Knitting - help and advice super thread!

janmaree · 30-05-2016 11:30am

Broken Hearted Road, I'm sorry that what I said undermined your confidence, I would never knowingly have done that and it was another poster that I was responding to at the time. What you have described in terms of adjusting your pattern impresses me as the most that I feel comfortable in doing is to take the differences between two sizes and either add or subtract for a larger or smaller size that wasn't provided by the pattern. I would urge you to disregard anything/everything that I said previously and wait for the more expert knitters to come back to the thread, their knowledge and experience are great and will certainly reassure you. As the saying goes in our family, "ignore half of what she says and totally disregard the rest!"

OffalyMedic · 30-05-2016 1:28pm

Update on decreasing size of cardigan: so I went into my wool shop and they were very helpful, suggested I go down in wool weight and needle size, so off home now to start the project will keep ye posted

janmaree · 30-05-2016 8:59pm

Best of luck with it, hope there might be a picture or two down the road?!!!

Broken Hearted Road · 13-06-2016 4:31pm

Any idea where I could get a yarn bowl here in Ireland?

My first preference would be a wooden yarn bowl.

Something important I'm looking for in a yarn bowl is that the opening for the yarn is open and not closed if you know what I mean. Reason for this is that I can lift a project in and out and pack it into a bag or whatever. A closed opening like a hole means that the project is married to the bowl until the end of the yarn.

I checked in some local shops to me and also some online shops like:
This Is Knit
Thewoolshop.ie
Springwools and other online yarn shops in Ireland.

kandr10 · 14-06-2016 5:53pm

Broken Hearted Road wrote: »

Any idea where I could get a yarn bowl here in Ireland?

My first preference would be a wooden yarn bowl.

Something important I'm looking for in a yarn bowl is that the opening for the yarn is open and not closed if you know what I mean. Reason for this is that I can lift a project in and out and pack it into a bag or whatever. A closed opening like a hole means that the project is married to the bowl until the end of the yarn.

I checked in some local shops to me and also some online shops like:
This Is Knit
Thewoolshop.ie
Springwools and other online yarn shops in Ireland.

You could knit one lol!
http://www.loveknitting.com/yarn-bowl-knitting-pattern-by-molly-conroy
This one looks like what you describe, though it's dear.
https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/aw/d/B00YZSBFDY/ref=mp_s_a_1_5?qid=1465923224&sr=8-5&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_QL65&keywords=yarn+bowls+for+knitting&dpPl=1&dpID=51q713sis3L&ref=plSrch

Calina · 14-06-2016 6:53pm

Broken Hearted Road wrote: »

Any idea where I could get a yarn bowl here in Ireland?

My first preference would be a wooden yarn bowl.

Something important I'm looking for in a yarn bowl is that the opening for the yarn is open and not closed if you know what I mean. Reason for this is that I can lift a project in and out and pack it into a bag or whatever. A closed opening like a hole means that the project is married to the bowl until the end of the yarn.

I checked in some local shops to me and also some online shops like:
This Is Knit
Thewoolshop.ie
Springwools and other online yarn shops in Ireland.

I don't know if they are still there but Arnotts had a couple of ceramic ones a month or two ago and they had the opening as you required.

BengaLover · 24-06-2016 12:53pm

Hi, is anyone looking for 2ply cones of cotton?

wmpdd3 · 24-06-2016 5:15pm

I've think I've seen your add, but I in the middle of buying a new car so no yarn this month!!!

It looks like great quality though and perfect colour for the season.

BengaLover · 24-06-2016 5:22pm

If you look on Pinterest there's ways of making them from jars and such. Yarn bowls that is.

