Knit, Crochet and Natter 7: the School of Stitchcraft and Wizardry

[lazylinguist]

A thread for woolly crafters of all kinds, from beginner level to advanced sorcery!

Previous thread here

@lucysmam that looks great. I'll pm you tomorrow about my interview questions.

That’s looking great lucysmam.

I realised I didn’t post a photo after I unknotted the yarn and made the Pom Pom for my hat! It’s unexpectedly Christmassy.

I’ve also finished the bear suit! The yarn is so fluffy that I can’t see any of the stitches so I’ve done it all by feel. The upside of that is that you can’t where I’ve seen the ends in or the legs together, which is good because sewing by feel is a lot harder. I just need to buy some buttons and see them on. The pattern didn’t use cuddly yarn and this yarn is a different weight than the pattern but I hadn’t had time to work out the difference between the yarns when I bought this one. I was concerned I was playing yarn chicken for a little bit towards the end and that I wouldn’t have enough to do the ears! I finished with the tiniest amount of yarn left! My face is so smug right now.

@lucysmam that looks great. Can't wait to see it all sewn together!

OMG!!! Squeeeee @InTheNightWeWillWish that bear suit DS1 had a bear cardigan mum made when he was tiny. I don't think DS2 ever wore it because it didn't wash well. But maybe he did. It's been a long time since they were babies!

Cardiff was fun. The Harry Potter thing was a bit disappointing, the website just didn't work. But we found the Torchwood Tower and Ianto's Shrine. And miracle of miracles, found a keyring with DS1s name on! I think it's the 5th thing we've ever found in a shop with his name on. He's 17 so it's always exciting.

Oh wow! That so adorable InTheNight and that's advanced yarn chicken skills

Those are looking great lucysmam they're going to look so delicate and pretty when they're sitting up.

Cute mermaid Oysterbabe!

Omg @InTheNightWeWillWish I love the bear suit. I had one for dd2 when she was tiny. She used to wear that, in the carrier, under my coat & she was so snug 😊 I'm quite envious that you'll have a tiny person to snuggle up in it; the majority of my friends are past the baby years now & I quite miss baby cuddles.

Ah the bearsuit is lovely, nice work.

I've just seen these socks for sale and think I might to make some.

So many fab things!
Can't wait to see that cottage finished @lucysmam!
@InTheNightWeWillWish - lovely hat, and that bear suit is just gorgeous!
@CrochetBug - I'm always jealous of people going to Potter things - hope it was fun!
It's going to be a while before I have any project pics to post on the thread! I wound 6 skeins into balls and have done one swatch. The hat is fingering weight yarn, so it will be slow progress. Wrist warmers will be quicker but I haven't even thought about getting started on those yet!

legomagicalmysteryhunt.com/

You can do the thing online
I might do it tomorrow just because I can.

Very cute @InTheNightWeWillWish

If anyone likes Rowan island blend, it's currently 4.49 a ball at Wool Warehouse. I've been coveting it for ages. I bought Empire which is a dark greyish purple. The blue scarf I'm knitting is the marine colour. It's gorgeous yarn.

I'm halfway through my green scarf. Nice to do something quite quick.

Does anyone have any favourite patterns for big blankets? DH has offered to buy me some yarn for Christmas to make a blanket for our double bed. I'm thinking of Drops Andes in light grey and the Umaro pattern that's so popular on Ravelry but I am not 100% sold on either.

This pattern is the maybe

www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/umaro

Right I've cast on dh's hat and knitted one row! It's this one. I'm making it with Methera, which is a 4 ply fingering yarn, 100% local wool (Cumbria and Lancs) made by my local yarn shop Northern Yarn. The main body of the hat is darkish blue, with the fairisle bit done in a kind of burnt orange and ecru. It's on pretty small needles (2.25mm for the rib), 140 st per round and it's a bit fiddly!

That's lovely @MerylSqueak! Coincidentally it's by the same designer as the hat I just posted!

