Okay, so I started this scarf right? Well I’ve knitted about 8-12 inches worth of the scarf and now I decided I really would like it to be wider. So here’s where I need an opinion, should I switch to larger needles to try to get a wider scarf? Or should I rip out the whole thing and start over with more cast on stitches?
I’m having a tough time deciding because the scarf is like close to a foot long and the yarn isn’t twisted very tightly. Oh, in case this info. is relevant; it’s knitted with a size 9 US (5.5 mm) with Michaels’ [B][U]Loops & Threads[/U][/B] Santa Fe [I]Striped Roving[/I] (which aside from the previous twist tightness, also varies in thickness).
If you choose to just use a larger needle the scarf will get a little wider and the stitch will be looser. The first part will remain the same and won’t match it exactly.
Not matching would drive me nuts so I would rip it out and start over myself. Or maybe you could just do the end section like the beginning and call it part of the design.
I agree with Jan on both options. No way I would make a scarf lopsided.
But there would be a designy option: step up 0.5 mm now, then another foot down the road (mark the spot of the first change), you do the same step again: step up jet another 0.5mm and so on. Then the scarf will flare on one end and be more narrow on the other. If you like that look: great.
Well, I guess, I would either finish the scarf as is or rip out. Careful: uneven yarns often do not rip very well.
It wouldn’t make what you’ve already knit any wider, that would stay the same. So I’d start over with the bigger needles. The yarn you have sounds like it’s fairly thick anyway, so I’d go with size 10½ or 11 needles.
Thanks for all the opinions, I’ve decided to go ahead and rip it out and cast on more sts. Sometimes it’s just hard to decide to rip out what you’ve done and start over you know? But after seeing quite a few agree to rip and start over I feel better about doing it.
One other option I haven’t seen mentioned is this… decide how much wider you want the scarf to be, for example 6". Then knit two strips 3" wide each and make them the length of your finished scarf. (Using two strands of yarn you could probably knit them both on the same needle)
Then either crochet or stitch the strips onto the original length of scarf.
You could use the same needle size and pattern or use a different complimentary pattern for the two strips.
