"Knitty: Wisp" Question

#1

Hi there – new knitter here, I’ve been knitting since New Year’s Day. (Have crocheted since I was 4, though, along with other crafts.) Tension, of course, is still a problem, but I figure I’ll stick with larger yarn and needles and with my current heart-throb yarn, mohair lace-weights in airy patterns, until my tension gets more even.

So, here’s the question – is there anything inherently unstable in the fisherman’s net stitch in the Wisp pattern from Knitty? What I was thinking I’d do is make the end panels as written, but make the fisherman’s net stitch sections in the middle three times as long. I just want to make sure that this won’t be a problem due to any instability in the stitch itself, as it’s very open, and I haven’t the experience to know whether that would be an issue – and it’s to be a gift for my sister!

I’m using Sublime Kid Mohair (60% kid mohair/35% nylon/5% extra fine merino), if that makes any difference…

Thanks in advance for any help!

#2

I made it without the buttonholes, 2 rows of knit to start, and leaving out the garter sections, just the net stitch. The garter stitch sections probably give it the stability, mine is very stretchy lengthwise and will also stretch widthwise as well.

#3

Thanks, Sue! Given your results, I think I’ll go ahead and make the net sections three times as long and do three rows of garter stitch between, then. I want a bit of stretchy, as I want my sister to be able to use it as a shrug as well (she dances Latin ballroom, has zero bodyfat, and is always cold), and I’m going to make double buttons on stretchy beading filament for her to button the thing with into different configs as per the pattern. I rather like the eyelets, so have left them in.

I used a 5.5 mm needle, wanting it to be bigger than their gauge to make a stole like thing rather than scarf width, but think I overdid it. I may need another ball of wool! :slight_smile:

I may make one for the other sister, too, now I think of it…

Thanks again!

#4

I did mine on size 6.5mms, but in laceweight. I only had one skein and needed to stretch out the yardage. You could go up a lot in needle size and it’ll still look good.

#5

Hmmm. Sue, I tried it on 6mm needles, but thought it was too open for the look I wanted. At 5.5mm, the unblocked scarf width already measures 12", unstretched. (I wanted to end up with about 13-14 inches width, blocked, and about 50"-55" long.) It seems to stretch more widthwise than lengthwise (would that it were the other way around!). I ended up at Loop today in Islington (I’ll have to go to I Knit sometime else, what a shame! :wink: ), and the very nice lady there said she thought it looked like my tension is “fairly loose.” Is that why I have more stretch widthwise than lengthwise?

I’m worried about making the length I want, at this point – though I’m having a difficult time gauging how much yardage I have left on this skein of mohair laceweight, it’s so light I can’t eyeball it correctly. I have two skeins, so hopefully that’ll be enough, do you think?

Off subject, I have to say I’m really enjoying this adventure of learning to knit, but it might beggar me! Today at Loop I went ahead and bought a pair of rosewood needles from Lantern Moon and a set of circular needles from addi, plus a Lexie Barnes case to put needles in. They’re having sales on their mohair/silk/nylon yarns (3 quid!), so I may very well visit and buy again later to fuel my mohair addiction…although they had some really lovely Australian merino yarns on sale as well, and even though my tension isn’t quite good enough to set needle on such beautiful stuff (which is why I’m not buying the really nice mohair yet), it was veeeery tempting to get it at 50% off!

Thank goodness I’m on the road and have to keep my wardrobe at the minimum, or I’d have spent hundreds on yarn and needles! :cool:

#6

`Loose’ tension is just larger overall and usually in both directions. It shouldn’t matter for this project as it’s so open. Just knit it on the size you’ve been using if you like the effect. You can also block it while still on the needles to see how it will turn out.

#7

Thanks, Sue – I’ll give it a go and see how it comes out!