A.R.A.N. PROJECT

Date: Mon, 19 May 1997 08:04:11 -0500
To: Multiple recipients of list 
Subject: KNIT: A.R.A.N.-Post 6-Sleeve Frogs and Theories

Good morning all

It's time to number the notes...For anyone who is counting, I added the
corrections in with the preceding post, and deleted the chatty one. 

The sleeves of this Aran are working out quite nicely after a weekend of
frogging.  I encountered the following problems: 

The needles I chose were a little big for the leisurely knitting I was
envisioning.  So, I ripped back and reknit on smaller ones. Quite
refreshing, and one knits faster the second time until one gets to the
"end" of the ripped out yarn.  My gauge is a little more attractive, now. 
I am finding that I like to knit very loosely and freely once I hit the
cable panel, but rather neatly and tightly with the double seed stitch,
which helps to define the stitch better and thus look better :) 

I messed up on my first swing through the pattern.  Rounds 2, 4, 9, 11 are
very busy...the rest are easier and more rhythmic..so knit up quickly. 
But, I am glad to be doing cables again...the resulting fabric is so
SATISFYING. 

A while back, someone posted about tying a piece of yarn about 8(?) inches
long to a ring marker, knitting the end in at some point to keep the
marker "attached" to the work to keep the marker from popping across the
room when you get to it. I , of course, read though that post and
said...what a great idea.  Now that I have lost 2 markers, I will try it. 
Do I have the directions right? 

I have to ask The Network...where are you keeping your cable needles when
not in use? Down the inside of the couch cushions? In the dog's mouth?
Between the slats of your "rustic" coffee table (just so far in that you
can't grap it without needle-nosed pliers)? Or how about at the dinner
table...as a substitute toothpick? Have you brushed one out of your hair
yet? Honestly, I thought I was beyond all the nonsense, but 6" into the
cabling, I can't believe where it ends up. 

SLEEVE INCREASES:

While in the frog pond, I experimented with the increases, and it seems to
me that increasing on both sides of the cable pattern at rounds 6 and 12,
will give us a nice rate of increase.  Since these sleeves are oversized,
we won't need to do a whole lot of increases (mine measured 14" around
after a 12 row pattern and 2 sets of increases).  How many stitches do we
need to increase to? Well, EZ percentages suggest the sleeve top should
measure 33%-40% of the body circumference aka the body stitch number or
"K" number. 

K = 252 sts = 56"

Since we are starting with oversized measurements...we will take the
smallest percentage or 33%

33% x 252 = 83.16 which we will round to 80-84.  Wherever our increases
lead us, we will stop within that range of numbers. To stop at a point
that leaves our pattern "balanced"would be nice. So, back to the math (are
you watching, Esther?)...Our cable pattern was 34 sts, and our double seed
stitch was a multiple of 4 + 2, so

80 - 34 = 46 which IS divisible by 4 +2, so I will stop at 80 sts. For
those of you who want a little bigger sleeve, you can go to 84

So, we are knitting along...starting with 50 sts at the cuff, increasing to
60 sts at the sleeve base...and increasing every 6 rounds by +2 sts. By the
end of one cable pattern of 12 rounds, we will have 64...after 2 patterns,
68...after 3 patterns, 72...after 4 patterns, 76...after 5 patterns, 80
sts...after 6 patterns, 84 sts. After 6 sets of the pattern, we need
increase no more. We may just keep knitting in pattern.

Tomorrow: Cute Invisible Increases To Make Your Heart Pound! 

Claudia knitting at Countrywool overlooking Blue Hill in the Hudson Valley
of NY State in the USA
Countrywool@berk.com