The Accidental Smallholder Forum
Food & crafts => Crafts => Topic started by: RUSTYME on June 16, 2014, 12:36:57 am
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Ok , how hard is it to learn to knit ?
Don't have sheep as yet , but can have as many fleeces as i want .
I would like to learn to knit before i get any sheep , so no wasted fleece .
I knitted a trawler net when i was about 12 , meant to be a scarf ! , don't want to do that again .
So is k1 p1 really hard to learn , always remembering i am brain dead ! Cheers
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No, not hard :)
And more about muscle memory than brain larnin', so shouldn't be a problem ;)
Lots of good resources on YouTube, if you can access that?
Otherwise there is bound to be a knitting group in a town or village nearby who would love to show you.
:idea: You could try crochet too.
And what about a peg-loom?
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Knitting is not difficult, like all things it is mastering the muscle memory and then the jargon! My daughter has recently started knitting, and after a few internet discussions to sort out her mistakes, she is well on her way to being a very good knitter. Isn't there a step before the knitting, I.e. The prep and spinning if the wool? Or have you got that covered?
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I find knitting really difficult, I just couldn't remember which row I was meant to be on, I constantly dropped stitches without realising, it was just awful.
However, I find crochet really easy. I taught myself using pictures from the internet. Once you realise the principle is to create interlocking loops which form the stitches it is really easy. And it is very versatile, I've just recently learnt to crochet a cable pattern.
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Considering Rusty's specific circumstances, it might not be as easy as you all make it sound... With no proper computer youtube is not really an option, and he does not live anywhere near a village or town where he could join a group! I find it rather difficult to "just explain" with words what you need to do without practical input.
Russ, knowing that your aunt visits on occasions - is she a knitter, and could she show you? Or somebody else from your extended family?
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I find knitting really difficult, I just couldn't remember which row I was meant to be on, I constantly dropped stitches without realising, it was just awful.
You can get round your row problem by doing every row knit (garter stitch) then it wouldn't matter, no pearl at all to worry about.
Russ, I don't think its difficult but some people do have problems handling the needles as they seem to flail around quite a bit when you start. I don't like long needles very much but some people tuck the ends of long needles under their arms so I guess its just what you get used to.
As Clarebelle has said crochet is easy and as there is just one stitch on the hook at a time you don't drop stitches as you can in knitting.
Russ, if your Aunt can't show you perhaps I can come over one day and go through it with you.
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I haven't done any knitting since I was a teenager :-[ but did enjoy it. I did howveer find the casting on the hardest part but the actual knitting was easy enough. I never reached the dizzy heights of my grandmother though who could knit unbelievably quickly whilst reading ot watching telly at the same time. I was extremely slow at knitting and had to watch every stitch to avoid making any mistakes. Have to also admit that I didn't progress beyond a scarf shape and even that wasn't wearable!
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If you learn to knit in the round you only have to do knit stitches. It can be slightly complicated once you divide for the neck, but flat knitting has to be increased and decreased too. Another advantage of knitting in the round is you can use a circular needle, which is easy to manage and the whole lot fits in a pocket or bag for travelling.
There are excellent books on knitting - do you go to the library? They are sure to have something there, and once you get the hang of how to do it, you can take the book back.
Louise will be putting a piece about knitting on the TAS site later in the year.
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Russ, can you get to a library? If so there is a great book called "Stitch n Bitch" by D Stoller that is very comprehensive with loads of pictures. I have used her crochet one which is great.
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Charity shops often have books on knitting for not very much money, that way you can have a permanent reference. Failing that, I am sure the knitters on here, myself included, have books we could lend you. Casting on is always a bit of a hurdle when you start knitting, especially as there are so many different methods!
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Blimey , see if i can answer all that lot lol .
First , i have memory problems , does't show too much on here , apart from me repeating myself , but things take a long time to 'stick' in the memory bank .
No pc and no youtube , very old mobile phone .
Nearest library is about 10 miles away but no car and no regular bus service , plus it would take all day to get there and back and cost about £7.50 , i have no money , lol .
I can't buy any books from charity shops etc same reasons as above , no bus , no money etc .
Anytime soon i will be down the land , off grid , no leccy , no room for books , i will be in a 15' caravan .
My aunt comes down from time to time and is an excellent knitter .
I should think she could hammer the basics into my head when she is down next , she is coming soon to help me shift more stuff anyway .
I can already spin and i have weaved/woven too . I used to work as a knltter , on an industrial 'Dubied' hand knltting machine for 3 years .
I just can't knit by hand !
Not sure how my hands would cope with crochet ?
I can sew on a machine but my hand sewing is basic at best .
Will see if my aunt can get the minimal basics in my head in a week , allowing for the fact that i will be busy doing other things , i'll see what she says .
The thing is , she has less patience than me , which is the reason i can't teach anyone how to do anything , i'd hit them on the head if they don't things right , don't fancy getting stabbed with knltting needles .
Thanks folks .
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I find :knit: physically impossible
If you have man boobs you might too as I just can't get the needles to meet
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lmfao , no , no man boobs to get in the way .
5'9" , 12.5 stone and pretty fit due to all the walking and manual work , so no excess fat , just enough for normal existance lol .
God , the images i have in my head now !!! lol .
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I am not the club/group type at all , i have joined a few in the past , but rarely get past the first visit . Plus the village hall is basically Welsh , very Welsh area , i have no problem with that , i love the place and the people , but as i can't cope with more than 2 people chuntering at the same time in English , a dozen yammering at the same time in Welsh would push me right over the edge ! , even though i know most of them .
Also , a 2 mile round trip walk in the evening is not on the to do list atm , i walk enough as it is already lol . I just want to poodle about at home in the evenings , must be getting old .
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:roflanim: :roflanim: :roflanim: :roflanim:
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i learnt the basics so if i can do it anyone can.
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If you learn to knit in the round you only have to do knit stitches. It can be slightly complicated once you divide for the neck, but flat knitting has to be increased and decreased too. Another advantage of knitting in the round is you can use a circular needle, which is easy to manage and the whole lot fits in a pocket or bag for travelling.
Fleecewife - you can knit practically everything on circular needles, any flat item - I never use anything else (except for socks or other tubular items that are too small for circulars)! I agree with the advantages (you don't poke your neighbour in the ribs when you knit on public transport...)
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I use circs for everything too - even socks. I use the so-called 'magic loop' technique (or Mickey Mouse Ears, which is how I think of it), which suits me fine, but I've seen other people use two circular needles (per sock) to do socks.
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Russ, if your aunt can get the basics to stick in your memory, I'm sure you will soon get the hang of it. My father, who had rheumatoid arthritis which had badly deformed his hands, managed to knit a few items very slowly. I still have a child's hat he knitted and he's been dead for nearly 37 years.
Mojo, that is a rubbish excuse. :eyelashes: I, together with most women, manage to get the needles to meet in the middle. Or maybe man boobs are different to woman boobs. :innocent:
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I suppose it depends on the size of the boobs and the length of the needles and arms ?
Are man boobs different to woman boobs ? Only one way to find out ! lol .
Anyway , i hope i can pick it up , the odd jumper would be handy .
PS , don't google knitting with big boobs !
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Naughty, Russ.
My son, who doesn't have man boobs, learned to knit when he was a small boy and he only has one hand and a short forearm so it is possible. Of course, he might find it difficult if he had man boobs.
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It's worth using circular needles if you can get hold of any, I knit both flat knitting and circular on mine.
I use sets of double pins for socks but that's a long way into the future for you.
I knit slow and have to concentrate.
Could you arrange to visit a neighbour for lessons, one to one at a quiet time with lots of cups of tea.
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I'll see what my aunt has going spare , i can borrow some needles off her for now , and then get some later on when i have some money .
I won't nick her wool though , she pays a fortune for it , although she can get very cheap stuff off boot sales , she buys and sells at them all year .
Practicing on the cheap stuff would be good , as i can then just bin it after !
, saves wasting real wool .
Gradually getting rid of all plastic clothes and replacing them with cotton , wool , linen . Just got a few things made with a mix now , i just wear them out and replace as they fall to bits , no waste , no expense .
Got to sow some linseed next year . I worked out that i will have enough for 50yds of material @ 48" wide , and that was with a lot of wastage , as i want the seed as well .
So shirts and trousers should be covered , just need to learn to knlt , and that will cover jumpers etc .
I know i could get a knitting machine and smash'em out by the dozen , but machines go wrong and needles break and they cost a fortune , plus i would kill a home type machine in minutes . So , 'clickety clack' it will be if ? , i can pick it up .
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Russ, my family keep reminding me it is just knots on sticks! I agree, circular needles are the way to go for flat knitting and knitting in the round, especially if that is the method you start with. I am a " tuck the needle under my arm " sort if knitter and sometimes get a bit frustrated with a circular needle, but each to his own!
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I learned the basics of 2 stitches (knit and purl I assume) as a teenager living in Germany, no sense of size/shape/tension required, just a few basic shapeless tunic tops but I thought I was doing ok. Back here got told I was knitting backwards :o and gave up completely, maybe 30 years ago.
Today I was heading to the fibre/felting shop for a place to wait for the GP to phone me while I was in walking distance of the surgery to collect the prescription - rather than do the 8 mile round trip twice. Turned out they had a knitting group in and I have major social anxiety going on, but somehow managed to stumble into a relatively friendly crowd of varying levels who assure me I am welcome to go along any week, come and go, knit, crochet or just talk. I am actually considering it :o
Ideas I had while there include not starting with things that require a specific size or to match another piece ie socks, gloves, sleeves.. one woman was finishing a bag, thought that could do me, or perhaps a shawl, something that is essentially shapeless and sizeless and could be whatever it turns out and still used. I will start there, with a single ball of wool and my late mum's massive needle selection to pick from, and let you know if it's feasible.
Suggestions from others included just circular knitting, one stitch all the time, or on straight needles just alternate rows of knit and purl that make it obvious which one you're on, and occasionally knit 2 stitches together as if by accident to make it taper down if required. I reckon not doing it by genuine accident is more of a challenge, but who knows..
Any handy hints I'm happy to pass on, or receive from your aunt via you if it helps remember things to share them which is what I find!
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I learned the basics of 2 stitches (knit and purl I assume) as a teenager living in Germany, no sense of size/shape/tension required, just a few basic shapeless tunic tops but I thought I was doing ok. Back here got told I was knitting backwards :o and gave up completely, maybe 30 years ago.
Nope - you were knitting the correct way round, it's the Brits who knit backwards! ;D ;D ;D
Seriously, I think the German way is much easier - it even looks faster; but I'm probably only saying that because I'm too stupid to learn the British way... ::)
I would suggest you start with a scarf; much the easiest. Just check occasionally that you still have the same number of stitches in a row.
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How to Knit Basic Stitches http://www.learn2knit.co.uk/knitting/basic-stitches.php (http://www.learn2knit.co.uk/knitting/basic-stitches.php)
ha ha ! I think i will be able to work out what to do from the above link .
It will be painful , but doable , i think ?
So , when i can get some needles what size do i get ?
What will i be knitting ?
I thought a thick chunky jumper .
First attempts will just be swatches , to get tension right and stitches even , then go for the chunky jumper .
If i can get the hang of it , and i manage to make something that looks like a jumper , i'll keep it until i get some real wool .
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My advice would be - don't start with needles too thin (too fiddly) or too thick (at least I find thicker ones difficult to handle). Something like 3.5 - 4mm might be best. If you tell us what you'd like, I'm sure somebody would find a few spares knocking about... For practice, you could also knit loads of squares and sew them up into a blanket (or a cushion for starters!). They would have to be roughly the same size, though... :P
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The blanket idea is a good one Ina, so at least the squares have a use as well as being good to practise on. If you are using chunky wool, Russ, you will need needles that are 5mm or 6mm.
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Yes , the blanket from squares is good , my little nan ( gt gran , only 4' 11") used to do that . Hundreds of squares made from wool she got from old jumpers that nan , her daughter , got from jumble sales .
Problem i would have is there are no jumble sales round here , charity shops to far away and too dear .
Aiso i don't want acrylic or poly whatever . I don't mind using it to practice with , even knit , undo and re-knit .
I can have sheep fleeces , but i will be in a 15' caravan with 3 spaniels , so no room for anything like a spinning wheel , not even a spindle , needles i can squeeze in . There is no rush for a jumper or anything else .
