Ok, I have planned on making a children's sweater, size 4, and went and bought some cute fun looking yarn that I think will look great. My dilema is that the yarn is rated a "3" and the yarn they required for the sweater (which I honestly didn't think to check before buying the yarn) was a "4", or worsted weight size.
So, my question has to do with switching the pattern so that I can use the smaller size yarn and still get the correct size of the finished sweater. I don't want to double the yarn and I'm not good at math.
I am hoping some of the more experienced knitters out in blogland can help me. I'm not sure what to do. The required size needles to get the gauge was 5mm, and I tried 5, 5.5, and 6 and still did not get the required size. I am thinking the higher up I go in needles the more loose the knitting will be with this yarn and I don't want that. The gauge the size "4" yarn is supposed to get is 18 stitches equal to 4 inches. For me on 5.0 mm, 18 inches only gave me 2 inches.
So, would I simply double all numbers then - that is instead of casting on whatever they said to, would I double that? What about for length (you know where is says knit until it measures however many inches)?
Can someone lend a hand and guide me through this? Can it even be done?
HELP!!!
7 comments:
I'm afraid I will be absolutely no help with you on this, but I feel for you and want to see some people give the answers! I gave myself a headache last summer trying to use worsted weight yarn on a cute little top that called for thinner yarn I'd never heard of. I tried the same thing you did, experimenting with different needle sizes. (Don't ask how it turned out.... I think it would have fit, had I ever finished it, but I worried over it until I set it down and worked on something else. I eventually just frogged it and refused to think of it ever again LOL)
Good luck!
OH YES! it can be done.
you would figure out what your new guage is and cast on the number of stitches that would give you the width the pattern says you're supposed to have...so, you're right. if the guage you get with your yarn is only half of what you're supposed to get, you have to double your stitch number to get the width you need.
Regarding length: If the pattern specifically tells you to knit to a certain length before shaping armholes, you simply knit with the new yarn until you get to that length.
As Nik said! That should work for you! Good luck!
Yep, go with Nik's advise.
Keep us updated on how the sweater goes. good luck
Nik has it right. Go with her advise and keep us posted on how it's going. There is one thing you should be aware of tho ... I think it's going to take more yarn or rather yardage to complete it ... due to doubling up on the stitches and it will take more rows to get to the length required.
Good luck with it, I have never substituted before, I always try and get the same 'ply' as stated in the pattern. I am a lazy knitter who hates maths!!!
yup! go with nik on thos one! i have changed my gauge before too... just trust the math... it your geetting 18 sts. in 2 inches double the numbers for cast on and so on!
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