not so lushed
29 August 2007
This was the beginning of a pair of Fetching mitts made from Classic Elite Lush. Was is indeed the operative word, as you can see the stitches are not hanging from needles. There were a few problems with this… First, that kind of “flare” from the bottom of the mitt… is there something I can do about THAT? It’s annoying. I don’t know if a hem would help, or if it just needs something else I’m completely missing here. Of course, once I restart the Fetching mitts, they won’t be done in this yarn, because um… it turns out that knitting bunny fluff MAKES MY FINGERS ITCH MADLY. And my eyes water. Hmmm. Bunnies are like catchen? Who knew. And this, folks, is why I’m not going to be knitting cat yarn. 
Still and all, I do love the halo of this yarn, and think the color is one of those simple and honest ones, and I don’t think it needs cables and all that to look good. What to do? I’m still going to knit it and wear it. Yes. You heard me.
But this time I’ll be smarter, and not put them on my hands to wear. I’ll knit the beret found in Greetings from Knit Cafe. I once had a tan angora beret, lost to the DC metro system, so I know I’ll love this.
And while Knitter’s Review may claim that Lush is a worsted weight yarn, I found it terribly… holey? even on 4mm needles. And I’m a tight knitter. So I know it’ll work great on the smaller needles prescribed for the beret.
And boy am I glad I never succumbed to the temptation of Webs’s Cascade Cloud 9 closeout… Shoe math says the money I saved not buying this yarn I’m allergic to is now spendable on something else! Okay, maybe not… but I can dream.
Picasso is not too impressed and really wishes I’d have let him sleep rather than disturbing his Fortress of Bowlitudeness.
Poor itchy-baba
I have learned the hard way that one must *never* succumb to the lure of the closeout! And oh, kitty in a bowl ::squee::
Love, love that picture of Picasso!
I’ve always noticed that little flare on other Fetching mitts, due to the cables. They usually look fine when worn, though. I’d love to see how it looks with a hem, if you decide to try that.
Picasso. Bowl. Picasso. Bowl.
I agree with KarenB, resist the closeout.
And I’ll take an oder of Bowled Picasso to go, please.
As I recall, my fetchings did exactly the same thing off my hands, but where fine on. Angora makes me sneeze, too. Picasso is so cute.
Oh, how cute! Just as that bowl isn’t where you store your yarn stash…
I’m trying to remember if my Fetchings did that. I’ve made two pairs and I don’t remember! The beret sounds much less sneezy.
I find fuzzy yarns are often rated for a heavier yarn than I like to knit them at. I’m sure it’ll make a great beret. I love angora berets!
Picasso looks so snug in that bowl!
I love bunnies but angora is THE one thing that sets my asthma off instantaneously…sigh. It’s a death sentence for me!
Death by bunnies!
I used to be a sucker for closeout sales – but no more! I too have learned my lesson.
Not sure what cast on you used? Try a good, firm long-tail cast on, it should firm up the edge.
Picasso, you are one sweet little catchen.
I haven’t tried it myself, but I’ve heard of people dealing with cable flares by casting on fewer stitches, and then increasing to the correct number on the next round.
I’ve done it the other way around though—decreased stitches in the cable to fix flaring on the cast-off edge, and it works a charm.
I actually like the fuzziness to that Fetching.
To get rid of the flare, do one of the following:
1) Try to block it out. Put the swatch around a glass or some other roundish object while it dries to get it to retain the desired shape.
2) Try a different cast-on. Some are more firm than others. (Consult “The Knitters Book of Finishing Techniques” for recommendations.)
3) Try a smaller needle just for the cast-on row.
Any flare that is left will disappear once the Fetching does on the hand. My dd has worn hers so much that I’m impressed that it hasn’t fallen apart!
Hm. thanks for mentioning the flaring issue.
That yarn is gorgeous! Such cute catchen, too!
To eliminate the flare at the bottom of the mitts (if wearing them doesn’t do it), you could cast on one less stitch per cable set and increase those sts on the first row. I know it works the opposite way, I often decrease a st or two in the top of a cable that I don’t want to flare out.