Knit, Crochet and Natter 4 - Yarning into Spring

[lazylinguist]

A thread for knitters, crocheters and woollly crafters in general. All welcome, including total newbies! Previous thread here

Ah thanks everyone. That blanket is lovely @Crochetbug.

My first bee, with embroidered eyes, looks rather angry @NiceCardigan you've done a good job!

I've made another little bookmark today 🙄this time for dd2's teacher. One of her friends has asked for a Ravenclaw one too. Not sure I have the right blue for that though :(

Well apparently I can't knit at all. Even though I used to be able to do it badly. I can't seem to 'catch' the stitch if that makes sense. No idea what I'm doing wrong.

@CrochetBug - did you say you knitted continental-style? When I tried to do continental style with my left so that I could do Fairisle two-handed I found it really hard to catch the stitch too. It made it incredibly slow, which is why I ditched it! English-style doesn't require catching, just wrapping! It's much easier imo, though not as fast as continental if you're experienced at it.

@sophs29 - I'm just going to do a plain border on my massive CAL blanket, then add a fringe/tassels.

@lazylinguist I have no idea which style I use. I hold the yarn in my right hand if that means anything? Catch the stitch might not even be the right term. Its just all I could think of to describe it.

I put the needle in, wrap the yarn around and then when I try and bring it through again the yarn that I've wrapped just falls off.

Im also very inpatient so after 30 mins of trying I gave up

Wow @CrochetBug that blanket is so cute!! How pretty!

And @lazylinguist I love the idea of tassels!

Simply Crochet have a free digital issue that you can download

Ooh thank you @CrochetBug

Hopefully it will work. I got a notification to say I'd received the email, but its not in my emails anywhere

It worked for me, took a while to come through though! there's a lovely long cardigan in there - not that it would suit me but I love the style of it!

Yes it came through eventually. It was just weird because I got the notification that there was a new email, then it wasn't there!

I liked that long cardigan too but it would cost quite a lot to make I reckon.

I thought the exact same @CrochetBug some projects are definitely worth it, but others, by the time you've paid for the materials, made the actual item you might aswell of just got it from the shop 😂

It's worth checking your local libraries website too, mine does digital magazines and they've got Simply Crochet as well as a few knitting ones. You can't take a screenshot of the magazine in the app on Android but you can using an Apple device...

I think maybe you're losing tension on your working yarn CrochetBug. I switched to knitting from crochet and I hold the yarn around my index finger on my left hand and then I can either flick my finger to pass it over the needle or scoop the yarn up with needle. I found it much more intuitive since it mimicked how I held the yarn for crochet if that's any use to you!

So you knit English style, not continental then, @CrochetBug. I think @FlaviaAlbiaWantsLangClegBack is right that it's about tension. If the bit of yarn between where you're holding it and where you've just wrapped it around the needle is too loose, the needle can definitely fail to catch the yarn as you bring it back through.

Beginners tend to learn to pull on the yarn slightly before they start trying to bring the needle back through. But most eventually settle on a way of holding the yarn in their right hand in a way that keeps a regular tension. People do it differently - I keep it wrapped once round my little finger and then it goes over the top of my index finger.

I've just read dd2's school newsletter... it's wear red day on Friday next week but I don't think any of us have anything red she could wear 🙄

I do however, have red yarn. Maybe half ish of a 50g ball from Poundland.

Any ideas for something quick I could make? Apart from a headband, I don't think she's likely to wear one of those.

I do the same, @lazylinguist - round little finger and over index - taught by my Dm in the dim and distant past. Very quick and easy once you’ve got the hang of it and my knitting is always very even.

I was once dying to show a girl I saw on the bus, evidently a new knitter, so laboriously putting the yarn round the L hand needle, but didn’t say anything, in case she thought I was an interfering old bag.

The R hand needle, I should have said! (Dozy old bag.)

Would she wear knitted hearts as a badge or attached to a jumper @lucysmam ?

Thanks. I wondered if it was a tension thing. I'll have another go later and see what happens. Mum's nearly finished the back of a cushion cover. She did the back first because its easier and she needs to find a way to knit without her fingers seizing up. (We went halves on the pattern cost as she really liked them)

lucysmam can you make her a headband? I have also seen patterns somewhere for scrunchies (if scrunchies are still cool among teens and preteens...?)

Hearts might be an idea MutteringDarkly; I could tack a few onto her black t-shirt maybe.

InTheNight I can see her wearing a headband so I can have a photo, then removing it half way to school 🤣🙄

I'm busy assembling the little bear. Need to make his arms and legs next but am pleased with today's progress!

I've overdone it on the running, which sounds like a fabulous excuse to sit and crochet all day except if I sit in one position too long I struggle to move again afterwards!

Ooh, ouch, tizwoz :(

The bear just needs his legs now...food first though!

@lucysmam that little bear is so so cute!

Dd2's decided she'd quite like one too now he's nearly done. I'm not sure I have enough of anything, not already earmarked for something else, to do a second one, so we're going to have a look at the Ricorumi colours tomorrow and she can pick what she fancies for next time I'm ordering yarn.

I've got one leg left to make but my hands were getting sore so I've packed away for the night.

I've overdone it on the running

Me too, @tizwozliz! Nothing major, but an achy, stiff right calf. It feels a bit better after some yoga yesterday though. It's foot and knee niggles I'm prone to and which have made me have to give up running several times. This is a last-ditch attempt to get back into it without injury. I'm taking it very carefully and doing lots of warm-up and cool-down stretching. No joint probs so far!