Mystery Egg · 04-07-2016 1:21pm

Hi folks. I would like to give knitting a try for the first time since primary school. I thought I would start off easy with a blanket, made of squares stitched together. I would like to make it really, really soft. Can any seasoned knitters recommend the kind of wool I should buy, as well as the kind of needles? Your advice is most appreciated. Any other tips would also be welcome.

tringle · 04-07-2016 3:17pm

Aran weight yarn is the easiest to knit with, chunky will knit quicker but aran weight is the easiest to hold if your not used to knitting. You will need 4.5mm or 5mm needles. If you are just knitting squares don't get the longest ones, you wont need the length and they may hit your inner elbows when knitting. A knit stitch is not "square" so by casting on a number of stitches and knitting the same amount of rows you will have a rectangle not a square. Look at the tension information on the wool band and use this to calculate your stitches and rows. For example my ball of chunky says 10cm is 15 stitches and 20 rows, so if I wanted squares of 30cm I would need 45 stitches and 60 rows. Your tension may be different but this is a good guide.

wmpdd3 · 04-07-2016 9:11pm

Brilliant advice above.

Also have a look on youtube for the 10 stitch blanket.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TXMP2sd3yWk

Its a really easy way of knitting a blanket from the inside out like a swiss roll!

You can stop anytime you want and theres no sewing up.

Again short 4.5 needles and aran weight yarn would work perfectly.

Broken Hearted Road · 14-07-2016 3:57pm

I'm in the middle of working on a cardigan. I used a cotton yarn. The gauge swatch that I knitted and washed turned out beautifully. I'm not finished with my cardigan but I'm coming to the end of the back piece of the cardigan. I'm not very happy with it due to some slight imperfections but maybe they are only visible to me because I'm a perfectionist in knitting. The stockinette stitch in parts is slightly crooked or zigzag and some stitches throughout came out looser than the rest.

I will link a picture or two in the follow up post. Tell me what you think.

I've been knitting for a few years and never blocked before. Do you think would blocking help at fixing these imperfections?

I ordered some rust proof blocking pins online so I hope to block this tonight.

Broken Hearted Road · 14-07-2016 4:04pm

Picture of stockinette stitch

wmpdd3 · 15-07-2016 7:31pm

This may be due to the weight of the cotton while knitting, dragging the stitches when hung form he needle? Did the pattern recommend cotton? I have only hand knitting with cotton twice and I wasn't happy with either. I now use 50/50 cotton acrylic.

Blocking should help but I block the two garments I made annually, they really need it, they are just so heavy! Drying flat is also essential.

I'm trying to think of other reasons you'd end up with twisted stitches, I doubt you started to wrap the yarn around the needle cockwise all of a sudden? Is there a YO pattern or any other stitches that would create a weakness in the body of knitting?

Gatica · 18-07-2016 10:59am

I agree that some of the stitches looks twisted, in which case blocking won't make a difference. However, overall the whole thing can be smoothed out a little by blocking and you can also use a thin needle to manually rearrange the looseness of some of the stitches...

Broken Hearted Road · 02-08-2016 8:51pm

Can I ask for some help please with a colour scheme for my next knit.

I like this pattern here for a girl:

http://www.loveknitting.com/girls-viktoria-cardigan-in-millamia-merino-wool

I found a yarn that I would like to use and it comes in many colours.

http://www.loveknitting.com/katia-merino-baby

I would like to knit this in my county colours of maroon and white. The body of the work in white and the bottom band, neck band and button bands in maroon. I would like to add more maroon and thinking about doing these in maroon. I had a look at the pattern and the sleeves are done separately so it can be achievable. How would this look?

Another colour scheme I was thinking about is white and pink, with the body of the piece in white and the band's in pink. Maybe pink sleeves. I really like vintage florals, think Cath Kidston stuff and I saw some foral buttons in a few shops and maybe pick up on the pink with a pink foral button.

Broken Hearted Road · 09-08-2016 3:59pm

It took me a while to pick out a colour scheme for my next knit but I choose maroon and white and I'm nearly ready to begin work on it. I put in a large order of wool last week and it arrived this morning and I'm delighted with the wool. It's beautiful and soft and I'm looking forward to knitting with it. Unfortunately the online shop had two whites in the collection and I thought I ordered a pure white but it was more of an off white or creamy white. So it won't be exactly like the Galway maroon and white colours. 😥 I'll have to make do with it because I don't have enough funds or time to put in another order of wool. I'm looking forward to it all the same. I'll have to go button shopping before the weekend as well to find a button in maroon or off white. I like wooden buttons too but I don't know how they will hold up in a wash. Does anyone have experience of using wooden buttons similar to what you would find on Aran knitwear? Do they hold up well in a wash? Or do they break?

wmpdd3 · 09-08-2016 9:37pm

As long as you buy them in a yarn shop they will were fine. I have 5 year old baby clothes with wooden buttons that are fine.

