KNITTING, is there any point?

[stitch]

i have never knitted anything for dd, and last wweek bought some wool, and a pattern to make her a jumper. spent a great manyhours today making about one inch of it. havent ever done the twisting over thing, and first time i am doing it. its easier than i had always assumed it would be, but so time consuming.
considering that i can buy her a jumper for less than what i paid for thewool, and it will probly take me a year to make this jumper, is there any point in knitting?

You're all no help. I really like this yarn , either Ginger or Dragon, or both. Perhaps I could make ds a scarf, that way if I didn't get it finished before the end of winter I could just make it longer for next winter.

NQC, if I already have 2 quilt projects on the go and one waiting to start don't you think that's enough without having a knitting project too? I just bought one of these because I haven't managed to quilt since ds arrived because it was so much effort to take it all out and put it away again, so it's only in the last couple of weeks that I've even begun to quilt again.

The scary dolls might do for halloween Umm, there have been a lot of discussions on UKHK about telling what sort of yarn you have. There's some kind of match test that seems to involve setting fire to it. If it melts, it's synthetic, and if it burns () it's wool. You can also try felting a swatch, if it felts then it's wool(ly). It would have to be quite nice yarn to be worth all this effort though

Nice yarn. I'd worry about the alpaca being itchy, maybe? I find it more itchy than merino.

It's also quite fine, so you'll maybe want to knit with two held together? That way, the scarf won't take forever, and you'll enjoy it more.

Felted tweed is lovely, it's really nice to knit with (mwah hah hah). There's a nice moss stitch jacket in Rowan Pipsqueaks, but I think it's just for babies.

bran, i like both the colours.
and i want the sewing place. so

What do you think about stripes of the two colours (using two strands at a time) at the ends, and then, in the main, middle bit, one strand of each colour knitted together?

I am the world's worst knitter. I can't even knit a scarf. If I start with 30 stitches, after 10 rows I'll have 40. Another 10 rows and I'll have 15. My Mum is brilliant at knitting but I haven't inherited that particular talent.

I think it's lovely there are still knitters around - it would be so sad if it became a lost art. I was really touched at all the hand knitted baby clothes I recieved - it really is a labour of love. When ds1 was born a huge parcel of things arrived from MIL - she must have started knitting the second she found out I was pregnant. She crocheted the most beautiful shawl for him. I'm keeping it for any grandchildren I might have

Stitch, the cabinet is fab, I love it so much more than anyone should love a piece of furniture. The others in my quilt group were too.

Ive just bought some funky fibres and started to have a go at knitting one of those lovely fluffy scarves...I forgot how relaxing knitting can be...although Im slow and can only do the basic stitches Ive really enjoyed the odd hour clicking away.
DS1 was fascinated and he even had a go!

Do people teach their children to knit nowadays?
I remeber my gran teaching me....but never thought about teaching the DS's????

That sounds great, bran, using the colours like that would work really well.

Marthamoo, I brought ds home from hospital wrapped in the shawl my grandmother knitted for me to come hom from hospital in. It was lovely- I still miss her, and it felt like I was able to involve her in his birth in a small way.

Jayzmummy, I would go for it- I tried to teach dd a couple of years ago when she was 5 but she was really discouraged because she had assumed you just waggled the needles round a bit and watched a garment emerge fully-formed. I am going to try again soon as I think she'd have the dexterity now (all those scoubidous have to be good for something!)

tamum, I remember my mom getting things wet, or burning them, to test. I'm pretty sure they're all synthetic ... I think they're for making scary dolls (you know, butchers, with links of sausages etc etc), so presumably are all matched gauge/fibre, etc.

I'm busy making a pink hat with butterflies, using bamboo, which is soft and lovely and takes colour well, but splits if you look at it funny.

That's lovely tamum - and something unique to an item made by hand, with love. Not the same at all if you bought it in Mothercare.

OOh yes, I know what you mean. I made ds a scary fireman when he was little. Boy was it scary. The hat sounds fab, I must try bamboo. I would like to try hemp too. Well, you know what I mean.

DH needs to use the computer now, so I'll have to go and spend the rest of the evening talking myself out of knitting a scarf. But, just in case I fail, how do I work out how many balls I need if I'm using it two strands at a time, and what size needles should I use?

Jayzmummy - my Mum has taught ds1 to knit (he's 8) He really enjoyed it - knitted a wonky, holey scarf for ds2 which he was so proud of. Ds2 wears it too

I would guess about 5 mm needles, but it is just a guess, you might need more. I would think 4 or 5 balls, but it's hard to tell without knowing the length or width or anything. Do you have a local shop you could get some from? They might be willing to put a few balls of the same dye lot to one side just in case.

ds was desperate for me to teach him this evening. but i was in a nasty mood, so refused.

Ooh this is beginning to go over my head now... bamboo?? Hemp?? Ahhhhh!

I have a beautiful shawl my best friends mum knitted my dd, cream and lacy, just gorgeous. The woman is a machine, she is my knitting idol. She is also an ace dress maker but one thing at a time I say.

I need a scarf myself and maybe another hat but just can't decide what to do...

My granny taught me but all I did was start and never finish scarves until a few years ago!

I taught my cousin (who is 14) and she is terrible, has been knitting a blanket for dd for about a year and the number of stitches is constantly going up and down!

Oh, I taught me ex to knit and he knitted a lovely ribbed scarf last year!

I have an extensive library of patterns you can browse through, weesaidie

weesaidie, im glad im not the only one who doesnt know what all the talk of bamboo and hemp is.
i know about bamboo needles. is that what you are talking about?
my sis started making a jumper for our cousin. it turned into something for her brother, born two years later. but then started to be something for my ds, born ten years later. as far as i am aware, dsis still hasnt finished it! ds is now 8. and the original 'baby' will be 18 on saturday!

You can get bamboo yarn (scroll down a bit) and hemp yarn now!

You have opened the Pandora's Box that is Tamum's knitting knowledge. Be afraid, be very afraid

lol. Hemp looks nice, not sure about bamboo but then I am never sure when you don't actually have it in front of you!

Stitch, I thought of bamboo needles at first too! Have some of those but I find sometimes they are not as slippery (IYKWIM) as others.

Thanks tamum, I think I may have to take you up on that!