Knit, Crochet and Natter 8: Keep Calm and Carry Yarn!

[crazyjinglist]

A thread for woolly crafters. All welcome, from total beginners to experts!

Previous thread here

@sandwiches77 chunky and double knit are different weights of yarn, how thick the yarn is. Thinner/lighter yarn tends to be used for intricate pieces and heavier yarn for bigger projects. Most projects tend to be in the light to medium range and will suggest DK, which is a light, or aran which is a medium. Your pattern will tell you which weight yarn they used, if you use a different weight then the finished product might be bigger or smaller than specified. This doesn’t matter too much for things like blankets, scarves, toys but for jumpers you might want to stick to the weight in the pattern to begin with. There is slightly different terminology between UK, US and Australia so you might sometimes have to google the yarn they used and find a good UK substitute. You can use two (or more) strands of lighter weight yarn to get thicker weight yarn, so two strands of aran is the equivalent of chunky. So if you find any chunky pattern but only have aran in your stash, you can use your stash. www.thesprucecrafts.com/understanding-yarn-weights-2117311

@tizwozliz that’s the problem I’ve encountered, it’s all just blending into one. Do you mind me asking what you’re using to get hourly figures?

I have a weather station but I'm sure you can get hourly figures from the met office. I'm sure I checked so I'd have a backup if there was an issue. I'll see if I can find a link later when I'm on the computer

But something (very roughly) along the lines of 'it's yarn - you can always undo what you've done & start again, no one dies!!'

I'm with you here. When I realise I've got to go back and fix a mistake,. I repeat to myself, 'Its only loops and air. It doesn't really matter!'

As someone who's taught themselves to knit recently, my two top tips are firstly to teach yourself to go back and undo mistakes at your learning. I knew I would make mistakes and would have no one to help. I'm so glad I did.

Also always to fix mistakes. If I finish something and I know there's a mistake in it, I can't look at it. I knitted a scarf for a friend recently and I knew there was a mistake. I showed it to her in case she didn't like the pattern anyway and I actually couldn't find the mistake it was so small. In my mind it was glaring and obvious.

@tizwozliz @InTheNightWeWillWish my mum is doing a temp blanket. It's mainly blue so far but looks a bit like the sea. I think she's using the average daily temp but no idea where she gets it from.

@JugglingJanuary they were only here for a few hours. Mainly upstairs on the PS. But he said hi and thanks for having me. Manners maketh man, so that's all cool. DS has gone out to meet him again today before he goes home. Then messaged to ask if BF and his parents could come round before they drive home to meet me! Luckily the lounge is acceptable, well to me anyway. As long as they don't want to go anywhere else.

I'm not sure what my dad, or grandparents would have said if my brothers or I were gay. My cousins daughter was in a gay relationship a couple of years ago (I think she's bi but not sure). When I asked my Uncle if her gf was nice he said "it's just a phase. We don't talk about that"
DS knows I've got his back whenever he is ready to come out to wider family. If they don't support him then it's their loss. As DS2 said when my partner walked out on me "we were always OK with just us 3. We'll be OK again". Sorry. Getting emotional now.

Ummm.. yarn. Yarn makes me happy.

Meant to attach a photo of mum's temp blanket

Awww - sandwich pup is lovely!

@JugglingJanuary - dd is 16 but in year 12 (she's very young for her school year) and is beginning to think about university. Ds nearly 14.

Yep, big difference between double knit and chunky, @sandwiches77. Dk is kind of the finest of the non-fine yarns, if that makes any sense . Any finer than dk and you're into sock yarns, lace-weight yarns etc.

Crazyjinglist makes no sense lol, but I'll have a look at the link InTheNightWeWillWish posted thank you - going out in the garden this afternoon so will post a pic of the knitting later.

