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

@Myshitisreal that's beautiful! I always aim for patterns with minimal sewing. I don't know why as I actually love sewing! It's the granny square cardigan you've seen the "granny go round" one? I'm in love with the jumper version.

That's a lovely scarf @MerylSqueak. What courses are you doing? Anything interesting?

I've banned myself from starting anything new until I've finished a couple of WIPs. I've made 5 out of 9 squares for a baby blanket. Then I'm going to make a second glove to match the one I made DS1 about 2 years ago. It probably won't even fit his massive hands any more

I'm also aiming to sort my life (And my house) out. Baby steps but slowly slowly catchy monkey. I've had my front door painted and the plumbing in the bathroom fixed (again). My landlady used a different plumber this time and they diagnosed a different problem, said the last lot sounded like cowboys. So fingers crossed its fixed properly now. I'm planning to tidy and hoover the hallway and stairs in the morning. That way if anyone comes to the door it looks like I've got my shit together
Then I've got a catch up with my therapist. Then maybe clean the bathroom if I feel up to it. But if i don't that's OK. Like I said, baby steps. I've been feeling really positive the last few days. But I know from experience that usually means I do too much and then crash again. So I've got to learn to pace myself.

@CrochetBug Thankyou for pointing me in the right direction !!

This is my latest but first attempt at this Winnie the Pooh blanket almost finished

Welcome aboard, @bluepurplepinkyellow! Fantastic blanket!

@lazylinguist Thankyou !! Xx

Oh wow Myshitisreal and Myshitisreal beautiful cables!

Amazing blanket bluepurplepinkyellow! I love the design!

I’ve just got info on a test knit jumper I’m doing, I’m hoping to stash bust for it so I have to do some more swatching. I know I’ll regret cracking on without it…

Hi and welcome @bluepurplepinkyellow. That blanket is lovely.

I really wish I could knit! Any tips for how to hold the yarn? I crochet with the yarn in my left hand and hook in my right. I've tried yarn in both hands to knit. Right is better but I can't work out how to hold it. It seems to end up twisted.

My plans for today went right out the window. I didnt get to sleep until sometime after 6am. Other than waking up to make sure the DC went to school/ college and bring the food shop in I've slept all morning.

@Myshitisreal that jumper looks great!! How long has it taken you?

@MerylSqueak the scarf is lovely! Very intricate!

And welcome @bluepurplepinkyellow that blanket is sooo cute!!

I seem to have lost my 'crojo' again 🙄 probably from doing too many socks, I've now hit a wall 😂

I'm off to Yarndale tomorrow! Quite excited - I've never been before. I'm going by train because apparently it gets very busy traffic-wise. My arrival slot os 12:30-13:00 and there's no available train home until 6pm, so I hope there's plenty to look at . I can always have a wander around Skipton if I get bored - it's a very nice town apparently.

Ooh, I'm vicariously excited for you lazy! I am definitely going one day when the kids are older I've been seeing updates on social media and it looks amazing!

I have a slightly odd knitting style that is a bit like how I crochet CrochetBug. I hold the wool wrapped around my index finger on my left hand then use my middle finger to push the yarn around the needle then I pull the needle though the stitch. It's really fast compared to when I hold the yarn in my right. It might be worth giving a try since it's more like crochet. Though I learned crochet from my DM who is left handed so perhaps all my knitting and crochet methods are odd I put in a photo, ignore the general chaos in the background

Good news on the cat front, as of tonight I've only one more kitten to catch to get neutered. Ones already been caught and done last week and a lady from a cat rescue came and took away the mummy cat and her new litter tonight. They're lovely wee things so they deserve good homes.

Oops, attached the blurry one as well, ignore that one!

We'll done you @FlaviaAlbiaWantsLangClegBack . Isn't that knitting style called continental? I keep meaning to practice it as it should be faster and might help with repetitive strain but I never have the patience to practice and get up to speed. If I were learning from scratch, I would definitely do that one.

Oo @lazylinguist enjoy!

Good luck with your getting life in order project @CrochetBug. Thank you for asking about the courses. They're both to help me help kids at work. I work with hearing impaired children in Wales so the first one is British Sign Language which I don't need right now as 'my' kids are in mainstream school but I might in the future and my manager has said they'll pay for it so I very happy. I'm hearing impaired myself and started to sign years ago but gave up as I needed to focus on other things. I find it really relaxing to learn as much of it is silent in the learning stage and it's lovely for me to not to have to try to hear.

The second one is Welsh which I should have done years ago but didn't really need Welsh with the work I was doing. I don't tend to remember languages unless I have to use them. I now am in a lot of Welsh classes at school and it's pretty difficult to help the kids if I don't speak it myself. Now I have a reason to do it, I hope it will stick.

