Tamum and Marina request assistance...or, KNIT SQUARES - with apologies to NQC

[Marina]

If you can knit AT ALL could you please CAT either of us?

We are making a blanket present with a Mn connection and would love as many people as feel willing and able to contribute a 15cm square, plain or fancy as you like, in cotton double knitting yarn. We can help with sourcing suppliers.
More details available off-board.

It's a surprise for the person in question, so please, please contact us for more info rather than make guesses etc on here...it's in an extremely good cause.

Very many thanks to anyone who feels able to help. XXX

cold calling for squares!

We have no shame

Is the moss border meant to be four-row, five-stitch? Or five-row, four-stitch? I ask, because I think the second would be more even?

oh nqc mine's bigger than that.

I've started mine, but have no idea what size it will be, so I think I'm doing a "sample" square now, and will do the real square afterwards.

I just mean, stitches are wider than they are high, right? So there should be more rows than stitches, IYSWIM?

Hmm, which part of my post earned that look, bundle?

I am off on my own planet at the moment, I am ill, I was up late arguing with DH about free will. I had two grocery deliveries in two days. My brain has turned into snot and dribbled out my nose.

poor you!

no, i was just being facetious because thinking about borders actually hurt my head. have done moss stitch..about 30 stitches..for 5 rows, then carried on at edges with 6 stitches of moss and stocking stitch in middle...is that ok? (bit of a novice compared with you)
ps have you tried drugs for your ailment?

I think you're right about the 5 row 4 stitch being more even NQC but I don't think it's going to look very uniform whatever we do. We just need squares that are the same size and lie flat, and beyond that you can do what you like, basically

small tip for those doing this - and apologies if I am telling a load of expert knitters how to suck eggs, as it were, but if you make sure that you slip the first stitch on every row (ie just slip it onto the needle and DON'T knit it) then you will end up with a very nice straight and even edge that resembles a cast off edge which will make it MUCH easier to sew all together.

So slip the first stitch on every row (ie it will only get knitted every other row from the wrong side IYSWIM)

do you mean like this?

XXXXvvvvvvvvvvvvvXXXXX
XXXXvvvvvvvvvvvvvXXXXX
XXXXvvvvvvvvvvvvvXXXXX
XXXXvvvvvvvvvvvvvXXXXX
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

lol atpph

(there had to be 5 on the right hand side because otherwise it went a bit bonkers)

bundle, you genius, we could just do a load of those and print them out

I think what NQC means is that the stitches are higher than they are wide, so knitters' graph paper looks like this . That's why the borders would end up the same size doing it her way.

Pph, that's a very good point. I do it on jumpers and things but hadn't thought of it for this.

Top tip pph. And THANKS for that lovely graph paper tamum!
Sorry for the confusion re how many stitches/rows for moss stitch, especially for causing NQC's snot to boil over
I think the 15cms MUST lie flat diktat is the best perhaps.
Miaou, I am sorry if you feel cold-called . Did not for one second anticipate this extensive response, so had a small list of knitters sent to Mn Towers for cold-CATing. By the time it got sent almost everyone on it had already seen the thread

I think my snot is not your fault, Marina, much as I'd like to blame it on someone.

I'm still fiddling with my square, it's all gone a bit complicated, but will be done next week no doubt. The border size/shape will depend on the sizing, I expect. But it will lie flat. I may well do PPH's idea about the slipped stitches - I've gotten so used to knitting in the round, I've forgotten what it's like to have edges.

No Marina honestly, I am really chuffed to be asked! The was a proud moment at feeling so wanted!!!!

Purleeeese CAT me and let me know what's happening and if I can still help

does anyone have any casting on tips? mine has gone a bit skew ways (as it always does) I need a pph "slipping the edge stitch" type tip for keeping it nice and neat and straight (and easy for some poor sod to sew )

I am not the person to ask MP as mine is always terribly loopy - I like to style it, "lacy edges". I use the finger and thumb method and there is one way you loop the yarn which works and one which doesn't and can I remember which is which TGI Friday...
Miaou, have CATed you. Your inbox runneth over. Thanks so much!
Hope you feel better soon NQC. I hope you are using green yarn

Thank you Marina, got it! Only problem I have is, no wool and no way of getting any . Ironically I was in Oban yesterday (only place I can get any), looking at wool - but it's a two hour trip and I can't really justify doing it again!!!!

Could anyone send me some and I will pay you for it? I would love to help out.

No problem. I am picking some up for MI at the weekend and I will gladly get you some and post it on. We'll liaise off-board about this.

Anyone else need me to bag them some cotton dk?

Thanks Marina!!

a really divvy question here - is the 15cm including or excluding the moss stitch border?

I think I will try to make it to Loop this weekend. This is a good excuse, isn't it?

The yarn I have is Rowan handknit cotton, which I think (ok, hope?) is thicker than proper DK. (It says it is for 4-4.5 mm.) Which could mean that switching down to DK would resolve the sizing issues I'm suffering. Or I can try on smaller needles, but I suffer with tight tension with cotton anyway, and that won't help.

I've done 15cm INCL border

hope that's right. Shout if not as I may start another square if have a spare mo today