Craft club topic of the month - knitting!

[campanula]

I do a lot of textured stuff which involves moss stitch...but not all over. Kim Hargreaves patterns...and, I think, Jean Moss used to be my go-to pattern designers. Using moss stitch as a feature rather than all over is a little like fairisle but in only one colour...and looks better in a high definition yarn such as cotton. With a plied, tweedy, fluffy wool, the definition of moss stitch is lost and is really not worth the effort. On the other hand, I also do a sneaky 4row rib-alike pattern which involves only 1 row in 4 using anything other than basic stocking stitch - highly useful if a more textured look is required without much effort. What yarn were you thinking of using.
I agree with getting a pattern for a V-neck - it is a pain working out the neck decreases (or increases) otherwise.
I am also lost in admiration for your intarsia/colourwork jumper.

 

[campanula]

Finished rainbow cardigan so I am back looking hatefully at the Yakwool abomination.The likelihood that anything wearable will somehow transform out of my feeble annoyance is around zero but utter cheapskateness means I will probably (eventually) settle for a cushion or summat. If I could manage pics, I would post for inspiration..or consolation.

 

[Biddlybee]

Show us a pic of the cardi

 

[campanula]

OK - | am going to try (utterly thick though).

 

[campanula]

Oh - flushed with success (sort of) so am trying to upload a pic of the chassis on the caravan With grimly failing truck in the background.

 

[RubyToogood]

Where are the photos of the yak disaster?

 

[campanula]

Where are the photos of the yak disaster?

I will take a pic tomorrow in all its horrid monstrosity...I still can't believe how dire it was yet I kept blindly (hopefully) on.

 

[Biddlybee]

Cardigan is brilliant

Got me itching to buy some nice bright wool, for something

 

[campanula]

Aw, thank you Biddlybee. I enjoyed knitting with the King Cole wool - it stays nicely defined too. I have a hat and gloves which have stayed completely bobble-free despite treating them like dishrags.

 

[Siouxsie]

Campanula!
Your cardigan is beautiful...lovely, even stitching, neat button band and excellent sewing up.....I tend to hurry the sewing up part, it's my least favourite bit.

 

[campanula]

Me too Siouxsie (sewing) - seems altogether unfair, having done all the knitting, to then have to sew...so I try to do as much in the round as possible although I loathe fiddling about with double ended needles. Anyway, I finally discovered the ridiculously simple mattress stitch and sewing is not so dreadful.

 

[Me76]

I seem to have got stuck on a particular yarn - rico essential cotton.

I've made two things with it so far and am looking at my next project and can't think that anything else would be ok.

I know this is because I shop online, so the fact that I know this ones drape and washing ability means that anything else is a risk.

But I feel like I can't have a whole wardrobe made of the same stuff. What do I do?

 

[campanula]

I have just bought a stash of Berroco alpaca from Loop (£9.50 for 100 gr). Alpaca is a wonderfully soft yarn which has excellent thermal AND draping qualities...and is much nicer to knit with than cotton to my mind, having a bit more internal stretch. Anything with silk also gives drape and added strength - some of the Louisa Harding wools are often on sale at Black Sheep - currently using a lot of Esquivel (a really good range of reds).
I tend to use natural fibres which are not cast-iron for washing machine use...but then again, I hardly ever wash them - I have a huge gardening jumper which has not seen water since 1992.

 

[Me76]

My latest.

I'm annoyed because my decreases on the collar show. At first I got grumpy with the pattern, but then remembered I haven't mastered pickup and knit yet and only pick up, so I will have been on the wrong side for the pattern. It's frustrating that I muck up things like this.

 

[Shirl]

My latest.

I'm annoyed because my decreases on the collar show. At first I got grumpy with the pattern, but then remembered I haven't mastered pickup and knit yet and only pick up, so I will have been on the wrong side for the pattern. It's frustrating that I muck up things like this.

View attachment 98038 View attachment 98039

It looks good to me
I also can follow patterns carefully but then still struggle with some instructions but if my attempts are passable, so what
Your's are better than passable

 

[Siouxsie]

Me76, That's lovely
I really like the open fronted part, did you use larger needles for that or double wrap the original needle...it's very effective.

 

[Biddlybee]

That looks like quite a fine knit Me, you are very neat!

I'm lacking inspiration tbh. I've got a baby cardi to knit for March, so have bought some already rainbowed yarn.

I started this about 4 years ago maybe I'll pick it up again and try and finish it

 

[Me76]

Me76, That's lovely
I really like the open fronted part, did you use larger needles for that or double wrap the original needle...it's very effective.

