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Arts and crafts

Discover knitting, crochet, scrapbooking and art and craft ideas on this forum.

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

315 replies

OracleInaCoracle · 21/03/2011 10:23

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!

OP posts:
OracleInaCoracle · 22/03/2011 17:09

got my wool today too. got the debbie bliss cashmerino DK in a beautiful greyish/blue, will start properly tomorrow. I was going to try to pop stripes in, does anyone know if 100% merino will combine well?

OP posts:
KurriKurri · 22/03/2011 17:13

Hi Foundwanting - did you go to Norwich JL? - do they have cashmerino too? - moss stitch is a nice neat stitch by the way.

purplepidjin · 22/03/2011 17:35

Schilke, I believe the Baby is slightly thinner than the DK?

Applegeek. wow sounds like there's an analogy involving water and ducks going on with you Grin

Lissie, I'm not sure. It may wash and dry at a different rate to the mix which would warp your square... HellyMelly is the expert Smile

Southampton JL had a rather too tempting selection and I may have slipped a ball of teal in with my other bits...

BornToFolk · 22/03/2011 17:46

Lissie, the merino may combine well but as pidjin says, washing could be an issue...

I have an idea though - as we're all buying similar yarn maybe we could arrange a swap of leftover ball bits so we could do stripes or colourwork without shelling out for lots of balls? Or would that just get horribly complicated?

ohmeohmy · 22/03/2011 18:10

I'd love the heart pattern if you can tranlsate it LadyWellian

florenceuk · 22/03/2011 18:13

Baby cashmerino is definitely thinner than DK.

purplepidjin · 22/03/2011 18:33

I like that idea, BornTo. Also, I'll accept any leftovers for stitching together. Lovely MummyBerry has promised me a ball or two from her order, but people are being so incredibly generous I'm not sure it'll be enough!!

BornToFolk · 22/03/2011 19:20

ah yes, I forgot about stitching together! Maybe we can just post on this thread if we have any yarn up for grabs and see what happens?

foundwanting · 22/03/2011 19:39

KurriKurri Yes, it was in Norwich. They had a few gaps on the shelves so I thought you'd all got there before me.

They do stock both the Rowan and the Debbie Bliss yarns. I got Debbie Bliss 18028 and 18023. Planning on doing a square in each and then trying to crochet a granny square using both colours.

I trudged up to the top floor of Jarrolds first - they don't stock either makes. Just so you know!

morsbagmum · 22/03/2011 19:43

I'm also happy to donate any leftovers for sewing up.

purplepidjin · 22/03/2011 19:43

BornTo, I'll take any leftovers for the stitching up, but I like the idea of a yarn-swap so everyone that wants to can do multiple colours. Could you organise a thread, please? Then I'll take the leftovers Smile

OracleInaCoracle · 22/03/2011 19:46

I also like the idea of swaps!

I am about to start knitting now that The Boy has been put to bed. got out again. put back to bed. got out again. put back to bed. got up for a poo. and is now back in bed Wink

OP posts:
BornToFolk · 22/03/2011 20:47

Swap thread here

purplepidjin · 22/03/2011 21:01

Yay! Thank you xx

AtYourCervix · 22/03/2011 21:33

Done my square. think it might be a bit small so will need to find a ruler.

Has to be said, I thought of Edgar and her family and DS many times while doing it.

KnittingRocks · 22/03/2011 22:20

Schlike, the baby is v different from the DK - my local shop tried to sell me that too but another customer told me it was definitely the wrong stuff, sorry.

GentleOtter · 22/03/2011 22:24

Got my wool today and am finding it really slippy. Any tips on making it less slippery?
It feels lovely and is a gorgeous colour - sort of deep duck egg blue but darker.

foundwanting · 22/03/2011 22:28

GentleOtter I've had to swap to plastic needles, which I don't find so comfortable but are definitely less slippy.

I think I have got the same colour as you. It's gorgeous isn't it?

LadyWellian · 22/03/2011 22:34

Right, no knitting for me tonight as I've spent the time translating heart pattern charts into English!