I have bought buttons in craft shops that were only for scrap-booking, obviously they wont survive the wash.

Good luck with your garment, are you on ravelry? its handy for tracking your projects.

OffalyMedic · 10-08-2016 7:23am

Best website online for good quality but cheap wool??

Broken Hearted Road · 10-08-2016 6:21pm

shaunac93 wrote: »

Best website online for good quality but cheap wool??

I ordered from springwools.ie and thewoolshop.ie before and I was happy with them. There's also trimwoolshop.ie but I never ordered from them before.

wmpdd3 · 11-08-2016 12:53am

www.iceyarns.com www.woolwarehouse.co.uk

janmaree · 11-08-2016 11:57am

Maybe it's my budget :eek: but I'm not sure there's such a thing as cheap wool these days except for clearance items. I like to buy from Bergere de France, their wool is really lovely and quite reasonable in comparison to some other sites. I usually go to www.bergeredefrance.co.uk but www.bergeredefrance.fr is easy to use, the prices are in Euro and you can translate the pages to English as you go. I find delivery charges work out better on the UK site, if memory serves, my last order was "free delivery" as I used my Parcel Motel address and only paid the €3.95 PM fee. Was just on their site and they're offering £10 off orders exceeding £49 until 18th September which isn't bad and sterling isn't too bad at the moment either (I think!) Other than that, I usually go to Deramores and Love Knitting, sometimes Amazon but a lot of the sellers there won't sell to Irish customers, talk about shooting themselves in the foot.
Hope it helps. J.

ShaShaBear · 11-08-2016 6:12pm

I'd normally go through Loveknitting too - my orders are usually quite sizeable as I'd be buying enough yarn for several repeats of a project for my Etsy store and I get a lot of discount codes. But I agree with the above poster, it's very hard to get cheap yarn these days unless you get lucky in a sale.
Aliexpress do yarn as well, and I have ordered a few skeins off them now and again. Their cotton is very soft and not splitty at all - but the downside is that you can never be sure of the weight, and they never give you the yardage

Broken Hearted Road · 11-08-2016 10:32pm

That's right. I don't think there is such a thing as cheap wool. In my local yarn shops 50g ball of wool can be anything from 5 to 8 euro.

Usually when I order online my preference is towards Irish online shops and I used springwools and thewoolshop.ie. I LOVE ThisIsKnit in Dublin. They have an online shop too but I like trekking across the country to go into the shop instead of buying online.

Sometimes I might order from the UK and the sites I would go to are Deramores and LoveKnitting. I recently ordered from LoveKnitting myself and I love my new batch of wool. Delivery time was fantastic. Despatched on a Thursday and arrived the following Tuesday morning in the mail.

I'm hoping the UK will turn things around and they remain in the EU. I dread to think if they proceed to leave how things will turn out - like custom taxes. I don't think Irish online shops come up to the range that Deramores and LoveKnitting has.

I haven't knitted garments for adults yet but I was to take on such a project, I did some rough calculations just for fun and I'd be spending the guts of €120+. Imagine custom taxes on top of this. 😖

ShaShaBear · 11-08-2016 11:21pm

Broken Hearted Road wrote: »

That's right. I don't think there is such a thing as cheap wool. In my local yarn shops 50g ball of wool can be anything from 5 to 8 euro.

Usually when I order online my preference is towards Irish online shops and I used springwools and thewoolshop.ie. I LOVE ThisIsKnit in Dublin. They have an online shop too but I like trekking across the country to go into the shop instead of buying online.

Sometimes I might order from the UK and the sites I would go to are Deramores and LoveKnitting. I recently ordered from LoveKnitting myself and I love my new batch of wool. Delivery time was fantastic. Despatched on a Thursday and arrived the following Tuesday morning in the mail.

I'm hoping the UK will turn things around and they remain in the EU. I dread to think if they proceed to leave how things will turn out - like custom taxes. I don't think Irish online shops come up to the range that Deramores and LoveKnitting has.

