On the Needles...

At last, I think I have this lace pattern figured out!

Ahhh, boo boos are gone.  Although I hated ripping the eight inches of lace out, on this side there was a big glob of stitches where I messed up on the number I needed to complete the last pattern and I had to just do increase stitches when I should have been doing pattern stitches. 

Last night and the night before, I knitted after supper.  I have eight repeats of the lace, each repeat is four rows.  So four hours of knitting got me 32 rows.   

167 times 32 is 5,344 stitches!  If only I could knit while walking on the treadmill...  lol!  JUST JOKING!

I also checked the gauge -- so I needed fewer stitches.  Before I had 200+ on the needles, and I'm down to 167.  Before I ripped the measurement was about four inches bigger than I really needed.  It would have been like a swing coat!

When you have stitches all scrunched up on the needles, the garment looks only as big as the needles you're using, so for example I was using a 40 inch circular needle, and the stitches got bunched up in the center as I pushed them around to knit.  But once I spread out the front and measured it, it was way too big.  I don't like tight clothes but it was ridiculous.  The lace looks nicer when it's spread a little.  Too much fabric hides the pattern.  Besides I will use less yarn this way.

Moral of the story, check your gauge.  I know, it seems such a useless process sometimes, like prewashing fabric. 

Speaking of which, I have all my prewashed fabric lengths ready for cutting out some pants for myself this weekend.  After church quilt guild, and the youth auction, so maybe Sunday afternoon.

Fingers crossed.  I am getting tired of nothing but black pants and navy blue pants. 

Sew --  knit on!