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January 13, 2006
Got gauge....or close enough
I finally got gauge (6.5 spi and 6 rpi on size 7s) with the Peruvian Highland Chunky from Elann. Great. Why am I not happy you may ask. I'm running into the same problem that BGK had earlier--the color of the yarn (spiced wine) is competing with the design of the pattern. I want to knit this sweater in a color as close to the original as possible--without leaning too much to a true red. Spiced wine was the closest I could get in this yarn. Well, it doesn't show in the photo at Elann or on my blog (although mine does show the color closer to what it really is) that the color has a heathered texture with some yellow varigation. There are other colors thrown in as well. Too much competition. So, I think I'm going to hold off on the project for a bit. I ordered some WOA earlier for swatching, so I may try that--but not try to get the gauge called for in the sweater. Come up with MY gauge and redesign the sweater around that. I checked The Sweater Workshop out of the library and will utilize the info in that, as well as from FLAK in redesigning CIT just for me.
Edited to add: You can see a photo of both my swatches from this week on my blog Don't let the photos fool you--read my bold comments at the end of each post. These photos show off the swatches much better than they appear in real life. I'd be thrilled if they really looked like this.
Posted by jens at January 13, 2006 08:51 AM
Comments
The pictures looks very good. Have you looked at your swatch in daylight? This is a challenging project, but on the other hand interesting. Good luck, hope to see you here later.
Posted by: Monica at January 13, 2006 04:58 PM
Oh yeah, I have. All I trust is daylight. The one in my most recent post looks great at night--in daylight not so much.
I'll still be around.
Posted by: Jen at January 13, 2006 06:59 PM
I'm glad I'm not the only one with this problem, Jen. I've done 4 swatches, was really disappointed that everyone else's looked so much better. After reading your post, I took pix of mine -- and eureka! They look so much better on the computer. Hmmmm. In real life, mine are all "bunchy" where the travelling stitches cross -- they are much "airier" in the pix. Probably not making any sense there...
Ann in Ottawa
Posted by: Ann in Ottawa at January 14, 2006 10:31 PM
Hey, I totally understand. Dealing with it myself. A friend of mine suggested that this is a pattern that needs to be knit in a single color--very little if any heathering. I think she's right. I'm still searching for the perfect yarn and design books to help me along the way with the personalizations I want to make. I think it'll be fun!
Posted by: Jen at January 14, 2006 11:08 PM