Knitting (1 Viewer)

[sweetoblivion]

Do we have any knitters here?

I decided to take up knitting recently, I was fairly crap until Vick (High Infidelity) very kindly gave me size ten needles and a book on teaching yourself to knit. I bought some chunky wool and am making a lovely scarf Am trying out different patterns on it, am delighted!

Any stories/tips/advice?

 

[Squiggle]

Just keep going with it. Knitting is great and a scarf is always a good place to start.

Chose patterns that rely on colour for variety and keep the stitches simple at first but if you fancy trying some more complicated patterns (like aran patterns) you could do some practice panels.

It's really difficult to get pure wool but it really is the best. That said, there are a lot of fun acrylic wools out there too.

Oh, and keep an eye on Lidl/Aldi. They sometimes have knitting bits and bobs which include simple patterns.

 

[sweetoblivion]

Thanks Squiggle! Yeah I figured a scarf would be a great way to start plus if I make any mistakes it's easy to rip back. I've just done the plain knit, single rib knit stitch and the Betty Martin stitch. I would try more but I cast on an even number of stitches and most of the patterns in the book call for an odd number! It'll be a while before I try cable stitches or knitting in patterns etc..but i'll give it a go! My gran is a brilliant knitter so I'll get her to help if I have any problems.
I'm using 100% wool - it's Freedom by Twilleys, its very expensive though, but Vicky recommended it, it's really really soft!

 

[flashback]

We were all taught knitting when we were 8 or something in school.
Pretty funny seeing the whole class, hard cases and all, furiously knitting away there silently.
I remember there being... em, normal, pearl (which was like upside down normal), rib (normal, then pearl) and "moss" (like rib only... out of sequence.)
Moss was the best.


This Betty Martin business must be cutting edge stuff.

 

[sweetoblivion]

I really want to do Moss but I don't have an odd no of stitches
The Betty Martin stitch is easy enough - a row of knit, row of purl, then knit 2 purl 2 for a row, purl 2 knit 2. Looks like little boxes sticking out of the wool. I like it a lot. I have some 4.5 needles and some purple wool, might try some moss for a laugh!
I was going to try to knit a skinny tie for the laugh, but I was too crap Plus I couldnt figure how to make it pointy at the end.

 

[Squiggle]

We were all taught knitting when we were 8 or something in school.
Pretty funny seeing the whole class, hard cases and all, furiously knitting away there silently.
I remember there being... em, normal, pearl (which was like upside down normal), rib (normal, then pearl) and "moss" (like rib only... out of sequence.)
Moss was the best.


This Betty Martin business must be cutting edge stuff.

Well done flashback! We learned to knit in school too (as well as embroidery, tapestry, crochet and sewing) but the guys in our school got to do woodwork and make string pictures, unless they messed around with the hammers or the saws and got relegated to 'girls' stuff for a few weeks.

All stitches are more or less a variation on plain or purl. Fishermans Rib is lovely for warm winter sweaters but it grows soooo slowly. Cable is easy, as long as you keep track of what row you're on and count your stitches well.

 

[Squiggle]

Plus I couldnt figure how to make it pointy at the end.

Start with one stitch, then increase one stitch each end of the second, fourth, sixth etc rows until you have the width you want. But it will be difficult to get it looking nice and even unless you use very fine wool and needles to keep the stitches small.

 

[Diddles]

I used to knit arans and could crochet lace with my fingers. Haven't done it for years andh have forgotten everything but I have some Golden Hands annuals from the seventies that show you how to knit all the stitches. Some very 'funky' projects in there .

Am going to try take it up again. Where can you get knitting needles and wool? I went to the Bullring a couple of months ago but was too shy to talk to the woman at the counter. The patterns she had looked gak as well.

I bought wool and plastic needles in Tuthills but an oulwan in the pub said the wool was too fancy to be using if I hadn't knitted for so long. The dog ate it anyway


I want to knit a clanger

http://www.freewebs.com/1969clangers/knitted1.htm

 

[Froog]

i made these with my own arse hair.

 

[frona]

Lovely free patterns here:
http://www.knitty.com/ISSUEwinter07/index.html
They're written in American though. But yu get used to that. It's worth learning how to read patterns in MAerican becuase msot of the free online stuff is writtent that way.


Here's a fancy sock I made

Here is the horror of boil washing you prized jumper

 

[RED(tape)MENACE]

(spam alert)

My Mam and Sister run a knitting shop with workshops and classes and patterns and all that jazz..

www.thisiknit.ie

 

[orange pekoe]

I've placed an embargo on myself buying any more wool until i use up some what i have. I love knitting, but my hands get really sore and stiff after about half an hour. It's very frustrating.

 

[Pirate of Love]

It's possible that you are knitting too tightly, and stressing your hands and wrists out. There's loads of info about it out there, a quick google turned up http://www.purlbee.com/not-too-tight-tutorial/.

Something that might help would be to switch to needles with a bit more "give" in them, like bamboo (not as cheap as the aluminiums, but not toooooo pricey).

If you're prone to the aul' Repetitive Strain Injury, knitting is only going to exacerbate it, unfortunately. Don't be knitting with injuries people!

 

[São Paulo Punk]

I took up knitting when I was about 11. Then, halfway through my first scarf (it was blue, which might go some way towards explaining my recent obsession with them) the needles and wool mysteriously disappeared.

I brought it up with my family last year and my uncle later informed me that it might have had something to with an intervention made what he described as the 'faggot police' throwing it in the bin as they were starting to get a bit worried about me.

 

[frona]

I took up knitting when I was about 11. Then, halfway through my first scarf (it was blue, which might go some way towards explaining my recent obsession with them) the needles and wool mysteriously disappeared.

I brought it up with my family last year and my uncle later informed me that it might have had something to with an intervention made what he described as the 'faggot police' throwing it in the bin as they were starting to get a bit worried about me.

Haha! That's a good story. It's ok to be a bloke knitter these days.
http://knittingguy.blogspot.com/
http://www.knitty.com/ISSUEsummer05/PATThardcore.html

orange pekoe, I used to get sore shoulders and arms when I took up knitting first. I think if it happens when you concentrate too hard. Once you can knit without thinking about it the pain goes away.

 

[sweetoblivion]

(spam alert)

My Mam and Sister run a knitting shop with workshops and classes and patterns and all that jazz..

www.thisiknit.ie

I think that's thisisknit.ie
and it looks flipping fabulous!
Thanks!

 

[sweetoblivion]

I was emailing this pic to my friend (hence the note)
but anyway, this was my progress two days ago, it's about a foot longer now.

 

[flashback]

... might have had something to with an intervention made what he described as the 'faggot police' throwing it in the bin as they were starting to get a bit worried about me.

Its mad the way when our whole class was knitting no one had any idea that it was a girly. Our sphere of existence in Irishtown.
One of the better knitters, the lad that sat beside me, was put away for GBH (on a cop?) last I heard of him.


Great knitter so he was. I'd be figiting about in my chair, chattering, and Graham there would be so concentrated he couldn't hear people talking to him. And, then afterwards, he'd be calm.
Normally he was all over the shop. Even when we were 8 everyone knew he'd end up in jail.
At least he'll have that to pass the time wha?

 

[Super Dexta]

i made a heap of these for christmas presents, they always go down well:

 

[frona]

i made a heap of these for christmas presents, they always go down well:

Ahh, lovely Noro. I'm knitting a hoodie in Silver Thaw at the moment.