It's crochet, knit and natter thread 11. So much yarn we need a yarn barn.

[CrochetBug]

Oh my, the last thread got full! Hope you all find me. The title is rubbish.

Anyway. I'm off to decorate the thread.

I've been asked to make this for a family member but I no longer enjoy knitting and crochet more as I find it easier and quicker -

https://www.woolcouturecompany.com/products/rainbow-blanket-knitting-kit?pos=1&&sid=ea998324a&ss=r

They also have a crochet version -

https://www.woolcouturecompany.com/products/rainbow-blanket-crochet-kit?pos=2&&sid=ea998324a&ss=r

She prefers the knitted version but I thought if I just do a HDC in back loop only it will look more knit like! 😬

@NonMiDispiace I really love this and the colours you have chosen. I am looking to give a new project a go so will try this yarn, I usually use style craft dk. Did you follow a pattern? Thank you

Love the granny squares @GetTheGoodLookingGuy
and the blanket@NonMiDispiace
And the mittens @CrochetBug

I have made another bag and my friendcask mevto makevsome boobs for her gc to twiddle as hecwas making his poor mum sore

Can any of you clever knitters help a novice sock knitter? I'm doing fine until I get to the gusset. These instructions (see pencil mark) make no sense to me. What exactly do they want me to do? I've successfully shaped and turned the heel and am now on four needles apparently on the home straight. Except what do I do?! In plain English please xx

Hi! I've not been on the thread for a while. I can explain what the instructions mean, I think. Written in full, the bit next to your arrow means:

Slip marker (i.e. just slip the marker onto the righthand needle), work in pattern until next marker, slip marker, slip one stitch, then another stitch and knit the two together through the back loop (it's easiest to watch a YouTube video of how to do this if you haven't before), knit to 2 stitches before next marker, knit 2 stitches together.

Thank you @AllProperTeaIsTheft
But work what pattern? It doesn't say. I feel I must be exceptionally dim!

Hmm. Whatever pattern you were doing for the main body of the sock? So just stocking stitch or cable or whatever it is?

That seems most likely @AllProperTeaIsTheft
I just wish they'd be a bit more explicit. I think I have trust issues!

Thanks for your help x

@SaintHonoria if you aren’t going to enjoy knitting, it’s a case of them potentially not getting it vs getting a still nice throw at some point.

I’ve picked up knitting again. I’m attempting a baby blanket. Knitting is so slow. I know it’s the difference between practicing a lot with crochet but it’s going to take me until the end of the year to do the blanket. I’m only 4 rows in! But if I want to get quicker at knitting I need to keep practicing. The upside is that the yarn is working up well in knit, which it didn’t do when I attempted a crochet project with it.

At the start of this year I wanted to use up some of my scrap yarn and finish some of my WIPs. I counted 17 WIPs at the beginning of this year. So of the original 17 projects - I finished 4 of the original WIPs plus another one not included. I’ve completely frogged 2 of the WIPs. Current WIP count - 19 🤦‍♀️ One of the finished projects was a unicorn and I used some sparkly white yarn from my stash but obviously needed to buy something else for the unicorn’s mane. So that puts my scrap pile up because I didn’t use all the white.

Here are some photos of things I’ve actually finished, mostly baby blankets because everyone is having babies at the minute.

Knitting is my first crafting love! I learned knitting before crochet, which is probably why. Logically I know crochet is easier (and a LOT easier to undo mistakes!), but I just enjoy the process of knitting more.

Great excitement here, as 18yo dd has taken up knitting while home from uni! I taught her when she was about 12, but she didn't stick at it. I think she's a natural though - nice neat tension! She's making this scarf in a mossy green. https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/the-nrrebro-scarf

@WeCanLiveLikeJackAndSally lovely blankets. What's the stitch on the blue, coral and white blanket? Is it Suzette stitch? It looks similar to a hot water bottle cover I made and I love the texture.

I've got a jumper that's been on the go for months - I started it, frogged it, and started again (I'm only a beginner). But I've moved onto a baby blanket. I've got some cashmerino I bought for another project (cushion cover) and I didn't like the way it was working up, so I'm turning it into a granny square blanket because the yarn is so lovely. I don't know if it will get to a standard size but I'm hoping it will be OK to use as a light layer - maybe over the car seat / in moses basket for a daytime nap. I also started a little teddy bear (before I got pregnant) and then got bored so I will have to go back to it at some point!

I'd like to do another baby blanket (bigger and a denser stitch than a granny as we're expecting a Dec baby) and a little cardigan & hat as well so I need to get a shuffle on. I've chosen a blanket pattern but if anyone has a recommendation for a newborn cardigan / hat please let me know (crochet).

