Knit, Crochet and Natter 6: Where there's a wool there's a way

[lazylinguist]

A thread for all woolly crafters, from total beginners to old hands! Previous thread here

Oh Colour made Easy is a chunky yarn! That would make a really snug blanket. Any acrylic chunky yarn would be a sub for that one then.

www.woolwarehouse.co.uk/yarn/scheepjes-chunky-monkey-all-colours would this work?

No reason why not.

Happy Birthday @ZingDramaQueenOfSheeba! That is beautiful yarn!

Poor Bob @cookiemonster5 I hope he's recovered now he's definitely loved if his limbs are in danger!

@Lazylinguist oh that is perfect now! I really love it!

Those yarns are gorgeous @sophs29! I've spent too much time on Mumsnet, I'd think foot fetish if someone asked me that 🤣

Glad you're all recovered @givemebooks! That is going to be a fantastic blanket! It's class!

I love your throw @ForCluckSake! Nice colours in the yarn!

I've never seen any yarn like that before @BingoBhango so hopefully someone else knows the answer but it looks like beehives have been spun as pigtails somehow so you can see the difference coloured centre.

Hi @BingoBhango - I haven't seen yarn like that either. Looks interesting though!

I'm back to knitting my Goldwing jumper now that the shawl is finished. Did a good few rows while I was stuck waiting while the dc did a 2hr archery session! Does anyone else secretly like being stuck somewhere for a while so that they've got no choice but to knit/crochet?

Wow @lazylinguist that shawl is stunning. Plus it really suits you.

I now have 2 legs and a hand for the monkey so getting there which is good but am away thurs/Fri so not sure I'll get much more done.

As for yarn storage we have a few kalax units which I have about 7 drawers full of yarn - 2 are attic 24 sets for blankets which I still haven't finished and the rest are different wool with no real projects assigned. Need to work through my backlog really and sort it.

I've been persuaded to put some of my knitting stuff in the garage . Doesn't seem like an appropriate place for lovely yarn to live, but hey ho. At least it's stopped the living room looking like a jumble sale. It's only a temporary measure until I get a craft room some better storage!

This thread is making me feel very inspired.
I have just about managed to make a granny square having had it explained to me (and partially demonstrated) by a friend.
Going to stick with this as something to practice for a while, but can anyone advise me on the following -or point me to a handy reference book/pattern/online tutorial-
How do I change to a different colour of wool during the square? If I was knitting I would know what to do.
Where do I make that change?
How do I "finish off" properly? I did a slip stitch around the while thing and then knotted the yarn, but it looks a bit bulky.

Currently I am working messily as this is the first time I have crocheted anything
I have just 2 hooks and am still learning how best to hold the yarn in a comfortable way and keep the right tension (pulling too tight and falling off hook are my current issues).

Have loved seeing all the amazing work on here.

@WeatherwaxOn

there are lots of tutorials on stuff like that, look up Attic24, Lucy has very good step by step instructions.

but for quick reference you change colour before completing the stitch, the last yarn over (YO) and pulling through loop/s on hook should be done with the new colour.

also you'll get a smoother look if you join round in the corner, not on the start.
so look up "Corner start granny".
if you struggle just PM me and I'll help you x

Also, if place of colour change has to be specific I use a reef knot (square knot) to tie ends together. when you saw the ends away you can tug on one yarn end slightly so it gets hidden a bit under other parts of the stitch.

if colour placement isn't important (ie using up scrap yarns and by default having random colour changes) I use magic knot technique.
it's based on the reef knot so if done properly it's very secure and won't come undone and there are no ends to sew in!
but yarn ends MUST be cut as closely to the knot as possible. Photo is a good example of this

*sew ends. not saw
doh

Well done @WeatherwaxOn on making your first granny square! ☺️
Yes like zing explained, where you want your new colour to start, the stitch right before that, before you do your last yarn over, use the new colour instead. I always then tie my new colour and my old colour to secure them a bit before crocheting over them but I'm not sure if that's the "proper" way 😂
And to finish off, once you're at the end, but you still have that loop on your hook, just cut your yarn off and use your hook to pull the rest of the yarn through the loop tightly, and then sew the rest of the leftover yarn through your work with a yarn needle. Hope this helps in some way! YouTube is full of tutorials so id just search whatever you're wondering about e.g. "how to finish off crochet" or "how to change colour in crochet" ☺️

Yikes lazy, you're brave! I hope it'll be well protected, just in case...

Well done Weatherwax, onwards & upwards! There'll be no stopping you now!

I'm just sitting down to the second cable row of my first sock. Been busy all day so I'm hoping the girls will give me peace for half an hour...they tend to pop down quite often though, even when I've just left them 🙄

Yay, cable section is done! Switching to white next, but; do I switch for the slipstitch, the chain, or the first hdc? 🤔

@lucysmam I'd finish the row you're on and use an invisible join. Then join the white and start with the chain.

@WeatherwaxOn I never knot anything as I hate the lumps you end up with. They probably aren't detectable, but I'm really fussy I change colour like others have described (last yo of stitch before colour change) and sew my ends in. I'm I'm making something 'in the round' (like a granny square) I use the invisible join. I think that's what it's called anyway.

Hello folks. When you are tidying your wool stash, please could you see if you have a spare ball or 2 of Aldi so crafty rainbow yarn 'frost'. Silly error - I made my blanket wider than original plan and now it's really too short.
Please message me if you have any. Thanks

@wormthatturned

Hello folks. When you are tidying your wool stash, please could you see if you have a spare ball or 2 of Aldi so crafty rainbow yarn 'frost'. Silly error - I made my blanket wider than original plan and now it's really too short. Please message me if you have any. Thanks

There's a buying and selling page for aldi/poundland wool on fb. Definitely worth putting your post there(can pm you a link if helpful?)

I'll have a google, thanks @CrochetBug. I've not tried an invisible join yet, I don't think, so it'll be something else to learn!

Yay my wool has arrived from wool warehouse.... I can see this becoming addictive I will get some pics soon

Ooh, thanks @eitak22. I'd be grateful for that link.

Got some small colourful packs thinking maybe a small car seat rainbow blanket a few bigger colourful balls, then some big pinks for my other throw am half way through. Also there's a small ball of pinky 100% wool ball going to see what it's like to start a small scarf for my toddler.

Lovely colours. I love Drops Alaska. I knitted my brother a blanket for Christmas in it last year.

So, is my pattern problem mysterious to others as well as myself? I might just do another 10 rows and see what happens.

Sorry @MerylSqueak - I'm hopeless at pattern conundrums . I can never picture in my head how bits of pattern instructions will actually work or look, even in WIPs I'm making myself, never mind ones other people are asking about! I have a very non-visual imagination, if that makes any sense .

@MerylSqueak

Can anyone help me with a bit in my shawl pattern. I'm not quite sure which bit of the shawl I am doing. I have 241 stitches on the needles and the body if the shawl knitted. I'll be casting off when I have done this bit. The instructions are

Find and mark the centre stitch. Knit to marker. K7. Wrap and turn.

Next row K 15 w&t
Next row K to 3stitches after the wrapped stitch. W &t.

Repeat this row until all stitches have been worked.

What would you expect this to look like when done? Having done a few of these, I can't imagine the garter stitch that's appearing eventually reaching across the whole width of the shawl but it seems to be what the pattern suggests.

Thank you!

Sorry @MerylSqueak I meant to reply to this but forgot!

I think it'll make a kind of asymmetric curve at the end of the shawl. Stitches 121 to 142 will gradually get worked and give a curve on one size and a slant on the other? What pattern is it?

Diagram not drawn to scale btw