Is It Scaleable?
Regular readers here at QueerJoe know that I’ve been rather obsessed with the Crochet Thermal Stitch beanie design. My latest question is, “Is it scaleable?”
Or More Accurately – How Scaleable Is It?
Yes, I’ve used three different yarn weights (Fingering, DK and Worsted) to make the various thermal stitch beanies. So I know it’s scaleable. But just how scaleable?
I have a small cone of lace-weight, variegated, silk yarn (you can see it on the right-side of the photo above). I’ve started a new thermal stitch beanie using a size B (2.25 mm) hook. We’ll see if using the standard “formula” for increases at the top of this beanie works at such a small gauge. So far, so good.
Years ago, one of the guys at the Men’s Knitting Retreat crocheted a skull cap for one of the resident-staff members. It was a simple, fine-gauge, crocheted, variegated cotton beanie done in all single crochet. And it looked fantastic on the recipient. I thought I’d try my hand at it back then. But honestly, I didn’t have the knowledge or experience to do something so simple in crochet at the time.
So, this project is trying to prove to myself that I now have the skills to do what I couldn’t do back then!
Current Knitting
In addition to the new Micro-Crochet Thermal Stitch Beanie experiment, there is slow and steady progress on the Bulky Mulespun Cardigan being made!
I’ve added about 10 inches to the lower body of the cardigan. I realized that I couldn’t use an i-cord selvedge because the row-gauge was different than the stockinette stitch. So I’ll do the i-cord band separately and sew it on after the fact. It’s somewhat difficult to try this cardigan on while it’s still in pieces, but I thought I’d try!
In my (admittedly somewhat limited) experience, crocheting round things is completely scalable. Just skip an additional stitch in each increase round. It never even occurred to me to worry about it. But I might be wrong.
I think you’re exactly right LauraRose…in my even more limited experience with crochet, I didn’t know that circular items were so easily scalable until I did all this experimentation. Thanks for confirming my assumptions!
Please, please, share/sell the pattern for the bulky weight cardigan! I’m happy to volunteer to be a test knitter if you like. Thanks for being a ray of sunshine in a grey, rainy Eugene day.
Thanks Fred…glad to bring a ray of light…even though it’s rather gray and cloudy here today as well.
In all likelihood, I won’t be publishing the cardigan pattern since I really have no idea how different sizing and proportions would look with a bulky fabric. If it comes out well enough, I might just provide basic instructions for this specific garment, letting anyone interest adjust as they see fit.
Hi Joe
Everything looks nice🙂
Hava nice day☮️💖🧶
Your cardigan is going to be very good-looking from what you are showing with the various pieces as your work progresses. Your comment about sewing on the I-cord edging made me remember that I was faced with this problem some time ago and was able to use a knit-on edge for a finished side by adjusting the needle size to correspond with the finished fabric. This is something that needed a little “try and see” approach by experimenting with several different sizes and coming up with a finish that finally worked out.
I also really like what you are doing with the crocheted hat pattern. The thermal stitch creates an attractive fabric and the base of the crown appears to be beautifully flat. Just a thought–this could be a problem that can be helped with some mathematical assistance since you are basically working on creating a surface that corresponds to the “pi” concept.
It’s a real pleasure to read your diary-type way of describing how you are working with design problems. I’ve been following your Facebook messages for a while and appreciate your explanations, descriptions about problems, and successes. Thanks for the interesting information you are able to share.