Hi Everyone. I am new here and I would like to ask a probably silly question. The pattern I am knitting calls for Plutolopi yarn using 4.5mm needles with a gauge of 30sts x 32 rnds = 4". I am using Lettlopi which according the the experienced knitting sales person said was equivalent . However I am having a very hard time getting the correct gauge. For example. 4.5mm gives me 18 sts x 27 rows. So I downsized to 3.75 and got 21sts x 29 rows. I downsized again using 3.5mm and got 20sts x 30 rows. Any suggestions? thanks much!
swatch gauge
Hello
Could you give us the name or number and designer of the pattern you’re using please?
It might help with figuring out the the gauge discrepancy.
Just looking at a couple of sites including yarnsub the gauge seems to be 16-22 sts per 10cm on 4.5mm needle so my first thought is it seems a bit tricky to have a gauge of 30 sts on a pattern.
Yes. thanks for your reply. The designer is The Petite Knitter The pattern is the Ovis sweater.
She is a lovely designer and a wonderful person.
Thanks, that’s helpful
There are a few comments on ravekry about the gauge, and I noticed the designer has replied to kne with this
[…]The 4.5mm needles are for the ribbing section. Corrugated rib is typically less strethcy than regular ribbing, hence the bigger needles[…]
Just check if the gauge swatch in the pattern is in stockinette or in corrugated rib, some patterns ask for the gauge swatch in pattern.
I think you may need to work with the 3mm needle as a starting point for the stockinette gauge swatch, then move down a size if you still don’t have enough stitches. Do you have smaller than a 3mm?
I would try it and see how it goes and see if you like the fabric it makes.
The designer has been quite responsive in the comments on ravelry if you wanted to question directly.
If you really have no luck with the gauge it may be possible to work a different size in the pattern, one which gives you a stitch count close to what you would need for your gauge and size. I recently worked a sweater 2 sizes bigger so that I could use the gauge I liked with the yarn I had chosen - it takes a bit of thinking but it’s possible.
Let us now how your swatch goes.
Thank you so much for taking the time to review this. I have actually spoken directly with the designer about this before I posted and her response was to downsize my needles which I did. The smallest I tried was a 3.5mm so I guess I will keep going down even smaller. I didn’t even think to check Ravelry, I am not that savvy on that site. The gauge is for stocking stitch
I really appreciate your investigations and conclusions, you have helped me a lot and I will check Ravelry for sure.
I purchased The Petite Knitter’s first book “Arctic Knits” and she and I have spoken a few times through email, her book is amazing and she lives in the Arctic with her bunny. Her designs all relate to the tundra she lives in. Anyway, thanks again.
All the best
VictoriaJ.
A couple of the project knitters who used single ply Plotulopi commented on the gauge which they were unable to achieve even with small size needles. They went with more of a worsted or dk gauge in the range of 20-21sts/10cm. Several used 3.0mm needles so you might try that size and see if you like the feel of the knit fabric.
https://www.ravelry.com/projects/felifrei/ovis
You could also take a look at the number of sts at the bust or across the underarm for your size. See what measurement your closest gauge gives you (using 3 or 3.75 needles) and see if perhaps you should go to a smaller size in the sweater.
Thanks so much for all the great suggestions. I am using Lettlopi as opposed to the pattern requirement of Plotulopi, but the lady at the shop said they are comparable. I am going to try a smaller needle.
Thanks again
Glad to be able to help out.
Perhaps lots of people assume (as I initially did) that the smaller needle listed was for the rib when it’s for the stockinette.
Unfortunately, the information you were given was not correct! Plotulopi is an unspun strand of Icelandic wool. Lettlopi yarn is identical, but made up of two strands of plotulopi lightly plied. So you would need to hold two strands of P together to get a similar gauge to the lettlopi! Alafosslopi in turn is double the grist of lettlopi but is a single ply.
