What shall I knit?

[AtYourCervix]

I feel the need to get out my needles again. I can do straight lines and very simple increasing/decreasing - nothing too fancy. A free pattern would be good too

So any ideas? Maybe a big scarf or something?

[IsItMeOr]

If you're feeling extravagant, you could buy a couple of balls of a really lovely yarn, and then it will make a simple scarf look much more special.

E.g. I made a scarf in Noro Blossom:
www.packlanewool.co.uk/noro-blossom-17-clearance.ir?cName=yarn-noro-yarns-noro-blossom-50g-clearance&src=froogle

The pattern I followed used 2 balls, and 5mm knitting needles. You cast on 32 stitches and then do a double moss stitch until you've used all the yarn.
That sounds fancy, but double moss stitch is basically k2, p2 for two rows, then p2, k2 for the next two rows and repeat.

[IsItMeOr]

Argh! link.

[jendifa]

Have a look on ravelry for free patterns. If you can, get hold of a circular needle and knit a hat - ideal Christmas present. Would be simple inc/dec and generally fairly simple. Was one of my first projects :)

[LakeFlyPie]

Thanks for the inspiration OP and the link to Ravelry jendifa

I'm a novice and would love to try this beautiful scarf but need some help to decipher the 'pattern' into literal step by step instructions for a beginner.

Could anyone help please?

TIA

[Bettymum]

LakeFlyPie you have just made me spend £40 in my lunch hour! The colours she usess are discontinued, but I got some other wonderful colours that I hope will knit nicely into stripes and not be a mush. It'll be a very pretty mush even so :).
Bumping your message though - I'm not sure I understand the bit about slipping stitches at the edges of the scarf.
Now I've got four scarf projects to get done!

[Bettymum]

I started the scarf, LakeFLy - it is looking good although I went to the park to do it and it started to rain as I finished casting on the 39th stitch :(.
It is really easy - cast on your 39 stitches, and start to do a 1x1 rib in the yarn that you have two balls of - i.e. knit 1, purl 1, all the way along. On the second row, slip the first and last stitches of the row but otherwise continue your rib pattern. On the third row, introduce your second colour and continue as before doing stripes of two rows and carrying the yarn up as you go. It is starting to look lovely, I think it will be quite subtle stripes. Good luck if you decide to make it! I have done about 10 rows already and it's very satisfying.

[IsItMeOr]

Ooh, it's a Noro yarn. Fabulous .

Is the slipping stitches literally just passing the stitch to the other needle without knitting or purling it? It's not something I've ever done...

[Bettymum]

Yes, it is, apparently it makes the edge neater when used as a scarf edging. We shall see...

[KSal]

yep slipping stitches is just passing the first stitch of each row over without knitting it... it makes it so much neater. I always do it now... If you are going to see the edge it's essential, if your not it usually makes it easier to count rows for joining up etc. Was a revelation to me when I first started doing it!

[IsItMeOr]

Thanks Bettymum and KSal, that's interesting. KSal, when you say you always do it now, do you mean just on things where the edge shows like a scarf, or would you also do it if you were knitting a jumper?

[Catsmamma]

I am making a spiral scarf!

The Sell: it can be as little as 8-10 rows

The Hit: the last row can be 2000, yes two thousand stitches!! (or more!)

Depending on yarn thickness cast on between 100 and 200 stitches, this will be the length, and use long circular needles, but not "in the round", just knit normally.


Cast on your stitches
Do first row (you can do stocking stitch or garter stitch as you please
In second row knit (or purl) twice into every stitch
third row do every stitch as normal
fourth row knit or purl into every stitch twice

Carry on in this fashion until you can bear it no longer! cast off!

Sometimes i do two ordinary rows to each increase row to make it wider.

It is beautifully whirly and spirally, like a frilly sea creature! :D

I am going to put a hoopy edging on the one I am doing now, am up to 2000 stitches and it has taken me two days to do the last row!

hoopy edging ...just the last three rows

[PotteringAlong]

If you go onto the innocent drinks website it's their big knit at the moment.

age uk link here

[GattoRosso]

My friend fancies a snood, and I was going to try this, but can anyone give me their interpretation of the (only) tricky bit?

Having cast on 56 stitches, the first "non-standard" line is:
Row 13: K1, ssk, k to last 3 sts, k2tog, k1 - 54 sts

I am guess ssk means slip 1, slip 2, knit 1?

But what about "k to last 3 sts"? I thought this might mean continue knitting the row until you reach the last 3 stitches, but then I don't know what to make of "k1 - 54 sts"

any suggestions?

[purpleknittingmum]

Oh I did ssk on something recently, found out how to do it on youtube

so on your row 13, you k1, work an ssk (which will decrease one stitch), knit to the last 3, k2tog, k1 (losing another stitch) and so you have lost 2 in total, going from 56 to 54

[GattoRosso]

Ahhhhh I see! Thanks purpleknittingmum

[purpleknittingmum]

I love the knitwitch on youtube, was looking at it earlier for doing some different cast on methods. I have done one before and need to learn a similar one

I too thought ssk was slip one, slip two then knit at first!

Glad to be able to help!

[Bettymum]

catsmamma my mind is boggling, I can't work out what on earth your scarf will look like . Doesn't it end up as a big triangle?

I finished by Salsa scarf today, talking of frilly scarves - I am most thrilled with it and will be modelling it all weekend .

[Bettymum]

my not by.

[KSal]

I actually do it on everything IsItMeOr I just find it makes cleaner edges and I can see better to do the seams.

I can highly recommend knittinghelp.com for learning new stitches. it has litte videos and expains it really well, for example ssk is just like a knit 2 together (k2tog) but by doing the slipping first it makes the decrease lean the other way (so if you were doing it either side of a sleeve it would be symmetrical.... I am a bit of a knitting geek!)

[GattoRosso]

I've found cyberseams (both website and youtube vids) very helpful.
I've just bought The Knitter's Bible by Claire Crampton from Amazon - a bit cheekily, as I kind of want it for myself, but bought for a friend who is also trying to get into knitting but struggling a bit, so I thought I'd buy one for her, and if I like it, put it on my birthday wish list! Looks pretty good - very clear diagrams and some patterns in there too. Probably best for novices though - I imagined seasoned knitters are way beyond this stuff!