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Arts and crafts

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What are you knitting? What should I do next?

57 replies

DickSwivellersTidyWife · 14/02/2012 17:57

I am a beginner/intermediate, hate sewing up.

I have just done a hat for me - Whistler Beanie from a Sublime book, and a baby beanie , Rosey Posie Beanie , also Sublime.

I have a huge stash of DK yarns of varying niceness. Lots of small people patterns and books.

So, another baby hat?
Bootees - not done those before.
A toddler hat knitted in the round? I have a set of circs and some DPNs for Christmas and Itty Bitty Hats book but have been too chicken to try knitting in the round yet
this Pixie hat ?
Or these cute bunnies

What do you reckon?

OP posts:
trumpton · 14/02/2012 20:28

I vote for a hat in the round. It's lovely to knit every stitch ( rather than one row knit one row purl ) and no sewing up.

mynaughtylittlesister · 14/02/2012 20:35

I am knitting the draught excluder that Kirsty Alsopp knitted in one of her programmes a couple of years ago. DD3 is also helping me with it! Its www.thewoolsanctuary.com/shared/images/content/bus_17705/DSCF872653.JPG

DD3 is 11 and has only just started knitting so its great for her and I am not that experienced either. Hopefully between us we will get it finished.

The other thing that I have just finished is a tea cosy of a house - that was a bit tricky as I needed to keep the wool from tangling with each other and at times I had5 different strands of wool on the go!

tribpot · 14/02/2012 20:37

You'll love knitting in the round if you hate sewing up. But it's worth checking out YouTube for some vids of how to do it, esp on DPNs, if you haven't done it before. My first effort turned out not to go round (if you see what I mean) and the second was inside out Grin

I've just done this hat which was fantastic to knit, really clear instructions to size it to your yarn and the head you are knitting for and free!

DickSwivellersTidyWife · 14/02/2012 21:01

That hat is beautiful tribpot, the yarns sound lovely!

It's going to have to be a hat in the round, isn't it. I think I will use some cheapo acrylic rather than my posh stuff, in case it is a disaster.

Of course, if it turns out lovely I will have a homeless acrylic hat, but it isn't the super nasty kind Smile
I will let you know how it goes.

OP posts:
tribpot · 14/02/2012 21:12

Yup, I just used some stuff I had in, which means I'm not too annoyed that the yarns don't go together quite as well as the ones in the pic - and if you join Ravelry you can see many other fine examples of it in different yarns and weights, along with about a gazillion other patterns of every possible kind :)

I found knitting it 'properly' in the round a bit difficult as the loop was only just larger than my head. In retrospect I wish I had just changed cords and done it stylee.

The other thing I'm working on is this vintage baby cardigan knit in the round but I don't know if you'll be able to see the pattern if you're not a Ravelry member.

Wolfiefan · 14/02/2012 21:16

I hate making things up. I have started knitting socks in the round. Some wonderful 4ply sock yarns about.

DickSwivellersTidyWife · 14/02/2012 21:22

I am on Ravelry Smile Will have a mooch. But it just makes me want to buy stuff. I have yarns and patterns and books coming out of my ears!

2 large vac pacs of wool under the bed, zillions of pattern books and actual books, most of which get looked at rather than knitted from, you know the sort of thing - I am looking at YOU Erika Knight

OP posts:
MiniEggsAreTheWorkOfTheDevil · 14/02/2012 21:27

Oh gawd, knitting in the round is my nemesis. I CANNOT do it! Do you lot use lots of needles or one of those ones with a needle either end joined with a plastic string thingy. I've tried the billions of needles one, spent HOURS driving myself mad with the stupid things. It looks like it should be so simple but it's not
Now I've learned to crochet so I can make lots of lovely round things

tribpot · 14/02/2012 21:28

Yes - I think I have about seven projects on the go simultaneously because I click on another pattern and think 'ooh that'd be good'. Fortunately my aimless 'knitting for the friends' babies who are due about now-ish' period is over, replaced with 'holy horse, the babies have started arriving' so I have a bunch of stuff to get finished off before starting anything new! Trouble is, you don't want to be sat in July slogging through a hat you can't wear til October or November!

DickSwivellersTidyWife · 14/02/2012 21:31

I am ignoring the WIPs. I want to start a new one Grin

I have Crochet Unravelled, a hook, but not enough patience I fear - the Americans calling the crochet stitches by different names totally confuses me too and I can't even do an even foundation chain

OP posts:
tribpot · 14/02/2012 21:36

MiniEggs - you can do it either way, lots of needles with two ends (double-pointed) or one with a plastic string thingy (circular).

I did a class on it last weekend at my local wool shop and I was pleased to see that everyone, including experienced knitters, found it utterly unintuitive to get started with. It takes a few goes but with the help of YouTube, and I might have dipped into my good old Knitting for Dummies as well, it's actually pretty easy to get the hang of.

