Knitting chat

[wannabesybil]

Is this a good place to have a place for just chat, perhaps tangentially touching on knitting or any craft.

I am always chopping and changing my projects and have lost count of unfinished ones. I enjoy the chat around the stuff.

Today I am feeling so flattened I am almost certainly about to start a new project. I always get cheered up by a new project and depressed when I finish anything. Currently the most outrageous project outstanding is a sweater that actually took about three weeks to knit, not going much, and has been waiting for the final three seams to be stitched for over two years now. Anyone else feel the same?

[Niecie]

Oh yes!

I have several unfinished things. I love to start them but then, especially if it is a fine knit, I get bored.

I find it depressing not to finish them - it weighs on my mind every time I buy more yarn.

Last autumn I finally finished a cardie that I had on the go for 5 yrs. I started it, got the back done, a sleeve and a half and the front. However, I didn't like the front - it looked weird and put it to one side but it weighed on my mind for ages (well 5 years!) until I finally ripped it back and started again. Still looked odd so had to do it again. Finally it looked OK. I wouldn't mind but it was done on 15mm needles with mega chunky wool so it took no time to knit it up. If I had just got on with it it would have been finished years earlier!

Loads of projects still half finished and now I am wondering what to make people for Christmas so I will probably start loads of stuff very soon too.

I am also wondering if I can knock something up for my in-laws as a present for their 50th wedding anniversary in 2 weeks. It won't be knitted though. Probably a bit of embroidery or something. Need to get on with that too.

What have you got on the go at the momen?

[KurriKurri]

I've got a cardigan which I've had on the go for nearly a year now, I've done the back and one side, its longish and the top part is cabled - it will be nice if I can only finish it! - I keep getting delayed by promising to knit things for other people, and now I've got a problem with my wrist so I can't do much at a time anyway - very frustrating.

I've also been given loads of balls of silk wool for lace knitting, not sure what to make with it - it would make a beautiful shawl, if I could find a pattern.

[wannabesybil]

Silk wool and lace knitting - that sounds mouth watering.

Currently on the go (within easy reach and not stashed in cupboards or in the junk room)
Sweater with weird sort of honeycomb stitch with some yarn I got uber cheap on ebay
Scarf with some yarn left over from knitting a cushion - I knitted the cushion and made it up really quick and finished it, why can't I do that more?
Royal purple cardi
Variegated Sweater
Another variegated sweater
Babies jacket (for fun, the poor child would be legal to drink by the time I finished it)
Several other scarves
Tank top that needs to have the final armhole edging and one seam doing
Sweater for Dad that is suffering from second sleeve syndrome - I race up the back, proceed briskly up the front, stagger up the first sleeve and limp just past the cuff on the second sleeve before abandoning it.
And other stuff.

It doesn't weigh on my mind except when I ought to be cleaning or when I am trying to avoid buying more yarn.

And because I am feeling low I am going to be starting a new project - a scarf with eyelash yarn. I plan to make it all curly and burlesque and then probably donate it to the Methodist sale.

Anyone else raid Ravelry for free patterns? I used their 'one row scarf pattern' to good effect.

[Niecie]

I won't list all my stuff just yet - I don't want to think about it!!

And yes, I look at Ravelry for free patterns. I have several I have already printed off waiting for some action. Doesn't stop me buying knitting magazines and patterns though.

I am a lost cause I think. I hope DH never has cause to look through my stash and work out how much money I have spent on this stuff.

[Goldensnitchberry]

Ooh yes, definitely! I'm a relatively recent convert to knitting and crochet. Am currently attempting a Harry Potter 'Weasley jumper' (gulp!) and a blanket made of crochet granny squares. Both are progressing painfully slowly... I too raid Ravelry regularly. wannabesybil - I did one of those kind of scarf patterns too. It was in what they called 'Farrow rib' - really nice.

[wannabesybil]

Goldensnitchberry - I admire you, and think that it is always better to go for something and learn (sometimes that it is a bit too advanced for you - much experience talking) than stay in a rut.

