Knitting - help and advice super thread!

DEEMAR · 31-05-2011 11:11pm

Hi duckling10

Thanks for that info, unfortunately I can't make wednesdays as I work all day until late, what a pity, I would love to drop in to meet them all. I used to have an old Knitmaster fine guage machine when my kids were young but I haven't used one for years. Then I got the bug about a year or so ago and I bought a second hand (as knew) machine online. Its a Silver Reed Mid guage machine, so I can knit with thicker wool. It's very basic and I haven't done a whole lot of stuff on it - I wish I had more time, and would love to get back into it again. I really enjoy hand knitting too and it would be great to exchange pattern/ ideas with others

duckling10 · 31-05-2011 11:25pm

well this is a good place to be, and have you discovered www.ravelry.com yet?
a veritable treasure trove for knitters, i'm in there, and love it! free patterns, hundreds of groups and forums, any topic you like is dealt with, be it knitting or crochet related or just real life...
i never get to Rainbow SnB either, but maybe this summer if i get time on wednesdays.
I have a brother chunky 260 knitting machine and a brother 800, as well as a toyota 901 i was given for free. all 3 need servicing, maybe this weekend.
regards
d:D

Pandora2 · 02-06-2011 4:17pm

Hi there

Am hoping for some help.....My sister is having her 4th child and her 40th birthday is to be her Baby Shower. I am hoping to get her a number of 1st/2nd size ballerina cardi's short and long sleeve. a couple of cute bonnets and boottees, maybe a 2nd size white lacy dress with some ribbon insert...now they are in NYC and baby due end of July so I was hoping to get some funky cotton & cashmere...in the likes of lime green/shocking pink/white..anybody out there up to the challenge...or is there somewhere you can recommend that I try for such a layette??

cotton · 29-06-2011 11:59am

Hi, long time lurker in this forum but I’ve only posted once.

Sorry if this has been covered somewhere else before. Does anyone know if the wool companies i.e. Sirdar, Patons, Wendy, etc. bring out new women's patterns very often?
Reason I ask is I’m finding it really hard to find new patterns I like, it seems to be the same old stuff all the time.

Am almost finished attached pattern (an idea of what I like...) and want to have my next one ready to start as soon as it’s finished. Am already beginning to panic that I won’t have a pattern when the time comes, am one of those people who’s fingers itch if I don’t have something to knit!:p

Das Kitty · 29-06-2011 12:26pm

Sirdar bring out new patterns constantly.

I get mine from the Wooly Jumper Craft Company on eBay and they always seem to have new ones.

Rowan also do free patterns on their website, I'm just finished a nice tank top from there.

I do know your panic though, last time I was down to one Work in Progress I had such a panic I got enough patterns for years and loads of yarn. Started three new projects all in the same week! Not good!

Ponster · 29-06-2011 1:13pm

There are dozens of pattern available via the website ravelry Problem is you spend so much time looking there's little time left for knitting !
PS Oops, this is Ponster's wife, forgot to sign in.

janmaree · 29-06-2011 1:33pm

Vogue have a brilliant website with lots of free patterns as well as very reasonable downloadable patterns and frequent sales that they'll email you about beforehand. Some of their patterns are stunning and I'd be surprised if you didn't find plenty of patterns to match your taste. Good luck!!!

cotton · 30-06-2011 9:57am

Thank you so much!! Those Vogue & Rowan sites are amazing, I've now got 10 new patterns lined up for when this cardigan is finished, happy days!

Dying to have a look at the Wooly Jumper Craft Company on eBay, unfortunately it's blocked here so I'll have to wait until I get home from work.

Roll on saturday so I can go wool shopping!:D

aknitter · 03-07-2011 2:21pm

Patons website do free patterns aswell, as do www.lionbrand.com. But for nothing beats the local wool shop when you come up against something you need help with!!

Does anyone have a good pattern for mittens for a baby (with a thumb) - getting ready for winter!!

Das Kitty · 07-07-2011 8:40am

I'm knitting a v-neck fitted sweater for myself at the moment. It's in Aran weight.

So I did the decreases per the pattern, every 13th row 4 times then 14 rows straight, then increases the same as the decreases and tried it on and it was way too long, It was down over the bum and it's supposed to sit just below the trouser line. Aaargh.