So if i made a jumper , i could keep it till i had real wool to use , then bin it , but a blanket made with acrylic or poly would be around for years , and i do want shot of plastic , man made fibres .
I wear cotton socks , cotton denim jeans and trousers , cotton undies , cotton or linen shirts and wax cotton coats . Acrylic and poly 100% has all gone , acrylic , poly cotton mixes go in the bin when they wear out , and get replaced by cotton , linen etc , all natural fibre .
This is the reason for me wanting to learn to knit , so i can provide all my own clothing , in conjunction with weaving home grown flax , wool etc .
I did this years ago , 30+ , but mum was alive then and knitted my jumpers etc , while i did the weaving , i also made my own leather too , got to start that again as well . I can get cow hides for free from local farmers , just need the salt , lime and containers to treat them in , the other stuff needed can be provided either by dog or chicken , and that is free and plentyful !
So the 'wool' will be what my aunt can get cheap on boot sales , i have no idea what it will be .
Even though i worked in knitting factory for 3 years , to me wool is just thick or thin ! I know , what a div !
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Send me your address and I'll post you some needles I've got a bundle here I was about to take to a charity shop, you'll save me the trip. :thumbsup:
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Well , i have just made my first jumper !
Ok . I have in fact just managed to cast on 4 stitches .
Only a small step for mankind i know , but a giant leap for man , well me anyway .
A parcel came today , with needles , wool and some 'knitting know-how' instructions , thanks D .
I had to have a go , but couldn't work out the casting on slip knot , it just fell open each time .
So to get started i just tied the wool on , result !
Then spent waaaaay to long trying to get another stitch made , der wot a div !
First , the wool just vanishes as it comes through the loop , where does it go ?
But then i made a stich , ha ha , knitting !
Made a few more , but then thought i wanted to do the first one properly . So undone all my hours of hard work , all 4 stiches plus a knot of some type .
Kept trying the slip knot , and eventually it worked , not exactly sure what happened or how , but it looked like the picture .
I then attempted to make another stich again , mmmm , they were disappearing again , where do they go ?
In between looking for the little buggers . I did manage to get some from the right hand needle on to the left , 4 in fact , and it looks correct .
The weaving of the wool through the rh fingers may be a problem ,the hand is a bit wonky atm , but will keep on till it works .
So , 4 stitches and a slip knot . The cramp in the hands is ok so far , bareable anyway .
I think i will do 30 stitches , and then go for another row .
Up and running anyway now . Pharma pain killers and anti inflamitory gel at the ready .
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Got 10 stitches now !
Getting the new stitch from rh needle to lh needle is a nightmare , but i can at least see what i am doing now .
I can't hold the rh needle like a pen though , way to painful and awkward to grip . So sort of hold it like a bread knife ? Will that cause problems ?
The stress is kicking in , i need a break .
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Russ, the only problem you may have if you hold the needle that way could be the tension but I wouldn't worry about it.
The first row in particular need to be done slowly as it's always tricky trying to 'convert' the cast on stitches into knitting. Once you have done a few rows you should find it gets easier.
Happy knitting :knit:
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Right now the best thing to concentrate on is making the stitches. Holding the needles will get more comfortable as you gain confidence. I always tuck my right needle under my arm, my daughter just can't understand how it works so doesn't. Do what feels comfortable! And good luck, you will soon be an addict!
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Thanks Sally and Louise , just had din dins and sorted the dogs , so cuppa coffee now and then back to the grind stone .
It is painfully slow but i am getting there . What is on the needle doesn 't just look like a tangle , although it may well be just that !
It looks like the pics , the edge along the bottom and the stitches on the needle , and they seem fairly even , all 10 of them .
Trying to relax without just dropping the needles will be next , tend to grip like grim death atm .
I will also have to work out how to make the yarn stay on my fingers for tension . Somehow it just drops off and just hangs , i don't even notice it fall off my fingers .
Getting the new stitch from the rh needle to the left , is somewhat like trying to tip a barrow load of sand from one wheelbarrow into another , most of it misses .
I will get there though . It won't beat me .
I can see already that i will enjoy knitting , being able to create something myself .
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Wouldn't worry too much about how the picture tells you to wrap the wool round your fingers, when I started knitting I didn't wrap it round at all and I'm sure I don't do it any proper way Just what works for me. As with everything else everyone has their own way to do it which just develops as you get the knack.
Glad your having fun.
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Yep , great stuff . I manage to save about one in fifty stitches atm , got 16 on there now , lol , only another 14 and i can knit my first proper row .
Will most probably keep on going till i have used up 1 ball of wool , then undo and do it again .
My fingers tend to do their own thing , but i am getting the hang of it .
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Keep posting, Russ, I am loving "watching" you learn to knit! :)
Yes, don't worry about tension and yarn-holding techniques too much just yet. Do as you are doing, and concentrate on forming stitches. A little each day; you will soon find it is coming easily and you have the yarn wrapped around your fingers in a way that works for *you* :)
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Lol , will do Sally , have been on the phone for an hour , went out with the dogs , had a coffee , sat down and cast on another 14 stitches in 5 minutes , without dropping one stitch !
Now for the heavy stuff , a knit row !
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Well that went ok , i think ? I actually 'knitted' the 30 stitches .
Going to give row 2 a go now . I will keep going with knit rows for bit , then will have a go at purl .
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Row 2 done , no dropped stitches so far .
More coffee needed .
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Row 3 done . I seem to have learned how to increase somehow . There are now 34 stitches on the needle ? ?
Oh well , will carry on as is .
Starting to look like knitting now , albeit very rough knitting .
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Well done, Russ. I knew you would be able to do it so it's good to be proved right.
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I'm impressed Russ, you're way ahead of me - no surprise there ;)
I ventured to the knitting group on Tuesday, carrying a set of my late mum's needles and the only half ball of wool I had, leftover from a pair of socks someone knit for me when I gave them the ball of wool to do it.
After about an hour and a half, I got up nerve to actually have a go at something one of them said was a very simple pattern for a shawl which doesn't need to be a particularly exact piece as I reckon making arms or fingers or socks match would be a challenge too far let alone an item of clothing that has to actually fit a person! Shawls seemed the way to go and it's an elongated triangle starts at one thin end, gets bigger, gets smaller and ends small again - sounds simple and also enough challenge but not a year worth of going back and forth to get something unidentifiable!
So, managed to buy a new ball of wool and some marker things that are like tiny elastic bands which apparently I need. Cast on 6 stitches and knit two rows - on a real high now having remembered that much, tho I can't say the technique is pretty, the fingers are pretty stiff and the facial expression goes beyond concentration and into the realms of possible constipation apparently ;) Still, lots of encouragement and I am actually knitting..
Except, rows 4-6 start with the wee loop markers, slipping them on and moving them over when I reach them is fine except when they get out of place with a loose piece of yarn. And following instructions, however simple each piece, doesn't seem to result in the next row being what the pattern expects.. A loop has moved by one stitch, so when I get told to knit or purl to the next marker, do x and y and slip the markers and all that, I am supposedly left with 2 to knit to reach the end - there are 3..
At that pointI quietly came home, determined to work out what I'd done. Unravelled my 6 glorious rows and started over - three times so far ::) One evening I can't knit the first cast on row properly - yarn splits - loop over doesn't work, can't work out if yarn over is different direction depending on whether the stitch before/after is from a knit or a purl. Complete guddle. Rip out and start over, repeat with sweary words. Go to bed. Repeat. Sigh. Go pull weeds or feed chooks. Repeat.
I have 6 stitches cast on.. Again. They look really nice so I am wary of messing up when it's going so well! Think since I am expected back next week ready for the difficult bit at row 20 odd, I may need to leave the country in shame. I was only one s*dding stitch wrong on row 6 the first time, how can't I get there again, even with one stitch wrong? Preferably with all the right stitches in all the right places and the markers too.
Oh and row 20 is things like knitting 2 together, which is a doddle, knitting them apart seems to be the challenge. And what SSL means, slip slip something? Rocket science :o
Someone else's idea of simple I guess. But I couldn't go up and down and do a Dr Who 70s style scarf, I wanted a nice loose shawl of the kind I might actually wear. I think at present I might just be using the ball of wool as a handwarmer next winter at this rate ;)
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lol, I am loving this thread!
Russ, you are making fantastic progress! What a star! Don't worry about the extra stitches; that happens to us all. When you get to knitting where it matters, just knit two together to lose one whenever you realise you have acquired an extra one ;) For now, don't worry, just keep on practising. And writing about it ! :D
Ellie, I feel for you! I had the same experience knitting my first 'fancy' (a few YOs and SSLs) shawl. At the time I finished it (and it's not much bigger than a neck warmer, really), we were working out how to price handmade goods. One person said you charge materials plus £1/hour. So I said, "Oh, well if I sell this shawlette, that'll be £16 for the yarn and um... calculating... £1000 !!" :roflanim:
It uses about 400 yds of yarn; I reckon I knitted 3 miles!!
And yes, a big problem is that the stitch markers 'travel', especially over yarnovers. I think what I do now is always have my stitch marker before the yarnover on the knit row where I make the yarnover, then when coming back on the purl row, be aware that I should come to the yarnover first, followed by the stitch marker. If I hit the stitch marker before the yarnover, I know it's 'travelled' and I can pull the yarnover loop through and purl it before transferring the stitch marker. (Hope that made sense, shout if not and I'll write it up step-by-step.)
Another tip is to have stitch markers only just big enough for the needles; it has to have enough room for you to be able to transfer it from one to the other, of course, but the less extra space there is the less likely it is to 'travel'.
If they're still being naughty, you can make individual removable stitch markers using bits of sewing cotton or yarn wrapped around the stitch before where you would put the stitch marker, and tied. Leave these in until you finish the garment, then just untie or cut and remove. ;)
Good luck! We'd hate for you to have to leave the country or adopt a new identity because you can't face your knitting group again! lol
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Ellied, keep going. You are definitely on the right track. The things that you and Russ have described are where we all started, it was just a long time ago for me. But I do remember there were many holey things made before I got it right. The only way to 'get it' is to persevere.
Russ, you sound as if you are getting on ok. I am wondering when we can place our jumper orders ;D
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I can't even remember when I learned to knit, I seem to have always been able to it was that long ago. :roflanim:
We had to do 'lent' blankets for Oxfam at high school. Each year group knitted squares and made up a blanket.
Those capable made baby clothes, which I started on cos I got bored of squares.
One girl in our year had to make her own blanket cos her knitting was so loose and holey we all refused to include her squares in the class blanket.. Didn't matter how hard we tried to help her she couldn't do them any better.
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I did rows 4 , 5 , and 6 last night . Still got 34 stitches . I had a couple of mishaps but they were just dropping the 'new' stitch as i bring it through from back to front , but at least i see them go and can work out how to sort it out .
Tension is definitely going to be my problem , one of many no doubt !
The stitches on the needle are too tight , making it hard to get the rh needle through . Most are ok , but some are really tight . I have to move them right up to the tip of the needle to get the other one through . Being aware of doing this , although not sure exactly how ? , i am managing to get them a bit more even and less tight .
I will just carry on with the 34 stitches , as it makes no difference how many are on there atm , but it is handy to know how to get rid of the spare ones .
I think we are on a par Ellie . I just keep blundering on , regardless of what it looks like , and although it looks like knitting , it is rough !
Just measured the knitting and it is 5 1/2" wide and 3/4" long , plus the stitches on the needle .
I can just make out the pattern of the 'stitch' now . At least there is a pattern to be seen , lol .
I seem to be holding the needles somewhat like a knife and fork now . This feels comfortable , no more cramp anyway , and i am not leaving dents in the needles anymore , not gripping so tight .
I tend to sort of prop the rh needle on my lap when i am putting the yarn round it ready to make the new stitch . I am using index finger and thumb to guide the wool round the needle . I think ? That may be where i am making the tight stitches .
In general things are going ok . I will change to purl soon , then after i have done equal rows of each , i will alternate rows .
I am glad i am not the only one learning Ellie , don't worry though , i am not in the least bit competitive . You started actually making something from a pattern , i am just making a thing , not an item .
My 'thing' will get undone and re knitted until i know what i am doing and can get it at least half decent .
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Remember it's hand spun wool so won't be totally even anyway. My spiinings not that good.
If I were you I'd keep that piece when you start another so you can compare and see your improvement.
