Novice knitters and those who can help us, over here!

[OracleInaCoracle]

ok, I am a very basic knitter. I cant read patterns and can do a basic row, but want to knit a square of edgar (as Im sure lots of others do) so it was suggested on the other thread here that a thread was started for the less confident where we can collate advice and help without feeling a bit dim and where the more advanced can help us out a bit!

how are your two certificates?

ds = struggling with start of kindy, which he finds overstimulating and exhausting - with predictable results

dd = waking every two hours through the night and screaming the house down if I don't feed her (or don't feed her long enough)

other than that they are charming and beautiful

yours?

lol, The Boy is a proper wee man now. he is dino-obsessed and full of 'tude

sounds like my dh

gtg - got a few things I need to do before bed. nighty night!

Awesome idea, am off to do the same for the crocheters [mwah]

ooh good idea Lissie

now, which thread shall I linger on, the crap knitters or the crap crocheters??? I may do one of each and send in the least crap most beautiful one.

Feel free to let me poach you, Tiger [illegal but highly amusing emoticon]

Hello. I'm joining the crap knitters. I can do scarves in basic stitch. I think I'm the same as you lissielou - can't understand patterns either.

I'm happy to help whoever I can! What's needed?

Hello, can also only do very basic stuff and need to find my needles after moving house...

phew, a few more good to see that we are being kept an eye on too.

I bought some neqw wool today to practice on. 3 colours vbecause I would like to attempt stripes!

Checking in. I can do nice straight lines and even a hat at a push.

Will be getting wool for my square tomorrow. What size needles do I need?

on the other thread they said 4mm which is a size 7 i think am getting the proper wool tomorrow too. the only wool shop round here is in wellington market, so only open tues, thurs, fri and sat.

For the fabric quilt:

7" squares
cotton or poly-cotton
pre-washed
zigzagged or overlocked around the edges, if possible
Any colour
If appliqued, using cotton
Can embroider
Any design to be in the central 6" square
Can send plain squares too

For the yarn quilt:
6" or 15cm squares on 4mm needles/hook in any combination of
Debbie Bliss www.debbieblissonline.com/Yarn.asp?yid=19 in 006, 007, 008 and 606 or
Rowan www.knitrowan.com/yarns/Cashsoft-DK.aspx?testid=36 in 532, 505, 535, 534, 525, 508 and 503

For those wishing to help financially Pixie will be sending a PM with a specific PayPal address.

For those who, like me, are time-rich but cash-poor, PM Pixie and she will arrange to get materials to you.

At a later date (next week probably), we will send a stamped addressed envelope to each crafty person so they can send their contribution to the right person.

We will then make some arrangement to get the quilts to Edgar and family.

thank you purplepidjin. 4mm is a size 7 right?

I've no idea - I can't knit!

i have some 4mm which also say US 6

Have ordered my wool, now marking my place!

4mm is a US 6 and imperial (i.e. old British size) 8.

However, if you had 3.75mm or 4.5mm needles, they'd probably work fine with both yarns - just make sure that your square ends up the right size!

[[http://www.knittinghelp.com/
Knitting Help]] has videos of knitting techniques that people might find helpful.

Is there any policy on the pattern, or can we do whatever we are capable of fancy?

OK

A 6inch square in DK should be around 33st wide. BUT you should check your tension - cast on about 30 stitches, knit about two inches, then cast off. Measure how many stitches make up 10cm/4inches (should be about 22stitches) and then multiply by 1.5 to get the total number of stitches you should cast on to make a 6 inch square.

If you do the bottom 4 rows and the 4 edge stitches in moss stitch (knit one, purl one, knit one, purl one, then on the next row knit the knits, purl the purls) then it will lie flatter than if you do the whole thing in stocking stitch.

If you cast on 1 stitch and increase 1 stitch on every row until the sides measure 15cm, then knit one row and after that cast off 1 stitch at the beginning of every row until 1 stitch is left, you get an accurate 15cmx15cm square without having to do the arithmetic. Knit every row. If you want to do fancy squares I'm afraid you will have to do the arithmetic. It also depends on whether you want to do cables etc, that takes more wool and more stitches and the only way to get it right is as Florence says, by doing a tension square.

Marking my place for later :)

Thanks DutchOma, I hadn't thought of that