It's a triple wrap. It's very uneven, but hey.

 

[Me76]

That looks like quite a fine knit Me, you are very neat!

I'm lacking inspiration tbh. I've got a baby cardi to knit for March, so have bought some already rainbowed yarn.

I started this about 4 years ago maybe I'll pick it up again and try and finish it

I like that cardi Bee. I have just added it to my queue.

 

[Biddlybee]

I do too, but it's a very boring knit

 

[Siouxsie]

It's a triple wrap. It's very uneven, but hey.

It will even itself out after a few washes

I'm totally devoid of inspiration. I feel like something different that keeps my interest going.....I usually start getting bored after doing the back and an arm

My new years resolution is to stick it out, I have so many ufos, it's ridiculous!

 

[Biddlybee]

So... if your knitting is on a holder and you didn't make a note of the needle size

 

[campanula]

Impressively fine knitting there Me76 - did it take you long? I admit...my first thought on seeing the front was to shudder at the absolute inevitability of pulling numerous threads with my clumsy handling and overgrown garden. On the plus side - many of my tops seem to get ruined in exactly that area by dropping dinner on my bosomy shelfage - I have to tuck a teatowel round my neck I am such an oaf...so a lacy disguise would be just the thing.
Mmmm - also got a few things on the go...but avoiding fine yarn (patience lack!). Double knitting is pretty much as low as I go although am doing a quickie pair of fingerless gloves for Gdd in some very fine angora and silk (2.5mm needles - a nightmare for my gnarly rough gardening hands). The next conundrum - I have to either put in a late lifeline...or knit back three rows on a yoked jumper for DiL - ground to a halt. I went a little insane before Xmas and now have a gorgeous trove of wools - but all in slightly different shades of red/rust...means stripes or blocks as the contrast is not good enough for colourwork - basically, I just ordered in a sort of colourful daze and am now faced with how to use it all...plus a few random greens. After the last cardigan fail, I bit the bullet and bought a pattern instead of making it up as I go along - Lila top down jumper on Ravellry (much influenced by my late collie - also called Lila). Link fail - apols.
I taught the 5 year old to knit this Xmas, by sitting her in my lap and guiding her hands - I let her discover the best ways of holding 2 needles and moving the loops up and down just by feeling it through - a very kinaesthetic way of learning - she picked it up with great dexterity and has been knitting entirely on her own (4mm needles and Sirdar striped cotton). I am not letting her do more than 15minutes and we are not making a 'thing' yet - just practicing stitches - I am astounded at her delicacy and accuracy...and elated that I am passing on a useful skill.

 

[Me76]

It took me almost exactly two months. Which is roughly what most of the jumpers I have made have taken.

I have this to do next.




And then I am planning to make my own Christmas jumper. I'm going to use the mesh front jumper as a base design and then I have a cushion pattern that has a penguin intarsia chart and a glove pattern that has a small snowflake chart. Working out the placement will be fun, but I can't find any Christmas jumpers in the shops that I like ever, so figure making my own is a good way to go.

 

[campanula]

Yep, that's a goody for the Rico - lovely stitch definition. Look forward to seeing finished version. Intarsia though (glutton for punishment).

 

[Me76]

Yep, that's a goody for the Rico - lovely stitch definition. Look forward to seeing finished version. Intarsia though (glutton for punishment).

It can't be worse than my argyle. I think anything will be easy after that. I am going to buy some bobbins though!

 

[RubyToogood]

So... if your knitting is on a holder and you didn't make a note of the needle size

Are you sure you didn't record it on Ravelry? I find myself being grateful to my past self quite often for filling in all the fields on Ravelry about needle size, dyelot etc
Failing that do a tension square I guess. Maybe start by looking at what needle you used for projects with similar wool/gauge.

 

[Biddlybee]

First place I checked, nope. It's either 2.5 or 3mm, or 2.75mm.

I have found a picture of me knitting, so I know they are silver needles which should narrow it down

 

[RubyToogood]

Meanwhile I have finished my cardigan.



It's a bit too small (my gauge must have been a bit off) and I might raise the neckline a bit at some point as it's a bit low/baggy.



I'm not entirely sure what I was thinking now as I'm clearly going to spill coffee and beetroot juice all over it in the first week but never mind. It's lovely and warm.

 

[moose]

Really lovely.

I've finally finished the second one of these mittens, after a bad case of Second Glove Syndrome for months.
'Scuse me pyjamas.