Tuesday, May 4, 2010

Well Trained

Long-time readers know that Fred occasionally does laundry. Sometimes with disastrous results.

But I think he is finally trained. Well trained, I might say.

Yesterday, it was me that washed the clothes and me that hung them on the line but it was Fred that brought then in, once dry. I was at the computer when Fred stopped by the door to the den holding this
and asking "where do you want your swatch?" Imagine! He didn't put it in the drawer with the dishcloths. He didn't put it on the shelf with the cleaning rags. Most importantly, he didn't throw it out! All of that would be evidence in itself of training that took. But to know that it was a swatch! I was super impressed.

What you see from yesterday's laundry is my swatch for Sitcom Cardi. A blatant copy of Wilma and Gail's chic little cardigans and a much needed sweater for my summer wardrobe. If I can work this into EZ's methodology, it might be my next knit.

If you look closely, you can see 4 holes in the swatch.
That is my inspired way of keeping track of needle size. I always start my swatches with the recommended needle size - in this case 3.75 - as per the ball band. If that doesn't work - and here it gave me 24 instead of 22 stitches - then I change needle size. To denote that change I put a 'YO, K2tog' for each mm of needle size. I went up to a 4mm needle - so, 4 holes.


The 4 mm worked. Otherwise I would have gone to 4.5mm and created 4 holes on the right hand side of the fabric and one hole on the extreme left to denote the half. I could, of course make notes of what I've done, but I sometimes lose notes. This way the information is always in the swatch.

I know I should, but I don't always launder my swatches. Yesterday I did, and thank goodness, my laundry-assisting husband knows a swatch when he sees one.

It seems to take forever, and seems as f it will never work, but yesterday's swatch question is evidence that any knitters husbands can be trained.

6 comments:

Laurie said...

A big WOO-HOO to Fred (though that shirt...yikes...)!!! I love your nifty way of keeping track of your needle size. I'll have to remember that (if I ever bother to swatch). Yikes... ;-)

LaurieM said...

Nice work Brenda. I wonder if possible humiliation or exultation on the blog was a motivating factor?

BTW - It must be a two-way street. How have you been trained? :)

Sandra said...

I'm still holding out hope for my husband. He's getting better, but there's still a long way to go...

Sel and Poivre said...

I think this is brilliant. Much better than the purls on the wrong side system I've seen the Yarn Harlot use - much harder to do by mistake and leave and then later misread. It even lends itself better to knitting a swatch in pattern rather than stockinette.

How do you connote 3.75mm using the holes? I

Vera said...

Kudos to Fred ☺ Great way to keep track of needle sizes.

Anne Campbell said...

Isn't it great to have a trained husband? Mine used to call all needlework "crochet", but that's a long time ago. Nowadays he speaks knowledgeably of cables, lace and all sorts of things. I'm very proud of him.