Stitches

Knitting: Are you always surprised at the difference of stitches for a cable pattern jumper compared to ?

stocking stitch. Just been knitting for our Grandaughter and the main body is 67sts in stocking stitch and 88 sts in cable. I would like to knit a 'basket weave' pattern but am wondering how many stitches I should use for that for age 1 to 2 years old Do you make your own knitting patterns? Thanks Mr.H ... yes both jumpers have been knitted in DK.

Public Comments

1. You can ask on Knitting 911 or Knitting.com or what I would do is go to www.Knittingpatterncentral and see if they have a pattern in that stitch for the size you are wanting already. The patterns are free and it could save you a bit of work, otherwise you will need to make a swatch in the needlesize you want and the yarn you want and calculate it all yourself.
2. just for info but you probably know it is not just the pattern "size" if you alter the wool "gauge" it affects the size,ie thinner wool knits up to a smaller finished size.
3. The easiest way to tell if the basket weave pattern will take up the same amount of stitches is to do a tension square/swatch. Cast on 30 stitches and knit a minimum 20 rows, then count how many stitches you knitted per inch against the suggested tension for the pattern. If it is only a slight difference, you could use a smaller/larger needle to adjust or alternatively do the pattern in a smaller/larger size. I wouldn't expect there would be much difference as basket weave doesn't pull the yarn in like a cable stitch does, but there could be a slight difference. Hope this helps. Good luck.
4. Yes, cables do draw in a lot more than stocking stitch. We often forget that and are surprised. that's why we do the gauge swatch. If you are doing a basket weave pattern, you should be alright as long as you keep the same number of each pattern in each section. That is, Pattern A should have the same number of repeats as Pattern B in each row of the changes. That way, any difference will be the same in each row. Again, do a swatch in a size large enough to see any differences. Since you are going to be making something fairly small (relative to an adult), I would suggest that you use a finer yarn. There is less bulk, and it fits better. You can get more of the basket weave patterning into it as well. It also means it will take longer to knit. But since it's a small item, it won't take very long at all. Yes, if you already have knit this size garment before, you already know the size it should be. So consider this a blank canvas and you can put in any stitch patterns you want to fill that space. Remember that different stitches take up different space, so plan accordingly. Making something special for a special grand-daughter that no one else will have is worth doing.
5. Not sure if this will help in any way but I bought some knitting software that you can make your own patterns with. Two of them are easy knit and knitware. You can make things for men, women and children and even dogs, teddies and dolls. Have a look at them I find mine a godsend.