Craft club topic of the month - knitting!

[wayward bob]

Ah, the acrylic won't take a water-based dye, so there will be some variation in the finished colour if you try to dye it with domestic dyes.

i could live with a heathered effect, but i'm coming to the conclusion i should really leave it be. shame, was looking forward to getting my dyepot out again.

 

[Biddlybee]

Erm... the rowan felt like softer to the touch than the new lanark, and didn't irritate my hands. But now my jumper is done its a bit itchy so, I'm hoping a soak and a rinse in vinegar will soften it a little bit.

 

[crustychick]

can I ask a dumb newbs question - where do you all find your lovely patterns?

I want to knit something lovely but I don't know where to begin. I've done a few scarfs and hats but I'd love to do a big project like a jumper or cardi for me!

 

[Biddlybee]

I got a few of my first projects from friends - photocopied pages of their books, then some from http://www.knitty.com, now most from https://www.ravelry.com

http://www.twistcollective.com/ have some gorgeous patterns if you like cabling.

and some lovely patterns on garn studio site too, although I think a lot are translated: http://www.garnstudio.com/index_lang.php

 

[crustychick]

wow - that ravelry site is amazing - thanks Biddly

 

[moose]

New knitty's up www.knitty.com
I fancy a Lia!

 

[Hellsbells]

I is knitting this
http://www.garnstudio.com/lang/en/visoppskrift.php?d_nr=103&d_id=1&lang=us
Except in a rose pink colour. The wool is gorgeous. Big and soft and chunky and SO lovely to knit with. Dead quick aswell, I've nearly finished and have never knitted anything so quick in my life.

 

[Biddlybee]

New knitty's up www.knitty.com
I fancy a Lia!

oooh, nice

I is knitting this
http://www.garnstudio.com/lang/en/visoppskrift.php?d_nr=103&d_id=1&lang=us
Except in a rose pink colour. The wool is gorgeous. Big and soft and chunky and SO lovely to knit with. Dead quick aswell, I've nearly finished and have never knitted anything so quick in my life.

Are you using their yarn too? Let me know how it turns out... I've got it in a queue of possibles, but wasn't sure after seeing how some peoples projects turned out.

 

[Hellsbells]

Are you using their yarn too? Let me know how it turns out... I've got it in a queue of possibles, but wasn't sure after seeing how some peoples projects turned out.

Yes, using their yarn. It's looking good so far, although I think it may be a bit gigantic, even though I'm supposedly doing the extra small size.

 

[RubyToogood]

New knitty's up www.knitty.com
I fancy a Lia!

I can't get excited about knitty patterns any more. Is it me or them?

 

[moose]

I suspect both, so I'm a bit the same! There are a lot more places to get free patterns these days, so knitty doesn't look so exciting. I used to want to knit everything on there, but now I rarely do. The odd one still tickles my fancy, though.

 

[RubyToogood]

I got very overexcited today. There is a shop in Croydon called Tiger, which is like a really really nice pound shop. They've had knitting wool before (acrylic) so I popped in to have a look and they had kid mohair for £1 a ball. It's 85% kid mohair, 15% polyamide, hairier than Kidsilk Haze and of course not as nice, but that sort of thing. Dark plummy purple, burgundy, acid green and buttermilk colours. Also some other less nice wool - a couple more mohair blends, one of them sparkly, and some acrylic.

They have more shops in London and the South East: http://www.tigerstores.co.uk/store_locator.html

 

[moose]

Nice! I'm knitting a top with that now, in the burgundy - found it in a bargain basket in Buxton. (get me and my alliteration!)

 

[RubyToogood]

I wish you'd join Ravelry moose so I can see your projects!

 

[moose]

I should do, but I'm already spread a bit thin online - I'd never have time to keep it updated

 

[Biddlybee]

Well post pics of your knitting things on fb then... I want to see what you make

 

[moose]

I've put a few up - there are zillions more

 

[Biddlybee]

I need a bit of help from those learned in the ways of wool/yarn

This pattern says to use their alpaca which I think is about DK along with a strand of glittery stuff which i'm thinking isn't very thick at all. I don't really want to use the glittery stuff, so if I can get the tension right I'll be ok with plain DK won't I?

Also, their alpaca looks quite sturdy compared to other fluffier ones I've used in the past. The yarn I pick will make a difference in how the pattern shows up and how the cardy keeps its shape, won't it?

 

[RubyToogood]

Drops Alpaca is a little thinner than a DK. You might need to do some sums and knit a slightly smaller size if you're going to use DK at a normal DK tension. However, unless you've already got something you want to use, you could do a lot worse than use the yarn called for as (a) Drops stuff is quite cheap and (b) I've seen the Alpaca and it's really nice.

I think you can safely ignore the glittery stuff as they give the same tension for that cardigan as the normal tension for Alpaca.

These people sell Drops: http://www.scandinavianknittingdesign.eu/index1.html

 

[Biddlybee]

Cheers Rubes. I was half tempted to get some drops alpaca, but my only reservation is that I can't feel it first. I'm really sensitive, and soft to someone else is dead itchy to me.

They list merino and safran as alternative yarns on the pattern page.

 

[RubyToogood]

Ah. Again those are both a bit thinner than a DK. A similar weight yarn that springs to mind is Debbie Bliss Baby Cashmerino.

 

[Biddlybee]

I've only ever used cashmerino aran not DK

Do you think they'd be a lot of difference between the alpaca, merino and cotton in terms of how they hang? If not I'll play it safe and go for merino or cotton.

 

[RubyToogood]

NB that was Baby Cashmerino, not Cashmerino DK. Two different things. I'm not a huge fan of any of those mind as I suspect they don't wear that well.

Erm. Yes, I think they would all be a bit different in terms of hang. Alpaca is drapier than merino, and cotton is drapier than that. Cotton is really really drapey.

BTW I think one of the Artesano alpacas is also about that sort of gauge and that they have it in Sharp Works, so you could go and have a squish there.

 

[Biddlybee]

Ah, I've not seen or touched the baby cashmerino.

I've got some artesano alpaca, and it's ok for my gauntlets just about, but can't see me wearing a cardy with a vest underneath for very long - too much skin contact. I reckon merino might be the way to go then, if it's the least drapey, and they have brown too

 

[RubyToogood]

Finished Not that flattering when done up but very cosy. I want to put some pockets on it though.

 

[wayward bob]

looking damn fine ruby

i'm a knitting fuckup atm, my owl jumper is finished save grafting the dozen or so stitches under the arms and i can't make myself pick it up to finish it, it's been like that a month at least

 

[Biddlybee]

It's lovely Rubes, and you look fantastic in both pictures!

I'm just finishing off some mittens then going to sort out swatch for next jumper or cardy. No knitted xmas presents this year!

Finish bob, we need to see pics, and it'll look gorgeous on

 

[RubyToogood]

Grafting is horrible. Award yourself a prize when done?

I've got that lovely liberated "I can knit anything I like now" feeling.
Next on my knitlist really is this, in cornflower blue Mirasol Miski, which is baby llama and soft as anything: http://philosoknitter.blogspot.com/2008/04/francis.html
Might do these gloves first: http://www.kangaroo.uk.com/pattern/2861/2831.php

Got the wool for both.

 

[Biddlybee]

oooh, llama, I'll have to have a stroke when you're done.

gloves look very intricate too, almost like cross stitch.

 

[RubyToogood]

You're right actually, they look bloody fiddly. Not sure if it's intarsia or fairisle, or how many colours per row.