The Accidental Smallholder Forum
Food & crafts => Crafts => Topic started by: PK on March 05, 2018, 02:10:21 pm
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For some time I’ve had a secret hankering to learn how to knit. My mother was a prodigious knitter and regularly turned out pullovers for all 10 of her children (I’m number 6). Then I saw the photo in the TAS Diary of Dan’s first sock and I was rather impressed. How difficult is it for a mature male (if that has anything to do with it) to learn to knit from scratch? I mean how does it compare with say learning to play a musical instrument or a foreign language? How long would it take to get to the first sock stage?
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How long is a piece of wool? It depends on the ply boom boom.
I am sure you can PK. To the best of my knowledge like many skills it is not gender specific. I am dire at musical anything and learn slowly any foreign tongue. Indeed one reason I do learn a foreign language is I am very slow, and as I am quick at many things it is a reminder of how hard learning is when you are not adept.
I have knitted from an early age though can vividly remember my usually placid mother throwing my knitting across the room as she insisted 'I wasn't trying' (and she was a teacher!).
You need to learn how to cast on, cast off, and how to do plain stitches and pearl stitches. Being mathematical I rather like patterns, they are basically just formula. My sister who has not a mathematic bone in her body hates them, but she did manage to knit a pair of socks once. My suggestion is 1) try a scarf first- get the hang of plain and pearl and your tension (number of stitches per cm) and also how long knitting takes to do 2) do fingerless gloves next (following a pattern/ working on a round item) 3) first sock 4) second sock. Please post your progress.
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I think it's easy to knit but then I have been knitting all my life. Left handed people seem to find it more difficult but, male or female, shouldn't make a difference. The most well known knitter/designer is male, Kaffe Fasset.
There are lots of you tube videos but I think it would be better if you had a 'real' person to help.
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As a mature male myself (at least in terms of age :D ) it took me a year of elapsed time, but only about 3 months of knit-time to get to the sock stage.
If you're reasonably dexterous you'll have no trouble at all, just get some chunky yarn, big needles and a book or YouTube channel, and progress from there.
I learned (self-taught) last winter in November and December, and started again this November. This is the book I used to learn at first:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Stitch-Bitch-Knitters-Instructions-Generation/dp/0761128182 (https://www.amazon.co.uk/Stitch-Bitch-Knitters-Instructions-Generation/dp/0761128182)
In retrospect it's not great, but it gave me a starting point, a bit of confidence and some definied projects. Now I'd advise using YouTube for the learning part - there are some fanatstic teachers on there with really clear instructions and videos. VeryPink Knits is probably the one I use most:
https://www.youtube.com/user/verypinkknits (https://www.youtube.com/user/verypinkknits)
And Ravelry for patterns and support:
https://www.ravelry.com/ (https://www.ravelry.com/)
I found the most intimidating things at first to be the patterns, the cryptic annotations (that don't seem to be completely standardised), and the yarn terminology, which again isn't completely standardised. Magic loop is baffling so I use double-pointed needles for stuff in the round (don't worry if that makes no sense, it will).
Agree with pharnorth about starting with a scarf - mine was a garter stitch scarf which was basically just a single stitch (knit) from top to bottom, and also taught joining yarn together.
My technique makes seasoned knitters wince, but it works for me. :knit:
I still have to look up how to do some of the stitches, and working with the 4-ply wool has been challenging at times. It's all good though - it means I can sit in front of the TV in the evening and be productive.
You can find me and some of my projects on Ravelry here:
https://www.ravelry.com/people/dieselsdad (https://www.ravelry.com/people/dieselsdad)
Would be interested if any other TAS bods are on there, would be good to hook up.
HTH!
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The big question Dan is have you done the second sock? That's the hardest bit :knit:
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The big question Dan is have you done the second sock? That's the hardest bit :knit:
It's about 80% done! :D
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Thanks all and thank you Dan for the links. I’m going to buy some needles and a ball of wool this week to get started.
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Thanks all and thank you Dan for the links. I’m going to buy some needles and a ball of wool this week to get started.
New word to learn PK - 'yarn' is what you knit with. It may be wool yarn, but equally it may be alpaca yarn, or nylon yarn, or cotton yarn or acrylic yarn, or .................. :knit:
We shall need a progress report :thumbsup: - good luck.
Well done Dan - we'll need a pic of the second sock here when you're done. Wouldn't a 'photo' icon be useful :innocent:
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Good for you PK
If you have someone to help you learn, you may find it easier if they cast on and knit two or three rows as that is the hardest bit when you're starting. I've always done that when teaching someone to knit.
You can do it.
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You can find me and some of my projects on Ravelry here:
https://www.ravelry.com/people/dieselsdad (https://www.ravelry.com/people/dieselsdad)
Would be interested if any other TAS bods are on there, would be good to hook up.
