Knit, Crochet and Natter into 2021

[lazylinguist]

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

Previous thread here

I got inspired by this thread so thank you all - I have ordered a crochet blanket yarn pack and also some quilting squares.

I have really struggled to put projects together as I am not near an open wool shop, and I used to spend hours deciding on colours etc. So I have decided to let someone else choose so at least I can start a bigger project. I've bought no wool since lockdown last year - just using up the stash!

Temperature scarf sounds great

Happy new year all! I've been thinking about picking up my knitting needles and starting to knit some baby things. I'm 8 weeks pregnant with our first. I'm still really a beginner having only ever mastered a scarf in the past. This thread inspired me to get started today with some baby booties. One complete, second is in progress.

Link here if anyone is interested.

That's lovely,Lililou.

I've known how to knit and crochet since I was a child, but never made anything - long rows are too boring. As my friends started having babies, I started making things for them, and got into knitting and crochet that way. Little garments are so nice to make!

@inquietant
We saw some beautiful felted scarves in Nz in the botanical gardens shop in Christchurch. I had never seen anything like it before but quite expensive

Hello all. Happy new year ! I finished my socks and while they are not perfect, I am so happy. One is slightly longer than the other, but I am probably the only one who will notice. I have been dying to learn how to knit socks forever and the Ann Budd book is totally wonderful.

@Lililou - those booties look so cute! Well done.

@DrDolittlesParrot - that shawl is cute. I may have to knit one for my mom.

@Gliblet - I just started a ZickZack scarf as my new WIP. Is this what you are doing too? I discovered this is not one to knit when you are easily distracted, I think I have had to undo major bits 3 times. Now I know that I need to focus when working on this one.

I am recycling my 2020 New Year's resolution as I think it has stood me in good stead: throw away ( or sell, thrift, or recycle) one thing every day. It feels good and is pretty achievable.

So pleased the Ann Budd book worked for you, Spamm. Your socks look great!

Lovely bootees, Lililou, and congratulations on your pregnancy! I've never knitted for babies - I guess I'll have to wait for grandchildren now!

I'm plodding along with my cowl. It's fone wool, so it's slow goong compared with my last project in aran. It's all I've got going on atm, so I'm definitely going to do a few crochet squares here and there too.

Congratulations Lililou! Your bootees are so cute!

Great looking socks spamm and I love the look of the zickzack scarf.

I've learned to unpick brioche both colours at once because I made a mistake at the start of my repeat and didn't notice until I came to the next pattern row. Oops. I was getting so much faster now I'd memorised too.

Happy new year!

I am slogging through a baby blanket for my new Great Niece (dear god I feel old! 😂) and am now at the point where it has gone past square into rectangle and thus the end is in sight. I'm suffering from something like tennis elbow at the moment (dear god I feel old! 😂) so have to keep stopping.

I also need to finish the Hug I have to put together.

It's all seeming rather like chores at the moment. Does anyone else get this when partway through a project? The urge to start something new is so strong (but even that will become a chore after a while)

Oh definitely if it's anything bigger than a hat or something in baby size Anything bigger and I end up either having a quick crochet project 'on the side' or starting a new project halfway through so they overlap.

@spamm it is the same pattern but I'm cheating by using stripey yarn instead of changing colours so it's literally just K5, K2tog, K4, KFB all the way through.

I even struggle with small amigurumi projects 😂

I'm the same SoupDragon. I came very close to giving up on my sock because the ribbing was so deadly dull.

Glad to see a second thread. There are some great socks on here. I'm on my second sock (after a few 'sacrificial' ones) and am on the heel. I spent yesterday binge watching Pride and Prejudice whilst knitting the long leg - with knee highs you just have to stick at it. I think I'm getting the hang of it now.

Oooh @tizwozliz I’ve never heard of a temperature scarf before! Just went for a wee Google and that sounds like a fab idea! Definitely one to add to the project wish list...

I think I said this on the other thread. I made a temperature scarf once. I got partway through March and now have a small temperature bag 😂

It is essential to have a reliable source for historical daily temperatures for your location!

I do get the urge to start new projects, SoupDragon, but I don't often get bored with ones I'm doing, even if they're long! The exception was that blasted 'paper' chain! I do always have a bit of a moment when I finish sock 1 if a pair and have to cast on the next one though! But generally I like a big,time-consuming project like my crochet blanket. I think I have a very high boredom threshold - I can sit still doing absolutely nothing but let my mind wander for a very long time and not get bored!

Hello crafters,

Just dug out an oldish book I have called The gentle art of knitting and will make some things out of that book this year. Really like this one so may make a few as presents as well as for me.

Anyway I have a book token and the no I may get a new crafty book. Do you folks have any book recommendations?

* Excuse my last sentence. It is meant to say I thought I may get *

I'm logging the temperatures every day automatically from my weather station so that shouldn't be a problem for me (and we're close to a met office station if for any reason that fails). I just need to decide whether i want to include precipitation as well, although that probably only works if i can find a pattern where i'll actually need 365 rows. I'm quite taken with the idea of using the temp for colour and then choose the stitch based on whether it rained or not.

I feel the need to know what a temperature blanket is so will be googling in a mo. I'm also intrigued by the idea of making socks so shall be googling those too!

Lililou those bootees are sweet.

Blue's balloon floats!! I am rediculously pleased by this & dd1 says it's "swag" which appears to be teen slang for good.

I was looking for a blanket knit-along for the year but I must be googling wrong. Can anyone recommend one? I can't run to the Debbie Abrahams mystery one.

In the meantime I've bought a new book of different patterns for knitted squares so I could make my own - but the added motivation of a knit along would be better as I'm bound to lose my mojo!

Anyway I have a book token and the no I may get a new crafty book. Do you folks have any book recommendations?

Well if you fancy making socks, I'd recommend the 'Getting Started with Socks' book by Ann Budd which I keep banging on about.

Speaking of books, I quite like books about knitting as well as pattern books. I recently read This Golden Fleece by Esther Rutter and really enjoyed it. She travels around the British Isles investigating local knitting and wool history and knitting things as she goes.

@lazylinguist thank you. This Golden Fleece sounds interesting and the intrigued by the sock recommendation.

I would like to make toe up socks, because I hate grafting. I haven't made socks since my dc grew big feet... but I want a pair for myself.

I have no idea how toe up socks begin. They could be worse than grafting!

I've never made toe-up socks. My sock book taught me to graft using Kitchener stitch, which I don't find too bad, though I do have to really concentrate!