I really enjoy hearing about everything you're doing. Thanks for taking the
time. I just learned the cast on of which you speak near the bottom. My
knitting friend called it a chain cast on. Then she added, "I think." I'm
a very new knitter and I'm going to have to hunt down my knitting book and
look it up.

Lynne


"Samantha Hill" wrote in message
...
I have been working on this wrap using a 29-inch circular needle, and it
was getting mighty crowded on 29 inches' worth of cable, so I was looking
for a longer circular, and I ended up looking at this Knit Picks Options
needle set. Despite my better judgment, seeing as though I am basically
between jobs and am technically not making ends meet right now (although I
have an interview on Wednesday that sounds really hopeful), I bought the
the whole acrylic set plus 60-inch cables and two extra sizes of needles so
that (a) my order would go over $50 and (b) so I would have all the needle
sizes I usually use.

"If of thy mortal goods [or income] thou art bereft,
and from thy slender store but two loaves alone to thee are left;
Sell one [or in this case whip out the ol' trusty credit card], and with
the dole
Buy hyacinths [or in this case a new set of circular knitting needles] to
feed thy soul."
- Musharish-Ud-Din Sadi, adapted for purposes of this post


I have a Denise set that I have got frustrated with so I bought individual
Susan Bates 29-inch circulars, but after trying these, now I am sorry that
I didn't buy them to start with.

Lest you think this is an advertisement, which it isn't -- just a
recommendation to try these in best NAYY tradition -- I will include the
instructions on how to knit the wrap I am making. It comes out like "The
Big Snuggly," which you can see he

http://www.knitlist.com/01gift/the-big-snuggly.htm

except that there's no point at the back, so the back looks like a shawl
and the front looks like a ruana. The angle of the "arms" is more like a
60-degree angle as opposed to the 90-degree angle of "The Big Snuggly."
The style hugs my neck and shoulders nicely so I never have to worry about
it falling off or slopping around, and I can make it as wide as I want
without worrying about how far down the point goes in back. You could put
buttons on it to hold it in a ruana position or a poncho-type position if
you wanted, too.

Please forgive my pidgin knitting terminology. I am still knitting by the
seat of my pants, so to speak.

My directions start you knitting at the inside of the V and working your
way out. Pick any size yarn you want. You can knit this using the garter
stitch directions below, which is completely reversible, or knit it in any
pattern you want, add any border you want, or whatever. Your choice.

Swatching:
Knit swatch of desired yarn in desired pattern with whatever size needles
it takes until it's drapy and has the texture and openness you want.
Measure gauge.

Instructions:
Using the non-stretchy cast-on method of your choice (I only know of two
casting on methods, and the one I use for this is where you put a loop on
your needle and knit it, then start to knit a second stitch but instead of
pulling the first stitch off the first needle, you put the new loop on the
first needle, creating a second stitch on the needle), cast on 24-36
inches' worth of stitches, whatever makes it fall from the back of the
neck to at least the traditional hip level (e.g., 7-9 inches below the
natural waist) of the person who is going to wear it so the edges will
stay behind their arms nicely, place marker, cast on two stitches, place
second marker (I use a different color for these markers so I just have to
remember which color comes first on the increase rows), cast on another
24-36 (or whatever) inches' worth of stitches.

Row 1: Knit all stitches, moving markers as appropriate.
Row 2: Knit to marker, move marker, K1F&B (or whatever increase method
you prefer -- I did YOs for the sportweight one I did in the lace pattern)
for 2 stitches (which makes 4 stitches between the markers now), move
marker, knit to end.

After that, it's all even and odd rows, and you can knit it as wide as you
wish:

Odd rows: Knit all stitches, moving markers when you reach them.

Even rows: Knit until you hit the marker, move marker, K1F&B (or whatever
increase method you prefer), knit to stitch before second marker, K1F&B
(or whatever increase method you prefer), move marker, knit to end.

Cast off whatever method you wish or feel is appropriate. I only know of
one method, and I honestly don't know what it's called, but you just knit
2 stitches, bring the first stitch over the second, knit another stitch
and bring the old one over the new one, and repeat until you are done.
Maybe there's a better cast-off somewhere that I don't know of, but if you
do, you can use it.

I am in the middle of knitting my fifth one, sad to say LOL. The first
was single-strand worsted cotton in garter stitch using size 10-1/2
needles, the second one was single-strand worsted acrylic in garter stitch
interspersed with 3 rows each of knit and purl stitches I think it was
something like every 8 or 10 rows using size 9 needles, the third one was
in some brown sportweight Caron Dazzle-Aire yarn that I have had since my
teenage years and had never used in a feather-and-fan type of stitch using
size 9 or 10 needles, the fourth one was in ivory-colored sportweight
Bernat Baby Coordinates (soft of like Lion Brand so-called Homespun yarn
but it's sportweight) in a garter lace pattern using size 8 or 9 needles
as a gift, and this one is double-strand worsted acrylic using size 11
needles. I am ashamed to say that I am selfishly keeping four of the five
for myself except for the one that I made as a gift, but at least the next
one I am making is going to be for my 24YO daughter. If I had a cheap
source of yarn, I might start knitting these for prayer/comfort shawls if
I could find a place that wanted them.