Newbie with blanket question

Hi All

I'm just newly into knitting and crocheting (years ago I learned basic knit
stitch and cast from my mother but that was it; no purl, no cast off!) and
have successfully made a shawl for myself, a hat for my DS, scarves for my
DD1 and DD2, two little-girl purses for birthday gifts and a stuffed dolphin
for DD1. All were fairly simple but turned out just fine, keeping in mind
there was nothing other than simple increasing and decreasing and some picot
trim involved.

I've been lurking here for a while; actually, it was you crowd that inspired
me to get into it, and now I'm turning to you with a question.

My two current knitting projects are 1) an angora-blend sleeveless sweater
for myself from "The yarn girls guide to simple knits" by Carles and Jacobs,
which is currently half completed and 2) a baby's blanket for a
newly-announced pregnancy of a close friend. This is the one giving me the
willies....it's my biggest project so far, and I've got both a deadline and
a promise to actually complete it! Plus the complication that the colour
she's chosen has been discontinued and I have yet to find another brand with
a colour even close to it (Red Heart Baby Soft in powder yellow and powder
yellow sparkle), so I'm stuck with only 3 skeins of the main colour and 1 of
the border, leaving me with no choice but to knit it on 4mm needles!

My problem: the blanket will be of stockingette stitch in yellow with a
garter stitch border of 'sparkle' yellow all the way round. I'll be
knitting the border as I go rather than sew it on later. My question is:
for the first row past the border, where the colour changes, should it be
knit or purled in the main blanket colour? I'm thinking purled to avoid
seeing the loops of the main colour on the wrong side of the border. I
soooo don't want to have to pull out a row, as I've had to re-cast on three
times until I was happy with the edge, and pull out three rows (of 165
stitches each) to correct a mis-stitch.

Can anyone lend some wisdom?

Thanks ever so much!

Michelle in St. John's
NL, Canada

Michelle,
If you had asked that last week, I could have come and sat with you to get
you through it, as I was in St. John's then. Now, however, I won't be there
until August 3rd. Is that too late?

Katherine

Michelle wrote:
Hi All

I'm just newly into knitting and crocheting (years ago I learned
basic knit stitch and cast from my mother but that was it; no purl,
no cast off!) and have successfully made a shawl for myself, a hat
for my DS, scarves for my DD1 and DD2, two little-girl purses for
birthday gifts and a stuffed dolphin for DD1. All were fairly simple
but turned out just fine, keeping in mind there was nothing other
than simple increasing and decreasing and some picot trim involved.

I've been lurking here for a while; actually, it was you crowd that
inspired me to get into it, and now I'm turning to you with a
question.

My two current knitting projects are 1) an angora-blend sleeveless
sweater for myself from "The yarn girls guide to simple knits" by
Carles and Jacobs, which is currently half completed and 2) a baby's
blanket for a newly-announced pregnancy of a close friend. This is
the one giving me the willies....it's my biggest project so far, and
I've got both a deadline and a promise to actually complete it! Plus
the complication that the colour she's chosen has been discontinued
and I have yet to find another brand with a colour even close to it
(Red Heart Baby Soft in powder yellow and powder yellow sparkle), so
I'm stuck with only 3 skeins of the main colour and 1 of the border,
leaving me with no choice but to knit it on 4mm needles!

My problem: the blanket will be of stockingette stitch in yellow
with a garter stitch border of 'sparkle' yellow all the way round.
I'll be knitting the border as I go rather than sew it on later. My
question is: for the first row past the border, where the colour
changes, should it be knit or purled in the main blanket colour? I'm
thinking purled to avoid seeing the loops of the main colour on the
wrong side of the border. I soooo don't want to have to pull out a
row, as I've had to re-cast on three times until I was happy with the
edge, and pull out three rows (of 165 stitches each) to correct a
mis-stitch.

Can anyone lend some wisdom?

Thanks ever so much!

Michelle in St. John's
NL, Canada

Hi Katherine

August is not too late at all....I tried it last night by purling that row,
and it looks okay (just okay, not great) but I just can't get the hang of
twisting the yarn at the vertical colour change. So I'm guessing I'll have
to pull out a few rows once I get the hang of it, but I'm going to use an
odd skein and do a practice swatch so as not to go any further on the
project itself.

I also foresee a similar problem ending the main colour....a guess would be
that I end it on a purl row so the next knit row of border colour would be
attractive on the wrong side as well.

My email is if you wanted to email me offlist.

Thanks so much!

Michelle
Katherine wrote in message
...
Michelle,
If you had asked that last week, I could have come and sat with you to get
you through it, as I was in St. John's then. Now, however, I won't be
there
until August 3rd. Is that too late?

Katherine

Michelle wrote:
Hi All

I'm just newly into knitting and crocheting (years ago I learned
basic knit stitch and cast from my mother but that was it; no purl,
no cast off!) and have successfully made a shawl for myself, a hat
for my DS, scarves for my DD1 and DD2, two little-girl purses for
birthday gifts and a stuffed dolphin for DD1. All were fairly simple
but turned out just fine, keeping in mind there was nothing other
than simple increasing and decreasing and some picot trim involved.