I didn't make any mistakes, and my gauge was right so it seems the pattern is wrong / stupid. So I frogged it up to the 3rd decrease and am eliminating one decrease and one increase. I could frog all the way up to the armhole and leave fewer rows between the dec/inc but I was already getting sick of knitting it!

So annoyed I didn't listen to my instinct about it being too long when I was going along, aarrrgh!

beeftotheheels · 07-07-2011 4:26pm

That's so annoying. Personally when something like that happens I put down the knitting for anything up to six months and revert to crochet. For some reason frogging crochet is so easy, any little mistake and I rip back. It's an emotional disaster when I try to do the same with knitting, I find myself trying to justify leaving mistakes there as "features".

wmpdd3 · 10-07-2011 11:34pm

What in gods name is frogging?

beeftotheheels · 11-07-2011 12:42am

wmpdd3 wrote: »

What in gods name is frogging?

ripping back "rippit rippit"

wmpdd3 · 11-07-2011 9:01pm

Never heard of that!!

Das Kitty · 11-07-2011 9:31pm

Hee hee, I first heard of it on ravelry and had to look it up, thought the meaning behind it was cute. Glad I'm not the only one who hadn't a clue!

beeftotheheels · 12-07-2011 11:28am

Das Kitty wrote: »

Hee hee, I first heard of it on ravelry and had to look it up, thought the meaning behind it was cute. Glad I'm not the only one who hadn't a clue!

I came across it in the Stitch & B!tch books - which are actually so useful for things like grafting (which Mam had forgotten how to do), dropping stitches to avoid ripping where you had an errant purl/ plain and then using a crochet hook to pick them back up, in fact really useful in all their uses of crochet hooks to help with knitting.

I was also trying to learn a long tail cast on from them and just as I had the wool set up in my hands my Mam suddenly got interested. Turns out she'd spent 55 odd years of knitting unable to cast on "properly" in the eyes of her family which she has now mastered thanks to the book.

Reminds me of a really cute thing a while back. Mam was teaching my niece to knit and found a piece of knitting one of us had done when small still on the little needles. From the cast on she figured out it was her mother teaching me to knit, and not her since it was her Mam's cast on. So the first 4 inches of dropped stitches, magical extra stitches and mad tension are down to me and my Nana, the next four inches are down to my niece and her Nana, maybe we can make a multi generational scarf (its acrylic so holding up okay).

Das Kitty · 12-07-2011 12:10pm

I have the Ultimate Knitting Bible and it has all those elements too.

I want to learn fair-isle knitting properly where you can carry across more than 5 stitches in one colour. I made a little fair isle hat for my small man last winter and would love to do more.

http://ravel.me/DasKitty/sbh

beeftotheheels · 12-07-2011 12:32pm

So cute! was it not really fiddly starting off on a small hat (assuming with sock needles)?

Das Kitty · 12-07-2011 12:40pm

beeftotheheels wrote: »

So cute! was it not really fiddly starting off on a small hat (assuming with sock needles)?

It was fiddly and I knitted it 3 times in the end, but I needed to start on a small item to see how it was going to turn out! I was able to do the main part on short circular needles so that took some of the fiddling out of it.

wmpdd3 · 13-07-2011 11:30pm

Das Kitty, would you recommend the 'Ultimate Knitting Bible'?

Is it very basic or are the patterns/tips good?

I'd love to treat myself to that and the crochet version.

Das Kitty · 14-07-2011 7:12am

I find it good, has instructions for lots of different knitting styles, cast ons, stitches and is easy to follow. It also brings you through a basic sock pattern which I found invaluable.

I also have the sewing version -also brilliant.

wmpdd3 · 17-07-2011 12:10am

Right I'm off to find them both second hand.

My favourite book is a readers digest massive book of craft from 1979.... aimed at the new wife / mother!!

It covers every type of textile craft imaginable.

Eroticplants · 17-07-2011 10:10pm

Hey all,
You're probably all bored to death of these kinds of questions but, could anyone help me knit socks? I've watched videos on Youtube and they all say it calls for like 4 needles but I only have the two and have only ever knitted scarfs.
Any hints, tips, magic spells to make them instantly appear?