What's worse is that knitting on double-pointed needles and using the Magic Loop to knit on a circular needle (when the round is too small to just be knit round and round on a circular needle, e.g. if you're doing a sock or the start of a hat) are quite different, so the class basically went:

Teacher: attach what feels like 45 different needles to your work and get going.
Class: WTAF
Teacher: It's fine, just keep going.

Class: Hurrah, can knit in the round on double-pointed needles
Teacher: And now .. magic loop.
Class: WTAF x 2
Teacher: I don't use this technique, have I demonstrated it correctly?
Me: Yes, you did it the same as in the YouTube video I watched

Half of class: I totally heart Magic Loop.
Other half of class: I totally hate Magic Loop, give me back my double-pointed needles.

The trick with the DPNs is to ignore the two you aren't knitting with. The stitches won't fall off, even I don't have a problem and my knitting is hopelessly loose. Non-metal ones help as well - bamboo and wood are lovely.

DickSwivellersTidyWife · 14/02/2012 21:40

Love that description of the class Shock

Just need to get off here and Pinterest and go cast on.

OP posts:
Lilymaid · 14/02/2012 21:44

A cardigan from a Rowan book that had been reduced in price at John Lewis. I'd never used a Rowan pattern before (and haven't done much knitting for 20 years) so found the diagram/grid for the (only 4 row) pattern difficult to work out. Assistant in JL suggested printing it onto A3 paper so that it was legible ... so I've done that and have written out the pattern so I can follow it. Grrr ... all too new fangled for me - I expect to complete it in the next 5 years at this rate.

DickSwivellersTidyWife · 14/02/2012 21:54

I often write out the patterns more clearly in a notebook and write down how many rows I have left of a certain section then lose the notebook

Get bored so quickly as well - the hat I made for myself took ages so I prefer doing small things for babies really ATM. And I go wrong sometimes where there are brackets and repeat the wrong bits, I'm still learning.

Used two colours in one item for the first time last week Smile Still not done cables but I think I get how to, not knitted in the round yet, etc. I like it though.

OP posts:
tribpot · 14/02/2012 22:10

There's a lovely blanket I want to do on Ravelry where the author has admitted there's a fairly major typo in her instructions but she can't be arsed re-writing them - I can understand it's hardly a priority for her when it's a pattern she's made available for free! So someone else has had a go at correcting it, but incomprehensibly refers to the original colours of various bits of text, so it says 'repeat the next number in blue' but the next numbers are in green!

So that one I definitely will be writing out to be more comprehensible before I have another go at it.

For keeping track of rows, I use my trusty iPhone app, although there's then quite a lot of duplication with keeping track of my projects on Ravelry as well.

If you fancy hats not knit in the round (although some of them can be adapted), I'm also doing some of these.

tribpot · 14/02/2012 22:15

Oh and if I ever manage to stop fannying about with the 97 projects I have to finish, next up is a classic Baby Surprise Jacket. From YouTube I get the impression people get to the end of knitting it and think 'well what in the name of hell is that supposed to be?' You fold the bits in in a certain way and - presto: jacket.

DickSwivellersTidyWife · 14/02/2012 22:19

Is that the Zimmerman one? I have the Knitting without Tears book somewhere

OP posts:
tribpot · 14/02/2012 22:23

It is - but the BSJ isn't in the Knitting Without Tears book - a slightly different one is. I got Knitting Workshop recently at vast expense!

DickSwivellersTidyWife · 14/02/2012 22:26

I love the book. Where she gives you a good bollocking for knitting too tightly - she's like, if you are all hunched up, trying to get your needle into the next stitch because you knit so tight (wait for lovely explanation of how to improve this) then, stop doing it. PMSL. She is no nonsense.

OP posts:
Molehillmountain · 14/02/2012 22:31

Chunky jacket for dd1 but have lost enthusiasm for it and keep lusting after yet more patterns and wool. Think I'm going to go super chunky soon to make the finishing come more quickly! Dc won't be able to put their arms by their sides and will look a but Michelin man but there you go!

Molehillmountain · 14/02/2012 22:33

How cool is the baby surprise jacket?!!

DickSwivellersTidyWife · 14/02/2012 22:34

I did a couple of hats in Sirdar Indie just before Christmas, they took about an hour and a half each, super quick, on 10 and 12mm needles.

Total fail at getting off here and casting on. Whoops.

OP posts:
tribpot · 14/02/2012 23:05

The BSJ supposedly doesn't take that long because it's all one mad piece of garter stitch, but I think some Mumsnetters have actually done it if you want a second opinion!

Salteena · 14/02/2012 23:50

Get thee to Ravelry and search for the Madeline Tosh Honey Cowl. Then knit one for yourself. It is truly fab, perfect for the current cold weather, and a really easy pattern that looks great. Knitted on a circular needle so no seam sewing - hurrah!

I've knitted one for myself and now I'm itching to do another.....

Salteena · 14/02/2012 23:53

Whoops, just re-read and you were after baby things, OP.....but what the heck, make the cowl anyway!