Crafty PScopers? Knitting?

[Delster]

I think Storm has bailed on us?

So I know Summer probably isn't the most prolific knitting season but I figured I'd update this thread while I was updating my Ravelry projects page anyway. First up, the finished (finally!) Juliet (last picture in this link) cardie! Yay! I love this

 

[Delster]

And my current project is the Confectionary Tank from Interweave Knits, it's a free download on their website. The pattern has it knit in the conventional way, and with stripes of different colours. I'm just knitting it with a multi-coloured yarn and doing it all in the round up to the armholes. Then I'll knit the front and back separately as per the pattern. The colour of the yarn is very hard to capture. It looks kind of purple here but IRL it's a super rich pink with dramatic orange and green highlights. It looks like a boiled sweet - yummy!

 

[bee*]

That juliet cardie is amazing Delster! I love it.

 

[Linda W]

Delster, your sweater is beautiful. You did a wonderful job. I love it.

Linda

 

[Delster]

Thanks guys!

I feel a million bucks when I wear it

 

[ladypirate]

I know I''m late to say this, but Delster, that sweater is absolutely lovely! I need to get back on the knitting train--between a crazy work schedule and moving, I''ve been slacking!

 

[Skippy123]

Delster, I missed that pic of the beautiful sweater, it looks fab on you!!! You are so talented!

 

[Delster]

Bump! Bump! Bump!

Well, there''s one missing in these photos

This is a Mommy Snug for a friend who''s expecting. The buttons on the seams open up to make room for a growing bump, and the short rows under the bust are supposed to provide additional extra bump space. The yarn (Debbie Bliss Prima) is gorgeous, it''s 80% bamboo (soooo soft!!!) and 20% merino (for stretch), and best of all, it''s machine washable.

Obviously, without a bump I can''t model it effectively!

 

[Delster]

And this is a cotton and silk blend facecloth (also machine washable) with a picture of a VW Beetle on it! Beep beep!

The pattern for this is free and it''s really easy, just lots of plains and purls - here''s the link!

This makes me smile so much

 

[geckodani]

I must say how completely amazed I am at the talent all of you display. My attempts at knitting and other crafting are... um... interesting....

I''ll leave it to the experts!

 

[Skippy123]

Delster, I am so excited to see the gorgeous sweater and other beautiful things you made! You are so talented!

I wish I wish I knew how to knit, my grandma tried teaching me and all I could make was a chain. Thank goodness I can sort of sew but I am envious of the knitters!

 

[Delster]

Skippy if you were making a chain that sounds more like crochet to me? I can''t crochet at all, although my Nana did show me some basics when I was little. I''d love to learn. You can make BIIIIGGG projects in crochet that you could never manage in knitting. Like enormous afghans big enough for a double bed. Oh how I would love to be able to do thaaaat!

I can''t sew at all, I''m in awe of you for that!

To anyone contemplating having a bash at knitting, I will always recommend http://www.knittinghelp.com/ Oh, such a wonderful website! The videos are slow and clear and she explains everything really well, and does everything multiple times on each video. Literally every time I have to sew something up or graft something, I turn on that website and let it play in the background while I just follow the instructions. It''s fantaaastic!

 

[Delster]

Indy I saw you posted these adorable booties on the pregnancy thread, would you mind sharing what pattern you use for them? Every time I try to make wee booties I end up with ''bungled-baby-booties''

I really want to make some to go with the romper suit I made ages ago and that I''m going to give to my friend''s new baby that''s due in October

 

[Independent Gal]

OK, here is the booty recipe:

Materials:
Worsted weight yarn (you can get about 5 booties from a ball)
Size 8 needles

Cast on 28 sts
K one row
P one row
K 10 rows, so that there are 5 ridges.

Decrease :
Row 13: K 12, K2tog twice, K 12 (26 sts)
Row 14, 16, 18: K across
Row 15: K 11, K2tog twice, K 11 (24 sts)
Row 17: K 10, K2tog twice, K 10 (22 sts)
Eyelet – Row 18: K1, *YO, K2tog,, repeat from * across, end K1 (22 sts).
Row 19: K across, knitting through back loop of all YO sts.