It's surprising how quickly we forget and get too self critical.
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Russ,
Its a pity you can't post pictures as I would love to see it.
Ellied, You have no such excuse so we expect to see whats going as the project progresses. :knit: ;D
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Good idea Dw , hadn't thought of that , will do .
Luckily i can't post pics Sally . I did work out how to upload to photobucket from the mobile , but sending pics costs money , none spare for mobile credit atm . Even texting pics costs , i get 400 free texts on ee dolphin , but not ones with pics in them it would seem ! Being nearly off grid does have certain technical and monetary limits lol .
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You are both doing great! it's so much more difficult learning something like this when you (and your fingers) are somewhat older (and stiffer...) I remember the first object I knitted, at age 4 - a "blanket" for my dollie... Somebody cast on for me, and nobody needed to cast off, as the blanket seemed to be getting smaller along the line automatically! ;D
And I never used stitchmarkers, I just rely on counting. I do a lot of that, as I am a bit anal about having the same number of stitches at the end these days...
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Well I got told I needed markers and what kind, they're wee orange loops of rubber as the alternative ones looked massive like safety pins and huge plastic clips but it is the yarnover that is travelling Sally you're right so I will try and work out where it should come and look for it - 'fraid I was just focusing on reading and working out what to do not what I was doing it to in the way of a stitch, I think counting would help if the pattern said knit 4 and you should be at a marker rather than knit to marker and then slip it and do something else..
Chance of photos is minimal Bionic - it lives in a single row of 6 cast on most of the time and each attempt (another this morning) is ripped out within the first 6 rows each time ::) And beyond that I have huge difficulty with photobucket as I have to email photos from my phone to my laptop to avoid charges like Russ mentioned, emails are free. Then download the photo onto the laptop from the email account, go on photobucket and find the right place, manage the upload, then go back and click links to find the code to copy into a message on here. Complete faff and I've less patience with it than with the knitting andthat's saying something!
As for tension, my problem is the more usual kind rather than the uniformity of a few rows of knitting, mainly because I don't have a few rows of knitting to worry about its tension. Just the kind that give me a headache::) A nice neck wrap would perhaps be useful for winter, but which year's winter remains to be seen!
Go Russ, I'm glad not to be the only one that hasn't knitted for decades - the group is supposedlyall levels but 3 of them are part of a guild, two were knitting wool they'd spun themselves, and one of those was using a wheel in the group while chatting and advising the other one about using the cross thingy they wrap it round to make a long loop to twist.. Sorry no technical expertise to describe better but both were seriously talented, the rest were knitting and chatting away and I was by far the most novice present. Having undone what they saw me do I am needing to get 20 rows back by next week, or no way am I going!
My mum was one of those that could knit, chat, watch TV and drink a cup of tea before it went cold too - nonstop every night for donkeys years and a weekly knit & natter group she was one of those members always there and doing charity work with odd balls of wool in fairisle for Romanian orphans or whatever ::) Very scary to even contemplate attempting, even tho I'm sure she'd have loved to think of me having that in common with her ::) Ah well, better late than never, but 6 stitches knitted for 2 rows, surely at least that far.. nope!
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I grew up with the story of my granny who could knit socks in her sleep... Fell asleep once and only woke up when she ran out of wool - with a very long sock in her lap!
I've never been as good as that, nor do I have any ambitions to get that good. ;D
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Bugger ! I got to 10 rows and something went very wrong . Couldn't work out what had happened so took it off and started again , lol , i knew things were going to well .
No probs though , i am enjoying doing it and until the last row , all was going well , as i say , too well .
So here i am , back at the start , but this time i know what i am doing , to a degree anyway .
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Got 4 rows done again , much neater than the first 10 already , that is encouraging .
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Russ, I would say its very encouraging. Especially as you seem to be enjoying it. There is nothing worse than trying to do something that you don't like.
Once you get the hang of it perhaps you could knit yourself a hat. It would come in useful for you and you would feel a sense of achievement in completing a project before you tackle a jumper.
Carry on :knit: :knit: :knit:
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Made up the 10 rows again , much faster without trying to be , each row of 30 stitches taking about 5 minutes .
The little bit is really totally different to the other one .
Changing to purl will be the crunch time i think , lol .
I did think of making a hat for my first item , but i don't wear hats ! Got 2 or 3 here already that i have never worn , oh well , another won't matter .
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But this will be a totally different hat. One you have knitter yourself. Can't get better than that.
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Now this is a project for the future! Just found it on the BBC website for NE Scotland:
Aberdeen bride knits her own wool wedding dress
(Sorry, won't let me post link.)
I'll be in town on Sunday - have to have a look at that! :o
Well, Russ - I know you won't knit a wedding dress - but maybe a suit for all those occasions? ;D
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I have a straw hat , to keep the sun off my head , but can't wear it walking to the land as it is like wearing a mobile shower on my head , i end up soaked in sweat , all hats do that to me , and it is very uncomfortable , so i don't wear them Sally , lol .
A knitted suit ?
I could weave the material on a loom , after a bit of re learning , well a lot really , but knitted ? It would be ok until it rained ! Be like those knitted swimming trunks i had as a kid , ok till you go in the water , then they hang around your ankles ! , ok as a kid of 5 , but not a pretty site now .
I think i may just do jumpers and blankets Ina , not that i wear many jumpers either really . I have a few fleeces that get worn to death , but as i throw out all the plastic clothing , the real wool jumpers would get worn then .
A whole new , or old , problem arrises then , moths ! They don't touch acrylic , well haven't done here , but go through wool like sunday lunch .
Nothing is ever easy is it ?
Still , half a dozen sheep plus offspring , (which will be kept for food until i want one , so they will be a year or more old before the chop . I don't like lamb much , prefer the meat older) , will give me enough wool for any jumpers i need each year . That is the theory anyway , practice will no doubt be different , but i cross bridges as i get to them .
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Rained off outside today , tipping down atm .
So grabbed my knitting !
OMG , purl stitch .
I have just done my first purl row , phew !
That slowed me up somewhat , lol . It was back to front compared to the knit row , bugger .
But saying that , it only took me 10 minutes , and that included losing the new stitch a few times . Managed to keep the one on the left needle though , so it just meant re creating a new stitch .
I think that the 'knit' stitch is easier to do , atm , but the 'purl' will no doubt get easier once i have done a few rows .
I'll do 10 purl , or as many as needed until it feels as easy as the knit stitch , then do 1 row knit and one row purl .
I know i am not knitting an item atm , but i never would have believed i could actually create a knitted 'thing' in such a short time . I thought it was going to take weeks to achìeve anything .
Mind you , i am probably doing everything wrong , but it looks like knitting to me , and it stays together , with no holes , so far !
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Spoke too soon .
Done a few purl rows now and i think i have a tension problem .
The knitting is very loose and the stitches look BIG .
It looks completely different to the knit rows . I will go through the pics for each action of creating a stitch as i do them , in case i am doing things wrong .
It has gone from looking like knitting , to looking like a string vest !
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Russ, if the holes look big and you think your tension is ok'ish then try a size smaller knitting needle.
When you actually get to make something for real you are always supposed to make a tension square first (I never do though). A pattern will tell you how many stitches and rows there should be for say a 6 inch square. If you come up with something different to that then you either need more or less stitches and smaller or larger needles. Every one knits to a different tension but some may be more different than others ;D
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Yes, Bionic is right, smaller needles. Charity shops round here have all different needles, some enormous, and some so thin, I think they are to knit the shawl that you can thread through a wedding ring....although it would be a skinny shawl to fit in my wedding ring, its tiny!!
Keep at it Russ, sounds like you are doing fine at the knitting :)
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I did about 10 rows of purl , the knitting looked completely different to the knit rows , but then i did a knit and then a purl row and it is looking like knitting again . So will keep going with one of each and see how it goes .
I am using number 8 needles atm . Will stick with them for now as changing needles every row would do my head in atm lol .
The all 'knit' rows section looks like the thickness of knitting i would want in a jumper , right thickness and stretchyness too . So having just stumbled on that , i will keep going and once i can actually knit , i will then try changing needle size etc and checking tension and measurement .
It has to be slowly slowly , catchy monkey with me , to much info at one go and my head will pop .
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Well I managed to row 6 again and it looks better than the first time, but there are a few mistakes so I'm not sure whether to continue or start again ::)
So far I think I did the first two purl stitches winding the wool the wrong way, the next row I did them the other way and it worked out better so Ihope that's right because there are more purls in there but I honestly don't know which was wrong but if it's not 2 wrong, it's about 6 so 2 is best guess..
I also think I missed a yarnover at one point but I'm not sure, can't remember doing it but that doesn't mean I didn't.
I shifted a marker through where I thought it had moved itself, so hope I'm right but I did end the row with the 2 stitches left to do where it said knit 2. And I worked out it says knit to marker or purl to marker because later stages repeat this row at points where the number of stitches is variable up and then back down. But if it had said there should be 3 or 4 or 5 the first couple of times, it would have helped!
Still, getting to row 6 again is enough achievement for today, I daren't try again at this time of day, no chance of any mental focus now!
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Well done Ellie . No way could i follow a pattern atm , i am just knitting .
Get the hang of one stitch , then another , then go for other things one at a time . My brain wouldn't cope with it all at once , it would just go into meltdown . Got to feed the dogs , then will be back to k1 p1 and see how things are .
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Be like those knitted swimming trunks i had as a kid , ok till you go in the water , then they hang around your ankles ! , ok as a kid of 5 , but not a pretty site now .
Oh gosh, I remember them... They were so embarrassing! :-[
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I also think I missed a yarnover at one point but I'm not sure, can't remember doing it but that doesn't mean I didn't.
ellied, as you get more experienced you will know what a yarnover looks like when you have done it so would be able to go back and check. At this stage it depends on whether you want everything to be exact or whether you are happy to get on with it even if a few bits are wrong. I think it depends on the sort of person you are. I know that if something goes wrong in mine I carry on but it 'worries' me to the extent that i eventually have to take it out again in the end. That means that I usually end up knitting quite a few rows, knowing there is something wrong, only to take it all back out again so I have wasted more time and effort than I would have if I had taken it out in the first place.
The choice is yours.
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I am now using inches to say how much i have done , 3" of knit one row and then purl one row , i lost count somewhere .
I think the purl row is still iffy , but mixed alternately with a knit row , it looks fine .
I will just keep going as is for now , enjoying it , and it is getting easier to do and gradually looking tidier as well (maybe that is just me hoping though !) .
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Hello Russ, sounds like you're getting on really well, it's difficult teaching yourself from pictures instead of someone showing you, so well done.
I think I used size 9 needles for the jumper I made with that wool, can't remember exactly but sounds about right. Go by the feel of the finished knitting.
This 'thing' your making sounds like a neck warmer to me - about 5'' wide and a couple of foot long should tuck into the neck of a jacket to keep the wind out quite nicely.
When you want to start something else you could do a simple rectangles jumper, If it's for working and not being seen by others much function is more important than fashion. That's all most sweatshirts and fleeces are really.
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Well done, Russ. If you are doing one row knit and one row purl, it's called stocking stitch. Every row knit is garter stitch. I'm one of those who can knit and watch TV, knit and read, I even used to knit while I walked the dogs in my craft-worker days, but I would still say that purl is harder than knit.
RE the knitted swim wear. My dad, as a young man, went swimming in the local baths wearing a pair of knitted swimming trunks. He dived in from the side of the pool and, as he hit the water, felt his trunks slide down his legs. He surfaced and looked round for them. There they were heading straight for the vent that sucked out water to be filtered and returned to the other end of the pool - the vent with the broken wire mesh covering. He reached the vent - swimming under water - just as the trunks disappeared into the tunnel then breathed a metaphorical sigh of relief when they got caught on a broken bit of wire - one advantage of hand-knits is their ability to get caught on wires - grabbed them and managed to put them back on before he had to resurface. He then swam sedately to the side and carefully - very carefully - climbed out and went to get changed. He never wore them again.
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;D ;D ;D
Oh wonderful, Goatwoman... Thanks for giving me a good laugh!
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Last night i tried to do a bit of rib .
Oops ! Didn't work lol .
Not really sure where it went wrong , but i think it was me not feeding the yarn from the correct place , ie front or back .
I ended up with a criss cross pattern of stitches on the needle .
