Support thread 2 - new blankets

[tribpot]

This is a continuation of our thread supporting MNers creating blanket squares for Woolly Hugs. All are welcome and I'm hoping to post a link soon to a collection of our fave patterns, pics and links to keep them all in one place. In the meantime, this new thread will allow phone-based MNers like RedRosie to return from Special Phone Exile where she goes whenever the thread has too many messages on.

This is a thread of peace where knitters and crocheters, donors and crafters are all equally welcome.

Less, I think, bird. Trouble is. I tend to need less anyway so it's hard to tell. But it's quite a loose stitch. It uses a lot more yarn than it looks like it will, by the way - so if you're expecting to get the same number of squares from the same amount of yarn, you won't with brioche.

Help, my squares coming up like lozenges! Will it matter?

Pic please, Duchesse! It doesn't really matter except for your own skills, knotty and i can handle pretty much anything plus the weight of the other squares will pull them into line :)

Failing to get started on the brioche because I have never been able to master the long-tail cast-on

A MNer tried to teach me at a meet-up and failed. I've just tried again using the instructions from my Bug Fat Knitting Book and failed again.

I'll blame the fact that I'm left handed and although I normally knit right handed , this is stuff using my hands in way that just doesn't work.

My wool for the latest blanket has arrived - so many thanks to my lovely donor, and I will get knitting over the weekend.

Can't find my phone I've just discovered- shall post pic when I rediscover it. They are bias squares (so should be perfectly square, ha!) with cabling/pattern. The cabling is pulling them into lozenges. I might be able to get them to behave like squares if I block them and iron but I know you don't want them blocked because it makes them harder to crochet together.

Sounds like Ninja squares to me. Peer pressure will sort them right out :o

Oooooh, a ball of woolly goodness has just plopped onto the mat...Thanks Knotty :o. Gorgeous colour and in one of the new yarns :)

Prettybird, have you tried looking on YouTube? There might just be a vid for doing a LH long tail on there.

I love that double sided scarf Trib. I've done the ubiquitous "Noro striped scarf" (ackcherly Riot striped as Noro is mucho ££££) and everyone wants one now. That scarf is just something a wee bit different!

I have been passing the time crocheting stars. Why have I never done them before? Easy and fun :)

Fabulous news that more woolly wool is arriving with crafters, well done the donors!

Daisy - the ball of Sublime Knots posted to you is one of the ones donated from Black Sheep Wools, tis a lovely colour too. It will be interesting to see what you think of it.

I have tried to do the long tail cast-on before from You Tube and gave up, reverting to my tried and trusted two needle method. It was one of the last concrete pieces of information I got from my mum - that she too had never been able to learn a different method.

But I'll have another go!

Ah, the great british summer holiday. Sea, rain, sand, rain, wind, cloud, more rain and did I mention the rain?

I've frogged my intended-as-a-spare entrelac square - for one, it was very bulgy and too wide - just loads of yarn - and two, I couldn't work out how to finish it without adding another row which would have made it about 8" high! So last night I thought I'd use the three colours to make some plain, essential squares? bloomin well ran out of the first colour 4/5ths through

Managed to slip it into some yarn so I can carry on with the other colours (only got one set of needles, no yarn needle, no stitch holder) - blanketeers will overcome!

so far OK with the Sublime. On the plus side, it is squishy and soft and has a nice stretch to it and the colour (a sort of dark silvery grey) is lush. I've found a couple of really interesting textured patterns which should show it up rather well. On the down side, it's not as silky as the cashsoft or cahmerino (no doubt due to lack of cashmere). It splits a little too easy for my liking though and I had to break the yarn only four rows in as it got the mother and father of all knots in it and I couldn't get it undone (the yarn had split and the knot was going through the split if that makes any sense. No idea how I managed it as it was just sitting besinde me on the armchair. No children involved); I imagine it may prove quite challenging to crochet with!

But Thank You, Oh Thank You the greatful Daisy cried
Without Black Sheep Wools I'd look on from side!

bird - long tail cast on is not a requirement for the brioche. Particularly if you intend to do a couple of rows of garter first to stabilised it as a square (I would do - and indeed I did!) and then edge it with a couple of garter stitches on either side as well - saves the yarn over at the end of a row phenomenon.

Good :) I am still struggling - I've managed to cast-on one stitch and then get all fankled with the second stitch.

I was thinking of giving it a go with 29 stitches (will probably had to frog my first few attempts anyway) as my fisherman's rib square came up very big.

29 sounds fine. It's also worth doing a single colour brioche for a few rows just to get the general idea (obv will need frogging afterwards) - I've put my previous post into a doc to make it easier to access.

Evening all.

The Woolly Hugs Poet Laureate (TM, patent pending) has had a difficult day at work.

How long until I retire?

Pack it in Rosie and knit poem and write jumpers!

Ummmm. Do you think The Woolly Hugs Poet Laureate (TM, patent pending) could make money at either the craft of words or the craft of wool ...?

Neither do I. :o

Ooof what an afternoon. Just after my last post, DS (my 4-foot PFB 5-yr-old) fell off a slide in a pub garden onto his elbow and, as it turned out, dislocated it. So me and him spent the afternoon in A&E and wow, the noise he made when they popped it back in? I cried . But the staff were utterly lovely, and gave him a teddy and certificates to say how brave he'd been.

So I'm now feeling rather frazzled and looking forward to an evening of chocolate calming knitting. I started a daisy-stitch square after not being able to get back to sleep when a fly got stuck in the blinds this morning - doesn't quite look like the picture, but it looks pretty.

Oh Minnie, poor ds and poor you :( Chocolate all round for the heroes of the day, I reckon. That includes Poetess Rosie.

Poor Minnie's PFB, hope he gets better soon!

In honour of Minnie's ds, I have built a volcano near to their house although you will note the holiday helicopter is now flying away.

If any of our newer crafters would like to be on the map too, just say the word!

Poem on the occasion of MinnieBar's DS's poorly arm

Minnie's boy he had a fall
Poor little mite ...
His elbow it was sore and sad
He was a woeful sight.

To A&E with the pfb
His little arm all bended,
They let the special doctor see
And DS's arm was mended!

Oooh yes trib I would love to be on the woolly map!