Can this problem be fixed without starting over?

I’m working on a baby blanket and as I’m looking at my progress so far, I noticed that the first 5 inches or so is looser than the rest of it. If I just finish it, will washing it in hot water help tighten up those looser stitches? I just don’t want it to look funny when it’s complete with one end being wider than the other. :help: I’m using 100% acrylic yarn.

I think the reason my tension changed is because I changed from Boye needles to Addi Turbos (love them!), and for some reason I knit tighter with the Addi’s.

Acrylic yarn will most likely NOT tighten up. I hate to be the bearer of bad tidings but if you are really unhappy with it you might want to frog.

I agree, the acrylic will not shrink. I think that you may want to consider visiting the frog pond! Sorry!

Is it significantly looser? Like would you notice if you didn’t know? Machine washing and drying acrylic yarn helps to even things out, so if you think that it wouldn’t actually be too noticeable, I would just leave it and wash it after. Remember, you are your own worst critic, so others may not even notice your “mistake”.

Maybe you could go back to your original needles for the final 5 inches of your blanket? That would at least imply that you followed a pattern of sorts?

Anyway, what baby is going to care? And I suspect the Mother will be simply delighted to get a hand-made baby blankey, no matter what!

So just learn from your goof. Likely it’s not that much of a biggie unless you’re a perfectionist knitter - in which case, I respect you and regret that you may need to frog.

Me, I’d make a good Shaker: I always make sure to include a small (?) mistake in everything I make - just to prove I’m not perfect!

Dot

Well I guess you live and learn! I shall not be changing needles in the middle of a project again.

As knitgal mentioned, it’s probably not even noticeable to others, but you know how it is when it’s your own work…we are always our own worst critics. I asked my boyfriend if he can see the discrepancy, and he said no. So I’ve decided to finish it as is, and although acrylic doesn’t shrink in the wash, hopefully it’ll even out the stitches.

Thanks everyone. :hug:

I LOVE THIS! I taught myself to knit last Christmas and have been working again on things, although it is WAY TOO HOT, to knit like I did when it was cold, but I have three things going right now that I want to give as gifts, but each have a “mistake” in them! Now I won’t feel so dumb giving an imperfect gift! I will simply tell people I did it to prove I am not as perfect as everyone thinks I am!

Thanks

Don’t tell them anything. Unless the person’s a knitter and looks it over very carefully, they won’t be able to tell if there’s a mistake or not.

Me, I’d make a good Shaker: I always make sure to include a small (?) mistake in everything I make - just to prove I’m not perfect!

That will be my new ‘reasoning’, thanks! :teehee:

My last baby blanket I knitted had a mistake in it. At some point in the yarn I used , it got noticebly thinner and didn’t show up as defined in the stitches. I was over 24 inches into the blanket and I decided to leave it and told the intended recipent about it. She said that she did want it left, so that she could show her child that not everything is perfect when given to you by someone. She would look on it as a lesson in love for her child.