I haven't knitted garments for adults yet but I was to take on such a project, I did some rough calculations just for fun and I'd be spending the guts of €120+. Imagine custom taxes on top of this. 😖

I do crochet and made a gorgeous poncho from an acrylic-wool blend (admittedly more acrylic than wool) and it set me back €40 just on materials! People just look at you crooked when you try to add your time onto that! I think baby stuff is great - gets done quicker and people are far more willing to pay a bit extra for something unique for a baby!

Broken Hearted Road · 12-08-2016 11:03am

ShaShaBear wrote: »

I do crochet and made a gorgeous poncho from an acrylic-wool blend (admittedly more acrylic than wool) and it set me back €40 just on materials! People just look at you crooked when you try to add your time onto that! I think baby stuff is great - gets done quicker and people are far more willing to pay a bit extra for something unique for a baby!

Lol! Some people don't really understand what's involved with handknits either money or time. Then with the likes of pennies and dunnes selling inexpensive clothing that comes into the equation too. Like a jumper in pennies could cost what? €12, €15, €20. Some people might expect a hand-knit garment to match the price you'd find in pennies or dunnes as an example.

janmaree · 13-08-2016 11:00am

ShaShaBear wrote: »

I'd be buying enough yarn for several repeats of a project for my Etsy store

Off topic a little but I wondered how you find working on Etsy and if you feel that it's worth your while? I browse there quite a bit but find when I look for traditional Aran knitwear, which I love doing most of all, it seems to be a mish-mash of "vintage" sweaters that I would have expected to find on Ebay rather than Etsy. Anything new seems to vary in price from so low as to be below cost to so high that it'd make you gasp! Just interested to hear what you think as an Etsy seller, if you have the time that is

(round of applause going on here btw!)

ShaShaBear · 13-08-2016 6:12pm

janmaree wrote: »

Off topic a little but I wondered how you find working on Etsy and if you feel that it's worth your while? I browse there quite a bit but find when I look for traditional Aran knitwear, which I love doing most of all, it seems to be a mish-mash of "vintage" sweaters that I would have expected to find on Ebay rather than Etsy. Anything new seems to vary in price from so low as to be below cost to so high that it'd make you gasp! Just interested to hear what you think as an Etsy seller, if you have the time that is (round of applause going on here btw!)

As far as using the site itself, I really enjoy it. I've made more sales through it than I have through word of mouth or through Facebook. I find the advantage it has is that it only shows people "hand-made" so there is a prerequisite for people to understand that they are going to be "paying" for what they order. It reaches a much larger audience faster and since you can list things previously made OR things made to order, you can get the cost of materials up-front with an order rather than asking for deposits or buying a load of yarn for a project that someone ends up never collecting/paying for.

wmpdd3 · 15-08-2016 11:12pm

I love etsy, but I think the company its self has become difficult to work with and of course costs have risen in the last 8 years on there. I've had billing issues and an issue with 'patern free trial', of course its email to the US for support which can be slow.

I think the best part of etsy is the filters.
I can search:
handmade
made in ireland
knit
wool

etc,

sure there are some mass produced items on there that shouldn't be there but the really established makers make shopping there worthwhile.

Like any business, your costings need to be bang on right down to your postage and packing. Nobody wants to work for free.

OffalyMedic · 25-08-2016 10:14am

Hi Guys,

I've posted here a couple of times before and looking for some advice again on a couple of things.

I took up knitting again last December, hadn't knitted much since primary school. I made 3 teddies for the kiddies of the family for Christmas. I used Sam and Sally the Scarecrow pattern by Jean Greenhowe, some of you may be familiar with the pattern. open?id=0B7e1quvRmc2hdk1iV2FMb0lOTXB3cTNfRmpLVDhLbVU5RE9B

open?id=0B7e1quvRmc2hdk1iV2FMb0lOTXB3cTNfRmpLVDhLbVU5RE9B

open?id=0B7e1quvRmc2hUGlqcFg0YzhhWEZNT1F2OS1kVkZJUUhPVE5v

I was so delighted with how these turned out that i wanted to knit more and more. I get great satisfaction when i see a finished project.

