Thursday, February 14, 2008

Fana Cast On


I finally cast on the sweater! (By the way, Happy Valentine's Day).

248 stitches went on without incident, miraculously. I knit the first round and the cast on stitches weren't too tight or too loose. I got to the end and hadn't inadventently twisted them.

I started with this twisted stitch for two rows. Supposedly "the best of the best" Fana sweaters started with it to prevent curling, since ribbing isn't used.




It is actually purled in this case. You use each color every other stitch and twist the yarn when you switch. It was a true pain in the neck. I couldn't figure a way to hold the yarns and twist them, I had to drop and pick up the yarn for each and every 248 stitches. It took me over an hour. You twist in the same direction every time so you have to stop and untwist the yarns from each other from time to time. Even so the yarn is "twisty".

The second row went much faster. The yarn is twisted in the opposite direction. I was able to hold them both a do a few stitches without dropping the yarn. Plus the yarn was un-twisting and happy.

2 comments:

Kristen said...

That edging is really pretty. So there is no hem on this sweater?

Janice said...

Right, this edge is supposed to keep the bottom from curling.
So far so good, I'm about 3" in and the bottom edge is measuring right on.