Entrelac: gauge vs. dimension

#1

i am going to be doing a sampler baby blanket with a friend, and some of the squares will be done in entrelac. i’m designing it, and for all of the stitches we’ve chosen, i know how to figure out the cast on requirements for each square with no problem. not so with entrelac.

if i want a 12x12 inch square, using DK weight, 4.5st/in with size 6’s, how many stitches do i want to cast on to make it the right size? and do i want to aim for 11 or 11.5 inches, since i imagine it will grow a little when blocked or steamed? if i were to aim for 12", i would normally cast on 54 stitches. but that’s not divisible by 8, which is what my entrelac how-to calls for. do i go down to 48 stitches? that would bring me to 10 2/3", which seems quite a bit smaller. but how much does it grow when the second row is worked? all of the entrelac pics i’ve seen show a slightly misshapen piece of work.

and does entrelac always have to be twice as many rows as stitches? i’m concerned about not having a full pattern repeat once i get to the top of the square.

thanks for your help!

#2

gauge for entrelac can be measured and calculated with a regular stockinette stitch (accorfing to the latest issue of IK).

There is already a thread started on entrelac… you might want to check that out.

#3

Do you have to use an 8 stitch repeat? If you think you need 54 sts, try 9 or 6 instead. Do a sample block and see how it measures out.

sue

#4

hilde, thanks, i did read through that thread earlier.

suze, i didn’t think to try a different number of stitches for each part. i’d imagine it should be an even number of stitches, i’ll see about playing around with it. thanks.

#5

It doesnt have to be an even # of stitches, but you will work 2 rows for every stitch.