How expensive is kitting!!!!

[iPodthereforiPoor]

I really want to knot the toy snake in my knitting mag, but it needs 10 balls of DK handknit cotton - which at £3.50 a ball means the snake will be £35 plus stuffing!!! I just want to knit something nice for DS christmas but £35 is a bit too nice!

so, any ideas where i could get it cheaper, or what I could use instead?

How about this DK cotton from Texere ? The one at the top of the page would probably work out at only needing 2 cones. The good thing with a snake is that the tension won't be that important!

I have no idea how expensive kitting is, but knitting seems quite pricey, I think the mags always use top end stuff, they never say 'go to the pound shop and buy 4 balls' do they?! , Sorry, just being pedantic!

good website tamum - thanks for your help!

he's a multicoloured snake so I think I might go for reducing the number of colours

have you got any leftovers that you could use?

I've only just started kniting - have done a couple of fluffy scarves for christmas presents.
Thought It would be good to make things cheaply! I suppose if you want nice things you have to pay nice money! shame I don't have much of that!!

you could use variagted wool? (eew though)

oh and knitting is quite expensive, imo.

i dye most of my wool. i buy from texere or similar and use food dyes.

that wont eork on cotton though, sorry

Is the stuff in the pattern Rowan yarn? If so you can get twice the weight for the same price by buying Patons. I would send you some but I'm only got pale pink, so not much help for a snake.

I know what you mean! If you use the recommended wool in most patterns its difficult to make something that it wouldn't have been cheaper to just go out and buy. I think the same applies to making your own clothes. To be fair though, I think that is partly because all clothes are so cheap these days. Also, you get the fun of making it!

thats it really, i wanted the fun and satisfaction of it really - may investigate the patons. the only wool shop I know of in PLymouth is in house of fraiser so well expensive is the only option in there!

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at Pruni and at trendier than drugs...

Good point though iPod, you really don't have to use cotton if you don't want to. How many different colours do you need?

Tamum wants us all to spend 90% of our income on knitting full stop. Fio is right - not only is it trendier than drugs it is just as addictive . Thanks to That Woman Masquerading As A Geneticist I now have a serious Texere habit
Pruni, I would check to see if she is a part-owner of that wool shop PDQ!
It has never been a cheap habit iPod - I have a dim and ghastly recollection of spending £25 on a handful of spindly Shetland shanks at Patricia Roberts' Kensington High St shop in 1982. I think that would be well over £100 now! I just can't think what came over me. I was with the guy I was knitting the slipover for for five years and I still hadn't finished it when I chucked him.

He's 10 colours - he's in Knit tody and a book by ZOe mellor by hamlyn.

Thats the trouble it is addictive, I've got bored with scarves and wanted a challenge but nothing too hard!

Might check the bank on monday and go for it anyway - I've been overdrawn for 8years what one more if I've got a friendly snake to play with - I mean for DS to play with!

pmsl Marina - I have a great image now of an unfinished, unloved pullie at the bottom of a knitting bag consigned to the loft ...

iPod - I'm notorious for doing stuff on the cheap. I got a lovely pattern book from the library of handknits for kids, all done in 100% cotton "because" said the author, "if it's worth spending your time making it, you might as well make it in something that's going to wear well". Good point, but I didn't have the money, and bought three balls of wool from the pound shop. Dd2 has worn this cardie forever, it cost £3.40 including the buttons to make, and it washes beautifully. It's very obviously acrylic, but don't give up just because you are on a budget.

However I am now knitting a baby cardigan in beautiful cotton/merino wool and it is such a joy to work with - am spoilt now!

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So it probably doesn't use a whole ball of each, does it? I don't have any yarn in 10 different colours, or I'd have sent you some Do you have any other children who you usually buy presents for, and who might like one? I am just thinking you'd probably get at least two snakes for your money if you bought the 10 balls. I have just found a picture here - very appealing, but honestly you could get away with much less expensive yarn I reckon.

I always forget Fio. Did it have knitting on? (I sound like Monty Python and the News for Parrots
I too reckon you could get good acrylic yarn for a fraction of the price at either Texere and Readicut iPod.
I love to knit with natural fibres, sure, but I would not squander Rowan Cotton DK on a floor snake, truly

I've got 5 different colours in Shetland Aran I could send you if that would help? It would be a very big snake, but it would certainly cut the price down a bit. You can't really mix tensions, can you, or the snake would go in and out as though it had swallowed something nasty.

aw it is cute

but

you could def do that in texere wool + food dye

true!! it is only a snake!!

If I could get 2 out of it I would be happier with the suggested wool. That texere website di have some stuff I was interested in, and I would definately be able to make more than one with the amount I would get.

Will report back kniting gurus!