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

I did a swatch for my hat last night and it was a bit off, so I'm going to have to go down a needle size. The hand-dyed yarn looks gorgeous knitted up though!

Can I join in please? Tried yesterday but couldn't post. I am a sock knitter mostly. Rarely knit anything else but do sometimes. Can crochet but haven't for a long time!

Am loving reading about peoples projects.

Here are some socks I have knitted.

@TheGoodEnoughWife welcome, those socks look so cosy!

I know there are 1,000 other threads with how much people dislike new MN but I really dislike that the threads you’re watching it doesn’t show you the last post, it takes you to the first page of the thread. Combined with having to log in every 20 seconds and not being able to automatically put capital letters at the beginning of a sentence, I’m not a fan.

I’m still trying to practice my knitting. I’ve finished my second sample square but it’s about an inch shorter than the first square 🤦‍♀️ So I think my tension needs a bit of work. My mum is going to show me how to add a couple of rows of garter stitch to the top and bottom to even it out a bit. Despite my intentions to knit everyday, even if just for 10 minutes, I haven’t managed today or yesterday as I’m applying for some jobs which is taking up my time at the moment.

Welcome @TheGoodEnoughWife ! Those are some very lovely socks.

@InTheNightWeWillWish - good luck with the job applications!

I haven't managed to do any knitting today either. First day back at work. Dh still off, but has finally heard from school and is having a meeting/interview next week. No idea how that is going to go or what the outcome will be...

Lovely socks @TheGoodEnoughWife

Thank you!

I’m knitting a cardi (no pattern eek) for my little girl and been playing around with some new techniques. I never use more than one colour so this feels very out there 😂 (the picture doesn’t pick up the colours very well but the main colour is a very subtle pinky cream and the border is a brighter baby pink) it’s an Icord bind off on the sleeve but I’m going to add an icord border to all the edges.

You’re very clever @buckingmad! I can make things without patterns in crochet but wouldn’t have a clue with knitting. The icord edging looks lovely.

@StillNiceCardigan thank you. I would be the same with crochet!

I couldn't make things without a pattern in knitting or crochet! The icord edging is great. I did that for the first time on a jumper I made a while back. I really liked it, but found the last bit where you join the ends up a bit hard to make tidy!

I’m fairly new to crochet and have a lovely skein of expensive DK yarn (225m) which my daughter has asked me to make into a scarf for her.

I started a honeycomb pattern I found on YouTube last night, but it was too tricky for me and I had to frog it.

Could one of you please suggest a relatively easy pattern I could use (preferably with a video to follow)?

How about one, @thinkfast ? The link is to a YouTube video which also has a written pattern. It can be done wider as a wrap or narrower as a scarf. Looks really nice!

Thanks FairIsle hope DH’s meeting next week goes well and he can put this behind him.

@thinkfast I think with 225m you are probably looking at a cowl and something nice and lacy. This cowl is suitable for beginners, it is also in UK and US terminology, so you can work the pattern in the terminology you’re familiar. There are instructions at the bottom for working with DK. There are also instructions for making a scarf or cowl. You will need to make a cluster stitch at the end of the row, there is a description but there are videos on YouTube of that stitch if you need (just make sure your terminology is right, so add US or UK depending on which one you are working in). Most of the videos that I can find are heavier weight yarn and not as lacy so your skein likely won’t go as far.

I used this pattern to learn to crochet @thinkfast She explains things so well and there’s a video for it too.
www.mooglyblog.com/artfully-simple-infinity-scarf/ I still really love the scarf I made. It does use US terms but there’s only two stitches used so you can get into a rhythm of it.

Oh I’m glad your DH finally has a date for something to happen @Fairislefandango, I hope it all gets settled soon.

I like your socks @TheGoodEnoughWife!

Oops - sorry @thinkfast - the one I linked was knit, not crochet !

I totally failed to resist starting my new project before finishing ds' second sock! I'm loving the colour scheme of my hat. Will post a pic tomorrow morning when the light is better!

Hehe! I just watched the video up to the point she mentions knit!

My daughter doesn't want a cowl so I think I might just do a thin scarf in v stich, which I haven't tried before. Fingers crossed!

Actually it shows up ok on the photo.

That’s lovely @Fairislefandango! Gorgeous colours.

Thank you! I was worried about the sizing (as always!) after going down a needle size and still not quite getting the right gauge, but I slipped the brim onto some long circulars so that I could try it on and it's fine. Now I only have the 'vertical' gauge to worry about - I hate it when a hat doesn't cover at least most of my ears!

Just checking in as this is the first time since the update I've been able to get on to my 'watching' page 🙄 lots of lovely things on here and hello to all the new people on the thread ☺️
LOVE those colours @Fairislefandango

I'm finding not being able to go to the last message really annoying too @InTheNightWeWillWish . Good luck with the jobs. Anything interesting?

That's looking great @Fairislefandango . Good luck to your DH. How's he feeling?

I've blocked my scarf and decided to move it on to 12 needles. I then spent yesterday doing and undoing careless mistakes. I love lace but I can hace too much of yarnovers!

Hope you all get some lovely crafting time today.

Dh seems pretty chilled out on the face of it, @MerylSqueak . As well as the meeting on Friday, he has a job interview this afternoon - a busier week than he's had for some time!

Good luck to your DH for this afternoon FairIsle. Is it for a job outside a school?

Meryl thank you. I applied to one which closed last week, I would love the job but the more I think I think about it, the more I think it might not work. I’ve put that in currently on maternity leave in the application so that will probably discourage them anyway. There is one I’m really excited about. The office is 10 mins from home. I can walk to the train station, catch the train, walk DD to nursery and then to the office along a lovely, scenic route in less time than it would take me to get to my current office. It’s also more pay, which never hurts. There are two roles being advertised and I’ve spoken to the managers and both roles seem great and me being on maternity leave won’t be a reason I won’t get to interview! That one closes at the weekend so I’m off to tweak my answers following the calls with both managers. There’s a couple of others that if I have time I’ll put an application in for, whilst the jobs look interesting they don’t quite excite like me that one.

Thanks @InTheNightWeWillWish - yes it's a job at a university. It would be quite a big cut in salary, which is a bit worrying (especially as nobody seems inclined to give me a proper job), but he's quite tempted. He's desperate to get out. The other one he's applied for is as 'Director of Education' at a special school. It's right up his street (he's always wanted to work in special schools) and pays better! He doesn't know if he has an interview for that one yet though.

Oo well fingers crossed for both of the exciting jobs!

I'm going to have to start using my sign language at work soon and I have an exam next week. I did happily have a day where I remembered why I like my job today after my recent malaise so that was a relief.

Scarf is scarfing along. I'm halfway through almost. Thinking of a jumper soon. I've never done one. All the patterns I like seem to call for 4 ply though and I pretty much know I won't have the patience. I want a pretty shaped sleeve, a wide or v neck and quite a fitted shape. A clear pattern and not much sewing up also.

I'll post the ones I like. I'd be thrilled if anyone has any suggestions.