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Original poster

Help me find a suitable knitting pattern please?

34 replies

MaggieW · 20/02/2012 11:39

I'm returning to knitting having not picked up needles since teenage years (so a long time ago!) and am looking for a pattern to get me back into it - perhaps a child's vest/sleeveless top that is like a cricket style vest but that can be knitted in wool - maybe with stripes or some sort of cable on it. I'd like one to fit a 11 yo boy and 9 yo girl please? Can anyone point me in the right direction please? TIA.

OP posts:
warthog · 20/02/2012 11:43

i'd recommend that you sign up to [[www.ravelry.com ravelry]. it's got a wealth of amazing patterns amongst other things.

warthog · 20/02/2012 11:44

that didn't work!

ravelry

DickSwivellersTidyWife · 20/02/2012 12:49

I have this pattern somewhere and it sounds like what you are looking for

KnitterNotTwitter · 20/02/2012 12:55

I've knitted this vest and it's pretty streatchy so should fit your kids - it gots up to age 8.

Is that the sort of thing you want?

tribpot · 20/02/2012 13:03

There's also the Owlet but that be one to work up to. I also have this one which I think is pretty straight-forward but the Crofter yarn makes it look really great.

tribpot · 20/02/2012 13:08

Oooh, I also did a search on ravelry (clothing = top->sleeveless, age = 4-12, pattern = free) and there is this which looks nice (pattern also available here).

DickSwivellersTidyWife · 20/02/2012 13:14

KnitternotTwitter - I like that vest, did you knit it in a DK or an Aran? The wool weight looks a bit in-between to me

KnitterNotTwitter · 20/02/2012 13:45

Hey - here is my Ravelry record of the one I knitted. My notes say I used Worstead!

DickSwivellersTidyWife · 20/02/2012 13:51

You can really see the pattern in your photos - it looks great.

KnitterNotTwitter · 20/02/2012 16:25

thanks

RedRosie · 20/02/2012 20:09

Can I hijack?

Not up to these standards, but I am a beginning knitter ... I may be getting addicted.

Is there a website where I can find easy patterns - either to buy online or free? They do need to be simple.

cerys74 · 20/02/2012 20:14

Ravelry again RedRosie - link's at top of thread! All ability levels....

RedRosie · 20/02/2012 20:34

Thanks cerys74 - I will look around for the really (really) easy stuff. Am still at the sobbing stage when I make a mistake...

tribpot · 20/02/2012 20:56

If you do an advanced search, RedRosie, you can set the difficulty level to 1 (although I set it to 10, impossible, just to see what would come back - a real odd mix of stuff that I think some user's taken against and rated impossible!).

How about a facecloth? Not too distressing if it has to be pulled back, and if it ends up a bit wiggly it doesn't matter. I quite like this martini glass pattern Grin

RedRosie · 20/02/2012 21:24

Fantastic tribpot, thanks. I am enjoying it, although do get a bit tearful (or v cross with myself) when it all goes wrong. Perfectionist, which is unfortunate when learning any new skill.

[Reminds self that I only started on 10 January]

Ambition is to make something (other than a scarf) that I can wear.

cerys74 · 20/02/2012 22:40

RedRosie- it has taken me 5 years to knit a proper item of clothing! A raglan jumper for my sister for Xmas. I was so proud Grin

grimblesmother · 20/02/2012 22:48

Oh my word, what a fabulous website that Ravelry is!

Another beginner here, and I'm heartily sick of scarves Grin

RedRosie · 21/02/2012 07:33

I would definately recommend bamboo needles if you are not using them already grimbles.

Thank you, oh crafty women of Mumsnet.

grimblesmother · 22/02/2012 22:38

I'm not, I will, thanks RedRosie.

I quite fancy a little baby hat from that ravelry site but it involves knitting "in the round" or "joined-up" or something, so that will require a little research.

(I'm just picturing all the seasoned knitters going Hmm )

I had a go at crochet, I had it in my head that it's easier than knitting.

It's not, is it?

tribpot · 23/02/2012 05:17

grimbles, you've got the basic idea of knitting in the round. Instead of going from one side to the other and back again on a pair of straight needles, you cast on the stitches, basically join the last to the first one and keep on going round and round and round - creating a tube as you go.

A baby hat will be a bit tricky to do as a first project knitting in the round, because the circumference of the tube is very small and so you'll either need to use the dreaded double-pointed needles, where you basically share out the stitches of the tube on 3 or 4 needles and knit around them with another, or the good old method, which is doable but takes a few goes to understand.

A baby hat is still a good project but I'd be tempted to start with one that's knit flat and then sewn up at the end. I've got this pattern, but there are loads on Ravelry for hats - both baby and otherwise - which are also knit flat.

RedRosie · 23/02/2012 08:58

Hi Grimbles - I'm using a pattern (project 3 in my learn to knit book Knitty Gritty - a nice book BTW, would recommend) for a simple hat on standard straight needles. I'm just at the stage of reducing now, and its going quite well. Although who is to say what it will look like at the end!

I love the idea of knitting in the round, but it looks a bit advanced for me.

funchum8am · 25/02/2012 20:01

hi everyone I am also a relative beginner - done one scarf and am now on a baby cardi for my newborn niece. Ravelry is brilliant and I have knotty gritty as well. Can I ask all the experienced knitters - when you get stuck where do you go for advice? I need a kind auntie or someone who will come round and help me out when I get stuck else I have to start again just because of one little mistake. I know how to go back with knit stitches but not purl stitches yet (someone is going to tell me it's the same.....) but there are other cockups I haven't got the skills to unpick yet. Is there some handy advice line I need to know about?!

tribpot · 25/02/2012 20:14

funchum, you can always go to your local knitting shop and they will help out - my local one for example is Baa Ram Ewe and they have a knitting evening on a Thursday.

If you have a look on Ravelry under yarn, you can at least find the yarn shops near you and they'll probably have a group on Ravelry. Also there are regional groups on there too, so hopefully you'll be able to find some help in person. As well as that, You Tube is your friend, I like the PlanetPurl videos but there are loads to choose from.

funchum8am · 25/02/2012 20:21

A knitting group would be brilliant - do the people there not mind if you turn up and (effectively) say "please drop your knitting and help me out with mine instead" though? And the local knitting shop is of course a great idea, hadn't thought of that (was given the book that got me started as a gift and bought yarn online).

tribpot · 25/02/2012 20:31

I have to confess, the only knitting group I know of is one my friend goes to in London, which seems mainly to consist of learning how to drink from a large wine glass whilst avoiding poking yourself in the eye with a double-pointed needle :) I'm sure it would be okay to ask for help, though - I'm assuming the point of knitting group (other than aforementioned wine drinking) is to share tips and skills, as well as gossip of course!

I'm also quite sure your local shop would be happy to help out if you bought some yarn from them in return :) I mostly buy online but I can justify that because my shop specialises mainly in high end brands, and for my early projects, esp for babies, I prefer something I think is going to be fairly easy to machine wash without 'reshape whilst damp' type problems.