Knitting is my sanity saver. I put something relatively mindless on the tv and knit. I was good last night, I didn't start something new, I just carried on with the scarf using yarn left over from the cushion. Actually I bought 400g of yarn from the market as I wanted to knit my uncle a slip over, but then I saw the pattern for the cushion cover in a magazine and was 'called' to knit it - it used smocking and I loved it, not sure about the three needle cast off, and I didn't bother with the edging. So I was left with around 150-200g of aran, so I cast on a scarf and I will actually make a fringe with the yarn that is what I ended up with when I frogged the edging because I thought it looked awful.

I may try and sell the scarf on ebay. I don't suppose I will get more than the cost of the yarn, but I need to find a home for it.

And in my list I forgot to add three blankets. I have a huge ball of yarn called Yoyo, which I just cast on some stitches and then will carry on until I run out of yarn and call it a throw. It is exactly right for when I am stressed to the roots of my hair and I need to chill.

Also, does anyone have SABLE - Stash acquired beyond life expectancy?

[wannabesybil]

Niecie - DH just humours the vast piles of yarn. I don't do handbags or shoes, and I am usually really cheap when it comes to yarn. If I see a bargain on ebay I go for it (20kg of miscellaneous and indeterminate yarn anyone?) but I try to stick to less than 1p per gram for anything that is not for a project for a present.

It's just that I have nearly a room full

[Goldensnitchberry]

Thanks, wannabesybil - there's the justification I was looking for ! The trouble with the Harry Potter jumper is that it involves knitting a letter into the front. I have no idea how I'm going to cope with that! The crochet is going well, because I love the fact that each square feels like a finished piece in itself. I'm doing them from a gorgeous book www.amazon.co.uk/Crochet-Blocks-Blankets-Throws-Afghans/dp/0715321412?tag=mumsnet&ascsubtag=mnforum-21 . It also has designs for whole blankets, but I'm just doing a mish-mash of different squares, using combinations of the same 5 colours.

[wannabesybil]

With blankets I just cast on a load of stitches and then knit until I have run out of yarn. I have knitted double bed blankets that way (circular needles, tenacity and guarding it like crazy from the cat).

I get so hit and miss with tension that I can never contribute squares to a blanket because I can never get the size right. And I loathe making up, so something I don't have to sew is ideal.

I always ending up having to fiddle the increases on sleeves because my tension gets weird.

[Niecie]

I've got that crochet squares book and the knitted version too. Lovely books. I keep buying books like that though. Another one by Nicky Epstein might just have slipped into my basket when I placed an Amazon order earlier. I don't really know how that happened
My problem at the moment seems to be lack of concentration so doing squares solves that one. They only take an evening. Mind you, I have 2 unfinished blankets and the yarn for another one so maybe that isn't the best plan either.

I wouldn't worry too much about the tension on a 6" square Wannabe, you can always block it to the right size, assuming that your tension is not that wildly out. You can gain or lose a good inch that way.

[Goldensnitchberry]

Yes I'm a bit worried about the tension too. I've not yet knitted or crocheted anything which needed blocking, so I hope it will work when it comes to doing my jumper and blanket!

[mrswoodentop]

I have a Martin Storey toasty shrug which is about half way through but I made a small mistake and unpicked some and now have only half the stitches I should have. Will go to the local knitting shop when I am mobile again to see if they can help me sort it because I really like the yarn ,Louisa Harding Mulberry.

Also have a half knitted Erika Knight baby blanket,nice but hard work and just got bored .

A baby hat which is finished but thin I might add a pom pom

I just today started a scarf in kidsilk aura with some yarn that I got cheaply because its a discontinued colour.

[mistlethrush]

I accidentally bought a book that does edgings and flowers

Kurrikurri - I did my first 'lace' project doing a half moon shawl that came from the Ravelry site. Going to do another one - nice pattern, although the bumbles (techinical term that!) are a pain to do - 7 stitches onto 1 I think from memory - and difficult to count the lightweight wool etc - next time I'm going to stitch mark the 'points' on the outeredge when I start for more easy navigation.

[bigTillyMint]

I am knitting a tartan-style cardi for someone and it is awful hard work - loads and loads of different balls all going at once. I am keeping them rolled up short, but what a palaver! Anyone got any top-tips to make it easier?

[KurriKurri]

That sounds lovely mistlethrush, - it's a long time since I did any lace knitting, -I may well have lost the knack , but I'll check out Ravelry and see if I can find a pattern. I did some squares recently with 'bumbles' in the pattern, they are hard and fiddly!