That’s curious, Mel61. I agree about the plies with those yarns but I see Plotlopi listed at 19sts/4" on size 7 needles and Lettlopi at 18sts/4" on sizes 6-8 needles. I’ve used Lettlopi at that gauge although as a loose knitter I had to drop down to a size 5 needle.
I believe you can knit most Icelandic yarn at a wide range of gauges to get different fabric characteristics, but if the original pattern was for lettlopi ( I may have misunderstood the original post though!), a single strand of plotulopi wouldn’t be an identical substitute, which was what I understood the advice to have been?
Plotulopi is also rather fragile whereas lettlopi, being plied, is tougher. Helene Magnusson recommends holding a single strand of lace weight ( such as her Love Story yarn) together with plotulopi to make it more hard-wearing, especially on elbows and cuffs. I’ve used two strands of plotulopi and one of Love Story to substitute for a bulky yarn, which worked as the lack of yarn twist filled in any gaps!
I’ve got it backwards, haven’t I! She’s using lettlopi instead of plotulopi!
I think lettlopi might give a very dense fabric in that pattern, at that gauge, given that there’s a lot of detailed colour work
I wonder if the gauge issue is related to the colour work post blocking? I can see how that might tighten plotulopi up considerably.
I’m currently wearing a lettlopi sweater! The gauge in my 1x1 stranded section is 18 stitches per 4 inches, and I wouldn’t want it much tighter! At 30 stitches, it would be like cardboard
Yes, lettlopi recommended in place of plotulopi. I agree about the fragility of unspun, single ply. There are some lovely examples out there but it’s not easy to work with and I’ve found that it doesn’t hold up to wear.
I find the gauge a puzzle but the project knitters seem to have managed it. Perhaps because of the unspun nature of the plotulopi. I also notice that the substitutes for plotulopi tend to be finer gauge yarns often fingering weight.
Hi Mel61
Thank you so much for all your insights. So here it is…when I bought the pattern into the knitting shop, I was told that Lettlopi is identical to plotulopi. And that’s where the problem started because I just could not get the suggested gauge, although right now I am trying yet another swatch in size 3mm in stocking stitch but it’s looking very dense. I agree, with Plotulopi being unspun, and see where the designer is getting her gauge, so a fingering weight may be more appropriate for this pattern since I cannot get Plotulopi here in my area. However, I have my heart set on using some type of Lopi for this pattern, so I am not keen on that option.
This is all getting so confusing and I am not good at altering a pattern to suit the yarn. I like to have everything as written so having been told that Plotulopi was the same as Lettlopi put me out about $180.00!
Anyway, again, I thanks you for your thoughts and time on this!
Best
VictoriaJ
Yes, I agree, a fingering weight would seem more appropriate for this pattern if I am not using Plotulopi which I cannot get in my area. But it’s not the “look” I want and I have my heart set of a loop yarn. Thanks so much for your thoughts,
If I was in this position I’d be taking the yarn back to the shop and asking for a refund as you were buying based kn their advice which has not turned out well.
We could perhaps help you choose a different size to make with the same yarn on bigger needles… it may be possible.
I agree. This yarn should either be used for a classic Icelandic sweater that calls for Lettlopi or taken back to the knitting store.
There are pages of patterns on Ravelry if you look up Lettlopi then click over on the right on Projects. You can narrow the projects to sweaters by typing “sweater” in the search box near the top of the page. There are hundreds of pages of sweaters which knit at ~18sts/4inches for the sampling that I checked.
Thanks so much, Returning is not an option as they will firstly, only offer a store credit and secondly, they refused to print off the front picture and graph page for this pattern (because I don’t have a colour printer) even though I bought they wool from there and $1500.00 worth of wool in the past year. I will not return.
But it was a good suggestion.
I think I can come up with another pattern for this yarn but thanks for offering:-).
Actually I think I misread your message. Are you suggesting trying to get needle sizes to try to get a size that would fit me? If so that would be great. Thanks