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

Hi @DiamondBright! If you're just practising stitches rather than actually trying to makethe pattern yet, then you could just not practise doing some increases. Like @SpinMeRightRoundBabyRightRound says though, there are various different methods of increasing - does your pattern tell you which kind to use?

@Fairislefandango

Hi *@DiamondBright! If you're just practising stitches rather than actually trying to makethe pattern yet, then you could just not practise doing some increases. Like @SpinMeRightRoundBabyRightRound* says though, there are various different methods of increasing - does your pattern tell you which kind to use?

It doesn't say. I've started it properly now using the right number of stitches, I'm just going to knit into the front and back of the stitch when I get to that part. because that's the only way I know.

Thanks @lucysmam it's some seriously cheap acrylic. It looked blush pink on the website. The shade is even called blush. Its definitely more purple than pink though. It's also pretty much an identical colour to a jumper I already own, but I couldn't be bothered with the hassle of sending it back, and I do love it anyway.

It's not the nicest yarn I've ever worked with, it's a bit snaggy and splitty at times, although I am working with a 3.5 hook. Plus it was only about £1.20 per ball so mega cheap! It's New Fashion Dk by Woolcraft.

The micro crochet book looks great! I tried to do some micro a few years ago, but it didn't work. I don't know why. I used embroidery silk and it was too slippery so my magic ring wouldn't stay closed.

If you’re practicing @DiamondBright then you could always try different increases and see which one you prefer. I usually use M1L by default but there’s a whole list of different ones here if you fancy playing around www.interweave.com/article/knitting/improve-knitting-inreases/

Your top looks lovely @CrochetBug!

Well, my interview seemed to go well (mind you, I say that every time). Only one other candidate. I'm now very twitchy waiting for them to call - I think some knitting might be in order!

Fingers crossed for you @Fairislefandango

Didn't get it . I may have to accept that nobody is going to give a 50yo with no recent full time teaching experience a proper teaching job.

Boooo. Their loss @Fairislefandango!

Covid has finally arrived in the Bug house. DS1 tested positive this morning. :(

Oh no, hope you avoid it or at least aren't ill with it!

Sorry to hear that FairIsle. Don’t give up! Have you considered some career coaching? I know it sounds very woolly (pun not intended) but I attended a careers coach in 2020, just before the pandemic, as I was getting nowhere with interviews. I didn’t actually get a new job because the pandemic hit and my job wasn’t at threat so I stopped looking, then had a baby but it helped me see some of the things I was missing and reframing some of my experience. I’m looking again and it’s still in the back of my mind what we went over. If nothing else, I left feeling that I was shit hot. Even if nobody else agreed

Oh no crochetbug fingers crossed DS1 isn’t too poorly and you and DS2 can avoid catching it!

On no Fairislefandango sorry that you didn’t get the job.

Hope you either avoid catching it Crochetbug or aren’t too ill. My parents have both just had Covid and managed to just have a couple of days of feeling unwell.

I’m sorry fairisle that sucks. It’s their loss too.

Sorry to hear Covid has hit CrochetBug, I hope you manage to dodge it.

Sorry to hear that @Fairislefandango. If it's any consolation, I know that round hear (rural Wales) you'd be snapped up and eaten with a silver lining spoon.

Thanks for the commiserations everyone. Apart from anything else, it would have been reassuring to have a proper salary lined up for September, given the uncertainty about dh's situation. Hey ho - I guess I stay as a supply teacher. It has its advantages (not least the fact that there's no pesky planning and marking to get in the way of my knitting and crochet time ), and schools are absolutely desperate for supply atm.

Hi everyone, I'm just checking in & placemarking so I can find you all again later on.

I've barely touched my crochet over the past few weeks but it's the Easter hols now so I'm hoping to have plenty of time for it :)

I hope you don't mind, but I have just finished this brioche shawl and feel the need to share with other woolly crafters (and can't find a real life knitting group at the moment).

Oo that's beautiful! @Peckhampalace. Have you done much brioche before?

No, I learned it at Christmas 2020 when I was home alone (from YouTube) and did a headband then went straight to the shawl!

That's amazing, @Peckhampalace! I love the colour combo too.

Gosh, I absolutely love that @Peckhampalace, it’s beautiful 😍

I have no idea what ‘brioche’ is, but is it difficult?

I haven't had a go at brioche yet, but I seem to recall that @SpinMeRightRoundBabyRightRound is a dan hand at it. There was a stunning brioche project in a gorgeous blue and coppery brown colour scheme on one of the first of these threads, which I'm sure was hers.

I think brioche looks more complicated than it really is and it took me 3 or 4 different YouTube videos before I found one that made sense to me to see how you wrap the yarn to make brioche stitches and how the two colours work together.
Knitting it in the round (headband or cowl) is easiest as each odd row is brioche knit in one colour, and even rows are brioche pearl in another colour.
Knitting flat is a bit more demanding as row 1 is knit in colour A then push stitches back to other end and row 2 pearl in colour B. Row 3 you pearl in colour A, push the stitches back along the needle and row 4 you knit in colour B.
It takes a bit of concentration and I should note that I have been knitting for years although before this Aran was the most complex thing I had done.

Wow @Peckhampalace that's stunning!!!!

I've just signed up to another test, I think I need my head testing

That is absolutely gorgeous @peckhampalace!

That was mine fairisle, I wear it loads! I keep thinking about making another one without the mohair this time.

I’m feeling quite productive today, I’ve got to the end of the purple fibre I was spinning, now I’ve just got to ply it so I can use it in a jumper.