’Twas the night before Christmas and all around me There was unfinished knitting not under the tree. The stockings weren’t hung by the chimney with care ’Cause the heels and the toes had not a stitch there. The children were nestled all snug in their beds, But I had not finished the caps for their heads. Dad was asleep—he was no help at all. And the sweater for him was six sizes too small. When out on the lawn there arose such a clatter, I put do … Read More

via Madam clickety click @ bexknitwear

Have a great Christmas and a prosperous 2011

Best wishes Rebecca

View from my window

We went to the hot springs of Geysir and Strokkur which blows several tonnes of water 60 foot every 10 minutes, waterfalls you can walk behind and because it was such good weather with brilliant sunshine I could stand inside rainbows I truly was at the foot of  a few rainbows, my pot of gold was the fabulous scenery.

Swam in the blue lagoon a natural geothermal hot spring lake, lovely milky blue hot water with stunning lava pools and dormant volcano’s.

Whale watching on a boat that went up and down, side to side but it was all worth it, after a seasickness pill we saw minke whales, puffins,gannets diving, guillemots and other sea birds in flocks

Went to a fish buffet banquet and if they had labelled the fish I would have known what I was eating.

Sat outside Cafe Paris on a warm summers evening drinking Viking beer watching the Icelandic people go about their daily life

The cost of everything in Iceland is Mega expensive, food, drink cost  a fortune.

Had a boat trip at jokulsarlon the glacial lagoon with iceberg’s ambling by slowly on their way to the sea.

Reykjavik was a modern town yet still in touch with its Viking past.

I had a fantastic adventure

http://www.bexknitwear.com/christmas/index.html

hand knitted Christmas jumper from bexknitwear

Knitting a Tension Gauge Swatch

How to Ensure Correct Tensions in Hand Knitted Items

Sep 6, 2009 Gillian Buchanan

Lots of knitters hate knitting tension squares. They want to jump in and start knitting that new project straight away and enjoy the lovely new yarn they’ve bought just for the purpose (or perhaps pulled from the yarn stash!)

Why Knitting a Gauge Swatch is Essential

Jumping in and getting started straight away with the knitting is all very well if the project is a scarf or something else where known gauge is not that essential. However, if it is necessary to know the finished size of an item, whether it be a sweater or a bag made up of different pieces which must fit together, then knitting a gauge swatch is a must. No two knitters handle yarn and needles in exactly the same way, and this can result in considerable variances in stitch and row gauge.

Almost all knitting yarns sold today come with a suggested gauge to aim for and needle size to use. To take one example, 4 ply yarns usually come with the suggestion to knit at a gauge of 28 stitches and 36 rows per 10 cm square, using size 3.25 mm knitting needles. If however the 4 ply yarn is being used to knit socks the needle size will usually be reduced to 2.5 mm. In this case there will of course be a change in stitch and row gauge and it will be essential to knit a swatch, using circular knit techniques, because it is usual for the knitter to want the sock to fit somebody.

Substituting yarn is another minefield. Quite often the yarn for a particular pattern will not be available and the knitter will want to use something else. Once again it will be helpful to know that the yarn being substituted for that in the pattern will work to the same stitch gauge and whether adjustments may need to be made to the needle size to ensure that the knitting tension will match.

It may be necessary to switch from circular knitting to flat knitting and vice versa. Some knitters do work to a different tension gauge when working flat to the one they will use when working circular knitting. The reason for this is that the purl row is often looser than the knit row due to the techniques used in making a purl stitch. Again the only way of knowing whether this will happen in any given case is to work a gauge swatch.

Read more at Suite101: Knitting a Tension Gauge Swatch: How to Ensure Correct Tensions in Hand Knitted Items http://knitting-patterns-techniques.suite101.com/article.cfm/knitting_a_tension_gauge_swatch#ixzz0gqeed4qe 

Have you found a pattern you like and delicious yarn for it, but dread knitting yet another sweater that fits somebody else better than it fits you? End that pain. Here’s how.

Find a sweater you always wear because it fits you just the way you like.

Select one in the same weight or fabric thickness as the one you’ll knit with your new pattern. If you’ll use bulky yarn, measure your favorite bulky sweater. Same if it’s worsted weight or sock weight, match the weight as best you can.

Lay the good-fitting sweater out flat and measure from armpit to armpit.

That’s the finished chest measurement you want. While you’re at it, do the other measurements you’ll need:

• shoulder width
• waist
• hip
• length from nape of neck to hem
• width of neck opening
• depth of neck opening
• armhole depth
• sleeve length
• upper arm circumference
• wrist circumference

Now that you know what numbers fit you just right, check them against the pattern.

What gauge is it based on? Let’s say 5 stitches makes one inch. If you’ve done a swatch and get gauge, you’re on your way. (If not, try different needles or adjust your math.) If you want a finished chest measurement of 42 inches, multiply 42 times 5 and you need 210 stitches around the chest.

Does the pattern tell you? Maybe, maybe not. If it just says how many to cast on at the hem, then how many to increase, add them up and see how many stitches it calls for at the chest.

Knitting in the round might give you one number. When knitting separate pieces, add the stitches across the midback, and the stitches across the chest front or fronts. Did you get 210? Or not?

Maybe you need 208 or 212 stitches for a special texture design called for in the pattern. Good, you’re close enough.

If you’re off by 5 stitches either way, this sweater will be an inch bigger or smaller than your target size. Can you live with that? If not, figure ways you can adjust the pattern by adding or decreasing stitches here or there.

Check the other measurements the same way.

Yes, I know you’re itching to cast on. Hold off just long enough to make notes on your pattern of what fits you where, jigger the numbers as needed and note down your changes.

Now you can knit with confidence that when you’re finished and try on your sweater, the whole world will hear your jubilant “Yee-haw!”

http://www.bexknitwear.com/christmas/index.html