I-cord or other tube

How-to Questions
1

Hi everyone! I want to knit a tube to slide a tube of lip balm (size of chapstick tube) into as a wrapper for a gift for Teacher appreciation week. (Cute idea, right?)

I envision the knitted tube tied at both ends so it is like a fire-cracker wrapper, but knit instead of paper. (Still cute idea, huh? I thought of it all by myself, too!)

I just can’t get it to work! I think I am trying to use too many stitches and I can’t get it to look neat and tidy. Maybe it’s my yarn? I am not sure.

I was tying to get away with making icords rather than having to do traditional DPN or magic loop. It was supposed to be a super fast little project…I have at least 5 to make for various teachers for my children.

ANy help would be greatly appreciated…National Teacher Appreciation week is next week.

2

That [U]is[/U] a cute idea! :cheering:

I’m not sure,though - enough stitches to go around a chap stick tube might be too many for an i-cord. How many stitches are you using and what weight yarn are you using?

3

well, I learned that 8 stitches with worsted weight is too many. I want to use leftover yarn, and that’s my preferred yearn weight.

I think I have to do a traditional tube on DPN. :frowning: I think 8 stitches are needed to fit around the lip balm/chapstick tube.

I’m also making a few coffee cozies and some subway art (I do a lot of Photoshop stuff when I’m not knitting or running after my two little ones.)

It might just be easier to make a flat piece and sew it together.

Hmm…your thoughts?

4

How about 6 stitches on a larger needle or 8 on a smaller needle?

5

have you looked into knitting in the round on 2 straight needles? (double knitting of a different variety?)
That is just a technical help. (and it may not make it easier for you, so skip it if you do not want to deal with it.)

I would think of making it ribbed. Then the chapstick will fit, no problem, and gauge is less crucial because of the stretch.

Also you can knit them the other way:

Provisional cast on, long enough for the whole stretch of the chap stick, then work as many rows of st st as you need to close the thing up around the chap stick and then open the provisional edge and graft (kitchener stitch) together for a seamless join.

How about? That will make a cute wrapper and the gauge of the height of rows is easier adjustable by needlesize than the width, somehow.

6

Double-knit tube would be the way to go, all right. With an even number of sts, K1, slip 1 wyif, then turn and repeat. Once you get the hang of it, it’s easy and quick.