Craft club topic of the month - knitting!

[toggle]

I'm off to John Lewis in a minute to buy some wool. I think my next project (to be started this afternoon chez eme) will be a bag.

Feel disproportionately excited.

have fun, I'm starting to really enjoy shopping for wool. Which is a bit of a problem, considering how much i can spend on it.

 

[liberty]

Didn't go to the knitflick thing (again... ) it was way too sunny out and I had to make 4 pom pom tails and some papier mache eggs for the club! next time....

Yep - if people are up for a craft meet up on easter mon - in the afternoon / eve? pm me for address if you don't already have it.... I reckon this will be a knitting one but possibly with hot cross buns as it's easter and all...


em x

Just seen this Hope you had a good time and lots of hot cross buns

 

[gaijingirl]

I had a really lovely time. I have to say I like the afternoon timing for knitting group very much... it was just lovely!!!

Can't wait for the next one!

Thanks Eme!!!

 

[Ms T]

Thanks eme. I carried on when I got home and have now nearly finished one side of my bag.

I'm a little bit stuck on the handle bit though. The pattern says

K7, turn and cast on 10 sts, turn and K rem 7 sts.

I think I know how to cast on stitches, but am unsure about the turning bit. Can anyone help?

 

[Ms T]

Yay! I worked it out and now the first side is done. Feel most chuffed. Am trying to resist making a start on the second side, or else I'll never get anything done today.

 

[toggle]

Ok, I was talking about the top I made my daughter. This is my gratuitous show off the baby moment.

that's a self patterning, sirdar snowflake, it's a cheap polyester, but it only took me 3 days to knit and 69p from a chairty shop to buy.

 

[innit]

lots and lots of thanks to Eme, well done to Ms T and Toggle, lovely to see you all again and I look forward to seeing how talented we all are at japanese calligraphy! (hopefully I will be better at that than I was at making scones yesterday )

ooh, and toggle she looks rather a lot like her mum!

 

[RubyToogood]

That was such a perfect afternoon, thanks for having us eme! And nice work there toggle.

Thanks for the links, moose. I'm using this pattern http://www.knitsnbytes.com/free_patterns/regia/regia.htm from one of them. I sort of see what moose means about sock wool - I wasn't that impressed by mine on the ball, and it's not particularly soft or lovely, but now sock number one is really underway the pattern is coming up a treat and I love it. I am really wrestling with the heel though - I've done the square flap and have now moved onto this bit which I don't understand at all .

When heel flap is long enough (and that is usually when it forms a square piece as wide as it is long) then turn the heel as follows:

5. 1 Work to center of heel stitches (in this case, work 15 stitches.)

5.2 Now, knit two stitches together (k2tog or ssk) , knit 1 stitch more (k1) then turn. (start of partial or short rows)

5.3 Slip 1 stitch (sl 1) work to one stitch before the gap that formed from that first short row, purl 1 (p1) purl 2 together (p2tog) , p1, TURN.

5.4 Continue these short rows until all stitches have been worked and end on the wrong (purl) side.

I have done what I think is follow these instructions and ended up with 27 stitches, with one diagonal line of decrease from the centre of the heel flap to one corner, using purl stitches on the right side. I can't believe this is right.

 

[RubyToogood]

Actually ignore me, I've abandoned that pattern cos it made no sense and still looked wrong when I tried it a different way. I've nicked the heel pattern from the knitty tulip socks, as it has the right number of stitches, and I'm now knitting something that looks like a sock again. Am still not clear though over whether the bit under the heel where all the turning is going on should still be in heel stitch or whether stocking stitch is adequate.

 

[eme]

aww.... it was lovely having you over (sorry liberty about not posting it more clearly... ruby pointed this out but i read it too late.. doh!)

to my shame I only managed 2 flipping rows! (although there were 131, or 134...or 33000000000000 stitches was it? ) but had fun anyway.... it's always good being nosey about other peoples projects! somehow they are much more fascinating than 7 squillion fiddly stitches in the same colour wool.... forever!!! ha - that'll teach me......

 

[moose]

Am still not clear though over whether the bit under the heel where all the turning is going on should still be in heel stitch or whether stocking stitch is adequate.

I do the heel flap:
Row 1: (s1, k1) repeat to end of row,
Row 2: s1, purl to end
till I have a square, then do my short rows in the same pattern, which can get confusing. I then revert to normal stocking stitch when I pick up the sides of the flap. This makes the sock thicker under the heel so it lasts longer in my sturdy boots. Some people use stocking stitch. Depends on how hard-wearing you need it to be there, really.

 

[zora]

Ohhh, you're easter monday get together sounds lovely and looks cosy (saw ed's pic on community thread).

I happened to be in Hamburg at that very time handing over the little blue babysuit I had been making for my friend who'd just had her baby a week ago (the cutest little boy. awww!). Luckily she'd recovered from the birth well enough to be able to admire the garment suitably.

I need a new project now, I think it's gonna be wool shopping for me this afternoon.
Hope to see you all soon for another crafty afternoon.

 

[Ms T]

I finished my bag last night and now I just need to sew it up. I hate that bit! Ordered a load of wool so I can make a start on a baby blanket for my friend who is having a baby in June. Should be able to manage it by then!

 

[gaijingirl]

I'm biting the bullet and going to Liberty's this evening to get the Rowan little book of big accessories and some more wool.... I just hope the shop isn't too crowded...

