Knit, Crochet and Natter 3: Is it really still January?!

[lazylinguist]

All welcome! Previous thread here

So I have tried for hours to learn to knit, I'm not a knitter have never done it. I have a pattern for socks starting from the toe on magic loop needles. The hardest part...casting on using the judy magic cast on method. Oh my goodness it was so difficult but I've finally (just about) figured the toe part of the sock which apparently is the hardest part. My tension is way off so I'm going to order larger needles. It's 100 times harder than crochet and my finger tip on my left index finger is bleeding (is this normal?) But by the end of the week I'm determined to have one sock. This is my first attempt yes it's very tight and messy but looking back at my first attempts at crochet are awful. But I can actually see this now taking the toe shape.

Oh and another quick head wrap ear warmer thing for my daughter

That dress is beautiful!
I didn't manage to get down to any crochet until about half an hour ago. Must make time to do it more!

Oohkittens I keep offering to make ear warmers for my two but they look at me like . Maybe I should just make myself one!

I've not done much today - just the embellishments for the little bear.

I'm out of projects now apart from the blanket. Not that I can see it working up any quicker mind you.

I might start a second crochet Errol (mantis) just to see how much better it is now! I'm not sure I have enough green to do a 'typical' mantis so it might be a lady friend for Errol & have a green band instead of brown, around it's neck.

Part 5 done.

I've got about 30 ends left to sew in and then need to think about which colours to use for the border. If I use the colours as listed it will be yellow and purple for the first 2 rounds which isn't my favourite combination, but I think I have more of those than any thing else. Hmmm... decisions decisions.

Finished the shawl and one pocket is 1/2 inch shorter. So annoyed but can't justify unpicking it so need to find a way to be OK with it. Taken me a month and I feel like it's rubbish.

@eitak22 that's lovely! The pockets look the same so it unlikely anyone epitome notice. I love the colours!

Well I've made a good start and the pattern is lovely, very easy to follow. However I've stopped there cos I'm a little worried it may be a tad snug and don't want to keep going if I need to make the next size up! Will get DD to try on this bit tomorrow!!

@eitak22 your pic hadn't loaded when I posted. I think it looks great! You definitely can't notice an difference in the pockets and 100% won't be able to once it's on a human body!

Thanks @CrochetBug I love how they change and it doesn't feel too busy which was my concern. I know I'm my own worst critic so am sleeping on it so I don't unpick it as I don't think it's noticeable when wearing it.

@eitak22 - it's really lovely! I can't tell the pockets are different sizes at all. I imagine that the fact that the colour changes at different points on each pocket makes it less obvious iyswim.

There is no way that bodice will fit my 3 year old. Going to try another tension square to check whether it's just me crocheting too tightly or whether it's the pattern. I can make the 6-8 one but that seems excessive!

So may have made the rookie error of doing Uk Dc and it's a us pattern 🙈 Why do they have to be different!?

That is such an adorable dress Littlehouseinthebigcity!

Look on the bright side, now you get to pat yourself on the back and be smug for doing a tension square instead of just getting stuck in like me too many times to count

eitak22 I wouldn't have noticed if you hadn't pointed it out and even then, I had to really look! It's lovely!

I did the only logical thing I could do when I got bored of the sleeves on my lastest which is to back to the last lot of sleeves I got bored with on my hiking jacket and do them. One down over the weekend, one to go 🥳

Quick qs for those who have done ripple blankets.

When (if) you did a border did you square off the top and bottom edge? Or did you leave wavy? I can't decide which to do.

Good question @CrochetBug I've just about finished my ripple blanket. The instructions for the border on that don't square off the bottom edge but it's quite a narrow border. I've not decided what I'm going to do with mine yet, the instructions use a slip stitch and I hate doing slip stitches and struggle with tension on them so might investigate alternatives

Im 3.5 rows from finishing but am thinking ahead. this pattern from attic24 squares off the ends and it looks lovely. I guess i could square one end off and see which looks better. Its not exactly a complicated pattern!
I also hate slip stitching. I always seem to end up with a really tight stitch.

Yay - I've finished Part 4 of the CAL, including my first mistake-free set of bobbles out 3!

Yay well done @lazylinguist.
I've still got about 1/4 of the ends to sew in. I've sewn in all the ends and squared off the ends of my ripple blanket. Almost finished the first round of a border. I think I'll do another round of white and then... dunno.

@CrochetBug

Quick qs for those who have done ripple blankets. When (if) you did a border did you square off the top and bottom edge? Or did you leave wavy? I can't decide which to do.

I square mine off. I never followed a pattern for it, just assumed that the peaks needed DC, the troughs TC and the inbetweens HTC. It seems to work!

Thanks @soupdragon that's what I did in the end. Then 2 rounds of dc (UK stitch) in white. Not sure if that will be 'finished' or if it will need something more. I got bored at about 3am so went back to sewing ends in on my CAL. Only 4 left

I'm still on the sonic waves part 😩 only been getting about half an hour in the evening to crochet - that's unless one of the DS's has fallen asleep on me 🙄
I can't believe how much the CAL grows without realising! I do a few rows then hold it up and look at it and it always surprises me how big it's getting 😂

I found that blankets do that! They go from "ugh. This will never be blanket sized. I think I'll give up" to "blimey. This thing is ginormous" in seconds

All ends sewn in. Does anyone have a major objection to me cracking on with the border?

Haha yes exactly @CrochetBug
I don't mind at all! Are you following the border in the pattern?

I found that blankets do that! They go from "ugh. This will never be blanket sized. I think I'll give up" to "blimey. This thing is ginormous" in seconds
That happened in part 3 for me. I was getting quite frustrated because we were halfway through the pattern bit and it was tiny! Then the never ending stitches and frigging of part 3, then I looked and it was massive. Now I’ve got 10 rows left of prt 5 and I’m thinking it’s big enough, surely these last 10 rows are just excessive! As they’re all repeats now it also just feels like showing off

I have no objections to you finishing crochetbug. If I can get on a move on with mine and finish part 5 in the next few days, I’m just going to continue with the border. Well, after I can be bothered to sew the ends in... I wanted to get at least one project started before I started any more but that didn’t work out, I was too swayed by pretty wool