Loving the colour combo I'm using for the hat - I've done the contrast edging with 2 rows of burnt orange and started the main colour (dark blue) and they look really good together. Only worries are a) will it fit dh's big head! and b) the Methera really doesn't ferl very soft - I hope it's not itchy!

Sounds lovely lazy! I've been eyeing that wool for a while, I love the concept and the colours.

I loved Drops Andes when I had a squish at it Meryl and that blanket is beautiful, I haven't seen it before. Jared Flood has some gorgeous patterns.

Half an inch to go on my collar and I'm done! I can sew up the arms and then cast it into the abyss of knitwear I regret starting. My DM wants it if my Dbro doesn't so it'll find a home somewhere. No one's going to be cold wearing it anyway, it's like wearing a boiler.

I'm going to cast on this www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/eileen-mary next, but I'm going to make some modifications to it. I've made it before but I want full length sleeves and a crew neck this time.

I also kind of fancy a slipover to wear over shirts, I've seen so many on Instagram recently and they're calling to me.

Show show show @lazylinguist

Jared Flood does some lovely designs. I'm always worried about buying a pattern and then not liking it or not being able to understand it. I try and abandon so many things because I am very fussy. Do you find his pattern clear to read?

I really want that village @lucysmam!

I loved your sock @CrochetBug. Sorry it felted a bit. Could you do some slipper type things that are meant to felt?

That looks lovely Flavia. I'm always a bit in awe of people who can look at a pattern and work out how to modify it to their liking! It surprises me when I look at people's notes and photos of their Ravelry projects how many of them have adapted the pattern.

I guess that's maybe one of the first steps towards being able to design a pattern yourself? For a long time patterns just seemed like incomprehensible wizardry to me. It's only fairly recently that I'm able to read a pattern and understand the construction more, instead of just following the instructions blindly and being fascinated to see the WIP take shape - a bit like painting by numbers!

I like that pattern @FlaviaAlbiaWantsLangClegBack I agree with full length sleeves!

I could do with something easy to do alongside my fairisle sweater all my “queuing” projects need concentration too. I might just get some striped sock yarn.

Show show show @lazylinguist**

Here it is so far. The orange looks a bit different on the photo. In real life it's a bit darker and richer.

Yes I think the hat is going to be the hardest of my 3 new projects @NiceCardigan . Not because there's anything terribly tricky about it, just because the wool and needle size make it a bit fiddlier and less forgiving. Plus it does have fairisle. The wrist warmers should give me something quicker and easier to fall back on - simple pattern, fat smooth wool.

Oh that is gorgeous lazy! Curse the price of ferries, I want to go to Northern Yarn for a squish 😂

I think it's a bit like baking, the recipes are just suggestions It really did my head in following the instructions on this test knit, the designer didn't mention no modifications until after it began or I wouldn't have started it. I hate not being able to fiddle around with the pattern.

I have a couple of his free patterns in my library Meryl www.ravelry.com/patterns/search#designer=Jared%20Flood&availability=free&sort=date&view=large_mobile&__viewed=75857 I've been meaning to make those little mittens for an advent calendar for ages now

I think it's a bit like baking, the recipes are just suggestions

Ah, now I'm perfectly confident to adapt recipes... but then I've been cooking a lot longer than I've been knitting! Also I think it's partly just how your brain works - I'm not great with spatial awareness and projecting from 2d plans or instructions to 3d real life iyswim. I think that's why I'm so bad at directions and maps!

Finished! I hate it so much 😂

We have a couple of the same things favourites @FlaviaAlbiaWantsLangClegBack. The hemlock blanket is one of my dream projects.

Those are gorgeous colours @lazylinguist

Awww - what do you hate about it Flavia?!

It does look warm @FlaviaAlbiaWantsLangClegBack!

I’ve found a mistake I’ve made in my fair isle pattern quite low down. It isn’t very noticeable and I am absolutely not frogging it or trying any fancy making a ladder or whatever to fix it. I’m not sure whether to leave it as a deliberate mistake like a Persian rug or to just embroider over it in the right colour.