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Original poster

Knitting chat

120 replies

wannabesybil · 20/08/2011 17:04

Is this a good place to have a place for just chat, perhaps tangentially touching on knitting or any craft.

I am always chopping and changing my projects and have lost count of unfinished ones. I enjoy the chat around the stuff.

Today I am feeling so flattened I am almost certainly about to start a new project. I always get cheered up by a new project and depressed when I finish anything. Currently the most outrageous project outstanding is a sweater that actually took about three weeks to knit, not going much, and has been waiting for the final three seams to be stitched for over two years now. Anyone else feel the same?

OP posts:
Meow75 · 26/08/2011 09:07

Kniternator Good luck, they all sound lovely. Post pics on your profile if you can manage it when they're done. I love admiring other people's work. It inspires me to try new techniques!!

Whenisitmysleepytime Welcome to the wonderful world of knitting. We hope you'll be very happy here! Grin

Whenisitmysleepytime · 26/08/2011 13:04

thanks meow!
i never thought i'd turn into a wool snob! Shock or do refer to it as yarn? or is that just americans?
I just want to fit in! Blush

bran · 26/08/2011 13:19

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Original poster
wannabesybil · 26/08/2011 17:50

Whenismysleepytime - I always call it yarn because most of the weird and cheapo acrylic stuff I use has never been near a sheep. Then there are all the cashmere/silk blends and the cotton/milk protein blends, and the yarn made out of woodpulp and I think there is a yarn made out of marine algae (you couldn't make it up!). However, secretly and deep down, I always think of it as wool. Some things go to the bone. But given the skinflint attitude to yarn buying I have, I don't usually end up with something that started off on a sheep.

Case in point - I am feeling low, so I start yet another project. I am feeling experimental (probably just mental) and I use some long eyelash yarn that is designed to knit on 4mm needles. Except I decide to be all adventurous and put it on size 10mm needles, and I am doing one of those curly scarves where every so often you increase into every stitch in a row. I wanted a sort of fish net effect (the yarn is black) so in between the increase rows I am knitting twisted drop stitch which is a stitch where you wrap the yarn twice round the needles but slide both loops off at the end of the stitch.

So I am knitting on the wrong sized needles, using iffy stitches for long eyelash and the dratted cheapo yarn is knotting everywhere - I start off the evening by undoing the fragment I had managed because a load of stitches had slipped off the other end of the circular needle, then I cast on again, then I unknot it, then I knit a row, then I unknot the yarn, then I increase into every stitch, unknotting half way along and again at the end...

I think with yarn that quite often you get what you pay for. Also, thinking before you cast on is also a good idea. I will carry on to the bitter death with this, but I am loathing the sight of it.

OP posts:
JemimaMuddledUp · 27/08/2011 12:08

Ooh, can I join?

I love knitting, and have always got something on the go. I have just finished three squares for Magic's blanket (the Debbie Bliss wool was beautiful, I wish I could afford to knit with that all the time!).

I am also knitting hats for the Big Knit, using up odds and ends of cheap acrylic DK. I have knitted 10 so far, which was my original target, so I am going to try and do another 10.

I am halfway through a pair of gloves from this book, knitted in a lovely self patterning 4ply wool. It is the second pair that I have made from the same pattern, I fancied a different colour this winter. I like small projects that I can keep in my bag and whip out at the park or on the bus, I seem to finish them a lot quicker that way. We are going on holiday tomorrow and I am taking my gloves with me, they should be finished by the time we get back.

Off to the wool shop this afternoon to get some not too expensive Merino Blend DK as I have been inspired by the MN blankets to do some squares for myself. Not sure if they will be for cushions or a blanket, it depends how many I manage to make!

Original poster
wannabesybil · 28/08/2011 15:00

I just am so impressed at those who knit squares. I loathe sewing up so much that I would rather cast on 300 stitches and just keep going. And squares do look good.

My late great aunt, who ran a wool shop, used to do strips, that is, blocks of colour but instead of casting off when she came to the end of the 'square' she just changed colour/pattern.

Still too much sewing for me.

OP posts:
calrabbit · 29/08/2011 17:50

I finished my last square and have added a photo on my profile I will now get them posted off tomorrow with the little bit of spare wool left. I have taken a look at the pictures of all the other squares that people have posted and they are lovely. Stars all around for everyone involved.

calrabbit · 29/08/2011 18:01

sorry wrong thread.... (blush)

Original poster
wannabesybil · 29/08/2011 22:21

calrabbit - stay and natter, if you like. It just seemed to me that lots of people knatter about knitting in other threads, so why not have a knitting chat thread? Or crochet. Or cross stitch. Or anything, really.

And I still admire those who do squares.

OP posts:
calrabbit · 30/08/2011 09:34

I will stay and chat. I only started knitting earlier this year with most of my advice (and addiction to Ravelry...) gained from mumsnet. I have enjoyed doing the squares so due to this thread I have now been tempted to buy a book on Amazon about making something bigger with squares, I am not sure which one would be best, any recommendations from here ?

levantine · 30/08/2011 10:06

I am three quarters of the way through a cardigan for DS2 and have only now realised that it is going to be too small Sad. No idea why, my guage is spot on.