Life got busy after christmas and I stopped again until this month, My bf sister announced she was expecting so i decided to go knit a baby cardigan and depending on how it finished maybe give it as a present. It turned out lovely and I even added a hat, mittens, booties and a blanket to the gift. open?id=1wP8nZfj9X123urniTIj5HMF1VDm2wkAhWA

open?id=1wP8nZfj9X123urniTIj5HMF1VDm2wkAhWA

Those kept me busy for a few weeks and now. I'd love to try cable knitting but dont know where to start. Would love to make a hat, scarf and glove set using cable knitting for myself for the winter.

Also would like to make a sheep hat pattern I saw on ravelry for my OH to keep him warm when farming and my cousin asked me to knit her a basic hat with wool she bought (DK mixed colour one) and keeping on the same theme found a nice peppa pig and shaun the sheep hat pattern for his two nieces.

So i need to make 4 hats for others and then the set for myself but here is where i need advice.

1) when i started knitting i bought any aul wool and have loads of balls lying around but now haven't a clue what weight wool it is, how can i identify if its dk, aran etc by looking at it?

2) I have alot of colours but with the hats i need alot of colours that i dont have but only in small quantities and dont particularly want to spend €5 on a ball to use only a few grams off.

3) I've heard of destashing but cant find it on ravelry. Can someone point me in the right direction??

4) How difficult is intarsia?

5) How difficult is cable knitting?

ShaShaBear · 25-08-2016 10:33am

I'm not a knitter, but a crocheter, but I might be able to answer a few of these!

1) when i started knitting i bought any aul wool and have loads of balls lying around but now haven't a clue what weight wool it is, how can i identify if its dk, aran etc by looking at it?
Not by looking at it really, unless you are a real pro! But what you can do is look for a standard DK pattern on Ravelry that includes a swatch gauge and knit it up! If the swatches with that yarn and the same needles works out the same size or extremely close as the swatch dimensions for the pattern, it's almost certainly DK yarn you've used. Same for other weights.

2) I have alot of colours but with the hats i need alot of colours that i dont have but only in small quantities and dont particularly want to spend €5 on a ball to use only a few grams off.
You can buy Dolly mix balls of yarn like this which is over 60 metres

3) I've heard of destashing but cant find it on ravelry. Can someone point me in the right direction??
When you go to your Notebook in Ravelry, there is an option for your Stash. You input all the yarns you have (there is a tagging feature so that the yarn's page on Ravelry will be linked) and you can mark them as available for sell or for trade.

janmaree · 25-08-2016 3:07pm

4) How difficult is intarsia?

I only knitted one garment in intarsia which turned out fine but I wouldn't be keen to do it again, I just don't have the patience or the eyesight anymore. Like anything else, it's probably quite easy once you know how but when you don't, it looks like rocket science. Here's a link to a youtube tutorial which seems straightforward and informative, might help as an introduction. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gK07PBQMTE8

5) How difficult is cable knitting?

Again, once you get used to it and handling an extra little needle, it's fine. Perhaps starting with a simple cable without any intricate intertwining (some cable patterns can be mind boggling) would give you a way to learn easily. I love Aran patterns and all the different stitches involved but they use a lot more wool than something simple and flat and they take serious concentration as well. It explains why pure wool, hand knit Aran garments cost so much.

Hope it's of some help but when I'm stuck, I always turn to youtube to learn something new, usually everything you need is there.

wmpdd3 · 25-08-2016 9:57pm

I agree with everything above.

I hate intarsia!I always end up doing it too tight, especially when I do it in the round.

I prefer to crochet a graph( same thing but crochet)

Def get dolly mixture or there are facebook pages to buy left over wool from people, its great for ' I need a bit of grey DK acrylic' posts.

Have a look at swiss darning as an alternative to intarsia.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lBPSJB-JH60

tringle · 26-08-2016 8:46am

Intarsia can be easy or difficult depending on the pattern.
If it is to do a motif such as a teddy with many colours then swiss darning is much better. However if you are only ever knitting two colours in a row then intarsia can be easier, don't ever carry the wool over more than three stitches. And you must wrap each colour change wool around the next to prevent a hole. Yes, check youtube and do a practice swatch first to see if it suits you.