I like to have just one WIP too although I am tempted to start something quick so I can keep patience with my DK scarf. I'm on repeat three out of eleven and it's already taken me weeks!

I think it's not proper continental knitting but a sort of modified version of it. As far as I can see in continental knitting videos your needles do all the work but my fingers do most of it.. I ended up doing it after trying to teach myself continental because I'm so slow holding the yarn in my right hand!

That sounds great about your boss paying for the course! It's so much easier to learn things when you're enjoying them too.

I'm on the train to Yarndale! So are a lot of Leeds United fans, some of them already on the beers.... I'm going to try and grab some lunch en route from the station, as I've heard the café at the event has really long queues! I'm not planning to buy much stuff at all - just want to see lots for inspiration!

I hold the yarn in my right hand when I knit. I wind it once around my little finger, then it goes under my palm and over my index finger. I can do it the way you do, Flavia, because that's what I do with the other yarn when I'm knitting Fairisle, but I'm even slower at it than I am when knitting my normal way!

Right... I have slowly wandered around all of Yarndale now, which took me an hour and a half. I've bought some sock blockers and a Yarndale canvas bag. I'll definitely buy a ball of yarn or two, but the choice is a bit mind-boggling! Tempted by a drop spindle too...

Thanks for the knitting tips. That's what I've been doing but it doesn't feel right. Maybe I just need to practise. I'm very much a "yarn mover" rather than a hook/needle mover. Whenever I watch crochet videos other people seem to move the hook but I find ny tension is off when I do that.

@MerylSqueak ooo BSL will be fun. I've always wanted to learn, my cousin is deaf. I know a few random words and can finger spell but that's all.

@lazylinguist sounds like you've had a good day and been very restrained!

I'm very much a "yarn mover" rather than a hook/needle mover.

If that's the case then it sounds as if the English-style 'throwing stitches' with your right hand method would be best for you. It involves more movement, so it's probably less efficient than continental style, but it's the way I learned so I'm quicker at it!

I bought a skein of this pretty dk yarn from a stall run by a shop I just found out is very near where I used to teach! nice colours

Ooh, that is pretty lazy, it sounds like you've had a very relaxing day :)

bluepurple Winnie The Pooh is my favourite 😊 your blanket's lovely.

I'm jumping on the card bandwagon 🤣 I've made this little birthday cake to go on a card for one of the teachers at work. It was her birthday yesterday but I didn't realise until quite late on so I'll pop it in her classroom on my way onto the yard on Monday.

I've finished the spa set too...might whip up some labels on the laptop tomorrow & give it to my friend when I see her next.

@lazylinguist sounds like you had a lovely day and you managed to resist us all sitting on your shoulder telling you to buy buy buy!

They look great @lucysmam

I think I need some nice stencils and pens...finding any stencil & one not too bad pen took way too long 🙄 & I'm not really short of creative stuff I wouldn't have thought 🤔

I can't make up my mind whether to carry on with this jumper or frog & just do it in hdc rather than alternating flo/blo hdc 🤔

@lucysmam that card is so sweet! Stamps and ink pads would be another way of adding lettering. Or outline stickers. I have 2 cupboards full of craft stuff and still don't seem to have what I need half the time

I'd stick with the flo/blo on the jumper. It adds a lovely texture imo.

That yarn is gorgeous @lazylinguist you were very restrained!

Oooh @CrochetBug I was eyeing up stamps & ink pads in The Works, last Friday, but didn't think I'd have a use for them so left them on the shelf. I might need to go back for them 🤔

Dd1 says keep it as it is, as well! I've left it until later on & picked up the LFC scarf again (that's partly motivated by wanting any leftovers of the red for something else 🤣).

Ooh, that is very lovely wool lazy! I think looking is most of the fun at festivals, there's so much to see but I also admire your restraint!

That's so nice of you lucysmam I'd be so chuffed to get that! It's very thoughtful.

And in the final installment of the cat saga, I caught the last one. Vet tomorrow and then it's finally done, phew

@MerylSqueak those courses sound great! I've always wanted to learn British Sign Language!

@lucysmam what a cute card! And the spa set is so thoughtful! I keep meaning to make myself some 'scrubbies' to remove my make up!

Every time I watch a crochet video I feel like I'm the only one that doesn't crochet like they do, so I'm glad to know I'm not the only one @CrochetBug

Glad you enjoyed yarndale @lazylinguist did you get some inspiration? That yarn is beautiful! Expensive..but beautiful 😂 I've realised I'm quite a cheap skate when it comes to yarn but I'm trying to be better 😬

Thank goodness all the cats have been caught @FlaviaAlbiaWantsLangClegBack one less stress!