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Original poster

Knitters' Thread ...

141 replies

NotQuiteCockney · 08/07/2006 19:40

I have started knitting again. I've finished two baby hats (one with a four-eyelet design, another with panels of a fern-looking lace) and am working on one with a simple all-over lace.

I figured lace made sense for this weather.

What is everyone else working on?

OP posts:
FanjoFanjoWhosGotTheFanjo · 02/08/2006 06:42

Welcome, eenywifemum!

How are you learning to knit? Those video links are good.

There are lots of online patterns, which can be nice to give you ideas, even if you don't want to follow a pattern (I never follow a pattern).

warthog · 02/08/2006 11:56

hi eenywifemum! glad you're enjoying it!

i've now finished THE SOCK and it looks pretty good. trying a different pattern now, and will make a pair out the best pattern.

fanjo, am very pleased. have been knitting lace and didn't know it! hah so how do you make your own patterns? do you adapt one or do you know what needle size, wool and number of stitches you need for say a sweater? i tried making up my own patterns but invariably got something wrong, so i adapt from patterns now.

eenywifemum · 02/08/2006 13:19

Thanks for the welcomes

I am watching the videos on knittinghelp with my husband who is great at picking things up, then he sort of translates the instructions for me if I havent got it the first time, and my friend who lives in Vegas is there on hand for any questions. It's working surprisingly well!

I got the yarn in the post today for my husbands scarf - it is super super kitten soft but I am worried isnt 'stiff' or warm enough to make a good men's scarf. Will have to see how it knits up on a sample I guess! It is Sirdar (is that the brand?) 50% merino wool and 50% acrylic. I got it off ebay. It's beautiful I just worry it is too soft IYSWIM.

eenywifemum · 02/08/2006 13:20

Meant to say - this is SUCH a welcome diversion as I am at the end of my pregnancy and can barely move I only wish I knew how to knit before when I was on bedrest that would have been a godsend!

warthog · 02/08/2006 19:22

i wouldn't worry about whether the wool would make a good men's scarf or not. you're really using it as an opportunity to brush up your skills. you could always use it yourself or give it to someone else if your dh doesn't like it. failing which, oxfam!

Original poster
NotQuiteCockney · 02/08/2006 19:25

warthog, I mostly make hats, which are easier without patterns (it's just half a sphere, really). I pick out a texture I like, do a sample square, to work out how many repeats in a hat, and start knitting.

I decide on the type of wool based on what's in my (terrifying) stash. Then pick the right needles for wool (bigger if lace), and then just have at.

I think the Elizabeth Zimmerman method for making your own sweaters works ok, my last make-it-up sweater was mostly following one of her patterns.

OP posts:
Original poster
NotQuiteCockney · 02/08/2006 19:27

Oh, and yeah, I wouldn't worry much about the wool. I don't think men's scarves have to be stiff - I made DH a scarf out of merino, and it was lovely.

OP posts:
eenywifemum · 03/08/2006 01:08

thanks for your encouragement!! Well I started knitting it up tonight and decided the yarn is lovely for something else but not this as it was really thin and I was worried not warm enough to replace his winter scarf. This is what I am thinking of getting instead:

here I love it. I cant sleep these days so will probably have bought it by tomorrow.

FanjoFanjoWhosGotTheFanjo · 03/08/2006 06:58

Hmm, that stuff is a bit, well, novelty. It knits up on 15mm needles, which means they're 1.5cm in diameter. And there's only 44 metres of the stuff per ball, so you don't get a great deal of knitting practice for your money.

This looks nice, you could make a fuzzy stripey scarf. This colour is maybe a bit feminine, but 5-5.5 mm is good for a scarf.

If you have yarn you like, but it's knitting up too thin, you can knit with two strands held together, but that might be a bit tricky for a first project. (What size needle does the yarn say it "wants"?)

This one looks cute, too, but no bands isn't a good sign.

FanjoFanjoWhosGotTheFanjo · 03/08/2006 07:00

Oh, should have added, I'm not sure about ebaying for yarn. I've done it, but I didn't really end up using the resulting yarn. I did get a pack of needles from ebay, which worked really well.

Because you need to touch yarn to know what it will be like to knit with, buying in person (or online, from a shop, buying brands you already know about) seems like the best plan to me.

(But then again, I have a ginormous stash, so I am Not Buying Yarn at the moment. Well, and I'll be in Toronto in under two weeks, at the giant knitting store.)

wartywarthog · 03/08/2006 12:50

take a look at this shop . i'd get a double knit thickness wool which is usually knitted on 4 - 5 mm needles (i'd use whatever the label suggested). aran wool is also good for scarves.

perhaps something like this (boring, but it's pure wool and easy to knit with), or perhaps something more colourful . or perhaps a tweed .

eenywifemum · 03/08/2006 14:30

thanks for your suggestions! i actually bought that yarn around 2:30am this morning so I will give it a go and see how it is!! I love all your links though and have saved them in my crafts folder for future reference! I especially like the look of the tweed ones.