Undid it all again , and cast on afresh .
Didn't get to it again until tonight and now have 1 1/2" knitted again .
Still doing stocking stitch which is getting to look quite neat now , well for me it is .
I will have to sort out how i hold the right hand needle , and how i place the yarn around the needle , but one step at a time lol .
Although i am learning , i find it very calming and enjoyable , even when i cock it up and end up at the start again .
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I find knitting very therapeutic, too...
Now where's that pair of socks that need finishing? ;)
Btw, I always have problems with the finishing of garments. Whereas it's enjoyable and calming to knit, the making up and sewing together and stitching up the bits hanging off the back is just annoying. Which is why I tend to make jumpers in true Guernsey style these days - all knitted in one, no seams, nothing to sew together at the end! Or raglan knitted from the top, which comes to the same.
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Well I think mine has to come out again, to be honest the chances of me getting to row 6 again are pretty slim let alone with all the right stitches, and row 21 by Tuesday is just not going to happen, but I can't seem to get even the basics each time, brain and hands both rubbish let alone their chances of working together..
Think I have a headache coming on or another plan for Tuesday morning anyway ::) I've a lovely ball of sock wool that cost me nearly a tenner and these orange plastic loops were another 3 quid, I'd never pay 13 pound for a scarf anyway, best get back to pulling up weeds and let the experts get on with their skills :( I'm just not getting it at all - 6 rows of 6-15 stitches, you wouldn't think it rocket science but apparently it's beyond my level anyway!
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Oh ellied, it would be such a shame to give up. Go on Tuesday and explain that you are having problems. Everyone learns at a different pace. If the group is any good they will be patient with you and you can start again.
Perhaps you are being too ambitious with a shawl to start with. It might sound easy but increasing stitches is not that simple. You may be better to start with a set amount of stitches and just do a few rows of that, no increases and no decreases. Use an old cheap ball of wool to have a practice on.
Good luck
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Ellie , that's why i did the 30 stitches of just knit at first . Long enough to get into it , remember what i am doing each stitch , but short enough no to get too much .
That way i get to understand what i am doing and can try to adjust faults , TRY !
I then changed to purl , it all went wrong , it looked like a ploughed field , however , i kept going trying to cure the problem , tension i think . I then did a row of each and it looked ok .
I then tried to do rib , ha ha , forget that for a bit . So went back to stocking stitch and try to sort out the tension thing and how i hold the rh needle etc .
I would get into such a pickle if i attempted to follow any form of pattern atm .
Keep at it , keep it simple , the penny will drop . Just reading what you are doing befudles my head . Good luck , keep going .
Yes the fiddly bits will do my head in too Ina , i am not good at fiddly !
Square blocky garments would do me fine , going back in time most garments were like that anyway .
Having worked on a knitting machine for 3 years tought me to increase and decrease and see what i was doing and understand the technique , although it was 30 years ago .
So i won't mind shaping panels really , will just have to get my hands to do what my brain tells them . The head injury buggered that process up , had to re learn how to do everything .
Trying to knit needs new movements that i have to work out how to do .
That's why i do the repetitive action thing until i find the route in my brain that will control my hands .
I must have done 2 rows of knit , or purl , as right and wrong sides have changed , lol .
That is going to be a very big problem for me , remembering what sthtch i just did in the last row , or even just the last stitch . How many rows i have done will also be a problem , my memory is like a plate of spaghetti , all over the place .
But , i will work out a way .
I will do some more stocking stitch , then have a go at rib again , then increase and decrease . I will then be ready to make an item !
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Russ,
very few of us can remember exactly what we have done. Have you heard of a thing called a row tally? It slips onto the end of the needle and you advance it each time you complete a row. Failing that you could write down at the end of each row. It doesn't matter with what you are doing now but it might help when you come to make your jumper.
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Hi Russ!
With stocking stitch if you are just about to start a row with the flatter looking side facing you that row should be knit. If the side facing you has rows of horizontal loops that should be purl.
Good luck and keep at it!
:thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup:
Helen
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An easy project for starters would be a headband; I don't wear hats, either (too much heat on top), but wear a headband when it gets really cold, to keep the ears warm. (Steam comes off at the top!) There's two easy ways to make them: just knit a band 2-3 inches wide in garter stitch until it's long enough to sew together around your head (that's the easiest method). The next step up is good practice for working in the round: cast on enough for around the head and work 2-3 inches in rib, either on 4 needles or on a circular needle. Voila! Stylish headgear... ;)
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Rib ? 4 fkn needles ? I don't know what to do with 2 ! lol .
Could have a go at the knit a belt way , but would never wear it .
I think my first 'item' will be a pocket .
They come in handy , and i never have enough , and i can knit squares ok .
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I find pencil and paper the easiest way to keep track of how many rows etc.
If you want a row counter to fit on the needles I can send you one, I found a spare the other day but it's remembering to turn it each time. ::)
Stick with it, you're doing really well and obviously enjoying learning.
Ellie, it sounds like you need someone to sit with you and show you and get you over the first hurdle.
Don't give up it'll suddenly click and you'll wonder why it seemed so hard. :hug:
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Lol , yes , remembering to turn the counter would be the bugger , or thinking " did i turn it ?" .
Once i get the hang of things working out what stitch or row i just did , may get easier , i shant hold my breath though .
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I gave up with row counters for that reason. I use paper and pen now and try to remember to jot each one down.
Russ, I knit with five needles sometimes but it's not something that a beginner should try. I've knitted for more years than I care to remember (close on 40) and I've only just got to grips with knitting in the round with several needles. It's easier on a circular needle but you do need to get to grips with the two first. Sounds like you are doing really well.
Ellie, sorry you are having problems. I checked where you live but you are too far from me or I would have gladly sat with you and watched you knitting to give you some pointers. There must be someone who can do that.
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Update - I took Bionic's advice and after sitting at home getting to row 6 for the 18th time and ripping it all out again, I decided to go to the group and find out what I am doing wrong. By process of elimination it seems a couple of things are happening. The main one seems to be the yarnover between a knit and purl section on the same row, I am sometimes having to lay the yarn over the needle and no more, while another time I have to wrap it round 1.5 times, once for yarnover and once to change from knit to purl. I was doing something different to both, apparently.. The pattern has 2 knit stitches at both ends of all rows and 2 in the middle between 2 markers, the rest alternate knit and purl rows and some have yarnovers at each end and some also near the middle section.
It makes holes, intentional ones that is, with a firmer edge. Oh and I thought I was knitting from one shallow end through deep back to shallow, turns out I am knitting from the lowest point that drapes on the back, up the middle to the nape, and the stretching is long and shallow not huge and thin.. AND the woman that loaned me the pattern brought in her finished one so I could see it, so just as well I showed up!
I have sat there until my back, arms and hands are twisted solid in a hunch position , and I have 20 completed rows, with a few errors, some of which were corrected by someone else, some possibly corrected or dropped and ignored by myself, and probably a few still present but I don't care, I'm not ripping it again right now.
Same lady has found a possibly easier shawl pattern and is going to copy that for me, one that does start at the thin end at the front and you knit along the length rather than the width of it. But I'm going to bash on with this for the time being.
Row 21 is too scary to contemplate alone, it involves SSK and K2tog and I'm sure I've done both unintentionally but not by design in among other things. So I'm leaving well alone and heading back to the woodturning workshop on Friday to get a bit of balance in my crafting efforts and the loads on my muscles!
Thanks for the encouragement.
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Well done for going back and persevering. It does sound quite tricky for a first project.
Hopefully now you understand better what your knitting you'll be able to get to grips with the actual doing.
Woodturning definitely uses different muscles but I don't think it's any less frustrating to learn/
I've had a long break from doing any and when I eventually do get back to it I'll have to start learning from scratch again.
Well done.
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Well done Ellie!
Did they show you how to make a 'lifeline'? Now that you have one section complete and are about to start the next, I'd run a lifeline through the stitches on the pins now, so you have somewhere secure to rip back to if the next section goes wrong ;)
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Ellied, I am glad that you found my advice useful. Although you are still ripping out you do seem to be getting further along and have more understanding of what you are doing. I have no doubt you will get there in the end, even though it might take a while.
As you have already done yarn over I don't think that SSK and K2tog will be too difficult when you get there but if you need advice outside of your knitting group you know where we are.
Keep up the good work and enjoy your wood working too
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Oooo , a lifeline ?
Trouble is if i had one of those , the other end would be attatched to the Titanic ! Knitted life jackets ? , they'd be like those knitted trunks !
I am still just doing stocking stitch atm . Not making so many new stitches now thankfully .
The quality seems to be staying the same , rough , but it stays together and looks like knitting . The odd dropped stitch appears now and then , but not many . Wrapping the yarn around the rh needle with the end of my index finger is somewhat like getting a camel through the eye of a needle , so i mainly use finger and thumb , but keep trying .
Will try a bit of rib soon , now i have worked out where i had gone wrong before , i was just leaving the yarn at the back . I am quite happy just getting used to stocking stitch though .
The tension is much tighter when i do a knit row than when i do purl .
I think it is a bit too tight on the left hand needle on the knit rows , and a lot too loose on the purl .
I am trying to cure this , but don't seem to be doing so as yet . The right hand is playing up atm though , so will just keep on going .
Well done Ellie , you are braver than me . Little squares and then big squares is my limit for now . Keep at it , never give in , it is just a bit of wool lol !
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Did they show you how to make a 'lifeline'? Now that you have one section complete and are about to start the next, I'd run a lifeline through the stitches on the pins now, so you have somewhere secure to rip back to if the next section goes wrong ;)
Why have I never heard of this? It's clearly something I need to learn.
Well done, Ellie, for keeping going and being so determined. Glad the group were able to help. Most people are happy to show how to do their crafts. It does help as well if you can see what you are aiming for.
Well done to you as well, Russ. Perseverance is paying off. Don't worry about the 'right' way to hold the wool. Just do what is most comfortable, remembering that the wool between fingers (or finger and thumb) helps apply tension. Are you holding it the same way for doing knit as for purl? Tension is important but will come with practice.
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No never heard of a lifeline. Presumably a thread along where the needle currently is and tied off to pick up again at some stage or cut out?
The woman that was helping most yesterday tried to show me how to go back a row from behind or underneath or something, but I can't learn by watching from the other side, and she couldn't explain while I did it so it ended with her just doing it for me or undoing and redoing odd stitches and handing it back. Very frustrating when I want to learn how to do it for myself, but at least I didn't have to start all over from casting on again ::) There was a wee girl there with her mum who had the same expression when her mum did it for her, but I didn't feel able to respond the way she did ;)
I think because I remembered how to cast on and do basic knit rows, they assumed more than I was actually capable of - like when I got the yarnovers being different depending where you are and what you have to do next in a mixed row of knit and purl, but couldn't remember which was which way about, and I started to think I'd wrapped the yarn round the wrong way when purling. My first assumption wasn't wrong but here on my own I had to try every option to find out where and what the issue was, which took 18 attempts ::) But at least I knew which bit needed asking and had two questions ready. One, is my purl stitch actually correct (yes) and if so how am I getting the yarnover wrong between the knit and purl and purl and knit cos I've tried both ways - turns out there are more than two ways and both what I need are different and not on the tried list.. Live and learn!
But I'm not risking new stitches without being there, can't start over now, I just can't. Even if there is a mistake or two in there!
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When I am with my daughter helping her sort her knitting I stand behind her to see what she is doing, and if necessary put my hands on hers from behind to guide what she is doing. Could you try standing behind someone whilst they show you so you can see what they are doing the correct way round rather than seeing it from in front ?
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No never heard of a lifeline. Presumably a thread along where the needle currently is and tied off to pick up again at some stage or cut out?
Yes, but remember to leave it very long so it doesn't pull. Actually I don't usually tie them, I just leave a good 6"-12" hanging out at both ends. (More if the knitting is very wide.) Once I am sure I don't need them again, I pull them out.
My Mum is a demon knitter :knit: but can't show me how to do things at all - she can't slow it down. Very frustrating! So on fixing stitches on the row(s) below, I have just had to learn the hard way. Start by just picking up stitches you dropped in the row below (using a crochet hook is easiest), and seeing how the yarn has to move through the loop to make the 'V' of a knit stitch or the 'o' of a purl. Then drop a couple together and remake them. Then a knit, a purl and a knit. Then bring one up from a few rows down, then one that has to do knit purl knit on different rows, then a couple of those. Then introduce a 'made stitch' (yarnover), and eventually some k2togs and ssls. Just take it steady, use plenty of lifelines!, and if you can't manage it, rip the lot back to the last lifeline or safe point and reknit. It's all learning ;)
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How's it going?
