Knit, Crochet and Natter Thread

[lazylinguist]

I was hoping to join a local rl knit&natter group, and then lockdown happened. But knitting and crochet are keeping me cheerful during lockdown and as the nights are drawing in!

There seem to be quite a few ongoing chat threads on other MN boards, so I wondered if there might be any interest in a rolling knitting and crochet thread, for anyone who fancies chatting about knitting, crochet and life in general of course! Total beginners and scarily experienced needle-wizards and everyone in between, all welcome.

Share your projects, yarn stash confessions, pattern niggles or newbie questions. Not sure if it will fizzle out after a few posts, but hey ho, worth a try!

Squuuuuuuuiiiiissssshhhhhhh

I love my postman

Im a size 24 and wear a H (for humongous) cup . I'm also only 5ft1 so look a bit like a beach ball

Problem is I have narrow shoulders in comparison, so anything that fits round my boobs and stomach ends up far too big on the shoulder

Beach ball . I'm sure you look lovely. I have a friend who's pretty much exactly your size. She makes me look like a scruff!

You've got a lot of squiiiiishhh there from your postman. What are your plans for it?

The dark grey mix Drops Nepal for the body of my jumper isn't very squishy. But it looks kind of appropriately Icelandic rustic. I hope it doesn't feel scratchy- but then, I will be wearing it over things, so it should be ok.

@CrochetBug I'm insanely jealous of your yarn haul! is it for projects or just a cheeky purchase just incase you might need it?

I needed the dark grey for a customer order.

The rest was because it would be stupid to pay postage when you get it free if you spend enough
Its for a combination of Among Us characters and a Nativity scene. I'm fully aware the real Mary and Joseph were unlikely to wear the bright colours used in the pattern, but they are so beautiful. Although I did buy a beige kind of colour rather than pink for the skin. I might make an accurate set next year

Oh and sock yarn because I didn't realise I already had some

Its for a combination of Among Us characters and a Nativity scene.

I thought for a minute there that you meant you were making a nativity scene using Among Us characters.

I could do that

I give the WW bags to a friend who is always being asked to make baby blankets and also makes the most beautiful wedding ring shawls.

On a side note, has anyone ever knitted a ‘little cotton rabbits’ animal pattern? I love them, but I’m no knitter, and want to know how difficult they are, truthfully .

littlecottonrabbits.typepad.co.uk/

I’ve knitted one of the smaller little cotton rabbits, and found it straight forward. The patterns are very detailed and well written. She explains all the different stitches, iirc things like M1L and M1R and the pieces are knitted flat and seamed afterwards. So nothing complicated like knitting on double pointed needles in the round. Hope that helps.

Finished the drops phoenix hat

Awww. A cat in a hat! Love it.

I've just made a Jughead hat (I had no idea what that was but was asked to make one.)

Now to finish my sock. So far I have 1.5 socks.

Woodbytheriver, thank you, I am so tempted to give one a try, especially with an Aran sweater. Might give it a go with a cheapee wool first to see how I get on.

I got the Ann Budd sock book, and I have started on my first sock. I am so excited about learning to do socks. My feet get so cold at night and I wear socks to bed, so I want to make my own chunky socks. This is looking good for now, but I am still on the easy bit.

I also progressed my cactus at the weekend. I now need to see it together, which is the bit I dislike.

Yay - glad you're getting on well with the Ann Budd book socks, spamm! I'm a cold-footed bedsock wearer too. I find homemade socks really warm compared with normal ones. I have a pair I wear in my walking boots and my feet are so warm, even on a chilly winter walk. I guess it's the quality of yarn I use that makes the difference, compared with most bought socks.

Ive started those socks last night @Spamm.might give them to DD for xmas

I’ve thought about socks on and off but the double pointed needles really don’t make sense in my head! Is it easier than it looks?!

Yes, it is , although i would rather use a circular needle, i tried last night using magic loop but its too small, you need really short needles

I've socks on my list for the Christmas break, Kate. Dpn knitting is an awful lot easier than I expected. I taught myself in a few minutes a couple of weeks ago with a youtube tutorial and have since made the dc fingerless gloves!

I don't find knitting on dpns hard. It takes a little bit of getting used to though. When I started, the only bit I found tricky was distributing the stitches between the needles and the initial joining in the round. Once you've knitted a row it feels more stable and easier to manage.

I find tiny circulars easier for not stabbing any children that throw themselves at me unexpectedly, but hard on the hands. They're so short they don't really work with how I hold the needles and I keep getting cramp.

Those socks look toasty and that cat doesn't look like the hat is being handed back willingly Nice hat!

My children are past the throwing themselves at me stage. If anyone's likely to impale themselves it's the cat! In theory I don't mind him sitting on my lap when I'm knitting, but in practice he lies with his rear end towards me and gets his unnaturally long tail in the way of my needles! After I move it out of the way a few times he sulks and goes and sits on dh.

I’m currently taking part in the Arne and Carlos advent calendar knit along making Christmas baubles. Is anyone else? I did a couple of practice balls using the patterns in Arne and Carlos greatest knits book. And for the first time I’m knitting in the round using two circular needles which I’m finding so much easier than dpns. Also made a ball using addi crazy trio needles but found them very frustrating with the stitches falling off the needles at both ends 🤯. However, I’m really not going to manage to knit a ball a day 😬. The advent balls are a paid pattern but Arne and Carlos are doing a daily reveal on you tube, and there are other ball patterns in their other books.
@FlaviaAlbiaWantsLangClegBack might be worth giving two circular needles a go, I haven’t got hand cramps like I do sometimes with magic loop. It’s a bit like magic loop in technique though as you have half the stitches on each needle but always knit each side using the same circular. Sounds confusing but it’s actually pretty simple and no danger of stitches falling off the ends like with dpns.

The bauble advent calendar idea sounds lovely! I tried the 2 circulars method on my first failed sock attempt and found it really good actually (it wasn't the reason the socks didn't work!). I'm used to using dpns now, but I'd happily use that method if it comes up on another pattern.

I'm going to make some baubles - crochet not knitted though. Thinking about getting some cheap baubles or polystyrene balls or similar rather than stuffing to fill them though

Oh, that's an interesting idea wood, I'll give that a go, thanks!