Argh, now my head hurts. I do them both almost exactly the same way. (Now whether or not I am supposed to is a completely different story!)
My version of the crochet cast-on is to, well, crochet the cast on stitches using my project yarn, then, when I have my number of stitches, I begin knitting with the same yarn I used to cast on.
If it’s a provisional cast-on, I crochet with scrap yarn, then use my project yarn to knit into the cast-on stitches, stiches I will then remove later to make live stitches on my project.
Did that make any sense? I think I need more coffee!! :shock:
Angelia, I LIKE your way! First of all, when I did the crochet chain cast-on for something, I had a really hard time picking up the stitches in the chain. I didn’t enjoy it. But, I can see doing the crochet cast-on (as described by Sally Melville in The Knitting Experience: Book 1, Knit Stitch, for those of you just now joining the conversation) w/ scrap yarn & knitting into that as being a MUCH easier way to handle things.
That’s what amazed me about knitting – there are so many different ways to accomplish a task. And the reason that amazes me is that some knitter some where was fiddling around and needed to accomplish something and they ingeniously designed these clever solutions.
Sorry to have caused you a headache … :doh: … just know that you’ve given me a solution that I like and can live with the next time I have to do a provisional cast-on … I’ve been known to avoid projects w/ provisional cast ons … :shifty:
And now … I must be going … I have a date with my husband this evening.
Oooh, a date with hubby! I hope you two had a wonderful time! And I second Andrea: :eyebrow:
Maybe it’s because I’ve done crochet forever, but my crochet cast-ons, provisional or otherwise, are never tight. I guess I just have a feel for it. If you’re ever in a piddling mood, you could practice it so that the cast-on stitches are looser.
Can anyone help me decide what yarn to buy for the Einstein? I have decided to keep knitting fast and furiously and my serape and buy/order yarn for the coat. I’m thinking of either Reynold’s Lopi or Brown Sheep Lamb’s Pride Bulky. What do you think? I want something that will hold up well and not pill excessively. I do want a wool or wool blend as Sally M. suggests, and I don’t mind hand washing. Thanks for any and all advice!
Well, I’m using Paton’s Shetland Chunky – it’s an acrylic/wool blend, and it’s quite soft. I am somewhat concerned about how much it will stretch and/or pill. Time will tell.
I know that Angelia is using Wonderwool, and I think Andrea is using Reynold’s Lopi. The Lopi, if I remember correctly is somewhat scratchy, but that is probably not an issue since it’s a coat and won’t be directly next to your skin.
I would think the Lamb’s Pride would be terrific, but since it’s not a plied wool, will it pill?
I’ve heard that Lamb’s Pride pills, yes. But apparently all wool pills; it’s the nature of the wee cute beast I personally LOVE Lamb’s Pride and would have used it if I’d had the funds to pay for it!
I did it!!! I ordered yarn for this coat! I’m sure some of you are done or mostly done by now, but I finally bit the bullet and did it. I’m excited.
Of course, I will probably be done with this when it’s warm and all the flowers are blooming and we’re running around in shorts and capris, but oh well. :rollseyes: It’ll be ready for next fall!
I just received my yarn also, so I am a new starter like you. I hope people stick around because I am a little confused about the second step in the construction of the sweater.
Likewise, I’m only on ridge 24 or 25 or something. A couple other things have jumped in front of my Einstein in my list. So, who knows when I’ll get it done! So, knit away, ladies. We’ll be here for weeks, months, years to come!
Me too, in the 60 ridges area and holding while I finish another project from a class I’m taking. I still hope to finish mine this spring (because I know it’ll bug me all summer to leave it undone), but don’t worry if you’re just starting, you have plenty of company.
HURRAY! I got my yarn yesterday…my first mail order yarn and I’m very pleased. It’s a beautiful plum color. At first I thought it seemed a bit thin for a chunky yarn, but it was fine when I went up one needle size. I did my gauge swatch and 14 or 15 garter ridges on the lower piece of the sweater.
I’m excited! I don’t know how to post a picture, though.
So glad to find fellow Einstein Coat planners! I’m almost finished with the Baby Albert coat, which Sally Melville said she did before the E. Coat (“Big Al”?) to see if the idea would work out. Maybe it’s a good idea to make up a Baby Albert first? Doesn’t take too long. For the Baby Albert, the buttonholes she lists in the pattern are reallly quite awful and would in no way work with the suggested button sizes. I used alternate buttonhole method from "The Purl Stitch,"which worked beautifully. I used Lion Brand (yes, TOO, TOO lowbrow!) Microfiber Yarn in 3 primary colors and the little coat is really quite cute. (I like bright colors on babies.) Have any of you done any asymmetrical pieces from “The Knit Stitch”? I’m’ wary of these. I have a feeling they may just look badly designed or poorly knitted – even though I love, design and wear assymetrical stuff.
I personally LOVE Lamb’s Pride and would have used it if I’d had the funds to pay for it!