok to terminate the program. Did that, yes, everything closed. Tried again, got the same message but the DesignaKnit logo/program opener was behind it. Instead of ‘ok’, I just moved it aside, clicked on stitch pattern and it finally opened!!

Need to back up a bit here and tell/remind you about my ‘new’ knitting machine - here’s the full story https://knitwords.blogspot.com/2019/04/new-to-me-machine.html

Short version, I have an SK840 knit carriage on the SK580 machine because the 580 has the built-in electronics that still work for the needle bed - I could use it without DAK and knit-from-screen - for patterning which I’ve always found so much easier. Only problem, my 840 carriage does not recognize the N1 cam so positioning the pattern is either totally random or requires you to figure out where the pattern is happening - I probably knew this back in the day, like at the edge of the first point cam but - air knitting is my new fav! https://knitwords.blogspot.com/2023/04/air-knittibg.html

In the meanwhile, between waiting for emails and searching for random stuff,  I did get a couple of dishcloths made! My stitch pattern worked!

whatevs…

Part 1

You’re probably thinking, so what’s the big deal, M A? Make her the stove top cover - it’s nothing more than a tuck stitch rectangle - why are you being such a diva?

Actually, my first instinct was to say no, I can’t make that anymore. She doesn’t realize that my computer died and along with it DesignaKnit and Janet’s stitch pattern for those dishrags. But I was sort of noncommittal, didn’t want to admit I couldn’t do something - I have this reputation to uphold - also, turned out she wants red and I’m telling you, red is at a premium here at my house. It really should be cotton, so it IS a big deal!

My electronic silver reed machine has a 50 st repeat but that isn’t wide enough for the basic dishrag  which is about 67 sts x 170 rows and I’d never get the mylar made without several mistakes and damn, I didn’t want to go there!

I had a few sleepless nights, thinking it through. In my mind, I figured because I would be knitting this without DAK, I’d need to come up with a small stitch pattern, like a punchcard width or less (this one’s 18 sts and I’d use the double length button) and have the checkerboard outline repeat on the second edge, by positioning it on the needle bed, like the pattern wouldn’t be centred, there would be,,, 

https://knitwords.blogspot.com/2009/04/blog-post.html

To take my mind off the dishrag issue, fixed up a few pairs of holey socks and thought some more…

happy 2024…

It’s the new year and I’m reporting on that NP pullover…got it ‘finished’ on the 23rd, tried it on and it was too short, even with a shirttail under…darn! It just looked dorky. Plan B, after Christmas of course, pulled out  the side seams and the cast-off row of rib, rehung it and added another 20 rows of rib. It’s good now but didn’t get a wearing photo, sorry.

My company over the holidays, mostly family, wouldn’t you know, noticed my lovely range top coverup.http://knitwords.blogspot.com/2023/04/slippery-slope.html

 My favourite d-i-l is so cute, she says, so innocently, ‘my range top is the same size as yours, isn’t it?’ Wink, wink…