SQUARE KNITTERS LATEST NEWS - 19th NOV DEADLINE

[Marina]

At Miaou's most emphatically not bossy suggestion ! (Good idea Miaou, did you get your wool this morning - I suspect not, but it did go first class from EC2 yesterday am)

Calling all Square Knitters

Several people have been asking about a "deadline" for sending in squares. Tamum and I mulled this over and thought 19th November seemed do-able for most of us, except for maybe the volunteers based abroad. So can we say 19th for all UK based people and asap thereafter for everyone NOT in the UK?

Also we thought it might be a nice idea if you included a sticky label with your MN name on and your real name too, if you wish, so we can compile a "signed" card from all contributors when we send off the blanket. Apologies to the one or two Speedy Gonzaleses who have already sent their squares - do you mind very much sending me the label separately - this idea only occurred to us yesterday.

Thanks once again to you all.

Marina, just to let you know I managed to get wool today in John Lewis, so will make a start later. Sticky label idea is great!

I got your CAT with the info MArina - I will go and get some wool the first chance i get - Busy thinking of a pattern now!

Glad you didn't think I was being too bossy, Marina!!

No wool as yet but I will let you know when it arrives - the ferry is up the creek today so I suspect it may be delayed.

wool has now arrived - will get knitting soon!

Have now done 6 squares (well 5.25 from me and .75 from DD!) and mum has done one. Knowing there's a deadline helps - I am quite enjoying this pastime!

did you get my cat, marina?

I have a 30cm x 30cm square (complicated story), and a 15cm x 15cm, so that's the equivalent of 5 squares.

I will sew in ends, do you want me to iron and try to block? Or will you do it, based on the vagaries of everyone's 15cm? Both my squares are pretty stretchy for cotton.

NQC don't worry about blocking or pressing, I think we will have to set the iron according to how much shrinkage will be needed! Thanks so much, have e-mailed you on your preferred address.
SP, not sure when the CAT was sent but I have certainly packed you off some cotton yarn yesterday Hope it reaches you soon, thanks for coming on board!

I must get knitting - will look up threads for instructions.

Oooh blocking. My mum mentioned this earlier in the week, saying she had done it to her square. I had no idea what she was talking about.... but thankfully you quite clearly do

Precis for you TM - 15cm squares in pure cotton dk, seems to work out at about 30 stitches/40 rows for 4mm needles. We need a 5 row 4 stitch moss stitch border so as we can sew the thing up at the end.
you kept quiet about this particular talent! Nice to have you join us

I am confident that your mum's above all contributions will need little attention SueW
Unlike the spavined looking rhomboid I have just added to my growing stack...

very worried about the moss stitch aspect, can do it but it's been ages. Will have to do some quick revision.

Moss stitch is just a k1 p1 rib, but messed up - so you k where you should p, and p where you should k.

I think a garter stitch border works fine too, although not for the sides - it's just about making it stay flat.

I have knitted a plain square (with the moss stitch border) but getting nervous after reading busybusybee's post about a pattern - is plain knitting okay or am I supposed to have done something clever with it?!

sis, I think some plain squares will be very good. More variety.

OK I'm being very slow, although that could be my lack of practice - I've had to restart a few times and I think I've been looping the yarn the wrong way round on the pearl stitches

Square No2 looks miles better DS2 can keep the first one, he's impressed and wants to learn to knit. Any idea where I can get childrens needles from, I vaguely remember that they are in two colours and shorter than adult ones....?

Marina, where do I get your address from? Are you going to email everyone or should I email you again first?

sis, plain is great, it will be important to have all sorts

serenity, you can get children's needles in John Lewis, or several places online. Dd wanted to learn and was havign real problems, and the owner of my local shop said that often children get on better with metal needles to start with as the bendiness of the plastic ones can make it harder for them. They just need to be short, really. dd couldn't manage either sort, although we are planning to try again soon!

Thanks, NQC and Tamum - like spookyserenity, it took a few attempts before I got the plain square - it could take weeks to incorporate a pattern - although I am very impressed by those who can dream up patterns and knit them.