[mistlethrush]

It has a lovely scallop design along the edge, concave, so has points on the outeredge.... and shapes so that its curved, not straight... (difficult to describe, will have to go and search for it again)

[Meow75]

I've only been knitting since April, but building quite a stash and collection of needles.

Really enjoying knitting.

In fact ... See y'all laters!!!

[wannabesybil]

bigTillyMint - I admire your courage with colour work. Tartan!!! I have heard (but never had the courage to try anything that needed it) that if you put your balls of yarn in separate plastic bags it helps. Though I think you are supposed to knot the ball into the bag, snip the corner off and ease the end out. Personally I would untangle often and have a shotgun handy for anyone disturbing me in mid colour change. Please share any tips you find through bitter experience.

Also, I am glad I am not the only one that accidentally buys books on knitting, though it was a dental sedation that I am blaming for the lovely delivery of yarn from Deramores. Has anyone knitted with King Cole Haze? I have bought some to knit up for a friend (haven't told her in case it takes three years to knit), and I am so looking forward to starting, but I rarely buy stuff like that.

[wannabesybil]

Meow75 - I used to do loads of cross stitch as well.

My late grandmother taught me knit and purl, and I enjoyed it but sort of got in and out of it, and I taught myself stuff like casting off and cables from books. Then I discovered counted cross stitch when I was suffering from depression and while you are counting the squares you can't my going over and over and over your woes so it was really helpful. But then I had a little one and I daren't risk the needles around him. Though now he is four and one half I am also looking at the cross stitch. And back of the knitting, and I really want to teach myself crochet...

It's all therapy, for me. Also, anyone want to guess my stash of cross stitch stuff?

[Whenisitmysleepytime]

i'm a recent addict - i've taken up knitting again since dd arrived (she's 4mo) and i get a bit wistful if i can't do some every day! my mum taught me knit and purl and casting on and off and the rest i've learnt through googling and youtube! :)

i'm working on a lace scarf and teeny christmas stockings personalised with everyone's initial for the christmas tree. i'm also doing some mittens for ds but the pattern was rubbish (inaccurate sizing even though my tension was good) so i got bored.
i'm also doing a granny squares blanket but that'll take forever and as i get bored easily it doesn't stand much of a chance of getting finished before christmas!
i also want to start a strawberry hat for dd for the winter but need to decide on some wool and get some needles.

all your projects sound fab! i'm a little intimidated by the tartan tho! i struggled keeping 3 balls separate! and i too think trying something new and a little challenging is always a good idea! although it can make me a bit exhausted.

off to knit some scarf i think. :)

[MarshaBrady]

Can I ask, do any of you lovely knitters know where I can buy really good leather or suede in London?

[purpleknittingmum]

I love knitting and can now crochet, but not much!

I used to only have one project on the go but now have one more square to do for a blanket for here, another small knitting project which just now is using up bits of DK wool on fingerless mittens and sometimes do mobile phone covers and little coin purses. I do these for either a charity shop or I will ask if my daughter's Girls Brigade want them. Big knitting project just now is a cardigan for my daughter, nearly finished it, and then the big crochet item is a granny square blanket for my daughter, need 140 squares, each one is 6 rounds. Have so far done about 36!

[bigTillyMint]

sybil, the plastic bag tip sounds interesting - I will give it a go and report back! I am currently just using small balls knotted up to keep the ends short and untangling frequently!

I used to be able to crochet, but I think I need to refresh my memory/skills before I attempt anything!

I try to keep it to one thing on the go at a time too. I knitted DD a mobile phone sock and she was soooo thrilled with it. It was only stripey, but I think I might try some more with more interesting designs on.

[Kniternator]

It is county fair time here in Dorset and I have stupidly entered three competitions. I came second in the knitted item last year, so I am feeling confident. I'm part way through a pug with anorak for the stuffed toy class. Knitted an elephant for the soft toy for baby class. Only have a week left and i am starting to panic. It gives me an excuse to use up the vast amounts of wool I have.

[Whenisitmysleepytime]

I'm doomed!

I went back to my teeny stockings Kay night and was appalled by how cheap the acrylic wool now felt! I've been spooky by my previous projects being lovely rowan organic belle colour Amy butler stuff and some hand dyed merino sport weight wool.

I am officially a knitter now I think! :)