Knitting tips: 2/16, 3/32

2008-02-02T15:11:00.001-08:00

Below is part of an article excerpted from Thrums, the central
Ohio Weaver's Guild Newsletter. Complements of Pat Bullen.
Figuring out just what the numbers above mean is/can be
confusing. Most of the time I have seen them reference coned
weaving yarns, although some of us, myself included , are using
those for knitting too.

I send this along for completeness. It's true that the first
numbers above, 2 & 3, are the plys, the bottom numbers 16 & 32,
are the finess ( usually) of the yarn, 32 's being twice as fine
as 16's. For more see below.

********** (knitting tips article below)
The size of any particular yarn is referred to as the count.
Usually the higher the number, the finer the yarn. (The exception
to this is the count for rayon and certain other man-made
fibers, in which, the lower numbres denote the finer yarns.
For metallics and other novelty yarns, refer to the manufactureres
specifications.) The count system is based on a key number that
is the number of yards, or standard lengths of material that
are spun from a pound of raw fiber (knitting patterns blog). This key number, then, is
the basic number for yarn of that fiber.

The general formula is:

Size divided by ply X key number =

The key number for cotton is 840. For example, to find yarnds
per pound for 5/3 cotton, divide the size (5) by the ply (3) and
multiply by standard or key number (840) which gives you
1400 yards per pound.

There are two systems for wool, the first being the Philadelphia
system based on a cut of 300 yards. The formula for this is

Size multiplied by 300, divided by ply.

In general, you will see this system is used for tweeds and
single ply. For example, 6 cut equals 1800 yards per pound.

The most common system for wool is based on the key number 560.
For example, using the general formula, a 2/8 yarn would have
2240 yards per pound.

The system for linen is based up a lea, which is 300 yards, making
300 the key number for the linen formula. For example a 4/1 linen
would have 1200 yards per pound.

Note that conventionally, for cotton and linen, the yarn size is
above the ply (8/2, 20/2). Wol and worsted are the opposite with
the ply above the size (2/8).

Cheers, Vickie

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Knitting: keeping track of rows

2008-02-02T14:55:00.001-08:00

No one has yet suggested my favorite way of keeping count of rows,
especially on charted patterns. Find a xerox machine with an enlarger, and
make lots of "blown-up" copies of the graph (I usually run one enlarged
copy, and then enlarge it again.) Then you have big, easy-to-read row by
row charts. I use a highlighter to mark off each row as I finish it; it's
always OBVIOUS what row I am working. Right now I am knitting an Alice
Starmore vest with something like a 65 row repeat; I made one BIG copy of
the chart for each repeat, plus one for the swatch. I just toss each sheet
into the recycling bin after I've marked off all the rows. This seems
obvious, I know, but I suffered thru the back of my first intarsia sweater
until I figured it out.

        I don't think that there is such a thing as too many markers. I too
use the coiless safety pins: I think it's Maggie Righetti who suggests
using them to mark increases and decreases. I do this religiously, and
though my pin-studded knitting looks quite odd, it is a lifesaver if you
pick up your knitting at odd moments. I can count safety pins marching down
my sleeve, which makes it easy to see if I need to decrease on the current
row, and how decreases I've already finished.

        Nancy Lutz
        lutz@platon.econ.vt.edu

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