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Original poster

More knitting chat ...

473 replies

NotQuiteCockney · 27/01/2006 10:28

Ok, new pictures, photobucket.com/albums/c176/NotQuiteCockney/?sc=6 . I like both new hats, although the photos are rubbish. (Am I not holding the camera still?)

Not sure what to do next, am slightly uninspired. Thinking about tubular knitting? DH has a colleague whose wife is having a baby, so I should do one for them ...

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Original poster
NotQuiteCockney · 01/03/2006 14:41

Someone today tried to commission me to make a blanket! And as she wasn't dressed head to toe in gold and diamonds, I had to quietly talk her through, ok, yarn will cost X and then ...

I did suggest she could knit the blanket herself (she said, she only knows how to do knits and purls ... which is of course more than enough). Or, she likes sewing, so I recommended buying thrift store sweaters, felting them, and making a patchwork.

But I think she's on for making it herself, and I might be even unloading some of my horrible acrylic stash on her. (At the same amount I paid for it.)

Still, the handholding and pattern-mangling involved will be easier than making a blanket for someone ...

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Original poster
NotQuiteCockney · 01/03/2006 14:42

Oh, and I like \link{http://www.angelfire.com/home/avital/insane.html\this} page.

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tamum · 01/03/2006 14:44

Wow, she's obviously impressed with yur knitting! I agree, far easier to supervise her though, and excellent stash unloading opportunity. Loads of the Debbie Abrahams blanket squares only use knit and purl to make pictures and things.

Original poster
NotQuiteCockney · 01/03/2006 14:51

I think I'll just recommend the SnB blanket, that's really simple.

It's a weird blanket request, anyway. Apparently her grandkids have lots of old afgan squares type blankets, and her son (who is an adult) wants a lap blanket of his own.

Hmm, thinking about it, she likes sewing, so maybe I should just talk her through making squares, and give her some patterns for squares?

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tamum · 01/03/2006 14:53

That's what I'd do, yes, especially if she likes sewing. You could suggest she gets the Debbie Abrahams book- it's quite inspiring :)

Original poster
NotQuiteCockney · 01/03/2006 14:55

I thought the charity shop sweaters plan was inspired, but she seemed a bit put-off by it.

Well, if it means I can unload some of the crappy synthetic stuff I will never knit with ...

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Original poster
NotQuiteCockney · 01/03/2006 18:56

tamum, I don't think she's very interested in knitting per se.

Hey, are there any UK knitters forums, other than the angelyarns ones? UKHK is all very well, but it's a lot of email and hard to use, really.

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tamum · 02/03/2006 17:56

I don't know of any other forums, I'm afraid. There are a few around based at other yarn stores (Laughing Hens, I think?) but they always seem rather Marie Celeste-like. FWIW I don't do the email thing with UKHK, just look on the web.

Finished the back and yoke of my jacket but have a horrible feeling it's not going to look nice....

Original poster
NotQuiteCockney · 02/03/2006 19:24

Oh, just raised this forum question in email.

Marie Celeste = empty? Ghost ship?

I have all the email from UKHK, but I get it sent to a separate gmail account. I probably shouldn't receive it at all. Particularly as, whenever I try to post to UKHK from the gmail account, it never ever works.

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tamum · 02/03/2006 19:27

Yeah, empty and ghost-like. Just very few posts. Have you tried just using the website for UKHK? I am very selective about the posts I read, and hardly look at it at the moment.

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NotQuiteCockney · 02/03/2006 19:29

I do use the website for posting, but not for reading.

The gmail account just organises threads better for me, making it less annoying to read, iyswim. All the posts re: the same subject are grouped together.

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tamum · 02/03/2006 19:31

Well, you can do that too- just click on the as "thread" button. It's the content that bothers me, not the style!

Original poster
NotQuiteCockney · 02/03/2006 19:34

What's wrong with the content? Too much chat?

I don't mind what's there, I mind that it's so ... disorganised, iyswim.

Oh, and the angelyarns forums seemed really fluffy and annoying. Someone posted a link to a page full of yarn art with accidents, blood etc. It was cute. And everyone said it was gross! (Do you know the thing I mean? I'll find a link.)

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tamum · 02/03/2006 20:10

Hmm, just boring a lot of the time. Lots of furious catty rows in the last couple of months, a lot of very opinionated people. Dunno really. Not like here, eh Wink

Original poster
NotQuiteCockney · 02/03/2006 20:19

I think the format here makes it easier to avoid subjects you're not interested in.

The KR forums look good, anyway, I'm poking about there.

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Original poster
NotQuiteCockney · 03/03/2006 21:50

Hmm, just noticed that the linen and cotton yarn I got from ebay is slubby. I'm not used to slubby stuff. What's good and bad with slubby?

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Original poster
NotQuiteCockney · 04/03/2006 21:36

And now I'm being won around to the Dark Side. I got a pair of metal Addi Turbos a few months back, as they were in a size that kangaroo didn't have bamboos in.

I finally tried them yesterday, on an annoying slubby yarn.

They're really really good. Smooth, nice to use, really comfortable. I think I might be going back to metal!

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UCM · 04/03/2006 23:53

I wanted to join as friend mum has just showed me how to cast on & off. But I think I am not quite good enough yet. Its' nice to hear the click clacks though!!!

Original poster
NotQuiteCockney · 05/03/2006 08:01

There are lots of new knitters on here, UCM, nothing wrong with new knitters!

What sort of thing are you planning as your first project? (I highly recommend a scarf or blanket, something really really simple ...)

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TuttiFrutti · 05/03/2006 09:29

I started knitting about a month ago and the first thing I tackled was a scarf for myself. I'm now making a hat for my baby.

Both patterns were from Simply Knitting magazine, which I've found really helpful. It has idiot-proof sections on how to do the really basic stuff like casting on.

sammac · 05/03/2006 19:55

Dh been clearing the loft and has brought down a black bin bag full of wool and unfinished things. Can't wait to go and rummage around in it. Hopefully I'll find something nice :)

I feel like Santa's been!

motherpeculiar · 07/03/2006 16:02

hello everyone

blog looks good NQC, aiming to get around to trying out your hat pattern one of these days

in the meantime - my felting has been a complete disaster, nothing felted after many wash cycles(well, apart from one tiny bit of blue stuff, which was exactly the same as all the other yarn I tried, just, well, blue) so I've run out of steam a bit. Haven't managed to get going on a new project as I am so tired of having to buy everything online or by mail order because I can't get to look at stuff. It requires me to be far more organised than 2 dds and a full time job squeezed into 3days allows!

Ok, moan over. I'm sure I'll come up with something soon...

hope everyone, old and new knitters alike, is well and click clacking away

bundle · 07/03/2006 16:18

oh bummer, motherpeculiar, re: the non-existent felting...any tips anyone? i will try and remember to bring in dolly pattern to photocopy for you this week, it just needs any 4 ply yarns but odds & ends for hair/clothes, x

motherpeculiar · 07/03/2006 21:21

thanks bundle, those dollies could be just the trick to get my motivation up and running again.

Cheers Smile

tamum · 07/03/2006 21:29

Oh, what a shame motherpeculiar. I guess it's worth trying to felt some more swatches, do you think? It depends on whether it was the yarn or the washing machine, I suppose.

NQC, I think Summer Tweed is a bit slubby, but I don't think there's any real trick really. It's bound to give quite an uneven tension, but that's part of the charm (or so I tell myself). I am knitting with some Jaeger Merino (very resilient and springy) and, separately, with Rowanspun DK which has absolutely no give in it at all- it's quite interesting how very different that makes the knitting.

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