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.

Oh can I join please?

Started crocheting over 3 years ago (wonky granny squares anyone?) and progressed to hats/ scarves before settling on making toys and things from patterns to creating a few patterns myself just to see if I could do them (Facehugger from Alien was a pet project of mine as I couldn't find a decent pattern, the others from patterns some other clever person created).

Started trying to knit same time last year then RL got in the way and so started up again. (thank bloody hell for continental knitting! My brain was so confused with English knitting)

2020 - Trying to knit a dragon tail scarf. How many times have I frogged this thing??

Also need to add to the crochet monkey collection. Was a chrimbo present for a friends DS, it was his fav present, you can peel the banana. I now have to make him some monkey friends to join the monkey pack.

My dream is to be able to knit jumpers and tops.... but not a lot of patterns out there for us chunky lasses and also I need yo win enough on the lotto to buy lots of posh yarn to afford to make said chunky laydee jumpers.

Oh I hear you on the patterns for chunky ladies, and can only suggest the knit now magazine which does garments in sizes 6-36.

There are also a few around on the internet but they are very hard to find in my experience.

@MissMoogle - Ohhh thank you! I shall go and have a lookie for that mag :)

Some top patterns are so pretty I just want to stroke them but would have to knit two together :)

makes a mug of tea and goes off to have a google for the Knit Now mag

I've totally lost my crochet mojo recently. I think I need a good boxset to get back into it

Most recent finished item and current WIP (one of many!)

I had a lovely surprise today, my order of yarn from lovecrafts came, which I didn't expect until tomorrow, but oh my gosh, I opened the outer packaging to find my yarn not packed in plastic, but organza bags.

I will of course be reusing the organza bags to house tiny projects on circular needles (and ofc I will be ordering from them again).

Started on the fingerless gloves to match my scarf as well. I do not regret purchasing knitpro symfonie needles at all.

I'm a happy knitters today!

Wool Warehouse send their yarn in organza bags too, I always have a little snort of derision as I go to checkout and there is a little box to tick if you do NOT want one....AS IF!!

I love those bags!

Those organza bags are really useful. I use them for packing underwear etc when going on holiday.

I have found my people.

I crochet as my name suggests, but am planning to teach myself to knit this year. I know how, just need to practise.

I'm currently working on a CTC blanket for ds1. If I never make anything green again it will be too soon!

I have about a billion other wips, blankets, dolls, mittens, a cardigan. You name it I've got half of one in 'the' cupboard

Forgot to add a photo of the green. So much green!

oh @CaptainmyCaptain, that's a brilliant idea, I fold mine up and look at them like Smaug's treasure if they are not in use as WIPcontainers...or occasionally I have used them for present bags, only for folks I really like though.

The very small bags for one ball are good for packing jewellery too.

I send my organza bags on to Woolly Hugs.

Not that I have a lot of wool delivered from woolwarehouse, Oh no no no.

oh , I love those bags , though I , like Soup , tend to send them in to WH - small ones for the craft fair , bigs one as they use them to send out the completed blankets .
Plodding on here trying to get squares done and finished for a Chernobyl blanket before I go away on hols .
Some utterly fabulous work on here ! :)

I finished knitting this cardigan just before Christmas, and as you can see, it is mahoosive! I am not a small woman (coughcoughsize32coughcough) but it swamps me - there is room in there for me and one normal sized person.

I can’t rip it back and redo it, because I have sewn in all the ends so well, it won’t unravel. I am thinking of trying to steek it - I guess I have nothing to lose.

My only other option seems to be selling it - if there is anyone out there who wants a 50+” chest, hand knitted cardigan (or a small woolly marquee).

My next project is much smaller - a baby cardigan for my neighbour who is expecting, and after that, I’m going to have another go at a cardigan - but this time it’s a pattern I have knitted before, so I know it will fit.

I'm about to start work on a shawl for my DM's birthday and the organza bag will be perfect as packaging

That's a beautiful design on your cardigan @SDTGisAnEvilWolefGenius and hopefully one day I'll be able to knit myself a cardi.

I am in awe of all you ladies who knit and crochet for woolly hugs. You've made such beautiful blankets for people.

Been knitting for a year...just started my first jumper....excited ( but expensive! ).

This is crochet bliss. Wine, chocolate and a snowy view. Crocheting a cable hat while on a ski holiday. Have my audiobook and a cozy spot all alone and it is lovely.

Hello can I join?
I vaguely remember being taught to knit as a child. I've been ill recently and spending a lot of time on the sofa decided to teach myself to knit using YouTube. I could do it but was never going to get the bug and found holding needles full very awkward. So I decided to try crochet instead and I love it.
My first project was a scarf. I didn't have enough wool, it's very holey and wonky but its my first ever home made thing. After some trial and error I have now produced a reasonable hat.
All I've done so far is US double crochet (I think?). I now need to learn a few other stitches and techniques.

If you find straight needles awkward, you could try using circulars to flat knit. I tried that last sunday and got on pretty well with it.

I still need to learn proper crochet. Theres only so many huge granny square blankets a person needs.

@MissMoogle I was thinking granny squares were "proper crochet". I tried a few but they were not pretty.

@Skap my granny squares arent pretty either. However at the moment they are all I can crochet. I dream of being able to crochet toys, and bags, and scarfs, and all the fun stuff.

I tried to make a crochet square the other day, just to practice, it ended up as a triangle.

I guess what I'm trying to say by "proper crochet" is something that actually has a shape to it and looks like it should.

@Skap @MissMoogle

Just practice, practice and practice some more. then practice again hugs

When I started crocheting I was beyond crap. Like I couldn't even work out how to do the most basic granny square and everything I tried looked like some mutated yarn thing. I do admit I cried once or twice cos I thought I'd never get it.

So every evening I tried and tried until I had mastered the easiest one. Then, when I could that I moved onto other types.

I used really cheap little balls from Amazon as I could frog them time and time again when I buggered up.

Then I started making multi coloured ones and soon had enough for a large throw for the sofa (well.. the cats use it now) and used youtube to learn how to attach them together.

Then moved onto crocheting a simple blanket for me to use when it got nippy. Then scarfs.. hats and then mittens (simple cuffs, then actual fingerless mittens then ones with the bit that goes over the fingers).

From there I started making easy amigurumi little toys and now designing my own toy patterns. Hoping to set up an etsy shop this year in time.

Weirdly your brain starts to hard wire itself to remember how to do it!

You can do it!!! took me bloody ages but you can!

I tried to make a crochet square the other day, just to practice, it ended up as a triangle.

Oh, I've done that on more occasions thanI care to admit and I've been crocheting since 2012 I think. 😂

Crocheting a giant granny square blanket is a great way to get the rhythm of crocheting and the way you like to handle the yarn fixed in your brain.

I started with a scarf because it's lots of repetition. I set myself a target of producing a hat before my treatment ended (breast cancer) so I had something to aim for. Now I have the bug I feel more motivated to learn. I've watched many different YouTube channels and looked at lots of websites. My favourite by far is Oombawka. It's Canadian so the stitch names are different but it's so easy to follow.
I sat and learned granny squares yesterday following tutorial from Jayda, also American but slow and repetitive.
I now want to make a big blanket - I don't have the wool so will go forage on a market stall next week where everything is about £1