Support thread for Mumof2TeenBoys' and Expat's Blankets

[tribpot]

Following on from the terrible news of the loss of Mumof2TeenBoys' ds, a new Woolly Hugs project has been started and, as ever, MNers have stepped up to offer whatever little comfort we can to Mumof and her family. We also keep close in our thoughts Aillidh, the dd of expatinscotland, who died yesterday.

We've put together some general info mostly about knitting but with some crochet bits thrown in, which should get you started but please feel free to ask for any help - I'm not sure if the crocheters are going to set up a new support thread but their current one is found here.

Please dive in - we will inevitably end up talking bollocks rubbish at some point but all are welcome aboard.

Knotty, there's one similar to what you want in the Refuge e-book, pls PM me.

I'll try and route out a photo. There was a beaded heart on Aillidh's blanket, that I'd like a version of on both Expat's and Giraffe's blanket.

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/_chat/1514861-Blanket-Meet-ups-Sign-in-here

Meet up sign up :)

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/_chat/1514861-Blanket-Meet-ups-Sign-in-here

trib can u message me that link im off line soon but ill check it in morning and if i can manage it i will gladly do them

Trib, I'll have a look at the Refuge book when I get a minute. Meanwhile I have wonderful people on the case trying to track down the person who made the original to get the pattern.

Knotty - I thought we knew who did that beaded heart? Or is it that you can't track them down?

Summat like that

On the case though.

tribpot - sorry for disappearing. I had to go away overnight for work. I'm fine with the abbreviations, but find it hard to read charts and knit at the same time.

I have, however, discovered that knitting is an excellent way of deterring people from sitting in the empty seat next to you on the train - it happened both ways on my trip, whereas usually I seem to attract every strange person on Amtrak .

And after a hard evening with the chart and my ballad blue, I've cracked it! Thank you for the youtube links.

Shredded at you fritting folk on Amtrak!

It doesn't work over here, Shredded, i got chatted up by the most beautiful boy while crocheting on the way to a woolly meet up last year! (he was about 22 but looked 12, I'm an old lady of 30!)

I'm totally knitting next time I take the train. Although reading a paper back copy of the 50 shades of shite grey also works. Everyone worries you are an BDSM housewife then and that you might talk to them about it...

If I buy some sparkly beads, would it be ok to knit something sparkly for Expat and Giraffes' blankets? My Big Fat Knitting Book has a few patterns using beads.

Beads and buttons make me a little uneasy tbh, as Expat has small children. I'd rather keep it to the bare minimum I.e just on the beaded heart if we can find someone to make them!

Also, the beads etc are heavy and cause friction - the more there are on the blanket, the likelier it is that the wool could get damaged in the wash iyswim. A few is fine, a whole blanket of them is pretty risky :)

And so could the washing machine!

I need heeeelllp! My first attempt at doing anything other than straightforward knitting every stitch seems to have gone very wrong www.flickr.com/photos/80371666@N07/7548516642

I tried Chinese waves but its bigger at the top than the bottom, and one edge looks lumpy
The bottom will just stretch to 6" but I'm going to have to frog it aren't I?

I cast on 33 stitches, did I make them too tight or would I have been better off casting on more?

That looks absolutely fine!

I have produced much wonkier squares that have been accepted

Thanks pretty I fear you are being far too kind.

Did you notice the 6" ruler though? I think it's just too short. Where did I go wrong?

I'll attempt the heart pattern using the crochet hook inset technique (which of course looks the most footery one) - that way the beads are much more integral to the pattern ( they can be seen from both sides) so are less likely to snag on anything.

If it streeeetches to 6" it'll be fine. The weight of the blanket is pretty effective in getting the squares to common sizes that and the skill of the hookers

Make sure to knit it till it's 6" long, so it's not having to stretch in two directions at once.

Hairy That is fair better than any square I have ever sent - you are far too hard on yourself!

Oooh, I see upthread that someone else is trying Chinese Waves! I am veryslowly getting the hang of it, but having a few issues remembering the pattern (I know it's very simple!) and estimating the right number of stitches to cast on. On the plus side, it turns out that doing Chinese Waves and not knitting 2 but 1 in the fourth row gives quite a nice ribbed effect!

Does anybody have a cunning system for remembering where they are up to in a pattern? Bearing in mind I rarely do more than a few rows at a time due to slowness and my constant need for coffee, gin, a different radio station, film, feed the gerbils etc etc. can anybody suggest a system? I had a thing at one stage where I tied little slip knots in the wool, but they tend to come undone and then I get confused.

You can buy little row counters that you slip onto the knitting needle. Like this

Reminds self to look mine out before embarking on pattern with 28 row repeat