Your mum’s temperature blanket is coming along Crochetbug the spread of colours looks fairly similar to mine. I get the average daily temperature from here www.wunderground.com

I keep seeing an advert for this monsoon sweater
www.monsoon.co.uk/holly-crochet-slash-neck-jumper-ivory-34623046.html I like the colours they’ve used and I’m sure you could make your own pattern. Shall I have a go?!

That's lovely @NiceCardigan. It would be really easy to make. I think I've seen patterns for them somewhere, but it's just granny squares.

I’ve seen some quite expensive patterns but it is just putting the granny squares together.

Photo of my knitting so far, just going to do some more in front of the TV

Wow this thread has moved fast over the weekend! I haven't had a chance to properly catch up but @NiceCardigan I wanted to try something similar but with more muted colours! I think if you have basic knowledge on how garments are put together and how to crochet, you'd be able to do it quite easily without a pattern!

Your making progress @sandwiches77!

Colour choice makes such a difference @sophs29 or you end up looking too homemade.

Yes I agree @NiceCardigan I'm also not the most "out there" with my dress sense - especially in winter, so if I rocked up to school drop off in a bright crocheted jumper I think I might get some looks 😂 not that I really care but I like to wear clothes that feel 'me'!

I think that's gorgeous, @NiceCardigan - definitely give it a go! I think the only tricky but might be the shoulders, as I don't think they've been worked in squares. There's something a bit different about it, to allow for the slight dip in the neckline.

Let us know how you get on!

Looks lovely NiceCardigan not sure I'm ready for that yet.

Scarf coming along nicely, did a load of rows while watching Call The Midwife

Yay - nice going, @sandwiches77!

I'm not getting much knitting done atm, but it's nearly half-term, thank goodness! Just got to get this bloody interview out of the way first. I HATE teaching interview lessons!

I did manage to start my second mitten yesterday though, so that’s something. I'm still loving the magic loop method- so much less fiddly than dpns. After that, I need to finish ds' socks. But I'll be on the lookout for another project once the mittens are done....

As DS2 said when my partner walked out on me "we were always OK with just us 3. We'll be OK again

Awww - your kids sound fab, @CrochetBug . I love your temperature blanket!

nicecardigan that jumper is nice but would be easy enough to make for yourself, plus then you be like do colours to suit you. I can’t use that site that you’re using - I can’t do Fahrenheit

Sandwiches that’s coming along nicely.

crazy when is you interview? Are you thinking small project or larger project next?

I’m not getting much crochet done, DD is really unsettled, we just seem to be having endless issues with feeding. The health visitor mentioned lactose intolerance but I’m not ready to open that can of worms at the minute. I’m meant to be going up to my family this weekend, the first time for two years pretty much to the day. Someone in baby group has tested positive for covid though so I’m hoping we can continue skirting it and can finally make it up north at the weekend. If we can go up, I’m working out which projects I can take with me I should be able to get some crochet done as Nanna will be more than happy to sit with DD endlessly.

crazywhen is your interview? Are you thinking small project or larger project next?

Interview is on Thursday, so I should know
how I did by the end of Friday at the latest. Not sure about project size... I was really keen on doing smaller ones after my last jumper, hence the mittens and socks. But now I think maybe a bigger one next! Not a blanket though - I like making them, but don't really need any more! And probably not a jumper. I quite like the idea of a cardigan of some kind. Maybe I should do some crochet - haven't done any for a while!

Good luck with the interview crazyjinglist

InTheNightWeWillWish I've changed the site settings so that all the temps are in Celsius.

I'm just quickly sharing Incy spider's new sunshine, before we head to Rainbows and Guides. I'm so looking forward to sitting down to nothing tomorrow evening & catching up with the thread 🌞🕷

Sending help... was tired while knitting last night and ended up knitting all sorts of stitches. I'll take a photo and post it soon

Lovely sunshine, @lucysmam! I'm looking forward to sitting down and doing nothing tomorrow afternoon after my interview. Trying not to feel too nervous.... . I don't imagine I'll sleep very well.