What projects are you working on right now?

bouncy · 03/08/2006 15:09

Hi (hope someone can help me)

My sister mentioned ages ago that she wanted to knit herself am aran jumper for the winter, she used to knit loads but when she moved lost all her stuff.

I want to get her some wool, but i have not got a clue how much in grammes she will actually need, I have had a look on ebay (where I live there is nothing within miles).

I dont want to get her too little, I really wouldn't have a clue where to start, she is a size 12. can anyone help me ?

wartywarthog · 03/08/2006 19:25

well it's quite tricky without knowing her size (or the size she wants to knit) and the type of aran jersey she wants to knit. i've linked a few aran jersey patterns, and what i'd do is use them to get a general idea of how much to buy. are you wanting to give her wool as a surprise or does she have a specific pattern that she wants to knit (that would make it a lot easier!)?

fairly old-fashioned baggy aran

another

apparently unisex

some more patterns here

or if you google aran sweater patterns, you might find something she'd like, and take it from there.

hth

FanjoFanjoWhosGotTheFanjo · 03/08/2006 20:09

I've gotten bored with hats (at least for now) and am thinking about making a blanket for my sister's new baby, due at the end of September. So I think I might try a Barbara G Walker thing using garter stitch stripes going in different directions, with picking up stitches and little squares ... anyone else done anything like this? I'm probably not explaining it very well ...

bouncy · 03/08/2006 21:02

wartywarthog Thanks vrey much, that has given me the information I need. Thanks a bunch

My sister has always said she wanted to start again, but gets no time to go shopping etc etc, I wanted to buy her some needles and some wool, Now I know where to start, thanks

cjmummy · 03/08/2006 21:10

Sorry to crash your conversation ladies but just wondered whether any of you make knitted toys and would be willing to make something for me. I am a hopeless knitter but have a knitted toy from when I was little that over the years has fallen apart/been eaten by moths and I would like to have replicated for my ds (well probably for me too if i am honest!). I would obviously be willing to pay if anyone fancies it. Thanks.

FanjoFanjoWhosGotTheFanjo · 03/08/2006 22:15

I don't really do toys, but can you give details of the toy? I'm assuming you don't have a pattern? Re-making something is a bit tricky without a pattern.

wartywarthog · 03/08/2006 22:57

anytime bouncy happy to help. basically, if you find a pattern you think she'll like, it will tell you the right size needles and wool. if the pattern suggests a certain wool but you can't find it, you can substitute another wool as long as the recommended needle size is the same. every ball of wool will tell you what the ideal needle size is.

fanjo, i knitted a blanket in moss and stocking stitch for my dd. took absolute ages on 4mm needles. was a right pita and was really glad when i finished it! i guess it depends on how big you'll make it. problem i found is it gets monotonous pretty quickly, unless there's some interest to keep you going. i was going to crochet dd a blanket (yes, another one - what was i thinking???), but gave up the idea because i couldn't find the colours i wanted. was also secretly worried that i'd be bored out of my mind.

cjmummy, i've never knitted a toy. let us know what it's like. my sil has loads of toy knitting books. if it sounds do-able i'll give it a stab.

FanjoFanjoWhosGotTheFanjo · 04/08/2006 07:11

Oh, no, it won't be anything boring. I think it will be a mosaic stitch sampler. Um, in 3mm. So it will take forever, whoops. But I have started, so I'll carry on.

I didn't know you could do mosaic stitch in a garter stitch style, but you can, so at least it will be flat.

FanjoFanjoWhosGotTheFanjo · 04/08/2006 15:07

Hmmm, I'm working on the centre bit, it will either be a v small blanket or it will take a long time. Not sure yet.

It's really nice and soft and bumpy, and it has deer on it. I have 45 mosaic patterns in the Walker book I can find right now, and I think at least one of my Walker books has more.

wartywarthog · 04/08/2006 18:50

sounds gorgeous! yes, might be very small, or a long term project... how about a cushion?!

cjmummy · 04/08/2006 19:42

thank fanjo and wartywarthog ... you are right I dont have anything as helpful as a pattern though I can probably get a couple of photos of the original over the weekend - if not the original itself! I dont think it was anything particularly sophisticated - I have had it for as long as I can remember ... certainly since 1973 ish!! It is a pretty basic knitted clown with a round cushion-like body and cone like hat on its head ... its very flat I used to use it as a pillow when I was ill. I am no good at doing links so could I email any photos I can get? Thanks again for your help!

wartywarthog · 04/08/2006 23:01

i'll have a look through my patterns and see if i can find a clown or something that might be close enough to change...

FanjoFanjoWhosGotTheFanjo · 05/08/2006 07:13

I have some of those classic clown patterns, you know, the butcher etc. Probably not the right thing, though?

I've decided I don't want the blanket to be too busy, so I'm doing the central panel in red + grey, with deer. Then I will do some plain panels, probably in red, then more simple panels around the central panel, in red and grey. I think. (The simple patterns will be greek key/celtic knot type stuff.)