Itty-Bitty Gansey Swatch

I've been swatching on the New Style of Heirloom Knitting gansey with some Knitpicks Gloss, a fingering weight yarn of 70% Merino, 30% silk. (I know this is a worthless picture. It didn't feel right not to show you something.)

It's very slow going. Or it seems that way because I've ripped out several swatches that didn't come close to the needed gauge. The cables pull in and need to be crossed several times before measuring, so it's not a quick decision that the swatch isn't working.

To swatch the entire pattern, one side plus the center panel, requires 94 stitches. Have you decided I'm nuts yet?

At this point I've settled on a #2 needle. The lower part is cables and knit/purl motifs. I may need to go down to a #1 needle to maintain gauge when I get to some of the upper design layers with different stitch types.

There is one horizontal band with no cabling and the uppermost chart has yarn overs. It's a swatching nightmare challenge.


So far I don't love the yarn and I certainly don't love the color for this project. I'll give it an inch or two more before I frog it out in disgust and wonder why I knit so much before admitting it wasn't working.

But, maybe it will work. Now you know I'm nuts.

The perfect yarn for this project would be:

• Fingering weight (need 7.5 st/inch)
  
• Great stitch definition
  
• Mostly natural fiber, not necessarily 100%
  
• Soft enough to wear next to skin
  
• Medium to light solid colors available (Gloss comes in dark colors and white.)
  
• Machine washable (not mandatory)
  
• Affordable. I haven't calculated yardage yet, but it's going to be a lot.

Any suggestions?

One of the Japanese books I have on order is Spring and Summer patterns. Assuming there is a pattern in it that I want to knit, I will set the gansey aside for a while and my first attempt at Japanese knitting will be something summery.

And, let me warn you now, I may decide that almost 300 stitches around at 10 rows/inch is totally insane and never knit that gansey. I'm still swatching and thinking it over.


Book Title : Spring / Summer no Kagibariami 9
Language : Japanese
Publisher / ISBN : 4529043509
Release Date : February 19, 2007
YesAsia Catalog No. : 1004643039
Price : $12.99
Link to buy book : here

Other Knitting News
Peerie Brocade is finished except for weaving in a few more ends. Picture soon.

Bunchkin's Knitting Japanese Wannabees blog says "Let's help each other out and knit some of these wonderful patterns!" I've signed up to contribute and hope it will be an interesting place for Knitting Japanese Wannabees to read and post.

Dog Trainer Gail loves her new socks. Maybe now my dogs can graduate?