I should know better.
I don’t have much luck with projects with mega chunky yarn.
So why, Oh why readers, when I was struggling to find my knitting mojo with Catrin, did I decide to splurge on 10 balls of Rowan Big wool to make this huge snuggle-fest of a jumper?
It’s Ronnie from the Kim Hargreaves book, Precious.
I suppose I thought it would be a quick, easy, rewarding project….
I cast on on 12mm needles as decreed by the pattern and knit for a whopping 42cm.
Hmmm …It didn’t look wide enough…
A check of my gauge and the learned opinions of my knitting buddies was that I was way too tight – the garment would end up around 8cm too small for me.
Bigger needles were needed. Unfortunately, the next size from 12mm is 15mm a huge jump. Why don’t they make 13mm needles?? 🙄 Anybody know where I could get some?
I bravely cast on and finished the back. My gauge was OK width wise but my stitches were too long…hmmm…that proved to be something of a problem with the raglan shaping which was written for a set number of row, not length.
As you can see the armholes would start somewhere around my hips!
The stitches seem too loose too – it was sagging quite a bit because it was so loose. This garment would be quite heavy and sag badly if left this loose.
A this point a Big Wool bonfire was being contemplated and my knitting mojo had packed it’s bags and emigrated 👿
I have 4 choices with this garment:
- Abandon it and burn/reuse the expensive yarn on a different project
- Continue in the vain hope it will all turn out OK (not bloody likely)
- Start a third time on the original needle size but knit a bigger size to allow for my gauge issues with big wool (and possibly have to buy more yarn)
- Continue in the original size and original needles, cross my fingers (which won’t help my gauge either) then block the hell out of it when it’s too small.
I’m tending towards option 3 – knit a bigger size. I liked the density of the fabric the original needles created way better than the too loose on 15mm.
I really, really need a successful, fun project to kick start my knitting mojo or I’m gonna need a new hobby 😯
Next time I’m tempted to knit something on broom sticks – someone slap me – please!
I do sympathise. Also, I’ve thought of a fifth option – try again with the original size needles, but needles made with a different material. Sometimes it makes all the difference.
I just had to write and agree. I am the same. In the depths of snowed-in and utterly freezing yorkshire, I enthusiastically dug out of the cupboard my pile of Rowan Country which has been almost made into so many garments that I have lost count, and followed me round the world twice – silly me – why did I ever think I would be knitting with that in Australia! In fact, it won’t stand up to much more knitting, frogging, winding, washing and re-balling. Its resilience does it justice – but I actually would have liked a successful garment from it!
It is a lovely colour, and very soft and cosy; but I simply CANNOT find the right garment for it. On the right needles at the right gauge it is too solid, and with bigger needles its just too ‘holey’. It needs to be plain because any patterns get lost in it. I really must learn that I too just don’t do big knitting!
Oh dear, poor you. I just hate it when the size goes all pear-shaped! I think that I’d be tempted to put the yarn well out of sight for this winter, and maybe treat yourself to something little for the spring. Something to add a little touch of brightness to these dreary days maybe? Hope you find a project to get you going again!
I would go with the original needles/bigger size option. I did that some time ago with a chunky cardigan. I have learned my lesson from that one – it looks fabulous, but as its a long cardigan … it weighs a ton!! I had the opposite problem with an aran cardigan – my tension square was spot on, so I knitted away with gay abandon – it ended up being a double breasted cardigan, it was so big – I got fed up with it and decided to felt it …. maybe not such a good idea!!
That’s just typical! Just when you need a happy knit things like this happen! I spend my life in option 3 cos I knit so tight.
That’s annoying.
Have you tried washing a swatch knitted to the tighter gauge? I’ve knitted with some yarns that grow quite dramatically with the first wash and a bit of wearing.
My local knit shop in the US carries 13mm needles. Check online for local sources. I believe Skacel makes them. If all else fails, check out the shrug at this link that uses Big Wool; you have to click View Gallery about 3 times (under the photo.) It’s a cream colored shrug; they also ran a sparkly filament with the Big Wool. I’ve been tempted to make it but like you, I don’t have much luck with chunky fibers. http://www.martingale-pub.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=603
I’ve never managed to get a wearable jumper out of mega chucky; either I have the infuriating gauge issues, or get gauge perfectly and still end up looking like a short michelin man. The only nice thing I’ve ever made using this type of yarn was a big soft blanket. 25 balls of sirda big softy in two colours, size 12mm needles, 21 st per square, stocking st with the first and last two sts knit. I knit the whole thing in three days while I was off work sick, and needed something simple to knit and snuggle up into at the same time. It was just the ticket.
So maybe you could do a smaller blancket with your yarn? or treat yourself to the extra balls? Hope this helps. Dawn
I’ve never had much luck with “big” wool either – but it sadly doesn’t stop me trying. I’ve got some nice rug/mat things from some of my failures!
Have just read this and had a good laugh. I knitted this jumper for my daughter. Got the tension sorted ok – I always have to use smaller needles – but I had to unpick the jumper from the shoulder shaping and rework it with decreases worked on every row rather than alternate rows if I remember rightly. Original pattern would have fitted an Orang Utan. Definitely would have put a beginner off. Hope you ended up with something wearable 🙂
Honey, have you never heard of knitting a tension square first. Thats why they have the tension listed. Do a square with the amount of stitches and rows and see what size it is going to be. Always