Work ribbing as follows:
*K1, P1, repeat from * across row.
Work 14 rows of ribbing, bind off, keeping enough yarn to sew seam, and fold down cuff.

Draw ribbon of choice through the eyelet. Wear and enjoy! On your big toe?

 

[Delster]

Woohoo Indy, thank you! Big toe booties, I love it!

 

[divergrrl]

Hey Psers!

I asked Andrey to revive this thread for us! Thanks Andrey!

I have recently been bitten by the knitting bug (a friend taught me on a beach trip in September) and I am *in love*.

I''m doing scarves, and I''ve knitted 3 so far and am almost done with my 4th....I''ll post pictures later! I''m currently working with yarn bought at Micheals, and I had to teach myself how to bind off via youtube, so I''m looking to learn how to do some cool stuff with some nicer yarn. (but hey, $4 acrylic yarn is great to learn on & the stuff I''m making is kind of cute, I like it!)

I''m kind of a scarf freak in general ( I have a ton of scarves, I''m always cold in the winter, never leave the house without one) so I''m happy to make more!

Delster...what have you been knitting lately?

MrsS: that sweater is amazing.

 

[monarch64]

Date: 11/19/2008 1:04:12 PM
Author: divergrrl
Hey Psers!

I asked Andrey to revive this thread for us! Thanks Andrey!

I have recently been bitten by the knitting bug (a friend taught me on a beach trip in September) and I am *in love*.

I''m doing scarves, and I''ve knitted 3 so far and am almost done with my 4th....I''ll post pictures later! I''m currently working with yarn bought at Micheals, and I had to teach myself how to bind off via youtube, so I''m looking to learn how to do some cool stuff with some nicer yarn. (but hey, $4 acrylic yarn is great to learn on & the stuff I''m making is kind of cute, I like it!)

I''m kind of a scarf freak in general ( I have a ton of scarves, I''m always cold in the winter, never leave the house without one) so I''m happy to make more!

Delster...what have you been knitting lately?

MrsS: that sweater is amazing.

Diver, all I knit are scarves and throws...I can''t follow a pattern so I only do things where I can just knit in a straight line, lol. Currently I''m knitting one of my bosses a camoflauge scarf for him to wear when he goes hunting. It''s extremely ugly but he mentioned that he''d like to have a scarf to wear when he hunts so now he''s getting one.

 

[divergrrl]

I'm totally happy to keep doing scarves for now. I bought some super cheap yarn & a ton of different sized needles, and I've been practicing different stitches/techniques/etc just for fun so I don't ruin a nicer project with nice yarn.

So far I can knit, purl, rib in a variety of different patterns (thin, thick..etc...ribbing is easy & fun), do a stockinette stitch, a basket weave pattern, etc.... I have a brown mans scarf started that is alternating 10 rows of stockinette with 10 rows of garter stitch...its kind of fun.

The scarves I've done for gifts are SUPER easy. I bought the Lion Brand Homespun yarn from Micheals ($4 a skein, you hold 2 strands together & its done entirely in a knit stitch, so no thought required and only require one skein...oh and its done on size 19 needles --HUGE--- so it goes fast) and I know Delster will gag at the acrylic, but its going to friends who machine wash stuff & I'm learning...

There is a yarn store 2 blocks from my house. THIS COULD BE EVIL. I bought some orange tweed wool yarn from Debbie bliss. I'm waiting to use that until I have some guidance on a good project. I still need to improve my technique a bit, but I'm pretty good at it.

I think I'm holding my needles wrong, because I'm getting hand/wrist aches. I take frequent breaks, knit for short time periods (hell, I have 2 small kids...I get about one hour to myself at night to knit) and ice & ibuprofen afterwards...that helps.

My yarn store has drop in classes & I'm going to take my stuff in and get some live help.

Pics coming!

 

[divergrrl]

Here is my fledgling project pile.