Das Kitty · 17-07-2011 10:28pm

Eroticplants wrote: »

Hey all,
You're probably all bored to death of these kinds of questions but, could anyone help me knit socks? I've watched videos on Youtube and they all say it calls for like 4 needles but I only have the two and have only ever knitted scarfs.
Any hints, tips, magic spells to make them instantly appear?

Yeah you need 4 double pointed sock needles in the correct size for the pattern. This is because you knit them in a tube rather than flat. If you've only done scarves I'd advise trying your hand and a practice swatch where you do some increases and decreases.

As well as that, baby hats are a great way of learning to knit in the round as they're quick.

You can actually knit a sock on 2 needles but you have to be able to make a flat seam and they're fairly tricky.
Like this: http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/basic-flat-sock-pattern

I remember trying to knit my first sock, I threw the whole lot out the window!

beeftotheheels · 18-07-2011 9:54am

Eroticplants wrote: »

Hey all,
You're probably all bored to death of these kinds of questions but, could anyone help me knit socks? I've watched videos on Youtube and they all say it calls for like 4 needles but I only have the two and have only ever knitted scarfs.
Any hints, tips, magic spells to make them instantly appear?

Actually I did my first socks as super chunky socks on two needles which were okay - inelegant - but super chunky socks are for slouching around watching telly in winter so elegance is not the name of the game.

Actually I found them quite easy, and a bit less daunting than starting out on sock needles as it got my head around turning the heel etc without having to get my head around sock needles - although I knew I couldn't ask any relatives for help since they all though knitting socks on two needles was just daft.

The pattern was Sirdar and on 8mm (I think). Wouldn't dream of doing socks in sock yarn or indeed anything finer than chunky on two needles. But it only took a couple of hours to knit each sock so ripping back wasn't painful when I made mistakes as I got my head around heels and insteps so if you haven't used sock needles for anything to date (and they are really cool once you get used to them) look for super chunky/ chunky sock patterns as you don't get many super chunky sized sock needles so they're more likely to be done on 2 needles.

bambera · 18-07-2011 12:51pm

Hi, I'm getting an old chair off my mam and I'm going to knit a cover for it based on a melanie porter design.

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Bzx5r-UkJos/SnDp-ouB2vI/AAAAAAAAElY/fJQ4wDPR8TY/s1600-h/lottie.jpg

The wool used for this is 100% merino and suggest dry clean only.

Does anyone think there is a better type to use that can be washed at home but can still stand the every day use it will get from being on a chair?

wmpdd3 · 18-07-2011 10:45pm

Oh wow, what a brilliant design. It depend how much use the chair will get. Bobbling could be an issue.

With a natural yarn, if it bobbles you can razor off the bobbles. You could go for a 50/50 natural/synthetic mix. This would be hard wearing and washable.

If you go for 100% synthetic, it will be washable but it will be very hard to remove bobbles.

Best to talk to you local wool shop worker as they may have used the yarns they stock and can advise on the best. Something that wore well when knited up as a bag would be a good option as it would get the same kinda wear.

beeftotheheels · 19-07-2011 1:00am

bambera wrote: »

Hi, I'm getting an old chair off my mam and I'm going to knit a cover for it based on a melanie porter design.

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Bzx5r-UkJos/SnDp-ouB2vI/AAAAAAAAElY/fJQ4wDPR8TY/s1600-h/lottie.jpg

The wool used for this is 100% merino and suggest dry clean only.

Does anyone think there is a better type to use that can be washed at home but can still stand the every day use it will get from being on a chair?

I know this doesn't answer your question in the slightest but I felt the need to share my tale of two blankets. The first I did in acrylic for wearability (crochet, not knit), the second I did in wool (also crochet). Fifteen years later the first looks pretty much as it did when I completed it, and I hate it. The second was a lot more complicated (even though it was faster because I'd gained speed). The second has been hand washed, has stretched, faded, looks nothing like the blanket I finished. Yet I love it. The wear has made it softer, it is still luxurious, indeed more luxurious than when I finished it, the patterns less stark, but the texture is oh so nice.

I know that crochet (in squares) is easier since you know you can replace a square (all crochet is easier), but my emotional response to the acrylic vs the wool version is pretty extreme. The latter I'd be happy to see flaws in, the former seems to me to be a waste of so many hours of my life since there is nothing inviting about it - it's acrylic.

