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Craft club topic of the month - knitting!

The Ban can kiss my arse, now I have my new Smoking Gauntlets.

dsc00080qv2.jpg
 
substituting yarns

I've found a pattern for a little baby hat for my mate, in a debbie bliss book so says to use double knitting cotton... I haven't got any, but have loads of other types of cotton - how do I know if they're double knit, and whether they'll be an ok substitute?


ooh moose, for some reason your pic didn't come up before - they're gorgeous - mine will be very much simpler :oops: :D
 
BiddlyBee said:
I've found a pattern for a little baby hat for my mate, in a debbie bliss book so says to use double knitting cotton... I haven't got any, but have loads of other types of cotton - how do I know if they're double knit, and whether they'll be an ok substitute?
Click to expand...
Knit a tension square to the spec in the pattern. If it comes out the right size, and doesn't look too tight or too loopy, it's an OK substitute.
 
Before I even get to that point, if I have wool that recommends the same size needles am I more on the right track than picking something at random?
 
Yes, in fact if it's yarn made in the last 10 years or so, it should tell you the recommended tension on the paper band, too, so if that is anything like the tension in your pattern, you will be OK :)
 
ok... I knitted a tension square, like it said in the pattern and it was a little bit too narrow and way too long - more a rectangle.
Does that mean the yarn I tried with is too thin? :confused:
 
not that loose... I'll try with a thicker one tomorrow and see how that goes - ta again moose - I am slowly getting my head round knitting :)
 
When you get a bit more comfortable with it, you can work out how much too small it comes out and increase the number of stitches to compensate, but for now I'd stick to the thicker yarn :)
 
Yay, some other yarn I've got works out just right... it's not 100% cotton though, only 60% - that'll be ok for a baby's hat won't it?
 
Assuming the other 40% isn't something daft like silk that won't wash in a washing machine, then yes :)
 
Well since my knitter's block seems to have come to an end, I bought a load of Rowan Kid Classic in the Liberty's sale yesterday. Now begins the usual hunt for an interesting pattern in my size...
 
Liberty's sale started yesterday, John Lewis tomorrow (Saturday).

It's the only time I get enough wool for a whole jumper, because otherwise it's so extortionate, but it does leave me with the issue of finding a good pattern. The coat I've got a block about is one I was adapting a pattern for and lost confidence in my ability to do it well - that was wool I bought from the last Liberty's sale.
 
Has anyone tried knitting with bamboo 'wool'? It's so lovely and soft, but I can't think what I would use it for, as it is quite expensive...
 
Can't say I've tried it. There's a lot of wool like that though, really beautiful but so expensive you can't do all that much with it. Hats, scarves etc are the answer...
 
RubyToogood said:
Well since my knitter's block seems to have come to an end, I bought a load of Rowan Kid Classic in the Liberty's sale yesterday. Now begins the usual hunt for an interesting pattern in my size...
Click to expand...

I quite fancy knitting this:

D_PATT005067.jpg


from Rowan's "Beads, Buttons and Lace" book. Don't suppose anyone has it do they?
 
Cath Kidston is having a sale and I just got this:

p8200100_2.jpg


For £12. It's got 8 pairs of bamboo needles (sizes 3-6) in the rolly uppy needle case thing.

Actually I already have copious needles so this is a slightly silly purchase - but there are quite a few sizes there I don't have and those bamboo needles are my fav and aren't cheap separately - so a bargain I think!
 
cross-posted by way of bumping this thread

I just bought this on ebay!
aef6_1.JPG


10 balls for a tenner!

I had peeked into suburban specially to see if there was anything craft club related and sure enough there was toggle's post. Which reminded me that not only had I not done any knitting for ages but I haven't got any wool either. Which somehow inspired me to have a look on ebay (I've never used it before) and then called bluey away from his dinner to bid on this for me, with 3 min to go. And I won! I'm still buzzing from the adrenaline rush.:oops:

Now that would make a lot of very nice, very soft blanket squares but, of course, with 10 balls available I'm wondering if I shouldn't keep them for a bigger project and go back on to ebay to find some more wool for the blanket (and so a haberdashery ebay junkie was born..:eek: )

And yes, let's have a meet soon. :)
 
Bloody hell.. what a bargain... you lucky lucky thing! And apparently (according to various mags) purple is the colour of the season!! I'd make a jumper or dress out of it myself! (of course by the time I'd finished it, purple would be so two years ago.... :rolleyes: :D )
 
ok, I've got to a bit I don't fully understand in my gloves pattern...

Using waste yarn, k7; slip these sts back to the left needle and k them again using working yarn; work in 4x1 Rib as set to end.
Click to expand...
I'm guessing that waste yarn is just a bit of yarn, about the same size/width as what I'm knitting with, but a different colour, so it's a marker (for when I go back to do the thumb hole...is that right?

If it is, how do I just start knitting with it? Don't I need to secure it to something? :confused:
 
zora said:
I just bought this on ebay!
aef6_1.JPG


10 balls for a tenner!

I had peeked into suburban specially to see if there was anything craft club related and sure enough there was toggle's post. Which reminded me that not only had I not done any knitting for ages but I haven't got any wool either. Which somehow inspired me to have a look on ebay (I've never used it before) and then called bluey away from his dinner to bid on this for me, with 3 min to go. And I won! I'm still buzzing from the adrenaline rush.:oops:

Now that would make a lot of very nice, very soft blanket squares but, of course, with 10 balls available I'm wondering if I shouldn't keep them for a bigger project and go back on to ebay to find some more wool for the blanket (and so a haberdashery ebay junkie was born..:eek: )

And yes, let's have a meet soon. :)
Click to expand...


I'll say it again here, db may not be the bestnof yarns, they have a rep fpr being pilly.

howver, i'd look at a next to the skin type top with that yarn, it is too nice for blanket squares.
 
possibly one of the next craft club meets then.

or if you can't wait, there's a nice lady called sue that teaches knitting at Iknit in vauxhall.
 
I'd say craft club will be making a come-back soon. Come along and learn to knit. Meetings tend to be in and around Brixton.


ETA... Toggle makes a good point. The bloke's nights at Iknit seem popular. It's run by two lovely men too!

BUT... we could do with a man in the group here!
 
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