HTH!
Added you to my friends, I'm castlemilk on Ravelry.
We used an existing group 'Crafty Smallholders' on Ravelry some years ago as a friendly place for TASers who were new to Ravelry to gather and get help navigating the huge (and not always as friendly as it might be) place that is Ravelry. it's been dormant for a couple of years, but if people would like a TAS-hold on Ravelry, why not pop along and say Hello (https://www.ravelry.com/discuss/crafty-smallholders-uk/3223547/). (Or we could create a new group if preferred.)
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I just popped along to ravelry and posted on the Crafty Smallholders bit. Please come and join me - it's lonely out there! (I'm RandomFibres)
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Sally is absolutely right. I find Ravelry impossible to navigate :-(
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Sally is absolutely right. I find Ravelry impossible to navigate :-(
My top tip is to join maybe three or four groups that interest you, then use the ‘forums’ page. Linky (https://www.ravelry.com/discuss). It shows you where you have unread posts, replies, etc, in your groups.
Which groups to join? The ones I use the most are:
Tour of British Fleece
UK Spinners
Lovers of Ashford UK
UK Weavers
UK Classifieds
And now, since Fleecewife posted, Crafty Smallholders!
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Excellent knitting Dan! PK, you can do it, but be warned, knitting is seriously addictive! I'm I'm Ravelry too - Knotsonsticks is me! I will pop in to Crafty smallholders.
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I randomly decided to teach myself a few years back. It took a few very odd attempts and a fair amount of swearing and rage on my part but within 3 weeks I had cast on my first proper project. It was meant to be scarf but I had too many stitches so turned it into a bag. I used youtube videos to get me started, if I didn't get it from one video I'd just try someone else's. I then found an old book in a charity shop that detailed some different stitches and made patches which really got me used to doing different things. I used to post a lot on Ravelry but since having my daughter my needles have been gathering dust. Brushing them off again this year though.
This will show you some of my first very awful attempts and then a couple of finished bits. It does have some crochet and spinning in there as well (which I took up after enjoying knitting so much).
https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10150288546401835.334871.670811834&type=1&l=a2210af861 (https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10150288546401835.334871.670811834&type=1&l=a2210af861)
Happy knitting! :knit:
Dans
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I’ve cast on; 10 rows complete.
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That's a fabulous start
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Casting on was probably the hardest part for me. Then trying to work out why my stitches kept increasing and decreasing.
Congrats on getting over the first hurdle. You'll be addicted before you know it.
Dans
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Well done, PK.
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I’ve completed half a dozen samples of 10 or 20 stitches and the same number of rows. In every case I’ve ended up with more stitches than I started with. I can’t for the life of me work out how this keeps happening.
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[member=127142]PK[/member] I had an issue when I started that the first stitch would be slightly wrapped around the needle which meant I went through both the front and back loops of that stitch, increasing.
Try knitting a row then counting your stitches before you start the second row. It will be a bit tedious to do it for several rows but you should soon see where you are picking up stitches.
Dans
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Used to have a mate in the army called Hoss Kirkham . All six foot six of him , shoulders like barn doors & hands like beet shovels .
Yet Hoss tuned out some of the most intricate knitting I've ever seen from patterns or straight out of his head
His specialty was big chunky lumberjack type pure wool cardigans with button up fronts , the cardy being sewn onto a home made cotton shirt liner made in all manner of thick cotton prints .
One thing he was never called was names ..... to his face or behind his back
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I’ve completed half a dozen samples of 10 or 20 stitches and the same number of rows. In every case I’ve ended up with more stitches than I started with. I can’t for the life of me work out how this keeps happening.
This can happen if you hold your working yarn on the wrong side when stitching. For purl the working yarn should held be in front of the needles, for knit it should be held behind.
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Thanks Dan, that turned out to be helpful. Anyway, enough of practice squares. I’ve started my first a project. Inevitably a scarf (but useful). About four feet still to go.
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This can happen if you hold your working yarn on the wrong side when stitching. For purl the working yarn should held be in front of the needles, for knit it should be held behind.
Ooooh, look at you Dan! :roflanim:
I have similar ambitions - I want to make a Bespoke Hat this winter. This is Bespoke by the way:
(https://anoutdoorlife.files.wordpress.com/2017/12/z2.jpg?w=768)
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Doesn't she look grumpy….
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No, she's the least grumpy sheep I've ever met.
Mind you, if somebody wanted to turn my wool into a hat, I'd be grumpy too.
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A winter later than intended. But my first knitwear project completed.
(http://)
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Its a scarf, by the way.
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That shows real perseverance PK :thumbsup: I like it!
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It looks very even knitting and love the colours.Well done.
What's next?
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What’s the next easiest thing after a scarf?
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A hat :)