Wahhhhhhhhh!

#1

:frowning:

I am knitting a sweater, using this beautiful yarn that I bought back in January, during my LYS’s big sale. It is Louisa Harding yarn, a angora/wool blend. Rather thin. I cast on my 218 stitches on size 3 needles- gulp- and knit the ribbing that goes on the bottom, then switched to my size 6 needles and started working my way up- it is a cardigan, and I’m doing the back. I had about 4-5 inches done, which doesn’t sound like much, but was a lot of work- counted my stitches, and I was WAY OFF!!! I’m not sure where I made the mistake, it had to be either on the cast on or the decrease row a few rows later. :doh: COUNT, COUNT, COUNT!!! I just ripped out all that work- it was just starting to look like something!! I contemplated trying to wing it and not rip it out, but I really want to do this sweater right. Sigh…I’m off to cast on another 218 stitches!!

#2

:crying: :crying:

#3

:crying:

#4

:frowning: :frowning: Been there, done that. I found what has helped me is that when I’m casting on a lot of stitches, I place a stitch marker every 50 stitches. I count them twice and place the marker, then I don’t have to go back and recount as much. It seems to help me. Hope you have better luck this time around!

#5

:frowning: :crying: I so feel your pain. I’ve done that so many times in crocheting. I would have a filet runner that would need a starting chain of 450 or something else similarily ridiculous, and wouldn’t find out until about 4 or 5 rows later that I was short or over at least 2 or 3 “squares”. After frogging one runner at least 6 times, I got myself little brass pins to count my stitches… and developed a habit that I’ve transferred into knitting.

#6

:frowning: That’s too bad!!!

I do just as Lisa1216 said in her post; I put markers at an interval. That way I just have to make sure that I have the right amount of stitches when I put in a marker and in the end I just count the markers.

I even do this for casting on 60 stitches or something. I hate to find that I was wrong in my counting.

Hope the second time worked out better!

#7

Oh, that bites! I suggest using a lifeline. That way if something goes wrong again you won’t have to frog so far back!

#8

I really should use markers! :wall: I usually count them about ten times, then hand my pretty yarn and needles to my husband and have him count them a few times. For my entertainment and to double check. :mrgreen:

#9

Thanks for your sympathies, everyone!!

I frogged, went back and started again- counted a million times, placed markers, and figured out where I went wrong. DUH. In row 3, you K1, (Ktog) to last stitch, K1. You should then have 110 stitches. Instead, I K1, K2tog, K1, K2tog…all the way accross the row. Sheesh. That’s what I get for not double checking my stitch count at the end of that row.

Oh well- now it’s over and done with, and I learned a valuable lesson! :smiley:

#10

whats a lifeline?

#11

whats a lifeline?[/quote]

Technically it’s a piece of yarn, dental floss, embroidery thread, whatever… that you thread through a perfect row. Couple ways to accomplish this. Put the lifeline on a needle and thread it through all the stitches on your needles. Or you can put it through the little hole on your Denises or Boyes interchangeables and work it through as you knit. If it’s on a long project like a sweater I usually knot the ends together loosely so I don’t have to worry about it slipping back through the stitches, but it usually stays very well. Now if you have to frog you only have to go as far as the lifeline. I gradually move it up as the project gets bigger…maybe every couple inches. Yes, it takes time, but to me it’s worth it.

Some people only do this for detailed projects like lace, but I used it on my sweater and was glad I did!

#12

jan that idea just might save my hair from falling out (or being torn out!) when i start my sweater. i am consistent in one thing, making lots and lots of mistakes the first time i try something. lots. :roflhard: gracias.

#13

feeling your pain… :crying:

#14

LOL You’re welcome! It wasn’t my idea originally (don’t know where it came from), but I use it a lot! :slight_smile:

#15

:frog: :frog: :frog: :verysad: :verysad: