Thursday, February 11, 2016

keeping me on my toes...

Yesterday, as I was posting that last photo, I knew I should be adding more info - my challengers are keeping me on task! :-)
Alysha wrote: I saw your pic on the blog of how you rolled up the scarf around the comb and just used claw weights.  Is that enough weight when you take off the barrel ribber weight?  I often wonder if gauge is affected and how best to keep the weight even after it hits the floor.  When rolling up the work, I can get a ribber weight on the ends, but not in the center. 

Actually, you do need to look real close at yesterday's photo and there is a large ribber weight in the centre, the hook poked in from behind, hanging on the top of the bar. When you put it in behind, it holds the rolled up fabric on the bar - because I am working on this and it is increasing in length quite rapidly, that weight is only there for a brief couple of minutes and won't do any lasting damage to the fabric. If I leave a ribber project (see right), I take off the weights and let the whole thing relax - leave the comb in and then rewind/rewrap it when you begin again. In this photo, note the small ribber weights on the sides of the bar, positioned from the back of the bar (instead of the one large weight in the centre). Yesterday I couldn't 'find' the second small ribber weight and resorted to using the large one in the centre (the 2 small ones are close enough in weight to equal the large one, whereas 2 large weights would be too much). I prefer this method of weighting my ribber work rather than trying to rehang the ribber comb after the piece gets too long - I have found that quite difficult to get it in without damaging the stitches and it usually stretches out that next row and leaves a noticeable line. The claw weights in the photo from yesterday are placed at  the edges of the work and I do move them up every 40 rows or so - I prefer that to using the side hangers/sevens - those I find will stretch out the edges unevenly.
view from behind machine
view from front
BTW, also forgot to mention that when knitting the 'tuck on ribber' portion,  I bring the left side end needle (on the ribber) up on every other row when carriage is at right - this cancels the tuck at the end of the row and prevents the stitch from dropping at the beginning of the next row...
I hope I haven't made this sound too complicated  - I am finding this scarf is actually a quicker, easier knit than the circular one!

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