Hiya, I have got a loverly baby shawl pattern that I would like to knit, however the pattern is in 4ply using 3 3/4 needles. can any one please tell me how I could convert this to 4 ply …
Convert a pattern
I think you must have a typo there…you said it’s 4 ply and you want to convert to 4 ply. Something like a shawl it you usually doesn’t matter since it doesn’t have to fit like a garment. A heavier weight yarn will be a little bigger a lighter weight yarn it will be a little smaller. Sometimes you can cast on more or less depending on the pattern, too.
Can you please give us a link to the pattern if there is one? What is the name of the yarn it recommends?
sorry yes it was a typo was meant to say from 4ply to 3 ply, (please forgive new to computers) The wool stated is Sidar Snuggly 4ply. Its a one size shawl, and is knitted in two parts, the main body, a shell like pattern and then a border pattern. This shawl measures 122 x 122 or 48 x 48. I did think of just using the 3 ply wool but was worried it came out very small. thankyou
There’s not a lot of difference between 3 and 4 ply, so you could use the same needle size and it should be the same size. Shawls are meant to be loose and lacey so it should be fine.
Thank you I will give it a go… elaine
ps Just found this site and I think its wonderful:cheering:
I never use the plies for gauge I use weights so I had to look it up.
According to my search 4 ply is a fingering weight and 3 ply is a light fingering weight yarn. It will be slightly smaller if you cast on the same number. I don’t know the pattern, but if you can figure out the pattern repeat you may be able to cast on one or two extra repeats to make it wider or longer. It doesn’t usually make a difference with shawls though since they have no fit.
have you made a swatch? If there are stitches given for the test piece (usually 4 by 4 inches) you can make a test piece with your yarn and needle choice (knit your pattern, because it may make a difference to stochinette or garter) and figure out the difference in size.
your piece will be 48 inches by 48 inches in the pattern. that means that a variance of 10 % your make it 43 by 43 (approx).
if it is a little difference only then don’t bother adjusting it. If the difference is noticeable like 10 % or so, maybe change the pattern. Does it have a pattern repeat? then how many stitches is one repeat? how many times do you have to enter it in to bridge the gap there is?
Don’t try to make it tooooo correct. It is not a fitted garment. So just do your own math.
Don’t worry too much about being “exact”. When you’re making a shawl it should be pretty loose and cozy anyhow. Give it a good estimate of the size, knit a few rows and see if that doesn’t work. If it’s too small, measure how much wider you want it, look to see how many stitches are in that much of what you’ve already made, then cast on the additional stitches (of course conforming to any pattern you’ve set out). I have been known to add a crochet border to a shawl just for looks or to make it bigger when the original knitted item wasn’t quite big enough.
