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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:
moaningminniewhingesagain · 24/03/2011 14:35

Jemima - that's exactly what I am planning to do, my tension is very tight so I am going to do 35st/4.5mm needles when my wool comesSmile

Planning to do the textured heart thing someone put up earlier.

LadyWellian · 24/03/2011 15:06

Silkenladder book here. It's in English (UK). Don't tell her I nicked her patterns and posted them in a public forum!

morsbagmum · 24/03/2011 15:28

Well my DD has napped for longer than expected (tired after this mornings swimmings) so second square now completed.

angelpantser · 24/03/2011 16:28

I have a vague idea for a design I'd like to put on one of my squares. To do it I'd need oddments in cream and brown - has anyone got small amounts of these colours in the right yarn that they could let me have? (Probably talking about a few yards of each colour) I'm knitting in Debbie Bliss DK. I will be happy to reimburse postage costs.

Then again the design might look like complete tosh when I do it..............

MinnieBar · 24/03/2011 17:15

Ok I have a quick query? we want the finished squares to be 6" total right? Or 6" with a bit of edge?

I did a practice square (albeit with different wool) and my 'square' was 8" wide so I think I'm a bit loose! Trouble is, if I knit tighter then I find it hard to slip the stitches off the end. I spoke to the ladies in Grace Brothers the wool shop and they suggested going a needle size down to 3.75, but I will do a tension test as well.

I've found it v soothing actually!

florenceuk · 24/03/2011 17:21

MinnieBar, don't knit tighter, go down a size and see how big it is. If you cast on 33st and got to 8inches, I'd suggest going down to 3.5mm.

MinnieBar · 24/03/2011 19:14

They don't do a 3.5 so that's why I went for 3.75 as it was the next size down. I've got enough to practise with the proper wool so I'll do that. The second half of my square was a lot neater so I think it was partly being out of practice!

morsbagmum · 24/03/2011 21:30

3rd square underway. Smile

moaningminniewhingesagain · 24/03/2011 22:17

Deramores now doing 20% off all Rowan yarn, if anyone hasn't bought some yet. How annoying, I ordered mine from somewhere else last night!

LadyWellian · 25/03/2011 00:29

Apologies for re-posting this but I've just knitted one of these squares and realised I made a small mistake in the instructions. Not on the actual pattern, but the instructions that went with it. Don't panic! Grin

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. You will also need two balls or bobbins of colour B (the heart colour).

When you join the yarns (which you'll need to do with the first ball of 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 and the second ball of B on row 30 - as above it won't notice if you carry it across 1 st 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 rows 10 and 30.

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.)

tattycoram · 25/03/2011 09:12

LadyWellian I started the textured heart you posted last night and it is lovely, so thank you

LadyWellian · 25/03/2011 11:51

Oh good tattycoram. I was worried you were going to say yours looked like a muffin too.

Right, I've just finished my second square but I have to go into the garden and get dirty now, so no more until later.

GentleOtter · 25/03/2011 12:02

I achieved the muffin as I did not pay attention and spoke in the middle of counting then watched television at the same time.

The second (plain) square is finished and I am going to try the heart shape again.

pigsinmud · 25/03/2011 12:22

Thanks for advice re:baby cashmerino wool. That will be going back to the shop. I have now ordered and received cashmerino dk. I shall try and start today. I am still a bit worried - you all sound so good at knitting. Mine will be very basic!

ReshapeWhileDamp · 25/03/2011 17:53

Hello square knitters! Smile

I popped into Masons in Abingdon to get my wool today, and found a discount bin of ... Rowan cashsoft! There weren't many colours there, but they did have 525 and 508 - mid-blue and sort of petrol blue. They were £3 a ball. So if anyone is still to order their wool and wanted those colours, give them a call. They agreed that it would be possible, in theory, for someone to ring up and buy over the phone. Hmm (They can be a bit cat's bum in there.) Their number is 01235 520107. Not all the wool is up on their website, so ringing would be the only way to buy the Rowan.

I think there were about 3 or 4 balls of each left after I'd been in there!

MinnieBar · 25/03/2011 18:31

Gaah Reshape I was in there yesterday and did not see that bin! Although they were rather cat's bum about the fact I dared go in there with a buggy in the first place Grin and they also have the Debbie Bliss.

Right, I've done the heart-shape pattern with the proper wool and on 3.75 needles. But it's still too wide. Do I go down another needle size? Am I the world's loosest knitter?!

BornToFolk · 25/03/2011 18:40

Can you lose some stitches Minnie? Which pattern are you using?

KnittingRocks · 25/03/2011 19:59

Ok, have wool and needles - and confusion! Blush

Have cast on 33 stitches and it's nowhere close to being 6" - should I use much bigger needles (4.5 or 5mm?).

Don't want to make squares that can't be used Sad.

TigerFeet · 25/03/2011 20:04

Can anyone suggest where I can get yarn from quickly? RL has interfered a bit this week so I'm running a bit behind.

Thanks :)

babylann · 25/03/2011 20:07

What's your definition of quickly? As in now, or the next few days or..? Wilkos sells it.

TigerFeet · 25/03/2011 20:10

The next few days should be OK, I just need to get started really and as I haven't knitted for some time I need to do a bit of practising, I gave all my yarn away not so long ago to a friend's daughter who was learning to make pom poms so I need to start p a stash again.

I'll look in wilkos tomorrow, failing that I can order some online tomorrow night. I just don't want to order something that;s going to take an age to get here.

KnittingRocks · 25/03/2011 20:12

can anyone help?!

Niecie · 25/03/2011 20:46

Knittingrocks - Have you only cast on? I find that casting on the square will come up short until I have worked a few rows. Then it loosens up a bit and you get the real size.

Work a few rows in stocking stitch and see if you still have the same problem.

KnittingRocks · 25/03/2011 20:48

Thanks niecie, I think I will need to cast on about 35 stitches to get the right tension, on 5mm needles. I obviously knit v tight!! Grin

JemimaMop · 25/03/2011 20:51

I ordered yarn from McA and it came the next day.