 

[divergrrl]

and my practice garter/stockinette stitch stripe pattern

 

[monarch64]

Diver, I LOVE Lion Homespun yarn! Somewhere in this thread I posted pics of my yarn stash and projects, I have tons of that homespun yarn. It is so easy to work with. About 8 years ago, I made a throw for my best friend using Lion Homespun and she has washed/dried it weekly and it is just now showing signs of wear. It has been used to death and she is asking me now for a new one, ha ha. That stuff is great.

 

[divergrrl]

Ok..can someone explain to me what * means?

here is a pattern example:
•Row 1: K1, *sl 1, K1, psso but before dropping the slipped stitch from the left needle, knit into the back of it* repeat until there is one stitch left, K1

so do I knit one (K1), then its slip 1 (sl 1), knit one (K1), psso (pass slip stitch over) and keep repeating from the sl1 until that last K1?

argh .

Some of the knitting terminology is wacky!

 

[Delster]

Date: 11/19/2008 4:46:12 PM
Author: divergrrl
Ok..can someone explain to me what * means?

here is a pattern example:
•Row 1: K1, *sl 1, K1, psso but before dropping the slipped stitch from the left needle, knit into the back of it* repeat until there is one stitch left, K1

so do I knit one (K1), then its slip 1 (sl 1), knit one (K1), psso (pass slip stitch over) and keep repeating from the sl1 until that last K1?

argh .

Some of the knitting terminology is wacky!

Hi Diver!

Your scarves are looking great!

To answer your question, yes you use the * as a place marker and you repeat the instructions from just after the * until you''re told to stop. So in your example, it would be:

Knit 1
Slip 1
Pass the slipped stitch over the the knit stitch but do not drop it off the left needle
Knit into the back of the slipped stitch that is still on the left needle (and now drop it off the left needle)
Slip 1
Pass the slipped stitch over the the knit stitch but do not drop it off the left needle
Knit into the back of the slipped stitch that is still on the left needle (and now drop it off the left needle)
etc etc until there is only one stitch left
Knit that one last stitch

Is that the ''So Called Scarf'' stitch pattern?

I''m currently working on a Tangled Yoke Cardi for me, and a Star Crossed Beret for my cousin

I''ve also got a bajillion pairs of socks on the needles, those are commuter knitting. I''m also going to do a baby blanket, hat, and booties to donate to the Irish Stillbirth and Neo-Natal Death Society, as a way to pay my respects to Indy''s sons.

 

[divergrrl]

oooh, Delster! You are so smart! That is the "so called scarf pattern"... I was perusing knitting sites (I think from this thread) and found that & it reminded me to ask about the *.

Ok....I think you just gave me a huge lump in my throat. That is so sweet to donate in honor Indy''s cubs. I think of her all the time & pray for her family.

So you are in Ireland? I suppose you have access to fabulous yarns, traditions, the whole 9 yards.

 

[divergrrl]

I tried to pull up Delster''s "Seaman cap" pattern from earlier in this thread but got an error message.

My dh really wants a cap, so I''m going to make him one for xmas...if anyone can point me to a nice warm one that is purty cool, I''d love that!

Thanks!

 

[elsie]

Here's the Seaman's Cap link!

I just used this pattern to make winter hats for my husband and me. Really snug! (Note that it doesn't look as huge in real life as it looks on the sample boy's head.

)

ETA: (Thanks for the pattern, Delster!)

 

[divergrrl]

Hmmm, I was looking at the seaman''s cap & that looks COMPLICATED! OUCH! But I have a class I can go to & bring my projects & the ladies at the knit shop will help you. I think I''ll print it off & bring it in & pick out the yarn there.

Questions.....what is the benefit of circular kneedles? I picked up some the other day (they were marked down to $5 from $19) and I''m like....ok...whats the deal? Its not faster as far as I can tell (there was some thing about these being "faster" on the package). I''ve been knitting with straights. I also picked up some bamboo needles just to try.

Oh...and I bought some DIVINE yarn at the shop the other day. Debbie Bliss merino...its soooo soft. And I got some other stuff that is just beautiful...the shades are delicious.

I have to say, knitting with the nicer yarn just feels good in your hands. I still have 3 skeins of Homespun left & now I don''t want to work with acrylic! LOL! Such a snob!