I've been lurking here for a while; actually, it was you crowd that
inspired me to get into it, and now I'm turning to you with a
question.

My two current knitting projects are 1) an angora-blend sleeveless
sweater for myself from "The yarn girls guide to simple knits" by
Carles and Jacobs, which is currently half completed and 2) a baby's
blanket for a newly-announced pregnancy of a close friend. This is
the one giving me the willies....it's my biggest project so far, and
I've got both a deadline and a promise to actually complete it! Plus
the complication that the colour she's chosen has been discontinued
and I have yet to find another brand with a colour even close to it
(Red Heart Baby Soft in powder yellow and powder yellow sparkle), so
I'm stuck with only 3 skeins of the main colour and 1 of the border,
leaving me with no choice but to knit it on 4mm needles!

My problem: the blanket will be of stockingette stitch in yellow
with a garter stitch border of 'sparkle' yellow all the way round.
I'll be knitting the border as I go rather than sew it on later. My
question is: for the first row past the border, where the colour
changes, should it be knit or purled in the main blanket colour? I'm
thinking purled to avoid seeing the loops of the main colour on the
wrong side of the border. I soooo don't want to have to pull out a
row, as I've had to re-cast on three times until I was happy with the
edge, and pull out three rows (of 165 stitches each) to correct a
mis-stitch.

Can anyone lend some wisdom?

Thanks ever so much!

Michelle in St. John's
NL, Canada

Hi Michelle,

I'm so glad you found our great group and that our Katherine is going to be
able to meet you and help you. Now, that is what I call a great reponse to your
question. I bet others wish were that lucky.

Nora

Hi, Michelle,
I found more of the yarn you mentioned at this website:
http://www.crafthobby.com/Knittingan...ark/E705.shtml

It looks like they have both colors that you listed, if that's any help.
I have never ordered from them personally.
Best of luck!
Karen G.

I've got both a deadline and a promise to actually complete it! Plus
the complication that the colour she's chosen has been discontinued
and I have yet to find another brand with a colour even close to it
(Red Heart Baby Soft in powder yellow and powder yellow sparkle), so
I'm stuck with only 3 skeins of the main colour and 1 of the border,
leaving me with no choice but to knit it on 4mm needles!

My problem: the blanket will be of stockingette stitch in yellow
with a garter stitch border of 'sparkle' yellow all the way round.
I'll be knitting the border as I go rather than sew it on later. My
question is: for the first row past the border, where the colour
changes, should it be knit or purled in the main blanket colour? I'm
thinking purled to avoid seeing the loops of the main colour on the
wrong side of the border. I soooo don't want to have to pull out a
row, as I've had to re-cast on three times until I was happy with the
edge, and pull out three rows (of 165 stitches each) to correct a
mis-stitch.

Can anyone lend some wisdom?

Thanks ever so much!

Michelle in St. John's
NL, Canada

That's the good thing about this group. We are always ready to help each
other. Not often face-to-face, but hey! It is going to happen this time.

Hugs,
Katherine

NoraBalcer wrote:
Hi Michelle,

I'm so glad you found our great group and that our Katherine is going
to be able to meet you and help you. Now, that is what I call a great
reponse to your question. I bet others wish were that lucky.

Nora

Katherine wrote in message
...
That's the good thing about this group. We are always ready to help each
other. Not often face-to-face, but hey! It is going to happen this time.

Hugs,
Katherine

No, I didn't expect this great of a response at all!

--
Michelle in St. John's
NL, Canada

Michelle wrote:
Katherine wrote in message
...
That's the good thing about this group. We are always ready to help
each other. Not often face-to-face, but hey! It is going to happen
this time.

Hugs,
Katherine

No, I didn't expect this great of a response at all!

It happens once in a while.

Mirjam, who is a regular here, is meeting up with my sister in Israel on
Monday. Isn't that great?

Katherine

Katherine wrote in message
...
Michelle wrote:
Katherine wrote in message
...
That's the good thing about this group. We are always ready to help
each other. Not often face-to-face, but hey! It is going to happen
this time.

Hugs,
Katherine

No, I didn't expect this great of a response at all!

It happens once in a while.

Mirjam, who is a regular here, is meeting up with my sister in Israel on
Monday. Isn't that great?

Katherine


Seems like such a small world.

And, to keep this on-topic, I am now afraid to touch the bloody blanket for
fear of having to undo more rows! Should I just go on and hope that the
recipient will turn a blind eye to any minor flaw and appreciate the thought
and effort? The wrong side would have loops of the other colour visible at
the meeting of the border and blanket, that's the flaw.

--
Michelle in St. John's
NL, Canada

Michelle wrote:
snip

And, to keep this on-topic, I am now afraid to touch the bloody
blanket for fear of having to undo more rows! Should I just go on
and hope that the recipient will turn a blind eye to any minor flaw
and appreciate the thought and effort? The wrong side would have
loops of the other colour visible at the meeting of the border and
blanket, that's the flaw.

LOL When is your due date for finishing the blanket?

Katherine