Knit, Crochet and Natter into 2021

[lazylinguist]

A thread for chat about woolly crafts. All welcome, including complete beginners.

Previous thread here

Hi 👋🏻

I'm new to crochet after trying and giving up on knitting. I'm wondering if anyone can recommend a particular brand of yarn/wool suitable for crocheting baby clothes?

At the moment I've been getting random ones from Amazon but I'd rather use a specific brand that's decent.

Thank you for any help

Hello all, may I join you? I'm currently crocheting Hank the sheep from Edwards menagerie for my sister's yet to be born baby and also knitting (very slowly, I'm a beginner knitter) the fern and feather jumper by Jennifer Steingass for myself.

I have a question if I may;
Do you write in your pattern books? On printouts I tick off rounds but I'm reticent to in books, but then I lose my place.

Just marking my spot in the new thread! Thanks for sorting @lazylinguist 😊

@crochetmadmamaa I’ve been doing a few baby knits recently and I’ve been using King Cole and Stylecraft. But that’s just because it’s what my local wool shop sells! I figure as long as it’s machine washable and not too delicate you can’t go wrong really. Some people on the previous thread put me onto the Wool Warehouse website and there’s plenty to choose from on there!

Hi, I took up loom knitting 2 years ago and love it. It’s much easier for me as I’m completely uncoordinated and can’t use needles!

It’d be great to get some tips from anyone who loom knits. I’ve completed a scarf, hat, baby blanket and a hair and/ear warmer.

I’d love to try a blanket with a different colour motif but have never figured it out!

Hi. A nice clean thread. It will soon be covered in tangled balls of yarn and dropped hooks/needles im sure

@crochetmadmamaa I used a mixture of Redheart Soft and Style craft special aran for some children's cardigans i made recently. They were lovely and soft and warm. Plus a fab colour range.

@Superspecs I either use a row counter, or the app on my phone to keep track of rows. I don't think id want to mark them in the book in case I wanted to make it again. I guess you could photocopy it and mark on the copy. Or keep a tally on a piece of paper.

@Superspecs

Hello all, may I join you? I'm currently crocheting Hank the sheep from Edwards menagerie for my sister's yet to be born baby and also knitting (very slowly, I'm a beginner knitter) the fern and feather jumper by Jennifer Steingass for myself.

I have a question if I may;
Do you write in your pattern books? On printouts I tick off rounds but I'm reticent to in books, but then I lose my place.

When I did a 4-row pattern from a book, I used a post-it arrow shape to point at the row I was on.

Reporting in

I use post it notes too if working from a book. Post it to mark the row I'm on then I scribble on the note itself to keep track of anything else, e.g. if rows 4-7 are the same instruction, i write 4,5,6,7 on the note then cross each out as i complete it.

@Superspecs I use the Knit Tink app to count my rows( the icon is a pink ball of yarn).

You input the number of rows and repeats you need and it helps you to keep your place. You can name your projects, keep note of the brand and colour of your yarn and there’s a notes box so you can add in any information.

I love it but you can only save 6 projects on there in the free version. As I’m a serial project starter I filled it up pretty quickly!

Hi. A nice clean thread. It will soon be covered in tangled balls of yarn and dropped hooks/needles im sure

Possibly with a few cat hairs and Christmas tree needles mixed in.

Hello and welcome to those new to the thread! Crochetmadmamaa - I've never knitted or crocheted for babies, but I think lots of people seem to prefer acrylic yarns for baby stuff (maybe it's more washable?). I used Scheepjes ysrn for a blanket recently and it was pretty sift and nice for a synthetic yarn.

Superspecs - I have written in knitting books in the past, but when I made (sock) patterns multiple times I kept having to rub things out so that could make notes again, so now I just put a piece of paper in the book and write on that. I got a digital stitch marker for Christmas though!

I use an app called Row Counter. There doesn't appear to be any limit to the number of projects you can have! You can link it to ravelry and import patterns from there, any Web page or photos.

Hello to all on the new thread. @crochetmadmamaa not sure for baby clothes but for blankets I like style craft special DK
@Superspecs I take a photocopy of the page then scribble notes on that failing that I have hand written the pattern before so I could then do my own notes.
@Kate105 wool warehouse is my favourite site for purchases
@MrsLeclerc not tried look knitting before will have to give it a try
Thanks for doing a new thread @lazylinguist

@MrsLeclerc

Hi, I took up loom knitting 2 years ago and love it. It’s much easier for me as I’m completely uncoordinated and can’t use needles!

It’d be great to get some tips from anyone who loom knits. I’ve completed a scarf, hat, baby blanket and a hair and/ear warmer.

I’d love to try a blanket with a different colour motif but have never figured it out!

That’d be me! I love loom knitting. I make a lot of ten stitch blankets, have you ever thought about doing one of those?

Hi, I took up loom knitting 2 years ago and love it. It’s much easier for me as I’m completely uncoordinated and can’t use needles! It’d be great to get some tips from anyone who loom knits.

I've just looked back at the previous thread, MrsLeclerc, and Petridishmystery said she was a loom knitter, so hopefully she'll join us on the new thread!

Ha - cross-posted!

@Superspecs try using a Frixion pen - heat erases them, so you can rub them out or iron them out. I use them for marking fabric.

Love that 10stitch loom blanket...pattern link?

What do you do with remnants? Especially substantial amounts of remnants, but not enough to make a whole item. Or remnants of discontinued yarns, where you won't be able to buy more of it, not even in a it colour.

[quote Dilbertian]@Superspecs try using a Frixion pen - heat erases them, so you can rub them out or iron them out. I use them for marking fabric.

Love that 10stitch loom blanket...pattern link?

What do you do with remnants? Especially substantial amounts of remnants, but not enough to make a whole item. Or remnants of discontinued yarns, where you won't be able to buy more of it, not even in a it colour.[/quote]
If you go on YouTube there are loads, I can’t remember which one I used now as it was years ago! There’s also a written link here

Lovely, thanks.

(Like I really need another project )

Just marking my place ☺️ so lovely to see lots of people joining!

I have received some yarn and crochet hooks for Christmas. Could anyone recommend a very simple you tube tutorial please? I can sew a bit but haven't tried crochet before so it needs to be ultra basic.

@petridishmystery love your projects. Loom knitting is definitely looking very appealing.

@WisestIsShe when I was learning (p.s still very much a new learner for crochet) I found learning granny squares first was best for me. I can’t remember what you tube stuff I used but just kept stopping and starting videos on double crochet, treble crochet etc until I gradually found my way.

Thanks @midnightstar76 that sounds like a good idea. I've been inspired by @lucysmam on the poncetastic thread. I'll be very happy if I master granny squares

Thanks for the tag @WisestIsShe; looks like a thread I'll be happy on!

For granny squares; look up Bella Coco's tutorial on youtube. I resisted my friend's suggestion to start with a granny square, and frustrated the heck out of myself, for weeks. I sat with dd2 on Halloween, while she watched Hocus Pocus, & stop-started the tutorial all the way through to keep up but it really did help!

Marking my place, thanks for the new thread.