I have to say, knitting goes MUCH faster with chunky yarn & size 19 needles...lol.


Can anyone post any simple cap patterns? Just a skull cap....nothing fancy.

Thanks!

Diver

 

[elsie]

Hi Diver,

Don''t worry -- it''s not really that complicated (I promise!). The tricky part is getting used to knitting in the round using the double pointed needles. You could practice using a circular needle at first (to get comfortable with how something looks when it''s knitted that way) and then try it with the dpns. (Unfortunately, I think you will need to use dpns for this pattern, unless you get more than one size of circular needle).

Circular needles are good for things like hats or sleeves, where you want an unbroken, "tube" of fabric -- instead of knitting a flat piece of fabric, you cast on all your stitches and then connect your last and first cast-on stitches, then just keep knitting around and around and around... (took me a bit to get the hang of it at first). Circular needles are also easier because if you want something like stockinette stitch, you just keep doing knit stitches the whole way (instead of, using the non-circular way, having to flip it over and purl, then flip over and knit, etc.)

I totally agree about knitting with nicer yarns -- I used to buy the really cheap acrylics at the craft stores, but ever since I found the nicer wools and blends, I''m hooked! (Unfortunately, they''re MUCH more expensive...)

If you want to look for an easier hat pattern, I''d check out Lion Brand''s website -- you have to sign up for an account, but it''s free and they have tons of patterns in varying difficulties.

Have fun!

 

[Delster]

I thought the stitch sounded familiar!!! The So-Called Scarf is so pretty. I must make another one!

Unfortunately in Ireland the knitting thing is just not as big as it is in the States. There's one chain of stores haberdashers that kept selling yarn all through the nineties but they only stock acrylic. Lately there's been maybe five or six really good luxury yarn stores open up and that has made a huuuuuuge difference. Lately there's been loads and loads of segments on the radio and snippets in the Sunday papers about knitting making a comeback due to the recession. I don't know why they've fixated on that angle, these journos obviously don't listen to the knitters they're interviewing, I wouldn't exactly call knitting a frugal hobby! I'm a total yarn snob now too, I won't even touch acrylic, hate it hate it hate it!

We do have a long tradition here of knitting, but the Aran sweaters you get in the tourist shops are mostly machine done. The whole Aran sweater thing is a myth anyway, all that rubbish about stitches for each family and recognising fishermens' bodies from their sweaters - it's all made up nonsense. The sweaters and the stitches are traditional, but people just made whatever they liked making. And most Irish women spent their lives knitting vests and socks for their menfolk, and school jumpers for their kidlets. Not so much with the big jumpers really. Anyway a cool thing here is that everyone learns to knit in primary school. There isn't a person in Ireland who can't knit, even the men. They will deny it to high heaven but hand them needles and yarn and their hands just start knowing what to do - oftentimes as much to their shock as to everyone else's!

I literally never use straight needles any more. I only own one pair and that's cos they were my Mum's. To me, the advantage of circulars is that as the project grows you can let it sit in your lap on the cable between the needle points. With straights, you have to hold the weight of the project up in the air. So I find knitting with circs to be much more comfortable. For small projects I just pinch the cable at about the halfway mark and scooch the stitches down to the needle points as I go. It's called the Magic Loop - go to knittinghelp.com and there's a video, it's fantastic!

Diver take the leap, you'll be well able to do the Seaman's Cap and it's a fabulous pattern. Trust me, it's much simpler than the So-Called Scarf. Just stocking stitch and well placed decreases. My FI never seems to take his off - I made it from Rowan Coccoon, it's gorgeous yarn

ETA - guys if you're not on Ravelry, join, it's AMAZING! I just went on the pattern browser, limited it to free hat patterns using bulky yarn, and got 273 patterns! I hear the wait time for an account is only 6 days now too. I waited four months for mine.

 

[elsie]

Delster, thanks for the nudge regarding Ravelry. I did sign up for an account when you started this thread, but for some reason never got an invitation (perhaps my mail program''s spam filter removed it). I should look into that again...