Cables are lovely to knit and very effective. Find a simple pattern with just one type of cable, there are many baby jumpers with cabled ribs to try. A cable of 4 stitches is the easiest. And you cable forward or back, this will make the rope twist to the right or left. I find using the extra cable needle a nuisance and so pinch the two stitches in my fingers while knitting the other two then slip them back onto the needle to knit, again hard to explain so use youtube to check.

To find out what weight your wool is the americans use a system called wraps per inch. Wind the wool around a needle and count how many wraps or stiches there are to an inch of needle length. I don't have the list of what is what but you will find it on raverly or on pinterest.

Broken Hearted Road · 28-08-2016 7:33pm

I wouldn't launch into a new knit project containing a new a technique like cables and intarsia. I had some left over yarn before and I wanted to practice cable knitting so I was able to knit up a cabled headband with the left over yarn. Earlier this year I was working on a knit project using cotton. I wanted to try out intarsia so with the scrap yarn I made a dishcloth with an intarsia design. I still had yarn left over and I wanted to practice a crochet border so I did on the dishcloth too.

kandr10 · 28-08-2016 10:30pm

Broken Hearted Road wrote: »

I wouldn't launch into a new knit project containing a new a technique like cables and intarsia. I had some left over yarn before and I wanted to practice cable knitting so I was able to knit up a cabled headband with the left over yarn. Earlier this year I was working on a knit project using cotton. I wanted to try out intarsia so with the scrap yarn I made a dishcloth with an intarsia design. I still had yarn left over and I wanted to practice a crochet border so I did on the dishcloth too.

That's a really good idea! Do you mind me asking, are knitted dishcloths any good?

I love intarsia! I think the technique itself is easy - just wrap the old and new colour together at the back of the work. It can be hard to organise if the block of colour is quite big as you need small balls of each colour and they can tangle. I use yarn bobbins and it makes life so much easier.

OffalyMedic · 29-08-2016 2:42pm

ok thanks for all your help guys!

Since I was last on I knitted a hat in the round and was happy with how it came out. Now I'm onto another hat for himself and in the pattern it says it uses a technique called fair isle. Is that the same as intrasia??

I've never knitted anything using a chat as opposed to written instructions? is it difficult?

[URL="file:///home/chronos/u-3320a1ce0e305ea75dd3ab9823ebbf1f7d2417bc/Downloads/Baable_hat3.pdf"]Heres[/URL] the pattern if anyone has any tips it would be much appreciated.

wmpdd3 · 29-08-2016 11:54pm

Fair Isle is where you carry the yarn along the back of the work, this is where I slip up and end up with a gathered pair of knickers!

Intarsia is where you use a new piece of yarn for the design in the middle.

I can see the pattern, the link doesnt work, is it baa-ble?

http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/baa-ble-hat

If so, its really easy to do, as far as I can remember you just knit white blobs and sew in the black part! I'd use fair islu for that and carefully carry the colour behind the white when in use.

OffalyMedic · 30-08-2016 8:41am

Thank you, it is the blast-bah hat I'm attempting to make but from what I can make out from pattern it's all knitted, none stitched together?

Broken Hearted Road · 01-09-2016 10:08pm

kandr10 wrote: »

That's a really good idea! Do you mind me asking, are knitted dishcloths any good?

I love intarsia! I think the technique itself is easy - just wrap the old and new colour together at the back of the work. It can be hard to organise if the block of colour is quite big as you need small balls of each colour and they can tangle. I use yarn bobbins and it makes life so much easier.

Knitted dishcloths are great. I love making them for using up scraps of yarn. One of my first knits when I started knitting a few years ago was done using cotton yarn and I loved it so more often than not I stuck with cotton so I have loads of scraps of cotton.

My mam doesn't want to use them as dishcloths. They are too good to be used as dishcloths she says.

Broken Hearted Road · 01-09-2016 10:25pm

I'm coming to the end of knitting a cardi that was pure joy to knit. I used merino wool and it was such a pleasure. Merino is definitely my new love.