I also have a sock half done, one fingerless mitten and another baby cardigan. I sometimes havea binge and finish all my undone projects which feels really good

Whenisitmysleepytime · 30/08/2011 11:21

Levantine I hate that too! I made ds a pair if mittens. Well I made one but despite my gauge being spot on it was enormous! And freakishly large. Small size toddler would have fitted me!!!
I gave up on that pattern. Hmm

I'm about to start a hat for dd (when I get right needles etc) and am hoping the factthat no one on ravelry has moaned about the sizing means it'll be fairly true to the pattern IYSWIM.

Original poster
wannabesybil · 30/08/2011 14:55

Just to let you know, patterns can be wrong. Sometimes in magazines a correction is printed for a pattern published the month before.

Also, tension can alter with mood. My tension is somewhere around very nearly close to where it ought to be most of the time, but I rejig the shaping on sleeves to prevent the 'cuffs hanging by the knees' effect that can happen if the tension is a tiny bit off.

Sometimes you just have to say that the pattern is wrong and use the yarn for something else. It's amazing how often that happens with me.

OP posts:
levantine · 30/08/2011 17:46

I know but it is so annoying - I bought the yarn especially for this cardigan, and it is in three different colours, so not really enough to make anything else out of. I think I might have to do the maths and redo it, it is bulky so it knits up pretty quickly

Original poster
wannabesybil · 30/08/2011 18:17

levantine - I really admire you for 'doing the maths'. I know the theory, but don't fancy the practice. Is it enough to just change needle size? It sounds like you have your hands full, but it is a shame when you are stuck with yarn you can't use for something else.

OP posts:
levantine · 30/08/2011 19:24

I don't really mind, I am totally slapdash in most areas of my life but in knitting I am an utter perfectionist

Whenisitmysleepytime · 30/08/2011 21:08

Gaaah! I've lost my mojo. :(
Spent the last 45 minutes trying to knit and done it all wrong so spent most of that time ripping stitches out and redoing it and counting to check I've not lost any.
I'm in a huff!

Original poster
wannabesybil · 31/08/2011 10:51

Whenisitmysleepytime - so sorry. It is pants when you have a cursed knitting day. I usually start a new project. I think my unfinished project total is approaching three figures.

I've been grumbling about the weather. However it is great weather to sit down with the tv on something soothing, a hot chocolate and your knitting in a comfy chair. I am planning my evening round it! Though it is a bit ridiculous to do the 'nights are drawing in' knitting in August!

OP posts:
Whenisitmysleepytime · 31/08/2011 13:01

I think it's coming back thanks Sybil. :)
Maybe good karma for signing up for the most recent mn blanket. :(
Feel good for signing up but sad that there's any need to.

Whenisitmysleepytime · 01/09/2011 10:56

ok this is serious. i am an addict!

i have just spent £50 online in the last 24h on knitting stuff. please don't judge the fact that i still haven't finished anything! Blush

Bettymum · 01/09/2011 11:15

Hello ladies, can I join?
I learned to knit from my mum when I was about 7, made a couple of dodgy scarves and then didn't do much till DD was born 3 1/2 years ago when I decided to knit a nativity set for my mum Confused. So after knitting Mary, Joseph, Jesus in his crib, two shepherds, three wise men and a couple of sheep I was hooked Grin.
Now I mostly knit jumpers and hats and toys for the DCs, but I made my SIL a lovely scarf last year out of bamboo yarn and I'm currently doing one for myself - in between sewing, patchworking and trying to finish a cross stitch for DS that I got before he was born and still haven't finished. The beauty of knitting is that I can do bits while I watch the DCs, the cross stitch I need peace and quiet and concentration to do so don't get round to doing it much! Must finish it as I'm not sure it would go down brilliantly with a 16-year old boy.

Bettymum · 01/09/2011 11:17

p.s. calrabbit I have this book on knitted squares I used it to knit a couple of squares for Edgar's blanket :( although I did have to tweak them slightly to fit.

levantine · 01/09/2011 15:58

Does anyone else get pain in their forearm if they overdo it on the knitting? I have been getting that quite a bit recently and have had to cut it down a bit Sad

Terpsichore · 01/09/2011 16:17

levantine, yes, I do (butting into the thread here Blush). I'm knitting a lovely shawl/scarf-type thingy from Ravelry called a Stripe Study and it's reassuringly simple to do, although looks complicated. But it does involve ever-lengthening rows of garter-stitch, which are now starting to feel very long indeed......can't wait to finish, though, and admire the end result

LatteLady · 01/09/2011 21:12

I have just finished my squares for Magic's blanket, I used The Knitter Magazine e-zine as I am also making a Refuge charity blanket and Nicky Epstein's - Knitting Block by Block... all links are on the blog

Levantine - which needles are you using?