We need an update. :)
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Lol , sorry mate , all going ok so far thanks .
I am still just doing stocking stitch atm .
I am trying to even out the tension on knit and purl rows . The stitches on the needles are tight on a knit row , and much looser on a purl row .
I can't consentrate too hard on technique as it all goes very wrong when i do . So i just try , in general to even things up a bit .
I was using index finger and thumb to put the wool around the rh needle to make a stitch , but i am now trying to do it with the index finger only , omg , hard work to say the least , but it is getting easier now .
I know how i was making new stitches all the time now . I was , still am , splitting the ply , making 2 stiches out of 1 lol . But i am doing it less , and can now lose a stitch by knitting 2 into 1 .
So although i am still doing stocking stitch , i am moving forward in general , albeit slowly .
Getting things fixed in my head is tough , but repetition will do the job and then i will just need to add another action to the list , ie rib !
Had to leave it yesterday as my hand was to stiff , a little better today , so will do a few rows in a bit now .
Went to Carmarthen yesterday and found myself looking at the wool shop in the covered market , lol . Couldn't buy anything as i had no money , but the looks i got were classic .
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Well done, Russ. You will find that some yarns split more easily than others and we've all ended up making two out of one stitch. You've also learned to art of knit 2 together, shown as K2tog in knitting patterns. This stitch is often used for decreasing when shaping garments so you'll be well away when you get to make your first jumper.
Ellie, how is your knitting going?
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Well done Russ.
Looking at a wool stall - brilliant, we've converted you, you're an addict now and on the slippery slope to a wool stash.
Perhaps it's a good thing you can't afford it and won't have space. :roflanim:
Take it steady, a bit at a time and it'll all click into place with practise.
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I can just imagine Russ trying to choose between red, pink, green etc :roflanim:
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I saw the looks i was getting as i was looking through the pattern book , so when i realized i was a long way off being able to try any , and i saw the price , i looked at the wool . Although i worked in a knitting factory for 3 years , it was 30 years ago , i have no idea what what different wools are for etc . I just see wool !
Also saw the price , omg , won't be getting any from there , and that was mainly acrylic or mixes .
So anyway , thought i would give them something to talk about , i slid along to the pink and lilac wool !
I don't like pastels and i hate pink , muddy greens , browns etc are my thing , but it was so funny , they all stopped talking and just looked at me , lol .
I went in the pound shop and they had some huge balls of wool , all pink , pale blue and lilac , all acrylic again , oh well .
I did spend my last £3 in the world on 6 bare root plants though . I got 2 raspberries , 2 red gooseberries , 1 blackcurrant and 1 tayberry , couldn't resist 50p each .
They may all be dead but it was only £3 .
I thought i came across some of my old spindles whilst sorting through the shed ? No sign of them now , so i will make some more and start spinning again .
I only managed 6 rows or so last night , my hand would not do what i told it to do , it was hard work . Had a go this morning and my hand was ok , did 4 rows in no time . Just the way it goes , all good fun .
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Russ, I know you have been sent some wool. Do you have enough for now? If not I could send you some pink and lilac acrylic (obviously your favourite colours :roflanim: ) or some of the handspun yarn left over from a jumper I made OH. The handspun is natural colour grey/brown.
If you want any pm me the address to send it to.
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I haven't done any more since Tuesday - well, I did go into the shop and get Laura to talk me through SSK but she always does something different, slip one knit one and pass slipped stitch over. I sat doing that and it didn't look right so she took it back and looked up SSK on youtube to show me what it was expecting, which I think I remember about half of but my laptop at home can't do video. She also counted and I have the wrong number of stitches per side so have obviously done something wrong along the way but she didn't think that was a major issue.
Today I took it in to the shop as I was looking after things there for her today while she's away. First time I've ever done it and I earned myself a few quid aswell as talking to and listening to a lot of expert knitters, crocheters, felters, spinners and weavers which was really good for my social anxiety. I thought I'd have time to sit and do it with her laptop playing the youtube video but I barely sat down for the 7 hours the shop was open, didn't get my lunch out (just humous and crackers) til the back of 2, so not a stitch got knitted.
But I will go back on Tuesday to the knitting group, and see what I can do to progress a little further. Trying here has never worked out and this week has been particularly hectic with manual labour, finding and returning 3 ponies that disappeared overnight from my field and another 2 from my neighbours that I found on the road in the process, all at 530am :o and a couple hours doing woodworking with the guy I did the turned bowl with, but this time making what I'd have said were 3 very posh planks of wood! Very posh as in precision cut/planed, thickness matched one millimetre at a time, all angles precise, goodness I was turning into an OCD person almost, but they may be a mini table one day with turned legs, maybe to put my bowl on and a knitted mat or something to protect both from each other!
Oh and a couple of massages, one last week one next, so things are starting to pick up all round, just when I was thinking it was all over for me at self employment :)
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Ellie, it sounds as if you had a really good week one way or another. It would appear to me that looking after things in the shop was a great step forwards for you so it doesn't matter that you didn't get any knitting done. You progressed in other ways.
You haven't given up with the knitting and are going back on Tuesday so that has to be good news too.
:thumbsup:
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I was glad to hear that you hadn't given up even if you have had a break. Great experience working in the wool shop. You must have met some fascinating people and it sounds really busy in there. There are so few wool shops around now that it must be a good thing for those that are left. I have to go to the other side of Telford to buy wool (about 25 minute drive) where there are two wool shops within yards of each other.
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There are more wool shops than there used to be... Couldn't believe it when I first came to Scotland - surrounded by sheep, and can't buy wool anywhere! The "wool shops" that there were only sold acrylic... (There was one type of "wool rich" stuff in the shop in Aberdeen around 14 years ago; that was 50% wool... The rest was pure plastic.)
It all changed when I went to Shetland for the first time. I thought I'd died and gone to heaven in Jamieson's shop! All pure wool - all grown and processed in Shetland - and all the colours of the rainbow and a few more. Now I don't need to import wool from Germany any more. :) (I had also ordered some natural rare breeds wool online, from Wales, I think.)
The existing wool shops seem to have improved, too - and there are a few more. But it's still mostly fancy stuff with special effects, not "proper" wool - and so bl**dy expensive, that it would be out of my reach even if I wanted it.
But now I work in a shop that also sells "wool" - and I see what the customers want. Nobody ever asks about the material; double knit to them means double knit pure acrylic. Sad, really. It's the same with any other stuff - nobody asks about the material, and that would be the first thing I'm interested in: is that shirt/those trousers/that pair of knickers pure cotton or what? Yesterday I had a customer for the first time who asked for socks made of pure wool... The best I could offer was 65%.
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Yes Ina , it is insane mate , i live in wales where there are more sheep than people , yet real wool is only available if you have money to burn .
Fleeces are just about a throw away item for many farmers .
I used to be able to afford cotton , linen , wool clothes , so there was no need for me to grow the cotton , flax , wool , although i did because i could , and may need to one day . That day is here .
Stepping off the merry go round has , to an extent , pulled the rug from under my own feet regarding setting things up , but i am nearly there now , so may just as well carry on as i am .
Free , home grown cotton , flax , hemp , wool = free clothes and no chemicals . Nearly there , even if the knitting is a bit wobbly atm , i don't give in !
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Cotton in Wales? Might you not struggle a bit with that? I know somebody who does that in Australia...
And hemp - just watch out the law doesn't act stupid again... They don't know the difference. (A lot of other people don't either, so you might get raided by folks out for a good time. ::) ) Linen should be ok, I suppose! ;D
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I have grown cotton here in wales . I got about 3-4 oz per plant ish . I think it can be hit and miss though .
I would mainly grow flax though , i know that grows without problems here . Cotton will just be a 'see how it goes' thing .
As for hemp , as long as nosey parker muppets keep away , there won't be any problems . Plod can raid me as much as they want ,at worst all they could do is fine me for not applying for a license . But most likely they would just cut it down if they were in a bad mood .
I don't need acres of any of the base plant , cotton , flax or hemp , just an area 150'x50' or so and half a dozen sheep , would provide all i need .
I could get all the wool i need from farmers , but i don't get any meat then .
6 sheep give me all the meat i need , plus a lot more , all the wool i need plus any sheepskins i need .
Even with the small area for growing and so few sheep , i will end up with a surplus .
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When I lived on Isle of Arran, Scotland a lot of people thought that it was where Aran jumpers come from (they are from Aran Isles in Ireland) so a number of shops catered for that misbelief. One gift-type shop was selling 100% Arran wool with added nylon. ??? ???
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Got hit by migraine last night , but managed a few rows of knitting before i couldn't see .
I managed a few decreases too , is that how it is said ?
The stitches on the knit row still being tight , made it hard to use 2 stitches at the ends , but with a bit of twisting and pulling , i did it , and it looks ok .
Trying on a purl row was a bit hysterical .
I kept dropping the 'new' stitch on the rh needle as i slid it through the 2 on the lh needle . 9 out of 10 attempts just fell off , easy to do it again though .
Migraine is easing atm , so hopefully i will be able to do some more tonight .
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Probably best to leave it until the migraine passes. If it's any consolation, I find it harder to purl two together (P2tog) that knit two together (K2tog). You'll get there. :thumbsup:
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Hmm, well I went back yesterday and it was a lovely group but I'm a little disheartened again. I had come to a row that required 10 sets of K2tog and YO on one side of the central markers and 10 sets of YO and SSK on the other. Turns out I had odd numbers rather than evens both sides, both more than 20 but not the same, probably a result of the earlier guddle about wool winding on a yarnover between knit and purl and purl and knit respectively. I'd made an extra 3 one end but even the other was wrong.
So, tho I would have happily made more sets of even stitches, I asked how to lose one each side to make the odd stitches go away. And after looking, someone just ripped the whole lot back and cast on again, and someone else reknitted the 20 rows properly so I could have a second go at row 21 from the right starting point :( I nearly cried but was across the table and couldn't stop her in time, she honestly was trying to help but what I got back was someone else's knitting, not mine, and it made a difference to me, tho she said I'd already knitted all those rows so it wasn't fake in that way.
Still, because she'd meant well, I did the next 5 rows, which were mostly straightforward. And came to the next complicated one and already had one extra on one side, which someone else spent 15 minutes taking back that one piece and repairing without pulling out the rest.
So now I could start the complicated row but I don't feel it is my knitting any more, with 90% done by others and the last 10% repaired spending more time than it would take them to knit the whole piece several times over..
I don't want to be ungrateful, I do enjoy the company and it is all very kindly meant. But I came home feeling something akin to a child that wants to tie her own shoelaces herSELF and is very frustrated having things done for her over and over :(
Not really sure what to do now, learn to be helped as I am obviously heading to old age rather than a young one who will become more independent rather than less over time. Or rip it all back and do it my SELF, good bad or indifferent, just to spite my face as it were.. If I wanted to wear a scarf someone else had made, I'd buy one cheaper than I bought the one ball of wool, so is it really childish to feel bad claiming someone else's work as my own if and when I ever get to the end of this?
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Ellie, I can understand this from both sides. Those helping probably thought that the confusion over the number of stitches was making things worse (which it probably is) and that getting you back on the straight and narrow again would be the best thing for you. Having said that I do understand what you mean about the knitting not being yours now.
If you aren't adverse to starting from scratch again you could leave what they have done on a set of needles so that you can go back to it for their teaching purposes, and start again yourself I.e. Have 2 pieces going.
When you feel more comfortable with either piece you can then take the other piece out and use that yarn again.
Don't worry if you don't have another set of needles the same size. You can put the spare knitting on any old needle temporarily or even thread a piece of yarn through so that you don't loose the stitches.
Have a think about it and see if it would work for you.
Good luck
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:hug: Ellie, I understand your frustration... I would probably have thrown a tantrum in your situation - how dare they just take over MY work, good or bad - or I would have walked out, never to return!
But Bionic's advice makes sense.
