Hi Peggy,

Thanks for your reply. Yes I did wash and block before measureing, and as
I
said I followed the instructions in the manual for making the swatch. I
just decided to use the measurements using the ruler, so we'll see how this
sweater comes out.
I typically do am e-wrap or latch hook cast on, but since I was planning a
ribbing I though using waste warn might be easier to get the ribbing down
to
the first row, but the manual said nothing about what to do with that
unfinished edge or when to remove the waste yarn.
I, too, and just learning so many things for me are just rial and error. I
did get a DVD from yarn-store.com which I found extremely helpful.
Happy knitting!
-ned
----- Original Message -----
From:
Newsgroups: rec.crafts.textiles.machine-knit
Sent: Saturday, April 22, 2006 10:12 PM
Subject: questions - gauge swatch and edging


Hi Nanci,

I hope someone more knowledgeable than I am will answer your post, but
I'll share my ignorance for what its worth!

1. I wonder if your swatch was big enough? You need a good inch of
knitting on all sides of your 4" squre you are measuring. And I'm
surprised that you got such a fine gauge, knitting on a midgauge
machine; that's the sort of gauge I would be seeing on my standard
machine. Did you wash and block your swatch before you measured?

2. If it were me, I wouldn't remove the ravel cord and waste yarn
before I finished off the edge. They are there to keep your live
stitches from unraveling, and so I would do a hand-knit or crochet
bindoff, then remove them when the live stitches are all nicely dead.
I'd do the same thing for a cast-on situation.

You can try casting on with an e-wrap or latch-tool cast -on, then you
wouldn't need the waste yarn etc. I like to use it anyway, so I can do
a crochet edging, and someday when I'm a more experienced knitter, I'll
try doing fancier things! But I am just creeping at this stage. Best
wishes!

Peggy in NC