Knitters and Crocheters: Post-Apocolyptic Life Skills Group Meets Here!

[DoubleNegativePanda]

I've though Mumsnet needed a "yarn group" rolling thread, and now I'm tired of thinking it so I'm doing it. Share your projects, ask for help, show us amazing new stitches you just learned or post your disasters for commiseration before frogging the whole thing!

First things first, do you knit, crochet or both? And because we all need to share the dirty laundry in our yarn bags...how many WIPs do you have going?

I've knitted for three years but crocheted for about 30. I've got:

-A knitted scarf for myself Scarf Pattern
-One knitted sock done for myself (but I hated the pattern so much I doubt I'll do the second one) I heavily modified a pattern and it didn't work out well.
-One knitted sock for DD (but I will finish those, they're just on the back burner) DD's Socks Pattern
-A half done crocheted scarf for my BIL (I'm going to finish that one on a plane next week) Not using a pattern...he wants super simple so that's what he's getting.
-And 1.5 of fingerless mitts that a friend asked me to make Fingerless Mitts Pattern

That's kind of sick and insane when I put it out there. I jump from piece to piece a lot. I'm at work (I know, I know) but I'll post a pic of the mitts when I get home. I'm feverishly trying to finish those.

I crochet fairly fast and knit veerrrryyy slowly.
I much prefer crochet but I’m trying to improve my knitting as crochet gives me the carpal tunnel thingy.
I’ve just posted my biggest item ever as a Christmas present.

I'm absolutely amazing myself by actually finishing 2 projects in a year.

aisforamigurumi.blogspot.com/2013/04/entering-nether.html?m=1

A crochet enderman with squiggly arms and legs

Hi can I join too? I knit but get bored quickly, crochet more, sew and cross stitch. Currently have 2 cross stitch, a unicorn (number 2 ,one completed whoo hoo) 2 dresses and a cardigan on the go. I get easily distracted.....

Unicorn if it posts...

That's lovely!

I knitted, quite basically, first and then tried crochet around 3 years ago and haven’t knitted since.

I’m currently getting to the end of a temperature blanket and I’m making a small throw for on a chair.
I made this for a friend’s daughter a few months ago

I'm joining too!!

I've been crocheting since I was about 20..... working that out its almost 20 years 😲😲. I can knit but can't cast on or off.... and I find knitting too slow to grow so I stick to crochet! YouTube is amazing for tutorials etc

I'm in the process of finishing up a Call the Midwife blanket for a christmas present, I've been at it for 6 months but completed a few bits inbetween.

There was a plan to make robin chocolate orange covers for the kids, school friends etc but the pattern was awful (maybe Terry's have made their oranges smaller?) so that for shelves this year. I did make reindeer covers last year and they went down a treat. I seem to leave it until the first week of December and then get all panicked and don't leave myself enough time!

I'll upload a picture it the CTM when it's done, hopefully this weekend!

@MadisonAvenue how are you doing your temperature blanket please? I'm about to start one and can't decide what pattern to use. Leaning slightly towards squares as I think that will be less to do each day than stripes, but not sure yet so inspire me!

I wonder if anyone learnt to crochet in a weirder way than me. When I was 16 I used to travel home from work on the District line. A passenger used to get on the train, put on some white gloves and then Crochet with white Cotton. We fell into conversation and she told me that she was making gloves for Brides. I was fascinated and she offered to teach me. So we used to meet at Mile End Station and I would have a daily tutorial. That was nearly 60 years ago and I have had so much pleasure from this hobby.

What a lovely memory FL0renze.

My reception class teacher taught me to crochet over 45 years ago. I'm not sure how she fitted it in but it was definitely only me she taught. Then my mum taught me to knit when I was 7 and I taught her how to crochet.

I worked as a social care assistant and there was a woman I worked with who was over 100 years old.
She showed me while I cleaned her room.
Then I taught myself from books at home after work.

It was a little before knitting became fashionable again and certainly I didn't know anyone my age (late teens) who could crochet.

Lovely memories, and lovely pictures!

My grandmother taught me in my teens.

Still furiously trying to finish before Christmas here, but life keeps getting in the way! I'm on the finishing touches of the stockings now so still hoping they'll be done in time...

@diamantegal This is my second one (and I'll try to remember to take a photo in the morning in daylight), last year I did dc stripes and made it too narrow but the one I've worked on this year is much bigger than I intended! Again I've done stripes and it's been quite a chore.
I've used the lemon peel design from Jan Eaton's book (1dc 1tc 1dc 1tc...) this year and it looks good but there have been times when I wish I hadn't started, it's 251 stitches wide.

I decided that I wasn't going to bother next year but I thought about it and I'm going to do 3" squares. I've bought wool now so I've committed to it 😂

Ooh, yes, photos would be great. But your comment about 251 stitches is what's making me think that maybe squares will be easier! 16 X 23 = 368 so only one more to add either side of the year, and I can knock out a solid granny square fairly quickly, so won't stop me doing all the other things I want to do as well.

contemplates this evening's completely unnecessary Amazon order of an amigurumi book

@diamantegal I was thinking of doing 378 squares with the extra 12 being one for each month in either a different design or a combination of the colours from that month, and then they can be placed between the end and start of the months if that makes sense.

Here’s this year’s blanket anyway, my crochet hook is on it to give you an idea of the size.

That's huge! Impressive levels of dedication to keep it going as well - I'm very impressed. I like the random few hot days partway down as well!

Think I'm definitely going for squares - just need to decide whether to do plain grannies or something with a pattern to it. I've got a week or so to decide!

Some inspiring things here! I finished this hat in 2 days for a Christmas present as the one I had planned and made was massively too big!

madison that is an amazing blanket! And AHobby, I love the hat it looks really soft and huggable.

I asked my parents for some sock wool for Christmas as I fancied having a go at knitting my first pair. I'm seeing them tomorrow so I'm hoping they've got me something colourful to work with!

Anyone else get any craft projects as presents this year?

@Marcipex
That blanket is beautiful! What was the pattern please?
DD 21 just starting this and I want a project too

@abitoflight thank you, it’s Eleanoras Coastal Crochet Seaside Stashbuster.
The pattern is free on her blog. I couldn’t get the edges quite straight so it had to have a bobbley edging.

Thank you Marciplex

@AwdBovril, awesome handmade work! Two weeks ago, when I was choosing between two things - sewing something from clothes or making a cross-stitch present by pattern, I've chosen the second option, cause I found the favorite theme of my son which is Star Wars movie ( here it is: sewhomegrown.com/top-9-star-wars-cross-stitch-and-patterns/). They have simply taken pictures and images from Star Wars and made patterns. Four days after I've started to sew it - the job was done.

I got a mitten knitting kit from DH, bought when we were in Latvia earlier in the year and 3 skeins of timing coloured sock wool. I think I'll put aside the cardigan I've been working on and get on with the mittens.

Poking my head round the door as I have just taken up knitting, and am hoping to learn more crochet than just giant granny square blankets.

@PurpleFrames I can highly recommend this book (they also do one for crochet too).

www.amazon.co.uk/Little-Course-Knitting-Everything-Succeed/dp/1409365182/ref=mp_s_a_1_2?keywords=a+little+course&tag=mumsnetforu03-21&qid=1577498494&sr=8-2

oooohhh @Marcipex thanks for that pattern...I ripped out my ripple blanket....12 rows in, a whole afternoon's work but it was soooooooooo tedious I was already heartily sick of it

I am Week 11 of your pattern now and loving it, although I am going a little rogue with some of the rows and the order. So much prettier than a stupid ripple blanket :o