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GFTC
Permanent Resident
USA
6128 Posts |
 Posted - 06/10/2008 : 09:19:35 AM
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I was trying to knit in a non-air conditioned room the other day and it was impossible even though I was using cotton on Addis. The yarn just wouldn't slide so I gave up.
I read that some knitters get different gauge in the winter than in the summer because they will loosen up on the stitches to get them moving.
Does this make sense to you?
GFTC of NYC
my knitting photos on Flickr
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beedee
Seriously Hooked
USA
705 Posts |
Posted - 06/10/2008 : 09:47:26 AM
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Yep, makes sense to me. Cotton is used for many applications that require "wicking". Think of bandages, candlewicks, bath towels...... Even bath towels will kind of stretch and sag when wet. So, when it comes to humid air, cotton will "wick".
Not necessarily knitting-related but an item of "life-saving" interest: As part of our life-saving/water safety training, we were taught to first kick off our shoes, pull off our "Levi's", or even our knitted cotton T-shirts and whap them through the air overhead and down onto the water's surface. The wet shirt/jeans would trap a bubble of air for quite a while and act as a temporary life preserver. |
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purlewe
Permanent Resident
1679 Posts |
Posted - 06/10/2008 : 11:01:24 AM
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I could see my gauge changing if I paid attention.. but in reality the heat gets this bad and I am a fuzzy focuser. Thank goodness for knitting at lunchtime at the AC office!!
My mother made me a homosexual.
And if you give her some yarn, she'll make you one too. ~quentin crisp
http://purlewe.typepad.com/ |
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MindyO
Permanent Resident
USA
2463 Posts |
Posted - 06/10/2008 : 12:47:43 PM
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Yeah if I get too sticky in the summer I find I knit even tighter than usual. Wonter I loosen up becaasue my hands are usually completely dry and the yarn just slips right through. I find in winter I have to actually put lotion on to give them a bit of grip so I can have a little sense of control.
My Flickr pics
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DebbiOH
Gabber Extraordinaire
USA
505 Posts |
Posted - 06/11/2008 : 04:50:01 AM
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This is so weird because in the summer when my hands are more thick due to the humidity in Ohio I know that I knit with a larger stitch so that the yarn slips easily on the needles. In the winter I knit much faster of course because there is little resistance of passing stitches.
I never finish or start a project in mid season. Our summers are just way too humid for me to get the same gauge year round.
~Debbi~NW Ohio
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purlewe
Permanent Resident
1679 Posts |
Posted - 06/11/2008 : 08:10:58 AM
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also a thought... does our gauge change b'c of the humidity in the yarn? I know that the weight of yarn changes.. maybe the gauge might change too??
My mother made me a homosexual.
And if you give her some yarn, she'll make you one too. ~quentin crisp
http://purlewe.typepad.com/ |
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ceecee
Permanent Resident
1896 Posts |
Posted - 06/12/2008 : 04:53:26 AM
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| It could also be the temperature if you're using metal needles. I once took a WIP from cold New England to hot Florida and could not get the same gauge. Figured the needles might have expanded and ended up buying another set of smaller sized needles to get the same gauge (did not have interchangeables then). |
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frodosmom
Gabber Extraordinaire
USA
480 Posts |
Posted - 06/12/2008 : 6:08:57 PM
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I thought my knitting got tighter in the summer because I don't do that much of it during the hot weather. But you all are probably right--there could be changes in the yarn as well.
Margaret in South Carolina |
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sjanova
Seriously Hooked
USA
881 Posts |
Posted - 06/12/2008 : 6:47:43 PM
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I haven't noticed seasonal gauge changes (given mostly knitting in AC in hot weather) so much as vacation vs. non-vacation changes. I just knit the body of a baby sweater on a cruise and came home to pick up sts and knit the sleeves down -- and realized I was knitting MUCH tighter on the sleeves. Is that a sign that I should stay on a cruise? (Using smaller needles, probably, but still.....)
sja |
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Does your gauge change in the heat/humidity?
