yarn for nighttime soaker?

[abigailvr]

What kind of yarn would you use for an overnight soaker? Would you use a thicker yarn on smaller needles? Thinner yarn on teeny tiny needles? Help! :help

[pmcgary]

I did a "super" soaker with two strands of fishermans. It was a garter stitch pattern and very dense. Two of my kids used it and it NEVER leaked!

[abigailvr]

That's a good idea. Think it would work as well in stockinette? Also, what size needles did you use?

[marnie]

i second the vote for garter. there's more "surface area" to soak up moisture.

Also, my favorite night time soaker is 85% wool and 15% nylon. i believe this nylon helps prevent compression wicking because i have never ever had even the slightest bit of damp on the outside of that soaker.

[pmcgary]

I think I used size 5 needles.......let me know if you want to know my garter stitch gauge. Oh wait....I don't think I can as I think that soaker got slightly felted when Dh "helped" with the laundry!

I generally use size 5 or 6 needles with Fisherman's....But I am a very loose knitter. (I knit all LTK patterns one size smaller than Theresa...With Pamela's patterns I sometimes find I need to go down 2 sizes.)

[abigailvr]

Oh fooey, I guess that means I'm going to have to purl. I hate purling. It just slows me down even more.

I think I tend to knit tightly. I have to size up my needles with LTK patterns. I'll probablytry adapting Pam's pattern, since that one lets me figure out the gauge and just do the math to get the stitch count.

Thanks Marnie and Pam!

[mamapez]

Oh fooey, I guess that means I'm going to have to purl. I hate purling. It just slows me down even more.

I think I tend to knit tightly. I have to size up my needles with LTK patterns. I'll probablytry adapting Pam's pattern, since that one lets me figure out the gauge and just do the math to get the stitch count.

Thanks Marnie and Pam!

Can you just make the soaker regular and then turn it inside out when you are done? Why purl when you don't have to? I'm assuming you would just tuck the strands in the knit side and you are good to go?

[pageta]

I just use heavier yarn...as in LTK 2-ply for night time and 3-ply for daytime. We've used lighter soakers at night, and they work fine as long as the diaper underneath is sufficient. I just like more yarn for better coverage.

[lifetapestry]

Don't ask me how I discovered this, but you can make a garter stitch soaker in the round by knitting by simply reversing directions after your ribbing (i.e. turning the work).

In other words, rather than continuing to knit in the same direction after the ribbing, stop and turn, then just start knitting. You'll see the garter stitch pattern appear.

Karla

[pamelamama]

Karla, so you are essentially knitting flat, back and forth, on circs?

Dont' you get an open seam?

[lifetapestry]

Karla, so you are essentially knitting flat, back and forth, on circs?

Dont' you get an open seam?

No ma'am. You are knitting round and round making garter stitch and when you want to go back to stockinette you reverse and turn.

You do not get an open seam, but a one stitch opening between start and stop, which patches easily.

The "racing stripes" soaker in my gallery was made this way (one stripe was made in the round just before the decreases, the other stripe was made by knitting flat during the decreases:

http://www.picturetrail.com/gallery/view?p=999&gid=4206127&uid=1136717&members=1

Karla

[CraftyMommaOf2]

So instead of knitting in the round on the outside, you're KIR on the inside? Where's the scratching head smilie?

[lifetapestry]

So instead of knitting in the round on the outside, you're KIR on the inside? Where's the scratching head smilie?

Okay, it's been a couple of months, but no, not this either. You're KIR upside down. You know how now when you knit, the top of your waistband is up and what you're knitting is below that?

In this "method", you reverse it so the top of the waistband is down from where you're knitting, but you are still looking at the outside of your work.

Karla

[pmcgary]

If you are knitting round and round you cannot be creating garter stitch. You would be creating "reverse stockingette" stitch....Which is the "wrong" side of the soaker knit the "normal" way.

What does the "wrong" side of the soaker you knit look like?

With garter stitch the right and wrong sides look the same.

[littleturtlemama]

karla's right, you can do an all knit garter stitch in the round.
But, I've got an easier way than flipping the work through the tube each time ;)

Knit one round, then slip the next stitch, wrap, turn, and knit back to that stitch that you wrapped, knit the wrap and the stitch together. Then, slip the next stitch,w rap it, turna nd knit back the other way (again, to the wrapped stitch). Knit wrap and turn.

Repeat this cycle ad naseum until the body is the length you want :) Esentially, you're knitting flat but doing the seaming at the same time (with the wrap and knitting together)

Does that make sense, or do I need to show pictures, LOL?

[mamapez]

karla's right, you can do an all knit garter stitch in the round.
But, I've got an easier way than flipping the work through the tube each time ;)

Knit one round, then slip the next stitch, wrap, turn, and knit back to that stitch that you wrapped, knit the wrap and the stitch together. Then, slip the next stitch,w rap it, turna nd knit back the other way (again, to the wrapped stitch). Knit wrap and turn.

Repeat this cycle ad naseum until the body is the length you want :) Esentially, you're knitting flat but doing the seaming at the same time (with the wrap and knitting together)

Does that make sense, or do I need to show pictures, LOL?

Sooooo, you are doing "long rows," so to speak?

[CraftyMommaOf2]

OH! She's flipping it thru the center each time? Is that what she's calling turning? I was thinking turning like you turn in flat knitting.

[littleturtlemama]

in my version it's turning like flat knitting, but cathing an extra stitch and wrapping to anchor the turn. Form what Karla's saying I think she's flipping, becuase she's go the waistband up in the beginning then down for the next row (which, incidentally is completely different than how I normally knit. Wondering how y'all do it, but my waistband is always under my working row when I'm in the round, and I'm knitting up)

[abigailvr]

I think I'm going to have to sit down and try both Karla's and Theresa's suggestions to be able to picture it. Thanks for all the feedback, mamas!

[chaos_pie]

but is Karla's method actually knitting garter stitch or is that reverse stockinette stitch?

[lifetapestry]

Actually, Pamela is right that I was not creating garter stitch; it was reverse stockingnette, which merely LOOKS like garter stitch on the outside.

So SUE me.

It is easy to create a garter stitch LOOK, however. Just turn your work upside down and knit every row until you're sick of it. Then turn rightside up and you're back to stockingnette stitch.

Karla

[littleturtlemama]

mine's definitely garter stitch :)

[pmcgary]

I would never doubt your technique. I have enough trouble with short rows that I think I will just stick with the traditional garter stitch....if I decide to do one that way....Purling is less trouble to me than "wraps" and finishing/seaming...... :D

[CraftyMommaOf2]

So SUE me.


That's it. Where's my lawyer??!!! :lol:


:mwah

[abigailvr]

Since the garter pattern itself and not the garter look is what makes the soaker more absorbant, I'll be using Theresa's technique, if I can perfect my knitting together of wraps. I tend to end up with holes where I wrap, I don't know why. :irked