Advice please

Hi there everybody. Recovered?
I need your invaluable help with my New Year cast on project. The Aran
weight rib jacket. The pattern is on the following site, no 5915

http://www.ethknits.co.uk/frames/frame.htm

Now the difficulty is the pattern is written for flat knitting, but with my
aversion to sewing up I really want to do this in one piece to the armholes
and then if possible to knit the sleeves top down. My initial problem is:
do I remove a stitch at the end of each piece for the selvedge stitches as
I cast on right across the bottom. Otherwise I'm going to have too many
stitches for the pattern, aren't I? I'm a bit bewildered by this, I know I
have to do something - but what? You are the people who will be able to
help.
Thanks,
--
Love
Christine in Kent, Garden of England

If you're told to "always knit" the first stitch on right-side rows
and "always purl" the first stitch on wrong-side rows, chances are the
selvedge is built into the pattern. If that's the case you can safely
lose a total of four stitches when you cast on.

Another way to check is to tot up the "pattern stitches" (cables,
spacers, whatever else makes it pretty) and compare that number to the
cast on called for. If the diff is 2 you know the selvedges are
included in the cast-on and can be eliminated.

I've encountered old patterns that assume the knitter knows to add two
stitches for the selvedges. It used to be that everyone knew how to
knit, and those who knitted from patterns were expected to know
certain basic things like this, and how to figure gauge and whatnot.
I've got one pattern for a shawl that says simply to "cast on
sufficient stitches and work in a lace pattern pleasing to you,
decreasing on the edges as you go, until the work is long enough for
your use." The presumptions he the knitter knows or has at her
disposal lace patterns, knows what gauge she'll be knitting THAT yarn
with THOSE needles WITH her chosen lace pattern, and has measured
herself or her intended wearer. No hand-holding, no "this is a
knitting needle, this is your ear, insert the needle into your ear..."
level instructions *g*

Michelle
Who got her TKGA L1 master knitter's kit today. O curses on my
resolution to finish all my projects before I start a new one!

On Fri, 26 Dec 2003 20:50:48 +0000 (UTC), " Christine in Kent, Garden
of England" wrote:

Hi there everybody. Recovered?
I need your invaluable help with my New Year cast on project. The Aran
weight rib jacket. The pattern is on the following site, no 5915

http://www.ethknits.co.uk/frames/frame.htm

Now the difficulty is the pattern is written for flat knitting, but with my
aversion to sewing up I really want to do this in one piece to the armholes
and then if possible to knit the sleeves top down. My initial problem is:
do I remove a stitch at the end of each piece for the selvedge stitches as
I cast on right across the bottom. Otherwise I'm going to have too many
stitches for the pattern, aren't I? I'm a bit bewildered by this, I know I
have to do something - but what? You are the people who will be able to
help.
Thanks,

Christine,
I have found that modern patterns do not have "selvedge" stitches. So just
cast on the total # of sts, and go for it!
Good luck.
Katherine

" Christine in Kent, Garden of England"
wrote in message
...
Hi there everybody. Recovered?
I need your invaluable help with my New Year cast on project. The Aran
weight rib jacket. The pattern is on the following site, no 5915

http://www.ethknits.co.uk/frames/frame.htm

Now the difficulty is the pattern is written for flat knitting, but with
my
aversion to sewing up I really want to do this in one piece to the
armholes
and then if possible to knit the sleeves top down. My initial problem is:
do I remove a stitch at the end of each piece for the selvedge stitches
as
I cast on right across the bottom. Otherwise I'm going to have too many
stitches for the pattern, aren't I? I'm a bit bewildered by this, I know
I
have to do something - but what? You are the people who will be able to
help.
Thanks,
--
Love
Christine in Kent, Garden of England

A deep bow , and hand clapping to you Professor Knticy Slinky
A lesson worth saving!!!
mirjam
On Fri, 26 Dec 2003 22:50:40 GMT, Slinky
wrote:

If you're told to "always knit" the first stitch on right-side rows
and "always purl" the first stitch on wrong-side rows, chances are the
selvedge is built into the pattern. If that's the case you can safely
lose a total of four stitches when you cast on.

Another way to check is to tot up the "pattern stitches" (cables,
spacers, whatever else makes it pretty) and compare that number to the
cast on called for. If the diff is 2 you know the selvedges are
included in the cast-on and can be eliminated.

I've encountered old patterns that assume the knitter knows to add two
stitches for the selvedges. It used to be that everyone knew how to
knit, and those who knitted from patterns were expected to know
certain basic things like this, and how to figure gauge and whatnot.
I've got one pattern for a shawl that says simply to "cast on
sufficient stitches and work in a lace pattern pleasing to you,
decreasing on the edges as you go, until the work is long enough for
your use." The presumptions he the knitter knows or has at her
disposal lace patterns, knows what gauge she'll be knitting THAT yarn
with THOSE needles WITH her chosen lace pattern, and has measured
herself or her intended wearer. No hand-holding, no "this is a
knitting needle, this is your ear, insert the needle into your ear..."
level instructions *g*

Michelle
Who got her TKGA L1 master knitter's kit today. O curses on my
resolution to finish all my projects before I start a new one!

On Fri, 26 Dec 2003 20:50:48 +0000 (UTC), " Christine in Kent, Garden
of England" wrote:

Hi there everybody. Recovered?
I need your invaluable help with my New Year cast on project. The Aran
weight rib jacket. The pattern is on the following site, no 5915

http://www.ethknits.co.uk/frames/frame.htm

Now the difficulty is the pattern is written for flat knitting, but with my
aversion to sewing up I really want to do this in one piece to the armholes
and then if possible to knit the sleeves top down. My initial problem is:
do I remove a stitch at the end of each piece for the selvedge stitches as
I cast on right across the bottom. Otherwise I'm going to have too many
stitches for the pattern, aren't I? I'm a bit bewildered by this, I know I
have to do something - but what? You are the people who will be able to
help.
Thanks,