@LucyLoopyLu it is Suzette stitch with the odd row of sc as the break between colours. It’s paintbox aran acrylic. It’s been a bit of trial and error to find a stitch that worked well with the paintbox yarn. It’s nice and squishy but it doesn’t have much stitch definition so I originally tried it with some front post sc and it just wasn’t showing the definition at all. The ribbing at the bottom is OK but is not as defined as when I’ve used other yarns but I think the Suzette stitch was eventually a winner with it.

A few of my WIPs are things I started when I was pregnant and didn’t finish! My daughter is 3 at the end of November (she was due in December too). They’re too late for her now but if I finish them I’ll just gift them to someone else! I couldn’t get to grips with hats and cardigans when I was pregnant, I struggle with sizing at the best of times but it was definitely thrown off when pregnant. However, I did a random stripe blanket for my daughter when I was pregnant in hdc and it’s her favourite blanket. She sleeps with it every night, so whilst I didn’t finish everything I planned the few things I did do, she loves. If the current blanket isn’t big enough to be a standard size that means it’s a nice size to be a security blanket.

@WeCanLiveLikeJackAndSally I thought it looked like Suzette stitch! I've used the paintbox as well (chunky and DK) and it was good because it's not too expensive (especially because I keep making mistakes and being very slow), but the Debbie bliss cashmerino is just so so lovely. I much prefer the feel of it.

What DK yarn do you like or recommend? I need DK for my blanket but haven't bought the yarn yet. This is the pattern https://www.etsy.com/uk/listing/1562967933/digital-pattern-dotty-block-blanket

That is so lovely that your daughter sleeps with the blanket every night. I hope this granny square will work out to be as much of a hit! If not I still like it!

@LucyLoopyLu I like different yarns for different stitches and patterns. The knitting I’m doing at the moment is with some Stylecraft Recreate and was originally purchased for a jasmine stitch ripple blanket but I really didn’t like it. I like it knitted though. I also bought some Stylecraft naturals for an alpine stitch blanket, which again I didn’t like! However, I think it’s working with a sc and bobble stitch pattern so would look nice with that blanket. The stylecraft naturals range has a good range of colours too but is a bit more expensive than stylecraft special (which I don’t really like but do have a lot in and tend to use because it’s so easily available). This is my hexagons with sc and bobble stitch in the naturals.

@WeCanLiveLikeJackAndSally ooh thanks for the recommendation, I'll have a look now. I was just a bit overwhelmed by choices! Looked at loads of baby yarn but the colour choices were often a bit limited and I'm not that keen on acrylic. So then I was looking at a whole world of DK and that was even more overwhelming! Your hexagons look lovely

I’m 24 rows into my knitted blanket and it’s… fine. There’s a knot in one of my colours midway through a row but it’s hidden on the back and a stitch I dropped and untwisted but not too noticeable. The colours work and the yarn is working up nicer than when I’ve tried crocheting with it but it’s just… fine. It’ll be nice but I don’t think I’ll be blown away with the finished result.

I’m debating undoing it because to get to the very minimum height it needs to be, I’d need to another 140 odd rows. I average 2-3 rows a night so the minimum it’s going to take me is 2 months. For something that is fine? When I have loads of Christmas crochet to start. I love the look of so many knit things and part of me knows I’m only going to get quicker by practicing but I just can’t get excited by my knitting and know if I put it down for any longer than a night it’ll just get abandoned.

What blanket are you working on? Is it a present for someone?
I tend to think life's too short to slog through a project (or book) you're not enjoying. Especially when you have other things you'd prefer to do.

@WeCanLiveLikeJackAndSally it's a tricky call isn't it when you don't love something. Sometimes I keep going and then it's worth it because I love the end result. Sometimes it doesn't and I end up frogging.

I've finished another (small) WIP and now have the brightest socks I've ever seen

Well, they're just dandy!

Just recently found this thread...hello! I've been knitting and crocheting for many years though intermittently. I was looking for a short cardi/bolero for over sleevless tops for my upcoming holiday and found this on Ravelry, it was so quick to crochet and I'm pleased with it - need to work on my tension!

Sorry, just seen your post 🫣

]] it’s Hooked by Robin on YouTube, lots of lovely easy suggestions there!

That looks great, @Wilma55 ! I like the colours.
I'm really pleased with myself - ddog pawed at me the other week while I was knitting and managed to pull my circular needle straight out of the project I'd been sloooowly working on for a year, dropping all the stitches . It was fairly fine, fuzzy yarn and I couldn't get the needle back in without the stitches dropping further. I shoved the project in a bag and avoided it for a few weeks! Yesterday I looked up how to make a lifeline in ribbed knitting and it worked a treat and I rescued all my stitches - yay!

https://www.thegameofwool.com/
They are doing a knitting version of Bakeoff/Pottery Throw down etc

Not for me to enter , but here is the application form

If it wasn't for the fact I'd hate to be on tv I'd be all over that!

Not sure how knitting will translate to TV but I'll be watching. I'm clearing all my WIPs that were abandoned over the summer including this one!