while I was sleeping, December stole through the house
like a roaring train…
I’m was going for a New Threads Tuesday but ended up with loose threads instead! OH! How I wish my Grammie would’ve taught me faster way of knitting – I’m a thrower and most times I think it’s just S-L-O-W…
There is a sock knitter on my bus that knits at the speed of light; she is not a thrower. (We won’t even mention the SuperSonic Crochet Ladies on the #66 – that’s a different story – but man oh man, I’m blown away!)
So, instead of a finished sweater, all I have is a Body & 2 Sleeves.
And, those sleeves are a little(!) different than my first Ariann. In the face of a deadline, I had to make an Executive Decision and VOILA! Those sleeves were bossed around FLAT!
I make faster progress on tight circumferences by splitting the difference. Your mileage might vary, but it is much quicker for me to do a 15 minute seam sometimes than make myself dizzy by slowwwwwly revolving round and round. How do you convert to ze Flat? Simple put, you just add 2 stitches, which become your seaming area – and remember to account for those stitches wherever shaping takes place. With sleeves like these, that is easy peasy, because there is only one area where it matters – when you do the underarm bind off.
I, too, am a natural thrower. I CAN “pick” if I’m doing knit stitches, but the purling is faster throwing, so it’s a wash. I sometimes change up if I get bored, but even so, I’m just not fast enough. But it begs the question…why be fast? (Having a deadline not withstanding!)
You can always teach yourself to pick. :) But the folks who always win fastest knitter awards are throwers…
I do prefer picking over throwing, myself.
Knock me over with a feather! The Throwers are faster?
I’m thinkin’ it’s because I throw like the 10yo I was when I learned that I’m not so…
I started my sleeves last night! I’m a thrower too and I think I’m pretty fast. Basically because my left hand/arm is lifeless and can’t hold a piece of thread to save its life.
Throwing…picking…I’m lost, what’s the difference? I just…knit.
I opted to knit my sleeves flat…I’m one of those weirdos who actually enjoys mattress stitching.
I love mattress stitching – I also putting the lacing in tie shoes – it reminds me of the same thing…
I hear you on the smaller circumferences! Now I really wanna knit Ariann…still gotta find a suitable yarn. Maybe over the holidays?
i was stunned to read that you feel like a slow knitter… i always thought of you as super-speedy! maybe it’s just that you’re *focused* and so FOs happen faster :) i am always flitting so no matter how fast i knit the finished pieces are hard to come by!
What’s really funny (in a very skewed way) is how fast this project is really going. Due to some fateful circumstances, I started this sweater about a week and half ago, on the 26th of November. It is the only thing I’ve been working on – lesson learned!
Usually, my attention span requires the care and feeding of three projects to stave off death by fiber boredom ;p
I learned both ways as a child (one from each Grandmother). I usually pick because it’s faster for me and I can do it without looking, but it took me a long time (and many baby hats) to get comfortable purling that way. But I switch back and forth between the two when my hands get tired. And I do both for colorwork. That said, I’m teaching my 6 year old to pick first.
i wish i had done my sleeves flat – the pattern increases are kinda wonky in one of them – and even on the other where i did it better they still looky wonky.
anyway, i loved the pattern – i made it longer – still playing with the right width for the collar – although my neckline still seems kinda big and loose and i am fearful of it getting worse with blocking.
i may have to rip and redo the decreases to make it snugger.
Bonnie, I’m a “Thrower” too. I know how to “Pick”, but prefer the zen I get from the clicking of my needle tempo. But on to a question, when you combine machine knitting with hand knitting, where/how do you come up with the needle size to use? And one more while I’m at it, do you hand knit and then hang your stitches or do you machine knit and pick up to hand knit? On my Brother 260, I can figure it out as I usually only hand knit the ribbing and you want to usually go smaller, but on the Standard machines, geeze I get so confused. I have a Toyota 901 with Ribber but have never even attached the ribber. I want to do more “Fusion” knitting to get finished items faster… I know you understand that concept…
Later
For the Fusion Knitting: I usually do machine work first, then do edgings and collars after. I’ve tried the other way but for some reason it just isn’t as fast for me. My machine does only Stockinette St – no ribber…
Picking the Needle Size: I go by the main gauge I’m trying to match on the already knitted piece. For instance, for 18/24 gauge, I start with a size 8/#5mm needle, and do a few rows. You can see pretty quickly if it’s going to match up.
Thanks for the response Bonne, so far that is my solution too, I was just wondering if you had any pointers as I have seen several of your items that you do both machine and hand and to tell the difference is impossible. Your work and designs are wonderful. Long Live Bonne Marie!