Craft club topic of the month - knitting!

[Biddlybee]

Wrist warmers

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Riddled with error mittens for my girl As you can see, I have some trouble with rib stitch But she's so sweet she wears them anyway.
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Rather massive fleece lined scarf made for son without pattern Husband has stolen it.
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Hat and wrist warmers made for a friend. Knitted on straight needles.
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Also got some basic scarves. The chunky seed stitch cowl I made on a circular needle was probably the nicest thing I've done, though very basic, but it was for my best mate and has gone off in the post.

You must be a total perfectionist these are all lovely and look great to me. I can't see the error in your rib either (the baby has a cardi in that yarn ). Also, you're doing lacework... you're a knitter not a beginner

 

[polly]

I have been knitting for 15 years and you're way way better than me already.

I can say with certainty that that isn't true! But a lovely thing to say. I have a book called Knitty Gritty by Anita Patel and it's completely idiot proof. She translates everything. She even answered one of my stupid questions by email and offered to Skype me.

You must be a total perfectionist these are all lovely and look great to me. I can't see the error in your rib either (the baby has a cardi in that yarn ). Also, you're doing lacework... you're a knitter not a beginner

And you are lovely too. I'd thought the parenting forum was the nicest place on urban Lacework?? Is the the holes on the wrist warmers?

I love that Party Time yarn! I think I saw the cardi a few pages back? Baby stuff must be so satisfying to knit. My unhinged mother knitted E a really terrifying lamb when she was born and not much else I'll post it one day (with spoiler tags).

 

[Biddlybee]

That was for my mate, my mum knitted the one for my girl

Heh, it is satisfying if you don't pick stupid patterns like I do teeny tiny stuff is very quick though

 

[innit]

innit Obviously I'm in no position to advise, but it looks really impressive so far. I wasn't aware that you had to use both English and Continental to do Fair Isle

Well you probably don't have to have to, but the alternative would be very slow (swapping strands every few stitches) and probably lead to really naff tension so in practice I think there isn't much choice. It'll be good for my soul

 

[campanula]

I always leave the strands loose and simply swap them across the back of the knitting as I find holding two separate strands is beyond me. As for english and continental style...well, I use continental style for knit rows and english for purling but I do this across the rows - using it for separate stitches seems entirely feasible if the strands are different colours instead of holding separate yarns on two fingers (in the same hand)...but I always find it much harder to purl with a left-handed yarn.

 

[Me76]

I don't hold two yarns, I just swap them, hence my colour work knitting being very slow.

 

[wayward bob]

i'm sure i must swap yarns too - i can't imagine i'd have picked up continental somewhere along the line

 

[Biddlybee]

Ah ffs, my pattern says chunky wool on 6.5mm needles for 13st. The wool I'm using recommends 6.5mm needles I'm now onto my 4th swatch and up to 9mm. I know I knit tight, but this seems ridiculous :facepalm;

I just want to start the bloody jumper!!

 

[RubyToogood]

For fairisle I hold the two colours either side of my (right) index finger.

 

[wayward bob]

Biddlybee i always think one day i'll have enough swatches for a blanket, making the time spent doing them theoretically progress

 

[campanula]

Fuck, fuck, fuck- beret disaster. The Fairisle beret, which I admit to wild swapping between patterns and using different wools, despite having a minuscule gauge (30, 38) is immense (I panicked and increased the stitch numbers to 210, then, changed tack and totally buggered up the sizing (I do not wear berets so had no real frame of reference) - Anyhow, I also mixed the yarn with Kidsilk which is a nightmare to unravel...so at this stage, I am contemplating a bit of gentle felting and blocking -but having done neither before cos I am idle and impatient), I am not optimistic.
And the scarf for DiL is bloody endless. I always, always forget how long and boring garter stitch is - only a quarter through...and the fingerless gloves for another DiL don't match (attention deficit...again). So far, the sum total of completed Xmas knitting is one child's hat (a nice one though).

 

[campanula]

For fairisle I hold the two colours either side of my (right) index finger.

Me too. Have never managed different yarns in both hands.

The wool I'm using recommends 6.5mm needles

What wool?

 

[innit]

I've got to rip the jumper back to the ribbing as my tension's way off - I didn't swatch as it's in the round and my rib and purl tensions are very different, plus my new English tension is presumably different again. Think I've got the hang of one strand in each hand though.

 

[polly]

I am idle and impatient too, campanula. I hope it's salvageable. For solidarity: I am making some really basic things as Christmas presents because I don't want to mess them up, but am shit bored by them and today had to sew something up FIVE times because I am so cackhanded and incapable of focusing, and then the fancy, fluffy yarn broke in half because I'd yanked it about too much.

But I got some nice thin mohair from a charity shop for 30p a ball.

 

[Biddlybee]

Thin fluffy wool will forever make me shudder, (made my eczema flare like a bastard and I had to pick fluff out of cuts all over my fingers!), looks pretty though

I've got to rip the jumper back to the ribbing as my tension's way off - I didn't swatch as it's in the round and my rib and purl tensions are very different, plus my new English tension is presumably different again. Think I've got the hang of one strand in each hand though.

