Calculating how much yarn I need for a project

[greenegirl]

I am considering knitting a shower curtain using the Bubbly Curtain pattern from Mason Dixon knitting. The gauge is 20 st/26 rows per 4" over St st on size 5 needles.

I'm trying to figure out how much yarn I would need if I decided to take on this probably slightly insane project. The original pattern results in a curtain that is 20x18 and uses 2 skeins of Euroflax Originals sports weight, 270 yards/100 g hank.

I'm considering using Knitpicks Cotlin, which is 123 yards/50g hank. The standard size of a shower curtain is 72x72.

My attempt at figuring this out was to calculate the finished area of each project. The area of a shower curtain is 5184 square inches. The area of the curtain in the original pattern is 360 square inches. 5184 divided by 360 is 14.4, so the shower curtain is 14.4 times bigger than the original pattern.

Since the original pattern calls for 2 skeins of yarn, I would need 28.8 skeins of the yarn called for in the pattern. Since the yarn I want to use is half the yardage of the yarn in the pattern, I would need 57.6 skeins. That seems like waaaaaaaaaaaaay to much yarn and certainly leads me to question the sanity of taking on this project.

One problem I have is that I don't know if the pattern actually uses up a full 2 skeins of yarn or not. Maybe it only uses 1.5 skeins. That would totally throw off the calculation!

Am I making some sort of logic error in determining how much yarn I need? Is there some easy way to do a conversion of this type?

[cristeen]

I came up with 16x, if you assume the final curtain is 80x72. And that's 16x the yardage of 540. So yeah, that's a LOT of yarn.

Personally though, looking through some of the comments on Ravelry about this pattern, I'd have to say you were nuts to consider it.

I'd try knitting a decent sized swatch out of your chosen yarn and hanging it in the bathroom for a week before tackling the whole project. From what I was seeing on Rav, if the curtain isn't blocked and starched, the bubble pattern doesn't show well, so it may not be the best choice for an environment where it will get steamed every day.

I would also consider a heavier weight yarn and a larger needle for such a large project, but that's me.

[greenegirl]

Thank you :-) I have a window that I need a curtain for so decided to make the bubble curtain for that window before deciding what to do with the shower curtain. It'll be a full window-sized swatch, lol! I also read the comments on Ravelry, but hadn't really considered the issue of steam on the finished curtain. This bathroom isn't used every day -- it is the bathroom in the hall and we use our master bath. It is the bathroom guests use, but we rarely have guests. I will however test out the window curtain in there, just to see what happens!

[mamasthree]

First, I just want to say, I think you're totally nuts --in a good way!! You have some serious knitting mojo goin' on.


Second, I got the same calculations you did. I think doing the window is a good idea first.


Have you thought about how the weight of all that yarn will affect the FO?

[greenegirl]

Originally Posted by mamasthree

First, I just want to say, I think you're totally nuts --in a good way!! You have some serious knitting mojo goin' on.

TY! I currently have two projects otk, and won't take on another until I finish those two. But both of the current projects are pretty major. First, a Tom Baker Dr. Who scarf for my DH, which I posted about before I started. It's a 13 foot long, 1 foot wide garter stitch scarf. I'm a little over half done with the knitting... I've also recently started an Icarus Shawl for myself. I'm only on my first time through chart 1, so have a long way to go. There's part of me that can't even believe that I'm contemplating the shower curtain project!

Second, I got the same calculations you did. I think doing the window is a good idea first.

I think the basic idea of the calculation is correct. The big problem, I think, is not knowing exactly how much of the second skein gets used. I found an interesting calculator which indicates I would only need 24 skeins of yarn rather than 59.

Have you thought about how the weight of all that yarn will affect the FO?

Yeah, it is definitely one of the things I'm worried about with this project!