I stuck in a new large order of yarn online earlier today. A large batch of merino wool will be coming my way next week in the post. I bought a pattern too for the wool. I'll be knitting a dress (toddler siz) for a Christmas present. I hope to start on that next week and hopefully will be ready by the end of October to get started on some more Christmas knitting.

While I was browsing online at patterns and yarn, I came across a lovely cardigan pattern done in merino wool. LoveKnitting is a great online shop. I love the section under patterns - get everything you need to make this and select size. So I clicked around and priced the project if I was so inclined and trust me, I'm well and truly tempted. €154 it came up to. I wish I had the funds.

alexonhisown · 13-10-2016 12:34pm

Has anyone used ICE brand yarns, just wondering if they have any really nice soft baby wool. Their prices online seem to be so cheap. My favourite wool so far is RICO soft baby dream.

LoonyLovegood · 13-10-2016 10:17pm

They're fairly soft for an acrylic, alright!

wmpdd3 · 21-10-2016 9:29pm

I love Rico, it's so hard wearing too.

Ice can work out expensive when you add shipping which is about the same price as the yarn!

Look for a polyamide or viscose mix, but just order a little to check what's it's like, there is no saving to be made by bulk buying.

veggie newbie · 31-10-2016 7:36pm

I'm using a pattern for a baby blanket consisting of 1 colour but would love to knit the border in a different colour. Should I knit the border separately, or knit as part of the blanket?
If I knit the border as part of the blanket, I guess I should cut the wool when I've finished the border stitches and then sew in the threads when completed? This would result in a lot of threads and sewing so maybe it's best to knit the border separately and sew it on at the end? And advice much appreciated. Thx.

This is the pattern if it helps: http://web.archive.org/web/20130114111934/http://www.fortheloveofyarn.com/Issues/07Winter/patterns/winter07_pearlsblanket.shtml

Gatica · 31-10-2016 8:21pm

veggie newbie wrote: »

I'm using a pattern for a baby blanket consisting of 1 colour but would love to knit the border in a different colour. Should I knit the border separately, or knit as part of the blanket?
If I knit the border as part of the blanket, I guess I should cut the wool when I've finished the border stitches and then sew in the threads when completed? This would result in a lot of threads and sewing so maybe it's best to knit the border separately and sew it on at the end? And advice much appreciated. Thx.

This is the pattern if it helps: http://web.archive.org/web/20130114111934/http://www.fortheloveofyarn.com/Issues/07Winter/patterns/winter07_pearlsblanket.shtml

I would just switch between yarns on every row, if you need border on left and right, then divide your yarn into two and try to manage the three balls of yarn for switching. It will keep the loose ends to tuck down to just 6 (3 yarns, start and end)

veggie newbie · 31-10-2016 8:54pm

Gatica wrote: »

I would just switch between yarns on every row, if you need border on left and right, then divide your yarn into two and try to manage the three balls of yarn for switching. It will keep the loose ends to tuck down to just 6 (3 yarns, start and end)

Never thought of using 3 ball, good idea! I'm not a v experienced knitter, is it difficult to manage 3?

janmaree · 01-11-2016 11:40am

It's a lovely pattern but I notice that the cables are pulling the borders out of shape and distorting the overall finished look. I'm no expert either but I would be tempted to knit the body of the blanket (with the cables) separately and after blocking the central piece, I would either knit or crochet a border to fit. That way you can easily use a contrasting colour for the border and you're likely to end up with a better shape in the final piece and very few loose ends to weave in. You would just end up attaching the border to the centre piece by sewing or slip stitching in crochet, or crocheting directly onto the central piece with a simple turn at the corners. Just my tuppence worth but it is a lovely pattern and should keep you interested to the end.

Broken Hearted Road · 14-11-2016 5:04pm

I started this back in September. The pet dog wasn't feeling well and so I lost my love for knitting for a bit. I put this in time out and seamed it up last week. I was working from a pattern but I also wanted a large rib section so that I could fold it over. Found out I wasn't going to have enough wool and changed things about a bit and this is the end result:

Made from merino wool. It's lovely stuff. I think Debbie Bliss Rialto.

Knitting - help and advice super thread!

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