At last, Some Knitting Math!
Two years ago (January of 2006, to be exact), Marie of Brooklyn Handspun had a dyeing party. Everyone was dyeing sock yarn (after all, that is Marie's specialty!), but I dyed 4 balls of Misti Alpaca Sport Weight (bought at Little Knits because it was cleverly listed as a good substitute for whatever yarn is used for Evelyn Clark's Shetland Triangle from Wrap Style).
This Thanksgiving, I finally cast on! As with most triangular shawls, the beginning went by quickly (especially with my size 6/4 mm Lace Addis), and then time stood still...
Since I only had 4 hand dyed balls, I wanted to use every last yard I could on this project. This can mean only one thing: doing a little knitting math! If you know me at all, you'll know that I looove doing knitting math. (Ask the Spiders. They know).
The Shetland Triangle has a leaf motif. After the 1st repeat, you've knitted one leaf on each side of the center axis, or 2 leaves total. After the 2nd repeat, you've added 2 leaves to each side, or 4 leaves for that repeat. That makes a total of 6 leaves. After the 3rd repeat, you add 3 leaves to each side, or 6 leaves, for a grand total of 12 leaves. This adds up pretty quickly: after 8 repeats, you have 72 leaves total, after 14 repeats you've got 210 leaves!
It was easy to see where I'd joined ball #2, 3 and 4, and calculate how many yards were used to knit a specific number of leaves. For ex, one ball (146 yds) makes 72 leaves.
146/72= 2.03 yds of yarn is required to make one leaf.
Two balls (146 yds x 2= 292 yds) can make 132 leaves.
292/132= 2.21 yds makes one leaf.
I extrapolated, and realized that I would have enough yarn to knit 14 repeats and the edging and bind off row.
My Shetland Triangle cannot believe that 2007 is almost over! (MoMA calendar).
I heart leaves! I used a centered doubled decrease instead of the left leaning decrease, because I like symmetry. (Slip 2 tog, just like for a k2tog, k1, pass the 2 slipped over).
I like to toss this shawl around my neck (scarf-like!) and pair it with a black sparkly beret. Incidentally, I realize I've become a walking advertisement for Marie, as she spun this black alpaca for me!
And now, I must plot what I can make from the book that I received from Katie at the Spider's Holiday Party! She also gave me some sparkling rose, but here's what happened to it, and here was my reaction upon opening this fantastic gift. Thanks Katie :)
Labels: shetland triangle
