Conditions at the PANJMA Olympic Village are stormy at best! We’ve got the weather outside:
Snow drifts on our covered balcony.
Sad TEAM USA flag blustered by the blizzard.
Under normal circumstances, we’d have perfect conditions for the PANJMA team. The weather outside might be frightful, but inside we’ve got candy galore, hot chocolate, snuggly pajamas and an even snugglier cheering section and three full unseen hours of 24. But, alas, as Coach G-Love says: IF THE MITTEN DOESN’T FIT, YOU MUST NOT KNIT!
I did as I was told and went back to knitting on the 4s. I finished one skull and I tried to knit as loose as I could. I swear, I’m not pulling tight at all! I think I’m knitting pretty normal for me. I mean, it FEELS normal for me. And honestly, I could not be anymore relaxed. I was practically knitting in my sleep. My desperate voice in my last post shouldn’t be an indication of tension or worry – more of suprise! The idea that I’d have to go up two needle sizes is preposterous to me. But I really think I need to. I can barely get the mitten off once it’s on. So I’ll look for 5s in the my needle collection today, and if not – it’s off to LYS tomorrow. Here are my floats – I don’t think they look that tight at all!
What do you think? It’s also been suggested to me that my problem is most definitely an equpiment problem. Like I should be knitting with DPNs instead of two circulars. To that I say PEESHAW!!! Look at the Clapskate! I hearby declare Two Circular Knitting to be the Clapskate of the 2006 Knit Olympics!
Oh and there’s been some grumbling from the sidelines about pinch knitters. I can assure you, I’m the only one knitting these mittens. Although a certain baby did manage to get into the knitting bag and make knots in a bunch of places, but I don’t think that counts. Funny story though. Thursday night my nephew and I went for a walk to Loop in Philadelphia – it’s not far from my brother’s new apartment – and we walked in on a Beginner Knitting lesson. I looked around – it’s a beautiful store – and I was ready to leave, but Max wanted red yarn for socks. He proclaimed in his loud five yr-old voice: “I want to knit my own red socks.” The women at the table for the lesson all whipped their heads around. One brave woman asked him, “You can knit?” I felt so bad for all of them! Here they are, struggling with their knits and purls (c’mon! We’ve ALL been there!) and this five year old, in a stroller no less, is declaring that he will be knitting his own red socks. Crestfallen faces everywhere! I told them he was just learning and quickly found him some Red Dale and headed out of the store. It was pretty funny. Max can’t knit. He thinks he can, but he can’t. He’s not too bad, but I don’t think he’ll be knitting socks any time soon.
I think it will be socks all day at the village. Socks, some romping in the snow with my honey, and some spinning. Socks, snow and spinning. PERFECT!
ETA! I found two 5s! YIPPEE! I’ll be casting on yet again.
PS – Check out Theresa! My fellow Team Philadelphia member is knitting the Crossed In Translation sweater for the Olympics! GO THERESA! I’m SO cheering you on!
It’ll all come out in the urine test. That’s all I’m saying.
Your floats don’t look tight. The larger needles should make a big (no pun intended) difference. Knitting inside out is an interesting partial solution as well…
Stay warm – I’m planning to stay inside in the warm snuggly pjs too.
I love your nephew story! Alexander could have done the same thing-he got a toy sewing machine for Christmas and he’s already sewn a bag for his sister. You know I’m the one doing it and he’s pushing the foot pedal but as long as he’s sewing he doesn’t care.
Those mittens are going to be so cool. Definitely go up a needle size!
I have found in the very limited colorwork (squares/swatches) that I have done, that even with loose knitting and neat floats in the back like yours that the fabric turns out rather tightly woven without much give to it, so having to go up several needle sizes makes a lot of sense. A baby blanket square (2-3 colors) I made using the same yarn as one in one color turned out to be a whole inch smaller all the way around. Just saying… Love the mittens.
I took a quickie, two-color knitting class at my LYS not long ago and I had the instructor check my floats repeatedly — I thought I was knitting loose enough, but I bet I handed it back to her three times, loosening up even more each time, before she finally coughed up a “That’s pretty good, you’re getting there.” Admittedly, my everyday knitting is rather on the tight side, but… Argh!
i have opted for the more traditional dpn’s in the size the pattern called for and am having no gauge problems. a few small non-equipment related issues, though. and my coach is a little distracted.
your snow is lervly. all we got was rain.
Hmm, I don’t think that DPNs would make that much difference. I think it’s just that your circular stranded gauge is lots tighter than your flat stranded gauge… suggests that you purl quite a bit more loosely than you knit. Common problem.
Go out and make a snow angel and everything will be better!
too loose, too tight-the skull still looks awesome!
I hope you get your mits down. I know how frustrating it is to be a good knitter and not get something to work.
*cough* JAYWALKERS!
Yup – gauge can be a biatch. 🙂 I bet it’ll work out on 5’s!
Someone is knitting CIT for their challenge!? OMG!
The snow picture is fabulous and makes me a bit envious. We have very cold temps but blue skies galore (not complaining;0)
It is hard to tell from the picture but your fabric should have the same ‘give’ as if you knit with just one color. Your floats do look a bit tight. If you can loosen your floats you might just need to go up on the needle size for the rib.
If you’ve got bigger DPNs in the stash, use them. Even a size 6 wouldn’t be bad to try out. Enjoy the snow day; I sure am.
do you do 2 on 2 circs or 2 on 2 circs? I prefer magic loop if I am just doping 1. How is spinning going?
I feel your pain. I’m going through the same thing with my olympic project. 🙁
Hey C, I think your floats are still too tight. With a small fitted project like mittens, which have to stretch some to get on/off (unlike a sweater), you are going to need looser floats than usual so as to give it room to streeetch, if only to get over the widest part of the hand. Going up to the 5s can’t hurt, either.
Your color combination is awesome!
I’m having the same problem with my pirate mitts and I’m not a tight knitter either. I switched to 4’s this morning and I had added extra stitches to the chart already. I sure hope this fixes it (for both of us!)
Stupid questions … Where are the black floats on the ribbing? Could you be pulling the black yarn a bit too tightly?
Cool snow pics! =) My 5yr old doesn’t like to knit yet, she just wants to keep casting on forever hehehehehehe funny. I guess by the time she starts knitting, casting on will be mastered! My 6yr old CAN knit, tho, some, but not socks. hahaha
Thanks for the cheering. So far so good, although I was snowed in and knitting for the entire weekend. Now, if we have a continuous blizzard for the next 2 weeks, I should be fine. Otherwise, I’m getting worried . . .
Great mittens and love the colors! Your pix of the snow are awesome…looks like a familiar roadway and wetlands being a LI/Queens Girl!!