Craft club topic of the month - knitting!

[campanula]

I prefer fingerless gloves to fingery ones cos of touchscreens etc.

I thought they might be useful for fiddling about with seeds (don't have any sort of screens)...but I dunno, it felt like my vest was untucked or something. I almost prefer all over cold rather than sneaky draughts or freezy fingertips or ears.I absolutely cannot see the point of a beret either (warming the bits of my head which already has hair)...although I have a giant one which I pull down to chin length - true, it has all the elegance of a plastic bag on my head but....warm ears.
In the interests of warmer necks, I have raced straight onto MY cowl although I have done grand-daughter's hat. I have gone a bit mad with Vikkel braids (or Latvian braids) after 50 years of stolid knit and purl, dutiful offspring knitting. When I did garden design, 'Less is more' was often on my lips - advice I have never even considered for myself...cramming in a huge mish-mash of random stuff. Knitting obviously going in the same direction.

 

[wayward bob]

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.

can i send my mitten to you please? undoing this too-tight cast-off is a bastard

 

[wayward bob]

i'm making fingerless for me atm cos i want them as under-gloves for camera fiddling in the dark, something quite specific. but i wear fingerless a lot for indoors and i get too hot when i'm out and walking to need full-length very often.

 

[Siouxsie]

mmm. sure |I answered this so a response will be floating around in cyberspace somewhere. Nonetheless, mine is a Clover brand gadget and should be available from decent yarn shops...but if not, Knitpicks UK does them...and if you put 'tarn guide' into a search engine, several appear, often from China. I would avoid the metal eyelet one and try to get the 19mm plastic version. Sits on your left hand index finger.

Thank you, I've ordered the Clover one...who knows, I may end up with pucker free Fair Isle now

 

[polly]

Thank you, I've ordered the Clover one...who knows, I may end up with pucker free Fair Isle now

Do you think it would help with that? I've started learning stranding using continental style, and my tension is a bit shit and inconsistent at the best of times, so I had to rip quite a lot out the first time. Since then I have been painstakingly loosening the strands every time I change colour after more than a couple of stitches. It's quite slow

 

[campanula]

What I am finding, polly, (in exactly the same position as you) is that I have to position my left index finger at a difficult angle, as well as trying to maintain tension (which is too loose)...and my finger aches like fuck. The yarn guide does, at least, stop the yarn from sliding off my index finger and does indeed, provide just a tad more tensioning. At this (learning) stage, it is still fairly slow going but, being able to use 2 hands is also fantastic for ribbing (continental for knit, english for purl) and although there is still some deep muscle memory to overcome, I am making myself do at least a row at a time using both hands before sliding back into my comfortable (but inefficient) right hand yarn swapping. I think it is worth ordering one - for less than a fiver (with postage), it does definitely improve my knitting (am pondering trying a knitting belt next).
I don't strand more than 3 stitches without crossing yarns at the back of the work...but not sure if that would make a difference if your tension is too tight.

 

[polly]

Thanks campanula, yeah that sounds familiar. I at least have the benefit of being a complete beginner - I've learned continental at the same time as learning stranding - so no muscle memory to overcome. I'll get one at some point when I've been paid... January finances. That is such an excellent point on ribbing too - I hadn't considered that!

Yes, I also need to look at crossing yarns but brain currently full.

 

[polly]

crossing yarns

Well this is a revelation Has really helped.

 

[Siouxsie]

Do you think it would help with that? I've started learning stranding using continental style, and my tension is a bit shit and inconsistent at the best of times, so I had to rip quite a lot out the first time. Since then I have been painstakingly loosening the strands every time I change colour after more than a couple of stitches. It's quite slow

I'm hoping it will work, polly .....my tension is very hit and miss when it comes to Fairisle.... With normal knitting I'm very even and neat, it's so annoying!
Unfortunately I can't blame being a beginner

 

[campanula]

Aaaargh - had a completely mental moment on the Jamieson's website (sooooo many colours) and ordered 14 balls of spindrift (all different colours) as I am going to knit myself a Fairisle cardigan. I last made one of these in 1977 - took me 10 months and the fucking idiot partner PUT IT IN THE WASH. Not even any old wash...but the hot cycle in one of the college machines. Because squatting: no hot water, small child, sympatico college gatekeeper -(Trinity Hall, in fact) - and endless baths and laundry facilities. Too disheartened to ever attempt again, (although I cut up the jumper to make mittens)...till now.

 

[polly]

I finished my first attempt at Fair Isle. You can see where i ripped out the first one This is because I'm too impatient to figure out how to put the needles back in properly. But they're just for me. I know the tension in the pattern is all over the place too (it's worse on the other side!). But it's much more entertaining than knitting one colour, and my kids have requested a pair each, so I will try again!

