Touchy, touchy gauge or Peace Man part B

September 16 part B

Back to the 24/7 thing. .. I liked the way Julie had a countdown on her on her blog. I will speak to my techy to see if that is possible. The fingers have been interesting. I have a few technical things to talk about.

#1 . I have been using a double knitting technique I first learned about from Beverly Royce. She had her sweet knitted horse show up in Vogue Knitting. I wrote to her and bought her book. I explained that I was a Waldorf Kindergarten teacher and that we only have natural toys, etc. She not only sent me the book, she sent me a knitted horse as well. Such generosity.

In this technique you can knit in the round on 2 straight needles. You divide the stitches on 2 double pointed needles . Then take a third dpn and pick up 1 st from each of the needles alternately. When you knit you knit the stitch from the needle closest to you first, bring the yarn in front , slip the stitch from the back needle ,bring the yarn in back and repeat across.

I thought I would use this technique because 4 needles flying around such a small diameter can be a bit annoying. At first I picked up the stitches in the round knit a few rows and then switched to the double knitting. I had to start the first finger over because I noticed how the gauge was looser. I guess all that flipping of the yarn before and after the slipped stitch makes for more yarn. So I went down to a 2.75mm needle. Gauge is so sensitive. It is as if you need to check the barometric pressure before you knit.

#2. On the space between the fingers – which I affectionately call the crotch- the book calls for picking up 5 sts along the cast on edge on of the previously knit finger. I picked up 7 because I didn’t want any extra spaces or stretched stitches . I made a pair of gloves before in a larger gauge and I struggled with this. I just knit 2 together on the following rows to get it down to the right number.

#3. At the top of the fingers the book has 2 decrease rounds in a row. I couldn’t stand it and I knit 1 row even between the two decrease rows. Maybe I have especially pointy ended fingers but it seems to fit my fingers well- like a glove.