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I completely understand how you feel too, Ellie. :hug: And I would want to rip it back and start again, so that it was all my own work ;). So I think I would do as Sally suggests, and have one that is all my own work, and one that I practise on, and make mistakes on!, and take to the knitting class ;)
What I am wondering is whether there is some tutorial you can find that will teach you all these stitches and techniques on an exercise piece. Have you had a look at Craftsy, and KnittingDaily? As well as the classes and videos you have to pay for, both have quite a few free eBooks and videos. KnittingDaily does have a 'Lace Knitting' eBook, which I think probably does have simple scarf patterns to get you started.
When I did my first 'fancy shawl', I ripped it back no end of times. Each time I re-did it, the bit I had done before got easier... so in the end I just decided to not mind how many times I re-did it, it was all learning. And by the end of knitting that shawlette, I was very comfortable reading lacework charts, finding those stitch patterns in my knitting, dropping sections to fix a stich 5 rows down and re-forming using a crochet hook - so it really had been worth it. :)
But I did use lifelines when I got to the end of each section and was confident I had it right ;). If I were you, I would use lifelines, and leave them all in, so if you do end up at the knitting group with someone wanting to rip back again, you can tell them 'only to the 3rd lifeline' - and then after they've helped you, if you feel you should, you can rip back to the 3rd lifeline again and re-knit the section you've been working on. ;)
:hug: You are making progress, so don't give up. You'll get there. And you'll feel so proud of yourself when you do! :-*
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How upsetting. I think I would have walked out.
Well done for sticking with it and Sally's suggestion sounds very wise and the way to go.
Two pieces on the go and lots of lifelines.
Good luck.
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Yes Ellie , i am the same , it has to be 'mine' , done by me , otherwise there is no point , may just as well go buy whatever it is .
Keep going , i am sure you will get there .
I am still doing stocking stitch !
Decreasing at the ends but just on knit rows atm . Purl decreases were doing my head in , i just kept watching the stitches fall off , time and time again . Exactly why i do this , what i am doing wrong , will become clear at some point , but for now i'll stick with learning the knit decrease and pop the odd purl one in now and then ,
just the way i have to do things , but i get there , usually .
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Ellie, I think I would have decked the woman who pulled out your knitting and redid it for you, that is a) unhelpful and b) really quite rude. I like the idea of having 2 sets if knitting on the go. Keep at it, you wil suddenly find it starts to make sense, and can then proudly wear something that us all your own work
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Good idea but I only have the one ball of wool so even if I used different needles (they'd have to be a different size) I'd end up with twice the cost, and I'm really not sure how committed I am at this point. It's good to have a social thing to get me to do the craft stuff, most of what I could do here, I have to do alone and don't get on with it if there's weeding or animal stuff to do instead.. which there always is ;)
There is a lifeline in where I am just now - so I also have to be careful not to get it caught up when/if I start on the next row.
It honestly was well meant, and they could see my frustration I'm sure. It just doesn't occur to folk that the favour they're doing isn't really helping you just fixing an immediate and obvious (to them) problem.. I just feel more stupid. Trouble is, if someone was struggling to tack up a pony or something I could do easily, there would come a point I couldn't explain well enough and it would be easier to do it myself and get them up and riding. So I don't suppose I'd be any better.
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Ellie, you don't need another ball of wool. If you started the ball from the outside, start again using the loose end on the inside, or vice versa. It would probably be easier to break the yarn though otherwise you will get yourself in a mess. I know this because I have done it ;D
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A wee update as I went to the group yesterday and made progress, with a couple of saves from my chief mentor who I insisted took half a dozen eggs home as a thankyou gift tho she offered to pay for them ::) We have now sussed where my most common mistake is in the pattern repeats so I hope I am now doing better because I have started doing rows at home on my own for the first time since that initial 18 attempts at row 6 the first time around :o I now have rows 5, 6 and 9 repeating at regular intervals so getting lots of practice.
Last night I found myself knitting with the TV on - luckily not something demanding 100% attention as I was somewhat distracted, but it felt like channelling my mum, very weird :o I may be making the same mistake every other row, but the piece is definitely growing and I think there is a strong risk of developing a hunch if I can't find a more relaxed position cos I currently crouch over the needles like some kind of gargoyle except when the TV is on when I am leaning further back to see bits of the action and follow dialogue for the rest ;)
I have also spotted some rather nice Noro yarn in shades of green, there's also an autumn coppers one I fancy but the green one needs a plan for later :o It's thicker than what I'm using just now which is sock wool, so I also have to start looking for easy patterns suitable for something a bit more chunky than DK..
Is this infectious? I appear to have the cold in July so maybe am susceptible to other bugs right now but this one has just shifted from frustrating and disappointing failure to frustrating and determined persistence and heading for a full out new obsession.
Knitting and woodworking, hmm a balanced personality at last? ;D
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Ellie, thats a great update and I am so pleased that you persevered as it seems to be paying off. If you don't want it to be an obsession STOP NOW but I fear it is too late as you are already checking out other yarn. It won't be long before you have a stash to compete with the rest of us ;D
keep :knit: :knit: :knit: :knit: .
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Great news :thumbsup:
WELL DONE for not giving up, and for going back to the group :hug:
And Uh-ohhh... welcome to the slippery slope! :knit: :excited: mwahhhahahaha
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Well done, we need more obsessed knitters!
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Ellie, just a thought but perhaps the progress in knitting goes hand in hand with the pony news I.e. It put you in a better frame of mind and more able to concentrate.
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Is this infectious?
Oh yes it is! ;D
I'm addicted to knitting socks... I've the wardrobe full of them, another bag of yarn waiting to be processed, and keep finding new yarns that just "need" to find a home with me... ::)
Congratulations on your progress!
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Gah, completed a row 6 repeat last night and found 3 stitches at the end past the marker where there should have been 2. Think I sorted it (in that there are now two, tho I don't know if it's the right two!) but not sure if there is something else going wrong so I will have to wait for Tuesday now to be sure before going any further. And now I can't, I want to ::)
Could well be pony related good mood that has boosted everything. Tuesday was certainly a very good day and I got the good news by text during the knitting group, tho I'd dashed out to shift my car as someone had spotted the traffic wardens who only come every few months or so but cause mayhem each time! Everything seems a little brighter for knowing Ribh is in good hands and tho the photos don't look like the pony I sent away, it is at least a live pony and recognisable as mine. I hadn't realised quite how huge the weight of guilt and worry had been, it was just one of many worries but clearly a larger one than I gave credit for.
The more likely immediate cause of my mistake yesterday is that I've had the cold since Tuesday too, and am a little under the weather so that may also account for the lack of concentration, but I didn't feel up to doing very much else and thought another row or two might occupy my time profitably.. ::) Should have known ;)
Ina, I had a friend whose mother used to knit me socks - the first were a christmas gift and after that I provided her with a ball of wool once a year and she did the socks when she had the need for knitting socks! Sadly her daughter and I aren't on such good terms these days so I have no new socks til I can knit some myself. That feels a long way off but I have to admit to the ambition to have a go one day :o When/if I get to that point, no doubt I'll be bothering you for advice every few minutes ;)
My own mum was addicted to children's jumpers - sent them away to any ongoing charity appeal, be it Romanian orphanages, African disaster appeals or Tsunami, earthquake or war related events around the globe, there are probably children whose parents handed down my mum's knitting to them by now :) Sadly I wasn't keen on wearing scratchy wool in the days when I actually fitted her chosen addiction style, but I do still have a couple of wee cardis she made me and they're treasured. Maybe there is a charity appeal that would love a donation of socks and provide wool for you from their donations from others, so that you aren't put out financially by your generosity of time? I picture African children wearing mum's sweaters kept for them by their mothers who received them in some Oxfam pack a couple of decades ago - maybe they could also have a pair of your socks on :)
Can anyone tell me what Noro wool needs in terms of a pattern, what it might make that isn't too scary and preferably doesn't have to end up a particular size within a specific number of rows let alone match another similar piece as a pair?
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Ina, I had a friend whose mother used to knit me socks - the first were a christmas gift and after that I provided her with a ball of wool once a year and she did the socks when she had the need for knitting socks! Sadly her daughter and I aren't on such good terms these days so I have no new socks til I can knit some myself. That feels a long way off but I have to admit to the ambition to have a go one day :o When/if I get to that point, no doubt I'll be bothering you for advice every few minutes ;)
Can anyone tell me what Noro wool needs in terms of a pattern, what it might make that isn't too scary and preferably doesn't have to end up a particular size within a specific number of rows let alone match another similar piece as a pair?
I only started on socks a couple of years ago. I shyed away from a set of dpns (double pointed needles) for sooo long, but now I'm hooked on those too. When you buy multicoloured sock wool I love the way the colours come up in a pattern when you knit socks.
Noro wool - what Noro wool have you got? they do lots of sock wool but other stuff too. I made a fabulous shawl for my sister from Noro sock wool. Fantastic colours and it was very easy. It was crochet though, not knitting, but great as it doesn't have to be a particular size. If you want that pattern let me know. Its in a book but I am sure I could get it scanned for you.
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It's still in the shop but keeps looking at me :o I would say it's more than DK heading toward chunky but my memory isn't great. There are 2 colours at least that I want to have a go with, one is various shades of green, the other an autumn colours mix with some purple through the coppers. I have a couple of shawl patterns after the one I am doing, but they're for sock wool on larger needles than sock wool usually knits on for socks, apparently, to help it drape? Don't ask me I'm just doing what I'm told! But I do like the random colours coming and going, makes it more interesting than a plain shawl without my life getting more complicated ;)
Crochet is another step, perhaps I should stick to this for a while, but thanks :)
PS I think I have sorted the problem, done another set of holes that look pretty good, and am on the straight rows between which is where they increase 2 every time and then 4 per row on the odd row 9 repeats. Took me ages to work out I'm knitting from the base of the back up to the neck so it's only going to grow wider and wider til I'm done :o I thought I was starting at one end and increasing to the midpoint and then decreasing again - funny how seeing what it is you're doing, and knowing where it's going, makes a difference ::)
My fingers are sore tho - I've been pulling weeds in the orchard and knitting in between, for breaks, but it's all fingers ::)
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Ellie, repeat after me, "My name is Ellie and I am a knit-a-holic." Well done on your progress and for choosing your next project.
Ina, If you're looking to rehome any knitted socks, I would love some. I find knitting with thinner needles difficult. I can send some wool to you or pay for what you do.
I'm knitting a bag for felting atm. It's a lovely pattern in pure wool in shades of brown. It'll be the second one I've made. Must take photos.
BTW, my name is Lesley and I am a knit-a-holic. Anyone else?
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My name is Louise and I am also a knitaholic!
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MGM, is the bag pattern relatively straightforward? I reckon a bag would meet my criteria about size and shape being marginally less of an issue than sleeves or gloves or socks.. and felting the result might improve it significantly ;)
Someone suggested I look up ravelry website for free patterns and ideas, personally I think that might be dangerous :o
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Someone suggested I look up ravelry website for free patterns and ideas, personally I think that might be dangerous :o
It is a good idea. And dangerous too, yes :D
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Someone suggested I look up ravelry website for free patterns and ideas, personally I think that might be dangerous :o
It is a good idea. And dangerous too, yes :D
Agreed.
I also have daily emails of knitting patterns sent to me. I will never ever knit every pattern I have saved.
Ellie, the bag is very simple if you can pick up stitches with no problem. I only have a photocopy of it but I may be able to scan it and email it to you if you PM me your email address.
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Ravelry is the gateway to a whole wonderland of awesome fibre goodness. :knit:
Good luck learning
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Ellie, I've just opened the Ravelry page and there are several bags you could try right at the beginning.
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Not been on the net much for a bit , been busy shifting stuff , in the middle of a bloody heatwave , i don't function in heat !
Well i am totally fu.... er knackered . Completely worn out , and a touch of heatstroke , but not too bad , just feel a bit crap .
Anyway , i have been keeping up with a little bit of knitting each night . I do an inch or two each night if my hand allows , usually ok .
My aunt gave me a bag of wool leftovers , all acrylic , but fine to learn on .
My knitting is really quite even now . I seem to be getting the tension nearer to even between knit and purl now .
I am still just doing stocking stitch , but i didn't want to start anything new while i was busy .
Another day of mayhem and things should settle down to normal again , and after a few days i can start some new actions .
I am knitting pretty yellow atm , lots of different colours to do next .
I am well chuffed with how even the knitting looks now . I would happily wear a jumper i had kitted now .