 

[RubyToogood]

I finished my first attempt at Fair Isle. You can see where i ripped out the first one This is because I'm too impatient to figure out how to put the needles back in properly. But they're just for me. I know the tension in the pattern is all over the place too (it's worse on the other side!). But it's much more entertaining than knitting one colour, and my kids have requested a pair each, so I will try again!

View attachment 126442

Those are lovely!

 

[Siouxsie]

They are beautiful, polly
You really underestimate the quality of your work

 

[campanula]

Here you go though - for anyone wanting to really explore the technical limits of knitting (and I do) -check out ths incredibly useful blog:
TECHknitting: 2006

 

[polly]

They are beautiful, polly
You really underestimate the quality of your work

Thank you love, but I have taken photos that don't show the shit bits, to send to my sister

 

[campanula]

I can't believe how long it has taken me to connect my two major interests, yarn and horticulture...but finally, the prospects of natural dyeing has penetrated my dense winter skull, so I have tentatively ordered seeds of madder, weld, woad and coreopsis, to start a dyers garden. Vanishing down the rabbit hole of mordants and fixatives...and even (insanely) pondering hand spinning as well.

 

[Me76]

Isn't it weird how you forget stuff. I'm going to knit a pair of booties at the weekend. I'm using the same pattern that I've used before and I am looking at it and thinking ' how the hell does that work?'.

It obviously does, as I did it before. But I have no memory of it at all!!!

 

[Biddlybee]

They are beautiful, polly
You really underestimate the quality of your work

This ^ you are a perfectionist though polly

They really are lovely though, and I'd never guess you'd only been knitting a few months!

I've not knitted since December. I need a project!

 

[Biddlybee]

Can anyone tell me, has this got another name? I searched for star stitch.

Also, does it lie flat or curl?

 

[Me76]

Today I snapped one of my gorgeous wooden knit pro needles

And I have completely forgotten how to do Kitchener stitch and videos aren't helping. Total brain block.

 

[wayward bob]

Vanishing down the rabbit hole of mordants and fixatives...and even (insanely) pondering hand spinning as well.

spindle spinning is a whole load of fun. if you have any plans to acquire a spinning wheel hit me up first as i have one that doesn't get used

 

[wayward bob]

this is way cool but surely impossible

 

[Me76]

Can anyone tell me, has this got another name? I searched for star stitch.

op

Also, does it lie flat or curl?

Daisy stitch? Knit Daisy Stitch Round ~ anaf.info for .

It's very pretty.

 

[wayward bob]

Today I snapped one of my gorgeous wooden knit pro needles

i was forever snapping wooden dpns when i used them. if it's any consolation broken needles make great stitch holders for cabling if you file them down.

 

[campanula]

While waiting for my Shetland wool, I made a little cap (Hesh, by Stephen West) but came to my senses realising that a 60 year old 'pixie' is a ridiculous idea, so have given hat to DiL - who, as a tiny teeny part Irish, part Malay woman, really does look exactly like a pixie...even without the hat.

 

[campanula]

And I have completely forgotten how to do Kitchener stitch and videos aren't helping. Total brain block.

I fucking HATE Kitchener stitch - totally crapped out, put up with internal seam and did a 3needle cast off the last time grafting was required (after doing a top down jumper but knitting sleeves from bottom up and having a tricky arm/yoke join). After 3 or 4 (too tight) attempts, the wool was losing all integrity, so had to come up with summat. The cast off worked fine (in comparison).

 

[Me76]

I fucking HATE Kitchener stitch - totally crapped out, put up with internal seam and did a 3needle cast off the last time grafting was required (after doing a top down jumper but knitting sleeves from bottom up and having a tricky arm/yoke join). After 3 or 4 (too tight) attempts, the wool was losing all integrity, so had to come up with summat. The cast off worked fine (in comparison).

This is for the bottom of some baby booties so I need to keep trying or little baby will have a seam on his sole.

I'm hoping that processing stuff overnight will give me clarity tomorrow. I've knitted these before so I have done it!!

 

[campanula]

Yep, I have done bootees like that...and suspect I just cast off then sewed the edges together. Any faint seam didn't matter since the infant wasn't likely to be walking in the bootees (at 3 months old). At least it is on the bottom so if it ends up a little ruffled or uneven, it won't matter too much. I have gotten both more fatalistic and forgiving about mistakes, yet more conscientious in doing stuff like properly weaving in ends. Perfection will never be achieved.

 

[wayward bob]

i has knitting progress : one pair of mittens down two to go, remembered how to fairisle eventually and now the first pirate mitten is on its way. plain sailing from here until 1/3 into the last pair and realise i'm short of yarn

 

[Me76]

Clarity on Kitchener stitch came today and booties are finished.