Textured heart (all one colour)

Knits to 6in/15cm square in DK with 4mm/size UK8 needles
K = knit, P = purl

Cast on 33 sts

Work 9 rows garter st (K every row)
Row 10: K7, P19, K7
Row 11: K
Row 12: As row 10
Row 13: K
Row 14: as row 10
Row 15: K16, P1, K16
Row 16: K7, P8, K3, P8, K7
Row 17: K14, P5, K14
Row 18: K7, P6, K7, P6, K7
Row 19: K12, P9, K12
Row 20: K7, P5, K9, P5, K7
Row 21: K11, P11, K11
Row 22: K7, P4, K11, P4, K7
Row 23: K10, P13, K10
Row 24: K7, P3, K13, P3, K7
Row 25: As row 23
Row 26: As row 24
Row 27: As row 23
Row 28: K7, P3, K6, P1, K6, P3, K7
Row 29: K10, P6, K1, P6, K10
Row 30: K7, P4, K4, P3, K4, P4, K7
Row 31: K12, P2, K5, P2, K12
Row 32: As row 10
Row 33: K
Row 34: As row 10
Row 35: K
Row 36: As row 10

Work 9 rows garter st (K every row) - 45 rows in all

Cast off

LadyWellian · 22/03/2011 22:35

I don't like this new interface, it's confusing me Confused

LadyWellian · 22/03/2011 23:15

2 colour heart

This is knitted using the intarsia method, which means you twist the colours together at the back of the work when you change, rather than carrying it across. Because of this, you will need to wind your background colour (A) into three separate balls (or use plastic bobbins), which is something I should have thought of before I started knitting it in haste last night! If you make a smallish ball of colour B (the heart colour) too, you'll have less wool dangling around at the back of your work.

When you join the yarns (which you'll need to do with B on row 9, the second ball of A probably on row 10 (it won't notice if you carry it across 1 st on row 9) and the third ball of A on row 29) I usually tie it on to the stitch before (ie the one on the left-hand needle that you are just about to work) using a single knot, though there may be a more scientific way of doing it. Make sure that a) you leave a long enough tail to darn it in after (you'll need a needle with an eye big enough to get the yarn through, and make sure you only weave it through the loops on the back of the knitting, so it doesn't show at the front), and b) that the tail is at the back of the work - so tie it through the back of the loop on rows 9 and 29, and through the front on row 10.

So, you need 2 colours - A (the background) and B (the heart colour)

Knits to 15cm/6in sq using DK and 4mm/UK8 needles

K = knit, P = purl

Cast on 33 sts

Starting with a K row, work 8 rows stocking stitch (K the right side rows and P the wrong side rows)

Row 9: K16A, K1B, K16A
Row 10: P15A, P3B, P15A
Row 11: K14A, K5B, K14A
Row 12: P12A, P9B, P12A
Row 13: K11A, K11B, K11A
Row 14: P10A, P13B, P10A
Row 15: K9A, K15B, K9A
Row 16: P9A, P15B, P9A
Row 17: K8A, K17B, K8A
Row 18: P8A, P17B, P8A
Row 19: K7A, K19B, K7A
Row 20: P7A, P19B, P7A
Row 21: K6A, K21B, K6A
Row 22: P6A, P21B, P6A
Row 23: As row 21
Row 24: As row 22
Row 25: K5A, K23B, K5A
Row 26: P5A, P23B, P5A
Row 27: As row 25
Row 28: As row 26
Row 29: K5A, K11B, K1A, K11B, K5A
Row 30: P5A, P10B, P3A, P10B, P5A
Row 31: K5A, K9B, K5A, K9B, K5A
Row 32: P5A, P8B, P7A, P8B, P5A
Row 33: K6A, K6B, K9A, K6B, K6A
Row 34: P7A, P4B, P11A, P4B, P7A

Starting with a K row, work 8 rows stocking st, ending with a P row. (42 rows in all.) Cast off. Weave in all ends at back. (I usually start by putting the sewing needle through and winding the yarn around it a couple of times, which makes a knot when you pull it through and stops it from unravelling.)

As this is a stocking stitch pattern it will probably curl up alarmingly and will definitely need blocking to make it look nice and square. See GentleOtter's link on the other thread for blocking instructions (it's basically all about making it damp and pinning it to a towel or blanket with rustproof pins to the right dimensions until it dries.)

LadyWellian · 22/03/2011 23:16

Gosh, that took a while to type! Hope I don't put anyone off with the volume of instructions! Grin

purplepidjin · 22/03/2011 23:20

I have no idea what it means, but i bet it works up spectacularly! i made a 6" crochet square with a 3d heart this evening - lots of hearts shows lots of love Smile

BuffyFairy · 22/03/2011 23:21

Thanks for the heart pattern LadyWellian I'm def going to try that!

LadyWellian · 22/03/2011 23:21

I take my (knitted) hat off to anyone who can crochet. I did buy myself a hook but haven't been brave enough to try yet.