So a bit like wmpdd3 I'd suggest looking for a wool/ acrylic mix, I'd stand back and ask myself whether I want luxury or practicality, and the more personal effort goes in, the more that you want luxury, the more you sacrifice wearability for luxury.

Just my thoughts though, based on a crocheted blanket made 15 years ago which I now hate.

ps. love the picture you posted up - looks divine.

bambera · 19-07-2011 2:33pm

Thanks guys you've helped put it into perspective.

The more I think about it, the chair is more for show as the couch would get used more.

It's gonna take me ages to knit so best putting the effort in first time around and go with a good brand of wool (and not let any drunk people sit on it

). Was in one of the wool shops in Walkinstown last week and they seemed to know what they're talking about, so I might bring a picture down to them next time I'm over that way.

P.S. Thought I was the only one who shaved my clothes

wmpdd3 · 19-07-2011 2:57pm

@Beeftotheheels, I totally agree. About 15 years ago when I started buying yarn, I bought loads of synthetics. You know the stuff, deadly colours in massive balls. I made a few bits I still wear but the major let down is the yarn I used. It gets tight and the bobbles (a snood) are a pain to remove. Twice I sat down with a nail scissors and cut them off one by one. The only reason I dont throw these item out is because I knitted them with my, now passed away grandmother.

In the last 6 years I have bought bought only natural or 35% synthetics max. There are some exceptions to the rule, but these are ususally highly developed mixtures devised by manufactured and not available to the wider public. ie I have seen machine washable mohair cushion covers.

In short it will take a few weeks to knit the cover, the chair you will make could last 100 years! Invest wisely in the yarn and spend as much as you can, you will not regret it. Also, I would call your nearest Interior designer and beg for their advice, they may have seen similar items in this line of work and may have valuable advice.

Das Kitty · 19-07-2011 3:59pm

I want to make a multi-coloured baby blanket for my friend's imminent arrival. What yarns do you use for baby things? I would like it to be washable but nice enough to be a keepsake.

wmpdd3 · 19-07-2011 8:06pm

if you can afforf it, id say the debbie bliss yarn pictured above. Failing that a cotton or cotton mix would be great. Stay away from the 2.20 balls of baby yarn, way too thin but warm for baby wear.

kylith · 30-07-2011 1:23pm

I'm not an accomplished knitter by any means, in fact until I saw wool and needles in Lidl on Monday I hadn't held knitting needles since first class.

Anyway, a week of 'how to knit' videos later I'm feeling comfortable enough with various stitches and I'd like to knit a blanket. Would it be possible to knit something about 6 feet across (for a double bed). Can you even get needles big enough?

looksee · 30-07-2011 2:27pm

Knit it in squares or strips and sew them together. Trying to knit a huge item like that would not work for a number of reasons, it would be impossible to handle being just one of them!

wmpdd3 · 30-07-2011 2:29pm

You'd need to make a few strips and attach them to make up 6ft.

You could do thins with you standard size 6mm needles and chunky wool. It would cost yo a fair bit just for the wool. I'd say at 2 hrs per night, 3 nights a week it would take you about 2 months.

You can make needles from a broom handles, these would be about 15mm. If you know someone who does wood turning they can shape the tips for you and attach stoppers on the ends. You could them use many strands of wool to knit a thicker but faster strip. You can put many balls or cones in a box and make a hole in the top of the box to let the wool flow smoothly.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CRTdSeLjueQ

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LAeOrnXyqjU&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D8yHmHPQeaM

Personally, I'd crochet a blanket for a double bed in chunky and size 10mm hook. Possibly 16 squares, would take about 40 hrs.

Search e-bay and wool shops for 'yarn cones' if buying for such a big project.

Das Kitty · 30-07-2011 7:06pm

You could knit something that wide on long circular needles also. I would advise using chunky or super chunky yarn and large needles. Knitting something big like that can get soul destroying after a while!

kylith · 30-07-2011 11:45pm

Thanks for all the replies! I did a bit of googling and found a site with some simple directions, it recommended size 10 circular needles, so I got some of those and the chunkiest wool that I could find in Dublin Woolen Mills. The site recommended casting on 144 stitches for a 3' throw so I've gone for about twice that, I think; extra stitches seem to appear from nowhere.