A few ( lots ) more things to learn yet , but i am well on the way to being able to ' knit ' properly now .
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That's really good to hear. You will rapidly become an addict!
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Sounds like he's already got there. ;D Well done, Russ. Practicing a little each day is the way to go.
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Great news Russ. Its amazing what a bit of practice can do :thumbsup:
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Problem !
I decided to try rib tonight , just knit 1 purl 1 . Omfg , my brain is going into meltdown .
All sorts of strange things happened , but i just kept going and now i can cope with k1 , p1 , but it doesn't look like rib!
I have 22 stitches on ( started with 20
, but hey ho ) , and lets say i start a row with a knit stitch . I do the k1 , purl1 all the way along and end with a purl stitch . I then start the next row with a purl stitch , is that right ?
The knitting looks ok , but nothing like a rib , it looks like what i would call ' baby cardigan' stitch . Sort of alternate bobbly bits . I think i must be doing something wrong somewhere .
The way i am doing it means all the purl stitches are above eachother , as are the knit stitches . I was expecting to see a normal rib thing , like on a cuff .
I bring the yarn to the front for the purl stitch , and move it to the back for knit stitch .
I must sound a total div , " move to the front , purl the stitch , move to the back , knit the stitch " , but it means i can remember what stitch i just did !
My brain hurts !
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It sounds like you have ended up with moss stitch because you accidentally increased a stitch and ended up with an odd number first time. The rule with K1, P1 rib (and there are other sorts) is if there is an even number of stitches you start with the same stitch each row and it doesn't matter whether the pattern says start with knit or start with purl. If there is an odd number of stitches, you always start the next row with the opposite to what you started the previous row with, ie if you started row 1 with K1, you start row 2 with P1. HTH
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Briliant Lesley , we have rib !
Not very ribby rib , but rib .
Thanks mate . Just got to sort the tension out now .
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Russ, you really seem to be getting the hang of knitting. Move over Kaffee Fassett there is a new man in town :knit: :knit:
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Yep things slowly dropping into place .
I can see obvious things i am doing wrong , ie tension , and can slowly correct them .
Getting near the point of being able to actually make an item now .
Casting on can be a bit of a nightmare atm , maybe because i don't do much of it ? But i shall just do an hour or two of it and that should cure any problems .
Apart from that , i can now do rib , well one form of it , stocking stitch , increase and decrease , just casting off to have a go at now , then i will 'av a go' at sumink propa .
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You are making brilliant progress, Russ. :thumbsup:
And don't forget you have also unwittingly learned to do moss stitch too - that's the one where the rib didn't work out :D
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Briliant Lesley , we have rib !
Not very ribby rib , but rib .
Thanks mate . Just got to sort the tension out now .
Yaaaaaay!!!
I knew you would be able to do it, Russ, if someone just explained it. There are other ribs such as K2, P2 or K2 P1 or K3 P1 and some that are more complicated, for when you get even better at it.
Don't worry about the tension. It will come with practice. :thumbsup:
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Rib starting to really look like proper rib now .
Getting the tension a bit tighter now and getting a springy rib .
On the main stocking stitch i am using number 8 needles , on the rib i am using number 10s .
I knit 2" of rib then 2" of stocking stitch , then 2" of rib again and so on .
The 20 minutes or so of not knowing what i was doing each time i did some knitting , is down to a couple of stitches now , so things are going in the right direction .
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I get really excited when I see an update on this thread (sorry but I must lead a boring life).
It feel like quite a few of us have had a hand in your knitting and ellie's too and its lovely to hear how you are progressing. Keep :knit: :knit: :knit:
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You are making really solid progress, and learning new things by accident, which I suspect is how most of us learnt as well! Reading your comments about silk, you can always include it with wool for knitting when you come to spin your own yarn! Looking forward to hearing progress on a real item.
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There you go, Russ, you could knit your own silk underwear. :roflanim:
I'm impressed by your determination and the progress you have made already.
BTW the needle sizes sound about right. Depends on the thickness of the wool.
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Erm , it's yellow wool !
There are no labels on any of it , but it is about 1/8th of an inch thìck .
The rib as is atm would be the sort that goes very loose after a while , baggy cuffs etc . So will have to 'tighten' things up a bit i think .
I can't do the wool with my index finger still . It cripples my finger , so i use my finger and thumb and sort of prop the right hand needle on my lap , hard to explain really , but it works ok atm .
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Russ, I think your needle sizes sound about right too but if you want to be more accurate with wool to needle ration you can do something called WPI (wraps per inch). Take a small piece of card or something and wrap the wool round it for an inch. Have the wool just touching but not overlapping. The amount of times the wool goes round is the WPI. From that you can work out the sort of wool you are using i.e. Double knitting, chunky etc.
I can't remember the exact conversions but if you want to know that one of us will look it up for you.
Don't worry that you aren't urging your index finger. Everyone knits differently to what suits them. By the way I also often rest the end of the needle in my lap. If it works for you that's fine
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Don't worry that you aren't urging your index finger. Everyone knits differently to what suits them. By the way I also often rest the end of the needle in my lap. If it works for you that's fine
Absolutely, and I rest mine too. When my son learned to knit, he held the left hand needle under one arm as he doesn't have a left hand. We all do it our own way.
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Got a book today 'beginners guide to knitting' by Alison Dupernex , amazon , 01p +£2.80 p+p brand new .
Seems a good book , but it could be complete crap and i wouldn't really know lol .
I have been doing an inch or two each night , cast on , rib , stocking stitch . Had a dodgy back . And my hand has been playing up , so just kept on doing this small amount .
Had a look at the book earlier and there are a few things in it i could have a go at now .
A garter stitch scarf , and a kids jumper . Got plenty of poor victims i can force my handy work onto , so may have a go at something , when i am in the mood .
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Good to hear you're still practising, I was just thinking of you this afternoon when I was scything grass and wondering how it was going.
Definitely time to try a proper pattern. Remember if you get stuck there's lots of people here ready to help.
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Thanks D . I won't do the scarf as i have probably done one 20 times over by now . So a little jumper for a 1 yr old is the second item .
Omg , the destructions are a nightmare . Oh well , in for a penny , it will undo easy enough if it all goes wrong .
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Good luck, keep us posted. :)
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Bingo ,
i can now cast off !
I kept losing the second stitch as i lifted the first stitch over .
I knew it was me doing something wrong , but couldn't work out what . Anyway , it was just tension , i had it too tight .
Loosened things off and da daaa ! We have cast off !
So i can now cast on ,
do k1 p1 rib
garter stitch
stocking stitch
moss stitch
increase
decrease
cast off .
So i have the basics i need , other things can come as and when i need them .
I thought i would try the little jumper in the book and also keep my learning 'thing' going as well . That way when i hit something i haven't done before , or have forgotten how to do it , i just do it on the learning set of needles first .
The cast off row was slow , 5 minutes ish for 20 stitches lol , but it was very neat and tidy , well chuffed .
I didn't tie it off at the end , as i will be undoing it all and starting another practice piece .
I will have to knit a couple of practice squares so that i can learn how to sew them together too now .
Just a small step for mankind , but a huge leap for me !
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Russ,
I think that's absolutely fantastic. You have come such a long way and all by yourself too. Well done :trophy:
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Russ,
I think that's absolutely fantastic. You have come such a long way and all by yourself too. Well done :trophy:
What she said :) :applause:
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Thanks Sallys' , without the help on here from all of you , not to mention the wool , needles , instructions from DW , i would still be unable to knit .
But i am now able to knit my own jumpers , blankets , covers , in fact whatever i want .
I find it hard to believe that only a short time ago i couldn't knit at all , and now i can knit a fabric that looks as it should and can be shaped into whatever i want it to be .
Why i couldn't do it before i don't know , maybe because my late mum would knit me anything i needed , so i didn't 'need' to learn .
Due to the ongoing move and being all over the place , i won't be knitting hundreds of 'things' .
Also not wanting man made fibres , i will need to get fleeces and spin them . Having no sheep atm is a bit of a problem there lol , but i can get fleece ok , but , time and space will put the brakes on that side of things for a bit , but i am patient if nothing else .
So i will likely just knit the odd small item for gt neices and nephews and something for me here and there , as well as keeping the practice needles going , to learn new stitches and techniques .
I will keep this thread going as normal , letting those interested know how things are going , but i am moving offgrid soon , so posts will be few and far between .
Thanks to all , for the much needed , and appreciated , help , advice and support , ( i won't name names as i will forget someone , so all who posted on this thread) , i literally could not have done it without you , thumbs up , handshakes , hugs as appropriate ,
cheers Russ xxx
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I'm glad all the advice has paid off and that you feel ready to tackle a child's jumper. Fleeces are no difficult to get hold of so that shouldn't be a barrier before you get your own sheep. Do you have a wheel or will you use a drop spindle for the spinning?
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I have a wheel that needs a wheel and some small bits to finish it , but that will have to wait for some time yet . I do have some drop spindles , but they have been moved and buried under piles of stuff somewhere , so will have to make some new ones .
However , being in a 15' caravan with 3 dogs , for the foreseeable future , even that will have to wait for now .
Still moving stuff and sorting it all atm , so very little else will get done this side of late next spring . So many other things will need doing through autumn and winter , not least cutting logs .
Just had a huge monsoon downpour here so cast on a new practice piece , did something wrong on the rib , oops . Pulled it off and will start again in a bit .
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Bugger .
I am sure the pattern is wrong ! lol .
I read it out to my aunt who said it was a strange way of writing the pattern , but i think it is wrong , help please .
The jumper is a kids jumper in 6 sizes , in stocking stitch .
I will try to write it out exactly as it is in the book .
Back:
using 3.25mm (US 3) needles cast on 56 (58 . 64 , 70 , 88 , 94) sts .
Work 1 1/4 (1 1/2 , 1 1/2 , 1 /2 , 2 , 2 1/4) in K1 , P1 rib ending with a RS row .
Next row :
(inc) P3 (5 , 2 , 4 , 4 , 5) M1 , P10 (7 , 12 , 7 , 16 , 12) to last 3 (4 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5) sts , M1 , P3 (4 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5) . There should be 62 (66 , 70 , 80 , 94 , 102) sts on the needle .
The numbers in () are for the different sizes .
My aunt said it could mean p3 , m1 , p10 , p3 , m1 , p10 and so on to the last 3 , then m1 , p3 .
I make that 60 sts not 62 , as stated in the book , for the first size .
Very hard to explain over the phone to my aunt , does the above make any sense to anyone here ?
If not , i think i will make the scarf ! lol .
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Is there an asterisk in there? I suspect it means purl 3, then make one and purl ten over and over until you have three stitches left. Make one and purl the last three. This would give you the right number of stitches at the end. The pattern should have an asterisk after the first purl 3. I would expect it to be written:
P3, * M1, P10, repeat from * until last 3 sts, M1, P3.
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Ah , thanks Lesley . No * at all , just as i put it down .
My poor aunt couldn't make head nor tail of it over the phone , she has also been up since 3.30am , she went to a boot sale . Think her head had turned to cheese , poor bugger .
Thanks again mate , will have a go tomorrow now , my head is going a bit cheese like too atm .
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Yes, Lesley, what you have said sounds right to me. Good luck with it Russ
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Rained off today .
So had a go with the practice yarn .
Cast on 56 sts and set off to do 1 1/4 in of k1 , p1 rib .
I gained a stitch after a few rows , and rather than pull it all off , i knitted 2 together at the point that i gained the stitch . This left me with a 3 " section of the previous row as moss stitch , lol .
Not worried about that as i am just practicing . I do keep loosing where i am in the k and p sequence , 56 sts is a lot different to 20 sts !
But i can now work out where i am and what i should be doing next .
Nearly at the point where i have to do the all p and m1 sts row .
Using 3 1/4mm needles that are much longer than the needles i am used to using , god they are horrible .
Starting to get used to them now , but it was really slow at first .
The rib is a mess , but i may as well keep doing this as i am , and then just redo it again and again , until i get it right , then do it for real with different yarn .
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We have all learnt by trial and error, but usually with someone close at hand to troubleshoot. You are doing really well, your tenacity will soon have you knitting like an old hand!
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Just a wee update from me.
I have just done row 94 of 122 of my shawl so it feels like I'm getting there, but as every row is at least 2 if not 4 stitches longer than the last, knitting one row takes longer and longer!
