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Knitters come in please...
I have a couple of questions for you! One, what is the difference between colorwork and fair isle? Second, how hard would this be to teach yourself?
I was wanting to try these gloves for a Christmas gift, but since I've never done any colorwork stuff, I'm not sure if it's a realistic goal. Especially since I have other knitting projects to get done before Christmas. What do you think?
http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/composed-mitts
Also, do you think you could lengthen this pattern?
http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/susies-reading-mitts
My mom likes the longer gloves - probably up her forearm and beneath the elbow. But I'm not sure if the finishing on the end of the pattern would be big enough for the upper forearm? What would I change to adapt the pattern?
I'm an advanced beginner. I've knit things like Sheldon the turtle and some lace leaf pattern in a scarf. I'm pretty good at picking up stitches if I can find a video of them on youtube. I'm not good at adapting patterns yet and I'm a bit nervous about knitting thumbholes in all of these gloves. Am I crazy to try any of these?
Re: Knitters come in please...
1) Colorwork is just that, working yarn in more than one color. Fair isle is a particular style of colorwork that involves stranding no more than two colors per row/round in traditional folk patterns. "Stranded" and "fair isle" are sometimes used interchangeably, but I think fair isle refers more to a specific folk style.
2) This is tough. How quick are you with other knits? I can strand with both yarns in one hand, but some people find that difficult and therefore find stranding to be tedious and time consuming. You could practice different methods of stranding--there are tons of videos on the internet--or you could get one of those thimbles that holds both yarns for you.
3) I didn't read the pattern, but it looks like those mitts are knit from the cuff to the top of the hand? If that's the case, you would simply need to cast on a few more stitches at the beginning and decrease them for the length of your addition.
Ex: Gauge is 4.5 stitches per inch. Say you wanted to add 1.5 inches to the width and 4 inches to the length. You cast on 6 more stitches than the pattern suggests (I picked the even number because that's usually better with patterns). The pattern doesn't give the row gauge, so I'll just assume it's also 4.5 stitches per inch. In that case, you would be knitting 22 more rounds than the pattern suggests. If you decreased 1 stitch on each side every 7 rounds, then you would be back to where the pattern starts.
Does that make sense?
Sorry for the novel. Long story short, I don't think it's crazy for you to try knitting these things for Christmas, but then you should see my ridiculous list and you'll probably reconsider my advice.
Knitting Blog
Updated 3-12
Okay, it makes a little bit of sense, but I still have questions. I see in the pattern that gauge is 5.5 inches per inch. Were you looking at the pattern and making adjustments or just giving me a general example? Sorry, I confuse easily
When you say that you would decrease 1 stitch on each side every 7 rounds do you mean that I would decrease the first and last stitch of a row every 7 round? I think that is what you mean...but just wanted to clarify.
Is increasing by 1.5 inches to the width pretty standard for a glove like that? I would say my mom has pretty average/thin arms.
Also, when I get back to where the pattern "starts" I'm assuming I'm starting where the pattern starts in stockinette stitch right? Because I will have already done all of the fancy stuff at the top that I added on?
Sorry for all the questions. This is why I totally need patterns that spell everything out for me
Thank you SO much for taking the time to answer my questions!
I was looking at the gauge listed on the Ravelry page. You're right, it is 5.5 stitches per inch. I had a brain fart.
When I said decrease two stitches per round, I meant that you would do one decrease on the left and one on the right. If you did one on either side of the end of round marker, the whole thing would look a little lopsided. I guess just put another marker in a different color halfway around to indicate where to do the second decrease.
I totally made up 1.5 and 4 inches. You might want to measure your own arm or someone the same size as your mom for guidance in both directions.
Yes. That is precisely what I meant about getting back to where the pattern starts.
You're very welcome. I'm having a slow day today and the distraction is most welcome
Knitting Blog
Updated 3-12
I picked up fair isle from a video on youtube so I could make stockings for my family last year. It wasn't very difficult, just time consuming. I can't hold more than one yarn at a time, so I was constantly switching back and forth, but it wasn't really a big deal. And the end result:
I'm sure you would be fine!
Hi I have been planning on making the Susie Mitts forever. They are so cute. I forgot about them until you poster this, thanks for the reminder.
If you look at the pattern, you start from the cuff and knit to the fingers.
The lace pattern you can just cast on any multiple of 2 and it will work. Unless you are (or your mom) has huge forearms compared to her wrists, you should be fine with just adding 4 or 8 stitches to the original pattern.
Once you have done the lace around the cuff it says Continue Stocking knit for 5 inches or desired length (this is the last sentence on page 1 of the pattern). Then you start the thumb gusset.
If you want them to taper a bit, you can just do a knit 2 together at the beginning of the first few rounds until it is the right size. If you want it to go done to the original number of stitches from the pattern, just do it 4 times of 8 times or however many extra stitches you cast on at the beginning. Just make sure you end up with a multiple of 2 so that it will all work out when you get to the lace at the other end.
Once my school semester is over, I am making these gloves, two christmas stockings, and the pumpkin pie sweater from Army of Knitters. You just made my list longer by reminding me about these