Please help me love Cascade Fixation!

[bu's mama]

I bought some at my LYS for socks for dd. I like that it's cotton...any wool feels itchy to her & she really liked the colorway.

I tried the anklet pattern from the cascade site & it was huge (co 48 stitches for kids size). I cut out some stitches (12), still huge...I'd probably have to go down another 8-12 to have them fit her.

I thought, maybe I'd try something for me. I tried to the broadripple from knitty & I'm getting 20 stitches instead of the gauge of 28 stitches/4" (size 3/3.25 needles). I feel like I need to go down to 1's or 0's to get this gauge.

Anyone else use this? Do you pull the yarn taut while knitting (I've been knitting it relaxed like the band says)? Any other suggestions?

[feminist~mama]

I've used this just once- for a pair of socks. I think I held it too tightly- the socks fit, but they are rather hole-y and kind of look stretched out.

I've been told this is difficult yarn to use as you really have to have "the touch". I keep meaning to try again, but there are so many other things to knit!

[bu's mama]

Glad to know I'm not alone....I tried searching online & seemed to find lots of people that love it. The biggest thing was that it is cotton & dd complains about almost all wool.

I did cast on broadripple again last night using 1's - they are so tiny! We'll see how it comes out.

[Realrellim]

I'm finishing up some socks with a similar yarn (Elann Esprit) and I'm getting a gauge of 7 sts/1" on #1s. I made DD some socks with Cascade Fixation last year and I think my gauge was 6 or 6.5 sts/1" with #2.5s. I'd probably made them with a #2 though if I did more.

I do knit with it mostly relaxed, similar to the kind of tension I use with wool.

[Realrellim]

Oops, double post.

[kuhlmom]

I made socks with Fixation for both my boys using 2's and 3's. I thought it was going to be extra stretchy since there is stretch spun in, but mine didn't really turn out any more stretchy than regular yarns. Also, it shrinks A LOT when you wash it - maybe I wasn't supposed to machine wash?...

[feminist~mama]

Huh- my LYS owner told me to use 5's or 6's with the fixation I think! The ball band says to use 4 or 5...

You all are using 1's and 2's though? Maybe I'll try it again...

[Realrellim]

That's true for almost anything else. I made an ice cream pint cozy with Fixations and used #6 or 7 needles. But socks are knit on a tighter gauge.

[PuppyFluffer]

I just made a ribbed baby hat out of it and while it's really cute, it doesn't have quite the stretch i was thinking it would.
I ma a very beginning knitter for what it's worth.

[xanandali]

I used 3's and it turned out ok. And when it says relaxed, you still have to keep some tension in it or it'll be saggy. The lady at the LYS told me a lot of people overdo it one way or the other- way too tight or way too loose. She said if you just keep your regular tension and just don't do it too tight it'll work fine. And for me it was just fine that way. Hope you get it figured out, it is a nice alternative to wool.

[bu's mama]

Thanks ladies. I gave up on the socks for dd & casted on Broadripple from knitty for me using 1's (!).

I think at first I was holding it with almost no tension - and xanandali saggy is not the word! I could have used it for legwarmers up on my thigh!

I think I'll love it once I get the hang of it, especially since dd complains about any kind of wool against her skin.

[feminist~mama]

I'm definitely going to try it again now that I've read this! With 1's or 2's!

Thanks mamas!

[Realrellim]

You might also try Panda cotton, which doesn't have any wool in it. I've heard good things about it from knitted-sock lovers who are allergic to animal fibers. I think it's a fingering weight yarn.

[bu's mama]

Originally Posted by Realrellim

You might also try Panda cotton, which doesn't have any wool in it. I've heard good things about it from knitted-sock lovers who are allergic to animal fibers. I think it's a fingering weight yarn.

Thanks for the tip. I'll have to check it out next time I'm at the lys.