Seriously Frogged Blanket *help*

Well I have frogged … badly. :grrr:

I’ve been working on this one blankie for a rescue dog and I have started it over at LEAST 5 times … tonight I was moving right along, knit a row, purl a row, knit a row … I’m using Softee Chunky and 8-9 mm needles (the border knit part was done on 8’s and I switched to 9’s when I misplaced my 8!) … :??

Well, I noticed a [color=blue]HOLE!!! A HOLE!! where there should NOT BE A HOLE!!! [/color]AGGHHH … I think I lost about four stitches “somewhere out there” … what a royal pain in the … :!!!:

Not sure if you are aware I fractured my hand badly about three weeks ago thanks to my Bullmastiff (pictured) who looks calm but is actually going to die a nervous wreck according to my husband … she spooked and bolted when some idiot in a bald tire car skidded away from a stop sign on ice … down I went onto the icy sidewalk … I’m not sure if this HOLE was caused due to my hand and inability to hang onto the needles properly, or if my stitches are just too loose … :verysad:

Tell me … is it easier to knit on smaller needles with smaller yarn? I’m just worried I may never get anything finished but perhaps it’s just that my choices in yarn and needles are not what I need for my first project … scarves in wooly fuzzy type yarn like Boa, Shaunsheep and eyelash I can do great on 9-10 mm but they hide a multitude of sins plus how can you screw up 14 stitches? … I shouldn’t ask that because before long I’m sure I will have found out how!!! :oops:

Assistance please … at this rate I will never get my stash narrowed down!!! AGGHHHHHHH !!! :-x

Toby :passedout:

Personally, I find it more difficult to get even stitches on larger needles.

And, also on a totally personal note, I’d probably sew up a hole and add more stitches if I messed up on a dog blanket. Again–that’s just me. :teehee:

I can’t stand knitting on small needles, even with worsted weight yarn. I don’t have a problem with tension on the larger needles, even with worsted weight, though the stitches are loose, but I happen to like it that way. With the chunky yarn you’re using, 8mm are just fine. Much smaller and it would be too stiff. Just take it easy and go slow if you have to.

I’m with Ingrid on the hole thing - just sew it up.

[b]My yarn is now a ball on the desk … I have no clue how to sew stuff up as I’m such a new knitter … and making it for someone else, I didn’t want it to look patchy, which is the only way I could do it …

I am going to take on a smaller project on smaller needles with smaller yarn although not something on 3’s as I’d never get finished, but these stitches were so big and loose that it didn’t even look like knitting … agghh!!

We press on.

Toby[/b]

Are you following a pattern that specificially said to use that yarn with that needle size? If not, I think the needles you have been using are too big. I just looked up your yarn and the rec’d size is US 10 or 6mm metric. That’s quite a bit smaller than 9mm or even 8mm.

[b]I’m not following a pattern per se … just someone told me that to make a dog blanket cast on 90 st and do the knit purl thing for 20 rows then switch … I didn’t want to have to cast on 500 st on size 5 needles :teehee: so I thought by using bigger needles I’d get a 29 inch blanket which it seemed I was getting with the 90 (as I had cast on 200 and ended up with something 67 inches long) … on the wrapper they recommend 6mm, that’s right.

I’ll try new wool, new needles … maybe just straight knit and get it done.

Toby[/b]