I've a few rows done, but not many yet, so I'd say it'll take me a while. I'm trying to cut down how much I smoke and the knitting has really helped today, it's kept my hands and my brain occupied so I've hardly noticed time passing.

kylith · 30-07-2011 11:46pm

Oops, double post.

Das Kitty · 31-07-2011 12:31am

Keep an eye on your stitch count after every row so you won't have to go ripping back too far if you make a mistake. You'll soon be able to tell where they are easily, it is tricky to begin with.

I wanted to start knitting to keep me out if the fridge! I hope you have more luck with the smokes than I did with the snacks though!

kylith · 31-07-2011 1:23pm

If it starts getting wider or narrower I'm going to just keep going. There's way too much there for me to rip it back. Since I'm only starting off each row is taking me about 45 minutes so I don't want to lose any work. I've looked into ways of getting rid of extra stitches and if I'm miles off I'll probably try knitting two together.

Das Kitty · 31-07-2011 1:50pm

They're probably coming from the yarn being the wrong side of the work for the stitch (this is called a yarn over increase), and you will probably see little holes. For purl stitches the yarn tail should be to the front and for knit it should be to the back.

kylith · 31-07-2011 1:55pm

Das Kitty wrote: »

They're probably coming from the yarn being the wrong side of the work for the stitch (this is called a yarn over increase), and you will probably see little holes. For purl stitches the yarn tail should be to the front and for knit it should be to the back.

I'm trying to do that, but sometimes i get a bit confused. I've a couple of little holes, but I'm looking forward to there being fewer and fewer as I get better.

Das Kitty · 31-07-2011 2:36pm

You will get better and better and faster too!

kylith · 31-07-2011 4:29pm

One more quick question; I'm off on holiday in a couple of weeks, do Ryanair allow you to bring knitting needles on the plane? I won't be checking in any bags, and I'd hate to turn up and be told I can't bring it. I've tried calling but ran out of credit before they answered. I've tried jabbing myself with the needles to see if they could be called weapons and you'd honestly need a mallet to get it through the skin; the worst I could do is make a flight attendent say 'Ouch!'.

wmpdd3 · 31-07-2011 10:26pm

You def cant bring knitting needles on a plane even plastic ones or plastic crochet hooks.

managerman · 17-08-2011 5:56pm

my granny is an avid knitter and she is getting on in years, so im looking for a decent wool shop in north dublin, as we normally would have to go to monaghan for the wool

thanks
any help appreciated

18-08-2011 11:35am

managerman wrote: »

my granny is an avid knitter and she is getting on in years, so im looking for a decent wool shop in north dublin, as we normally would have to go to monaghan for the wool

Hickey's in the city centre has a lot of wool downstairs, with patterns too. There's also a shop called This is Knit, I think, it's in the Powerscourt centre just off Grafton St. It's sort of in two sections across from each other.

I've also seen wool in some of the 2euro shops on Talbot st., got some the other day and it was fine, although it's pretty much just plain thinnish wool in not many colours.

Rancid · 18-08-2011 3:36pm

managerman wrote: »

my granny is an avid knitter and she is getting on in years, so im looking for a decent wool shop in north dublin, as we normally would have to go to monaghan for the wool

thanks
any help appreciated

Stitch, in Beaumont, I can recommend.
Great shop for a great selection of wools and patterns, and easy parking right outside or very nearby.
http://www.stitch.ie

janmaree · 18-08-2011 4:52pm

Just thought I'd mention The Constant Knitter, they have an online shop and lots of choice for quite reasonable prices. Irish too!!! Sometimes it's nice to let your fingers do the shopping and the postman hauls the parcels for you! www.theconstantknitter.ie for anyone who's interested.

metoyou09 · 19-08-2011 9:02pm

managerman wrote: »

my granny is an avid knitter and she is getting on in years, so im looking for a decent wool shop in north dublin, as we normally would have to go to monaghan for the wool

thanks
any help appreciated

Theres a great shop open now in Blanchardstown. Its in a newsagents in the superquinn shopping centre. Know it?
Has everything in there. Really great wool that your granny would be delighted it

Knitting - help and advice super thread!

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