I bought another knitting book ...

[Nockney]

Dominitrix . It's cute, there are some patterns in it that I think I might actually do. It's quite goth, but I'm gothish, sometimes, so I can see a point to it. It's got some good intro stuff in it.

I'm starting to make a sweater for DS1, as I'm still wavering about what sweater to make for me (I want set-in sleeves, but Zimmerman's plan for how to achieve set-in sleeves involves steeking, and the idea makes me nauseated). DS1's sweater will be made with albatross yarn, mostly yellow. Maybe with some red and grey? He wants detailing on the yoke. It will be knitted in the round.

Oh, I also got a book on Finishing Techniques for Hand Knitters.

And I have finally started reading the Zimmerman book, and boy is she the right author for me. Ok, less detailed than Montse, but wildly opinionated and really quite a good writer. Very warm, really quite charming, and absolutely lovely.

(Oh, and I bought Knitting Today. God knows why. Every time I buy a knitting magazine I regret it.)

I didn't know you could shear albatrosses!

I find knitting books too specific. I want to do my designs but am hopeless at shaping, so just need to be told how to make something wearable. I did see a book in the library recently that was scarily dated - and everything was knitted in the most lurid acrylic and bri-nylon.

I never follow instructions precisely, and have never used the 'right' yarn. But I like to look at patterns for ideas. The Zimmerman book gives ratios for sweaters - figure out how many stitches for the body, then use 20% for the sleeves etc etc.

I find the increasing and decreasing very worrying, and fear asymmetry.

What sort of garment are you making?

I mostly make hats, and obviously do them in the round, so have no worries. Am about to do a sweater in the round.

Message withdrawn

Dunno, haven't really looked at it. Montse is good on finishing, but this had diagrams etc. I've done Kitchener once, and did like it, eventually, once I got the hang of it, but I want to be better at these things.

Atm I am crocheting a little jumper - not using any pattern, just working from templates and sort of hoping for the best...

In the round... is that using circular needles or a worrying number of short double ended ones?

my b walker books are at the depot (I THINK) having been shipped from the us.

I just really had to share that

oh tick-theres a book-ann budd-designing sweaters or something-that shows you have to...design any sweater to any measurement. though its common sense really.

Another option is always just to draw round a sweater you like, do a tension square, and fill in the blanks.

for a sweater-circulars. unless you were seriously weird.

Oh, I am seriously weird.

But I don't like double-ended needles - too precarious.

you'd also have to be quite masochistic. they're quite small and you'd need 4000 of the things

If you want novelty knitting, there was a knitted digestive tract around. Also, the Squid Hat is lovely.

The Gothish book I have, has a Jughead hat pattern.

Of course, British people have no idea who Jughead is, making discussion of this somewhat unpleasant.

Oh, and there's a Mohawk hairdo hat, too.

Message withdrawn

just so y'all know

I am off to collect my b walkers now

so ner

I am a bit , my Walker #2 went missing, and I waver between trying to get in touch with the woman who has it (she has four children, she moved away. I'm sure she didn't mean to nick it. I do quite like her ) and just giving up and getting a new one.

they are here!

they are fabulous nqc

I know, I know. They're really quite good reading.

I think I am after more Zimmerman now, she is like a slightly cuddlier version of Montse. Well, less thorough, more chatty, but very very well-informed. And she knits in the round - hates doing purls. (I KIR because I hate sewing up, but whatever.)

see i like sewing up...

didn't get on with zimmerman, not sure why

I keep meaning to get me a history of knitting. ATM I always get all excited at the snippets from those coffee table pattern books about knitting guilds gone by...so I think I should get that richard rutt book or something.

Yeah, I need one of those too - the whole 'why it's posh to knit flat' thing has me a bit puzzled.