Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Flexible and made to last.

Meet the Other Phone.
Flexible and made to last.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Conception

When's the best time to get pregnant? Use our interactive ovulation calculator to work out when you're most fertile and most likely to conceive.

Original poster

Knit a cardi before our babies arrive!

73 replies

MrsMcJnr · 30/10/2006 09:33

Ready4motherhood, Minshu and Firststar - this is for you . Technically I guess this thread should be in Arts ans Crafts but as the knitting is supposed to be to get us through the 2WW, I think it can go here, don't you?

OK so, where do I get needles and does anyone have an easy cardi pattern? should we do the same one? that could be fun!

Ready - I'll dig the book out tonight and post daily tips!!

OP posts:
ready4motherhood · 31/10/2006 21:02

That settles it... scarves, then socks, then a hat.... then a cardi!!

PS. What on earth is a cable needle??

Have we bitten off more than we can chew??

...Where's the trick or treat bowl??

Bodkin · 31/10/2006 21:23

Was having a quick snoop on here (sorry, no intention of joining in though, am rubbish) and was curious to see myself mentioned in your list of equipment. What the bloody hell is a bodkin anyway? I just chose it cos it is a word that has always amused me.

ready4motherhood · 31/10/2006 21:47

Tee hee Bodkin, it is a great word!! The dictionary definition is "large blunt needle".

conkertree · 05/11/2006 10:26

I was at a party last night and a girl arrived with a scarf that went round her neck about 5 times, and still had long bits hanging down - I did wonder if she was a MNetter giving knitting a go and forgetting when to stop

ready4motherhood · 05/11/2006 17:22

Ha ha - it could have been me!!!!!

Original poster
MrsMcJnr · 05/11/2006 20:37

Conkertree - I have to confess, I didn't go into the knitting shop on Sat because I had just had a pedicure and had flip flops on and thought that might look a bit odd in November . I think I have also just bought myself another 4 weeks or so to get the cardi knitted though as I think AF is about to arrive - cow!!

OP posts:
Original poster
MrsMcJnr · 10/11/2006 14:50

Ok - I have my 3 set of needles, my row counter, patterns, my wool and the cutest little buttons and will start the tension strip and see how I get on! The pattern I'm going to use is a cardi, booties and a hat - going to start with the booties anyone else got their stuff?!

OP posts:
ready4motherhood · 10/11/2006 15:00

Shame on me, I haven't got my stuff... waiting to collect my new tiles for my bathroom, and hobbycraft is right there... kill 2 birds with 1 stone... let me know how you get on. i will be starting soon!

Original poster
MrsMcJnr · 11/11/2006 12:57

Too pisched on gin to cast on last night will start tomorrow!

OP posts:
ready4motherhood · 11/11/2006 16:56

Tee hee... pisched!!

NotQuiteCockney · 11/11/2006 17:00

You do always need to do a tension square, unless you're knitting something whose size doesn't matter (e.g. a scarf). But if the pattern you're working on uses " measurements instead of rows for length (e.g. knit until it measures 2.5"), you really just need to check the sideways tension.

A cable needle is a short double-pointed needle, often with a kink in it, used for making cabling. I think standard aran sweaters have cabling, you know, the twisty-looking bits. Cabling isn't actually very hard, but probably not something you want in your first project (which should be a scarf or other flat thing!)

ready4motherhood · 11/11/2006 17:03

Thanks for your info NotQuiteCockney... am wondering if my suggestion of knitting in the 2ww was a step too far... but I will have a go. Probably end up knitting a mountain of "flat" things... if I ever get my BFP then my baby will have plenty of blankets but no clothes

NotQuiteCockney · 11/11/2006 17:05

I don't know what a 2ww is, so I don't know if you can knit in it.

Starting with flat things is very sensible. My first few projects weren't flat, but they also turned out to be not usable. Then I made a really big baby blanket for my SIL (who was pregnant then), and since then, it's all worked a lot better.

NotQuiteCockney · 11/11/2006 17:07

Is it the two weeks between ovulation and expected period? I can finish a baby hat in a week, but I've been knitting for a couple of years now ...

ready4motherhood · 11/11/2006 20:31

Sorry NotQuiteCockney... the power went out in our village for 2 hours!!! Just finished putting all the candles away!!

2ww is two week wait, yeah between ovulation/bd'ing and when we find out if we are pregnant or in my case this morning NOT PREGNANT

Thanks for the tip... I am going to start with a blanket for sure...

NotQuiteCockney · 11/11/2006 20:34

Sorry to hear that. For inspiration, here's a link to the baby blanket I finished a couple of weeks ago, for my sister's new baby.

ready4motherhood · 11/11/2006 20:37

Oh my word!!!!!! There is no way I could ever make anything like that!!! Well done you!! I love the curly edges (sure there's a technical term for that!) I think I will make a plain white blanket... should be ready in 2010!!

NotQuiteCockney · 11/11/2006 20:38

I only started knitting after having my DS2 - about two years ago now! Granted, that blanket took bloody forever.

The ruffled edges were really easy to do, I swear.

ready4motherhood · 11/11/2006 20:53

Yeah, really easy to do... I believe you

That's pretty awesome for someone who has only been knitting for 2 years. So there is hope for us then... although I am hoping that I get my BFP really soon, so will not have had to knit too many things.

NotQuiteCockney · 11/11/2006 20:54

The rest was harder than the ruffle - all you do, to make a ruffle, is keep adding extra stitches, and then cast them all off, to make the edge. It ruffles automatically, iyswim.

ready4motherhood · 11/11/2006 20:59

I haven't got my needles, wool or book yet haven't had time. but as soon as I do, then I am sure what you have said will make sense

I knitted as a child, my stepmother taught me, but she used to cast on and off for me so I am basically learning from scratch!!!

I am sure if we have any questions we will be hunting you down

NotQuiteCockney · 11/11/2006 21:44

Sure, just post in the A+C section, because I don't come in this area normally. There's normally a "general knitting thread" around, even if it's just me posting on it . There are lots of knitters around, lots of them are more knowledgeable than me, too.

ready4motherhood · 11/11/2006 22:17

thanks NQC

Original poster
MrsMcJnr · 12/11/2006 17:00

NQC - how talented are you! . Thank you for joining us, will you check in and help us when things go wrong?! Haven't knitted since I was 12 and even then, I only knitted Christmas tree decorations and stockings!!

OP posts:
GeekInPigTails · 21/11/2006 13:37

Tee hee, can I join too! I started knitting a month or too ago for the first time - maybe it's something to do with the broody hormones! I've been using a book called "Stictch and Bitch" by Debbie Stoller which is actually great for learners - really clear instructions and doesn't assume anything. Only problem with it is the patterns tend to use yarn that you can only buy in America, so I'm having to guess at good substitutes.

I've been knitting scarves and hats to give people as Christmas presents so far. I think if DH caught be knitting baby clothes already I'd get some very withering looks - he's very happy with TTC, but doesn't want to start with any of the cutesy stuff until he really has to!