 

[gaijingirl]

Ok... Liberty's had run out of Rowan little books of big accessories so ended up in John Lewis.. but I fear I may have committed the cardinal sin of knitting... I have now started making my bag (same as wot Ms T is making)... but I haven't yet entirely finished making up my baby blanket!!

Also.. I was looking at my "Baby knits for beginners" book which explains how to do all the basics and it seems that "increasing" and "making one" are two different stitches (I seem to remember a conversation about this on Easter Monday)... now obviously I can't tell you how they differ as it took me about 50 attempts to get the hang of increasing last night and I have already forgotten... but I can show you the book next time..

BTW.. I'm finding this site that someone else posted up before really helpful..

http://www.knittinghelp.com/

The videos really help me to see how stitches are done.. I'm finding it very difficult to learn new techniques with just written instructions...

 

[Ms T]

I don't think there's any difference in effect between increasing and making one. I did both when I made my bag... It's finished now, and sown up and everything. To be honest, I find the sewing the most difficult thing. I'm really crap at it and can't seem to get the hang of it at all. Maybe I'll have improved by the time I finish making my baby blanket!

 

[RubyToogood]

I don't think that technically there's any difference between increasing and making one - but there are several different ways of doing it, and different patterns may call for different methods. Some of them create a slight hole, or skew the stitch one way or the other. A good pattern ought really to tell you what type of increase is wanted IMO.

 

[gaijingirl]

I have a feeling that even if they are entirely different stitches and I follow all of Debbie Bliss's instructions to the letter.. it wouldn't make much difference to anything I knit!

 

[toggle]

TBH, I really don't think it does make that much of a difference. i've always ignores specific ways of doing things and done it my own way, i think that unless you're doing something small and detailed like ruby's flower, then it dosen't matter.

As the the debbie bliss, I've changed wool, needles, sitch count, length, and i'm planning on changing the pattern of the emrroidery as well, No way am i buying 4 balls of debbie bliss wool to do a few flowers

 

[Choc]

oh you girls well done. making one sounds naughty somehow. myself i could never stick closely to a pattern as not patient enough my eye measurement is the only thing i really trust .i spend some time in borders book shop today to buy a baby knitting book..i want that one i saw on easter monday in our group..it's half the size of A4. who owns it and can tell me the name?

i think i will stick by baby knitting it is all so nice and small to produce!

 

[Ms T]

.i want that one i saw on easter monday in our group..it's half the size of A4. who owns it and can tell me the name?

i think i will stick by baby knitting it is all so nice and small to produce!

Is it the Debbie Bliss one?

 

[Choc]

it's possible...? i will ceck in the internet later. borders craft book section is so out of order it is impossible to find anything. i found debbie bliss beginners book but hardly any books for babys...

 

[toggle]

Is it the Debbie Bliss one?

Both gaijingirl and I had the debbie bliss baby book, slightly different versions. I got mine from a charity shop, so I don't know where you could buy it new. Mine has a £15 price tag, but i'm prepared to lend it to you for a few weeks if you can wait till the next meeting i make to get it. There's nothing else in it that I have urgent plans to make.

 

[gaijingirl]

Yeah.. I've got it - it's called Baby Knits for beginners and it's quite handy cos the first half of the book is tutorials on techniques and then the subsequent patterns gradually introduce you to various techniques...such as sewing up.. ... I can also lend it to you for a while if you like (along with Stitch & Bitch)... you're only down the road from me right? You can either get it next Friday or come and pick it up anytime..

 

[toggle]

I finished my bag last night and now I just need to sew it up. I hate that bit! Ordered a load of wool so I can make a start on a baby blanket for my friend who is having a baby in June. Should be able to manage it by then!

I decided that I liked the way that bag looked once i saw you do it, I wasn't bitten when i saw it in the bok, but it realy started looking nice made up. So i'm making up a purse using the same striped garter stitch, didn't have enough wool left from 2 hats to make a bag. My needles are slightly over 10mm. and i don't knit as tightly as you, and I think it looks better when it's more tightly knit for a bag. My purse is looking a bit loose and soggy, so it will be another partial felt in the washing machine I think. if i make another one, which I may well do, it took 30 mins including sewing up to make, and looks like good gift material, i may drop down to 9mm needles and see what happens. i'll pop up some photos, when work out how to download my partner's camera.



edited because i'm tired and i'm an idiot

 

[gaijingirl]

So i'm making up a purse using the same striped stocking stitch, didn't have enough wool left from 2 hats to make a bag.

PANIC - I started that bag last night and I have just been doing garter stitch.. is it meant to be stocking stitch....

 

[RubyToogood]

Nah I'm pretty sure it's garter stitch.

 

[toggle]

Nah I'm pretty sure it's garter stitch.

my bad.


i know there's a reason why i need more sleep. iI'll go edit that.

 

[zora]

I found some lovely wool yesterday, some cotton-silk mix in a two-tone cherry-red and bought some not quite knowing what to do with it.
Definitely some kind of top, tank top or fullblown jumper (if the latter I'd need to get some more wool.) I have been looking through lots of patterns here in my mum's collection but a lot of them are very eighties. Think glittery fluffy yarns and shoulderpads. (Not that my mum's ever worn anything like that I hasten to add.)
I'm going to browse through some more online patterns now.

 

[Ms T]

I decided that I liked the way that bag looked once i saw you do it, I wasn't bitten when i saw it in the bok, but it realy started looking nice made up.

Finally -- I'm an inspiration!

Waiting for wool to arrive so I can start on next project.

Taps foot impatiently.