will cotton 8 will shrink

[kat]

i am wondering if you think cotton 8 will shrink. i am making a pillowghan using:

cotton 8

h hook

and the pattern is from CPC 12" squares called wheel lattice. (mine are about 10 1/2" because of using cotton 8)

i plan on using flat braid joining.

i am just wondering if i need to make it bigger than i planned to compensate for shrinkage when washed.

 

also, for those of you who are always creating your own square designs or other designs, how do you get started????? i can follow a pattern with no problems, but when it comes to making something up outta thin air i am lost. how do you do the math to figure out what stitches will work out properly and evenly with other stitches you are using or is it just do something and frog and start over until you get it right?

does that make sense??? anyway just looking for tips that might help me branch out on my own.

[Chain3turn]

also, for those of you who are always creating your own square designs or other designs, how do you get started????? i can follow a pattern with no problems, but when it comes to making something up outta thin air i am lost. how do you do the math to figure out what stitches will work out properly and evenly with other stitches you are using or is it just do something and frog and start over until you get it right?

After making the same thing and it's variations several times, one gets a feel for how it goes together. Then one can start one's own variations to it and eventually something original comes out of it.

 

I rarely do the math and just try a pattern of stitches out to see if they work. Learning to fundge a little when things don't quite fit together is a useful skill, too. It doesn't have to be perfect especially the first time around. Making it up on the fly is a skill just like mastering a specific stitch or stitch pattern.

[Catana]

I doubt that any yarn, except untreated wools, will shrink. How many people would even knit or crochet if they had to worry that their hard work would be spoiled when washed? Manufacturers can't give accurate gauges unless the yarn is pre-shrunk and stable.

[Hounddog]

I have never used this cotton you have just wanted to say your granny looks a sweet lady and I am sure she was.

[mwedzi]

From what little I've read on other people's experiences, it seems cotton is more likely to expand. Knitters and crocheters do have to take into account that the gauge on some yarns can change (for some, a whole lot) after washing. I learned this best when reading all the wonderful reviews of yarns here:

http://www.knittersreview.com/yarn.asp

[kat]

thank you all for your help. i think when i finish it will be big enough so even if by chance it does shrink it will still be fine. and trust me.... i can shrink anything...lol.