The latest lace row (93) was 49 repeats on each half of the central piece so something like K2, SM, YO (K2tog, YO x 49) SM, K2, SM, (YO, SSK x 49) YO, SM, K2. Which is what 204 stitches for that row? Row 121 is 64 repeats so should be 264 stitches to cast off on 122 if and when..
The good thing is all the rows are repeats of the early ones I kept getting wrong so now I'm getting them right and there are fewer mistakes to take back on a Tuesday morning that I haven't sorted myself. Hopefully!
Meantime the bad news is the wool shop just had a closing down sale, and in future the much smaller operation in a new venue will be felting and fibre/prefelt/kits only, as most of Laura's income comes from felting at schools and groups and she had too much invested in knitting wool that was never quite what folk wanted or not enough balls left of the one dye lot.. So no more shop or working days there (I only had one but I loved it and hoped for more).
The bad but in a good way news is I splashed out a little on sale purchases of knitting wool while it was there and at 25%-40% discount it was all a bargain and all means I HAVE to continue knitting! And the group that met there on a Tuesday has gone a little more formal and changed venue which means paying £2 a week and joining a Ravelry group - I had to do it :o They're at me to join the Guild now, but I think that is a step way too far when I'm still on my first piece of knitting in over 30 years ;)
Anyway, nothing exciting, just plodding away one row at a time, but I thought I'd share the update in case anyone wondered if I'd strangled myself in knots of loose wool by now or burnt the lot in despair..
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Well done Ellie , i did wonder how things were going with you .
Really good to hear that you are up and away and getting on with it , and that you didn't kill anyone when things were going wrong !
The first pattern i started to follow and i fell at the first hurdle , trying to read it ! lol .
But as Louise G says , i am nothing if not persistant , i am like the ever ready bunnie Louise , hit the button and i keep going till the battery runs out lol .
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Wow Ellie, row 94 is great. You have been plodding on without us and must feel really proud of yourself.
Splashing out on the reduced knitting yarn makes you sound like a real knitter now. We said you would get the bug, didn't we?
Keep :knit: :knit: :knit:
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OMG !
M1 on a purl row is a nightmare !
The first m1 took nearly half an hour .
I could not work out how to get the rh needle through the back of the running thread that i picked up with the left needle , and them purl it !
Must have dropped it 50 times , but i didn't lose any other sts , just kept losing the yarn as i tried to purl the stich .
But i got there in the end . After i succeeded with the first m1 , the next made sense and i could see what i was meant to do . Got across the row , m1 after every p10 and then p3 after the final m1 and i had 62 stitches , bingo !
M1 in purl is a bugger , but i can now do it , albeit a bit slow and clumsy .
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Ellie, you are well on your way to being an addict! Russ is already there!
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M1 on a purl row is a nightmare !
Agreed. Well done for persevering though. And for ending up with the right number of stitches. :D
Ellie, I'm very impressed with your progress and that you now have your very own stash.
Keep :knit: :knit: :knit: both of you.
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Russ I have no idea what you're talking about so I have to be impressed that you not only do but have done it! This pattern, now I know what it is asking for, I can do, but that's it.
I have been looking for other ones to use the new wool, which is backwards as you're supposed to buy the wool you need for the pattern but a sale at 25-40% off was too tempting. Some have M1 which mine doesn't. The increases are done by an extra yarn over, which is different depending if it's between K and K or P and K or K and P - that's where I kept going wrong as I was expecting it to be the same thing every time ::) But in some patterns it says things like YF (yarn forward) and I don't know if that means yarn over increase or just as if you were changing knit to purl and moving the yarn literally forward to change stitch. Other ones are even more complicated and I've found at least 2 other ways of describing what I think I have been doing, but I don't know if it's something else entirely. I suppose that's why people find patterns they like in a book or a series from the same person/company that at least they know what they're being told to do!
I borrowed 2 knitting books from the library, a beginner one with pictures and 'projects' plus one with lots of patterns for shawls, wraps, scarves and shrugs, basically to try and work out how the shawl I'm making is described by others and get ideas for the different wool types I have stashed, to use MGM's phrase. Problem is I have them for 3 weeks and I doubt I'll finish the current one by then, so it's all hypothetical but Ravelry is too big and diverse and you have to download every pattern without seeing it, plus I don't have a printer. So I'm looking at pictures and thinking yes that's nice, that would use this wool, but I've no idea if I can read it let alone do it!
The more I think I am going to be doing this a while, the more complicated it appears to get! Still, at least I am convinced I'll finish this 122 rows now, back on version 19 of the first 6 rows it was far from a certainty!
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YF and other terms you use , are double dutch to me atm Ellie , we both have an idea of what we are doing ourselves , and can cope with it , but things we haven't done yet are a bit like seeing nuclear fusion written down , well they are to me at least .
I will never be someone who can knit anything , as i only want to be able to knit basic items for myself and some bits and bobs for family ( just the little ones , the big ones can knit their own ) .
I don't wear scarves , hats , gloves , sleevless anythings and i don't do fashion , just basic thick jumpers really , although there is a cardigan in the book i got that i would wear .
It is a thick knit tunic really ( for a woman , but the 2 fronts are identical so just swap button sides) . It is identical to a 16/17 th century tunic , so not like your average granddads cardi .
I will try to learn cable , and it's variations at some time , as well as other stitches , even if i never use them , i will be able too if i want .
My rib needs improving , garter stitch just needs more practice , stocking stitch is ok , casting off is good , casting on ok .
In general my tension needs sorting , as does the way i hold the needles .
But the overall effect atm is ok for what i want , things will improve with time and practice , hopefully .
The main thing now is , i can knit the basics i need to make a jumper .
It is just a matter of putting theory into practice , which is why i am trying to knit the kids jumper first .
It is in a beginners book , but just the M1 in a purl row blows that out of the water , but i got it in the end .
My aunt gave me some practice wool , leftover balls from what she has been knitting .
Mainly 2 50g balls of dk in differnt colours . So very limited in what i can knit in that , and i hate stripes so that is out .
I have the 'real' wool that Dw sent me ( many thanks again D) , that i am saving to make a proper item with .
So my stash is very limited until i get going on the spinning , that will be next year due to moving etc .
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There are free patterns for download on www.knitrowan.com (http://www.knitrowan.com) .
You just have to join , which is free .
I thought that would be good for me , no money for patterns , but the downloads are pdf , and my phone won't do pdf , and it isn't a smart phone so won't download software to convert .
But others may find somethings they like on there .
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Maybe its just as well you can't download the patterns. Rowan have lovely patterns (very expensive yarn) but I think a lot of their patterns are quite complicated.
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Been at the group again this morning and reached the last 20 rows - tho they're still expanding obviously so each row is 2 if not 4 stitches longer than the previous right to the end ::)
Trying not to overdo it as when my fingers (and arms/shoulders/back) get stiff I tend to make mistakes, but I am just a wee bit excited at the prospect of actually finishing, tho I've no idea how to stitch ends in or block it or all the things the others talk about!
I've decided the next shawl I knit will be made end to end so it increases the first half and decreases the rest, rather than start at the back and work up to the long neck drape pieces! I will do this way again but it is neverending to do 'just one row' at this point!
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Ellie, you are so very nearly there and at the begining it seemed like you were about to give up. I know you will feel a great sense of achievement when its finished. :thumbsup: :knit:
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Well done, Ellie. :thumbsup: Don't forget to post photos.
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When are we going to see a picture of it?
Do you like the way it's turning out?
I'm really impressed with your perseverance. :)
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Photo posting is a complete nightmare on here as I have to email the phone picture to myself, pick it up on a decrepit laptop, download it, manage to upload again on photobucket which hates me and keeps evicting me, and then post not just links but the right kind of links for the picture to show and then usually redo the whole thing if it's too big, too distant, too something else.. I've usually reached breaking point long before succeeding ::) but I will try when and if it is completed and laid out flat.
At present it's so bunched up on the needles it is hard to imagine what it looks like and I have been loaned a circular needle the same size to try and see if that helps with stitch counting (rows of 200-260+) and takes some weight off my wrists/hands while I finish as that, along with time to complete a single row without interruption, is slowing the progress now by a fair bit. I am aiming to try and complete at least one if not two rows a day but ideally I'd like to finish the 20 by next Tuesday morning so I can a. show it off and b. get help with the finishing off and find out how to block it properly ;)
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Ellie, I've sent you my email address and offered to make your pics ok for TAS for you - I want to see this shawl too! :D
I know what you mean about the mega-rows. One shawl I'm making for a neighbour is nearly finished - but the last two or three rows, and the bind-off row, will take about an hour each! :o
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Thanks Sally, I will take you up on that :)
I managed to do a row transferring the whole lot to a circular needle that one of the group loaned me, so there is less bunching of stitches and the weight of it sits better against me when I'm knitting rather than dragging on my poor old hands and wrists. So I have managed 3 rows today already and might finish by Tuesday or even earlier :o
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Well done, Ellie.
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Gah! Reached the half way point on row 117 of 122 and found a problem, an odd stitch when doing a lace row of knitting 2 together followed by a yarn over! I had the right number at row 99 when I did the last lace row, and checked again at 111 and it seemed fine, so somewhere in the last 5 rows there is a mistake and I can't find it for the life of me! They're straightforward knit and purl rows with 2 knit stitches at the start, middle and end of every row, but I was SO careful and didn't watch TV when doing them for exactly this reason. I'm so gutted not to have the end in sight after all..
Rows 117, 119 and 121 are all lace rows, with a very plain knit row between each, so I need an even number at this point and being on the round needle I can't get the counts the same so I don't even know if I'm short one or plus one.
Gah and again gah! Tuesday morning required asap, but the week after the group is away to see the Tapestry of Scotland at the Scottish Parliament (I won't go, too much for me) so there isn't a meeting that day if I finish in between. Means no celebratory moment for at least 3 weeks and it could have been 2 days if I hadn't MESSED UP!
Frustrated of Fife :(
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Oh, how frustrating!
Ideas that *may* help...
If you can identify which *side* (of the central 2-stitch panel) is the one that's over, could you do a single 'knit *3* together, yarn over' (instead of the 'knit 2 together, yarn over') to 'lose' that extra stitch?
If that isn't going to work, are you able to 'frog' back to row 111? Either by 'reverse knitting' - unknitting each stitch one by one - or by threading a 'lifeline' through the stitches on row 111 and then just ripping it back to there. If you can make the lifeline be a circular needle, you're ready to knit away, or if you use a thread for the lifeline, you would need to pick up all the stitches held on that thread.
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I hate it when something like that happens. I've not mastered the lifeline but I find myself unknitting more often than I would like. End might still be in sight!
Dans
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If you can't see it then no-one else will be able to either so I would do what Sally says. count the stitches either side of the centre and either do a knit 3 together yarn over or knit one yarn over to gain a stitch.
PS Don't do what I always do when I make a mistake that I don't think people will notice. I can't help myself from pointing it out to everyone.
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Its one short not one too many if I recounted right.
I plan to take it to Tuesday group as I am not sure I'd spot what my expert friends can! But will probably rip it back under supervision anyway in case I lose more!
OA in hands and visual field defect in a 30 year non_knitter just starting over..I'm not the most likely to spot things or fix them! Very good at messing up tho!!
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You could just rip back to your just knit row and knit in the front and the back of one stitch to make up the lost stitch.
Dans
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:hug: Ellie. You're not alone in that. In retrospect, maybe a lace pattern shawl was not the best thing to get you back into knitting, but you will get there.
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I got there :)
Tiny piece for all the time it took me, and still very rolled up around the edges so I need to wash and pin/block it at some point but it won't be for the next week or so as I won't be around. Then I will take pics and send them to Sally if I can't get them to post on here myself..
I also finished a table today after 11 weeks of work and it is similarly tiny but an equally huge achievement so I'm well chuffed.
Both creative processes are now well and truly ongoing so there will be future projects..
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That is such good news! A completed knitting project is always so satisfying! I shall look forward to the pictures.
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Brilliant! Well done Ellie, not least for persevering!
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:trophy: Well done. :thumbsup:
I was just thinking of you both yesterday and wondering how you were getting on.
Come on Russ, we need an update from you too.
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Well done Ellie. Can we also see a pic of the table when you get round to it please.
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Excellent news. Well done, Ellie. Looking forward to the piccies.