There's a cheat for doing a swatch on circulars, which is what I've been doing. I haven't gone the whole hog and washed them though; I undo them and use the yarn.

What wool?

Chunky merino, 9mm seem spot on and finally cast on!

 

[campanula]

9mm seem spot on and finally cast on!

9mm needles! I have never gone above 6mm (although I do have some huge wooden ones in 8,9 and 10mm). Now tempted to double up some yarn and have a go but I would imagine that I knit more than twice as fast on smaller 4.5mm needles. Displacement activity swatch coming up as I am sick of looking at my current fails (although I think I have a workaround for the beret involving grafting...having chanted my favourite Elizabeth Zimmerman mantra ' I AM mistress of my own knitting'.

Pics when done.

 

[Me76]

I reuse my swatch yarn too Bee. Frugal.

 

[Biddlybee]

They are ridiculously big needles (not quite as comedy as my 15mm ones ), but it means I should finish this by the end of November, then can start on the baby's.

 

[campanula]

Well, I have saved the beret by turning up the rim, threading with I-cord and leaving enough ends to make a little bow at the back. It now has the shape of those men's berets with a leather rim-roll (not sure that is the correct term). Just need to make a plywood template to 'set the tam' (none of my plates are 10inch diameter). Also, abandoned first glove, keeping the second and starting on a third...so back on track with 2 completed gifts, 2 halfway done and 2-3 still to do.

 

[campanula]

O ffs - I have this weird dysfunction where I can't tell left from right...and fuck me, I have just done another left-handed glove (there are now 3 of them). Ah fuck it - the pattern is really bright and busy - am just going to seam up the sides and ignore the slight palm discrepancy -although suspect I will end up keeping them for myself and doing something else for the intended recipient. Otoh, I have been doing a cowl for daughter's ex which is turning out really nice. Alpaca in aran weight but knitted in a sort of interrupted rib on fine (3mm) needles, so it is really dense, but soft...(which I would really like to keep for myself).

 

[polly]

The cowl sounds gorgeous, campanula I hanker after alpaca but it's so expensive. Pics? Or are you going to finish it first?

I'm making mittens for a very soft, ladylike, square friend, so have had to suspend all my own opinions on what is nice. Using that fine wool with sequins in

 

[campanula]

OK, I whipped the camera out to take some pics (and cheer myself up after the three glove disaster)
Little doe hat, kidsilk beret, cowl, three freaking LH gloves and half done scarf. They all look a bit pinker than IRL

 

[RubyToogood]

OK, I whipped the camera out to take some pics (and cheer myself up after the three glove disaster)
Little doe hat, kidsilk beret, cowl, three freaking LH gloves and half done scarf. They all look a bit pinker than IRL

I would be extremely happy to get any of those.

 

[polly]

I would be extremely happy to get any of those.

Me too! They're lovely. I especially love the little doe hat.

 

[Me76]

OK, I whipped the camera out to take some pics (and cheer myself up after the three glove disaster)
Little doe hat, kidsilk beret, cowl, three freaking LH gloves and half done scarf. They all look a bit pinker than IRL

The beret and scarf for me please. Gorgeous and I admire you for doing that work for other people.

 

[Me76]

I've been happily knitting away at my houndstooth jumper with super soft wool and today checked the pattern and I should have started shaping for arms about 8cms ago.

I can't unravel as a) it's a fluffy yarn that binds and catches and b) I have been sewing in ends as I go so I don't get too bored at the end.

I am convincing myself it's fine as when I follow patterns diligently I am almost always annoyed that they come up short. This will obviously be the one that proves me wrong, but there's nothing I can do about it now.

 

[RubyToogood]

I've never had a project I couldn't unravel. I keep seeing comments on Ravelry saying that eg Kidsilk Haze can't be unravelled and it's bollocks,I've done it loads of times. Maybe they're expecting it to just slide apart and give up when it doesn't. You have to go slowly, and occasionally for really hairy yarns you need to have a teeny snip of the fibres now and then.

The sewn in ends will just come out as you unravel.

I've been happily knitting away at my houndstooth jumper with super soft wool and today checked the pattern and I should have started shaping for arms about 8cms ago.

I can't unravel as a) it's a fluffy yarn that binds and catches and b) I have been sewing in ends as I go so I don't get too bored at the end.

I am convincing myself it's fine as when I follow patterns diligently I am almost always annoyed that they come up short. This will obviously be the one that proves me wrong, but there's nothing I can do about it now.

 

[Siouxsie]

Me76
I stupidly decided to knit an Angora lace scarf ages ago and couldn't unravel it because of it matting. I read in a mag to put it in the freezer for an hour to relax the fibres...it worked!
You could always give it a go

 

[polly]

I'm knitting some mittens and the thumb gusset part of the pattern is total bollocks (free on ravelry, no reviews, should have looked into it more). I improvised on the first one, using a m1l then m1r on either side.

Should I swap this round for the left mitten? Ie m1r then m1l? Sorry if this is obvious, my brain shuts down when I try to think about it.

 

[wayward bob]

I've been happily knitting away at my houndstooth jumper with super soft wool and today checked the pattern and I should have started shaping for arms about 8cms ago.

is this bottom-up? i'd Iive with the extra length tbh