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I dabbled in knitting a bit as a kid, but gave away all my knitting stuff as an adult. I've now decided I want to get back into it (and do more than a scarf this time!!) and this thread is so full of cool stuff I was inspired, so I went shopping. Basically just grabbed a host of needles and yarns that looked pretty. I bought: 3mm, 5mm and 6mm aluminimum straight needles, 35cm 2mm, 4mm and 4.5mm aluminimum circular needles, 75/80cm 1 safety stitch holder 1 knitters gauge 2 aluminimum cable needles 2 - 5mm 4 needle stoppers 3 plastic petal things (for winding onto) 1 pompom maker set 100g (160m) "Aran Tweed" (a local yarn), 100% wool, shade "Petrol blue". Needle size 4.5mm  50g (116m) "Wendy Merino bliss", double knitting, 100% wool, shade "Birch". Needle size 4mm  50g (116m) "Wendy Merino bliss", double knitting, 100% wool, shade "Very Berry". Needle size 4mm  100g (240m) "Twilley's Freedom spirit", 100% wool, shade "Aura". Needle size 4mm  100g (95m) "Colinette One Zero", 100% wool, shade "Burnt Ochre". Needle size 5.5mm  100g (270m) "Manos del Uruguay silk blend", 30% silk 70% Merino Extafine Wool, shade "Scorpio". Needle size 3.5mm-4.25mm  Favourite yarn is that last one, but going to wait til I can successfully make something pretty with it. I also bought a "Chicks with Sticks" book, but in my sleep-deprived state (I went shopping after a night shift!) I managed to buy the Crochet one instead of the Knitting one. Whoops! Considered taking it back once I realised (it was expensive in that shop and not what I need right now!) but I figure I'll keep it and try crochet later on. Anything else I need to start knitting that I'm missing? How are non-natural fibres to work with? Any recommended online yarn stores in Europe? So far I have re-learned how to cast on, knit and purl. Using one of the Wendy yarns to practise with, just unravelling it once I get a certain way through to try something new. Helanna fucked around with this message at 22:41 on Dec 1, 2010 |
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Dec 1, 2010 12:42
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Sounds like you're on the right track! I always prefer knitting with natural fibers but do some things with acrylic just because it's cheap. You should get a ravelry account, ravelry is an awesome site for knitters 
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Dec 1, 2010 18:43
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Helanna posted:Any recommended online yarn stores in Europe? Fyberspates - Lovely fancy yarn. Based in Wales. Blacker Yarns - Simple British yarn, great customer service. Hejhog - Decent prices. Stash - Nice variety on brand yarns, nice clearance selection. Kemps - Great prices, terrible website. Colourmart - They sell oiled yarn on cones. It's great quality yarn at great prices but you must wash the oil off. Get a Ravelry account and some cheap yarn to practise with. Crochet hooks are a good idea too. e: Texere - Their own brand yarn is nice. Sodium Chloride fucked around with this message at 19:05 on Dec 1, 2010 |
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Dec 1, 2010 18:55
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Look Under The Rock posted:Sounds like you're on the right track! I always prefer knitting with natural fibers but do some things with acrylic just because it's cheap. You should get a ravelry account, ravelry is an awesome site for knitters Yep, got me a ravelry account before I even went shopping  Sodium Chloride posted:websites How useful are crochet hooks when knitting?
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Dec 1, 2010 22:09
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You can use a crochet hook to bind off or pick up dropped stitches. I use mine all the time when knitting.
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Dec 1, 2010 22:16
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Helanna posted:How useful are crochet hooks when knitting? They are awesome for picking up dropped stitches, especially if you don't catch them right away. Just get one that's about the size of your knitting needles and you'll be fine. Also, I learned binding off with one needle and a crochet hook in place of the second needle. I don't know how common that is, though. (edit: I guess at least a little bit common!) You may also want to consider learning a teeny bit of crochet, as a crochet edging on a knit piece can look really nice.
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Dec 1, 2010 22:19
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Well I got that chicks with sticks crochet book by accident so I guess it will come in handy after all
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Dec 1, 2010 22:42
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Hypothetical Mcgee posted:You may also want to consider learning a teeny bit of crochet, as a crochet edging on a knit piece can look really nice.
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Dec 1, 2010 22:47
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Two finished objects to show off, woohoo! First, a hat I knit my grandmother out of handspun alpaca. It's fern glade from Knitty Winter 08:  Click here for the full 1280x960 image. Second, a pair of socks knit while drugged out on pain killers after getting my tonsils removed--these are for my other grandmother. Pattern was really easy made-up one since I was struggling to focus pretty hard:  Click here for the full 960x1280 image.
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Dec 1, 2010 23:09
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jomiel posted:What books are good for learning crochet? My mom tried to teach me but I think I need written directions. Is the chicks with sticks book good? I haven't seen the chicks with sticks one personally. I taught a friend using the Stitch N Bitch crochet book. I thought it was pretty good at explaining the basics (and has some cute projects) and she found it to be pretty easy to understand.
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Dec 1, 2010 23:09
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Helanna posted:Yep, got me a ravelry account before I even went shopping You can also use it to do a provisional cast on and there's a method of starting very small diameter circular knitting that uses a crochet chain loop as well. Oh yeah and super tiny ones are good for adding beads to your knitting.
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Dec 1, 2010 23:28
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Crochet hooks are ace for doing nupps with a large number of wraps on fine needles.
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Dec 1, 2010 23:35
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Helanna posted:So far I have re-learned how to cast on, knit and purl. Using one of the Wendy yarns to practise with, just unravelling it once I get a certain way through to try something new. Check etsy before you buy any more needles. I got a full set of DPNs for $20.
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Dec 2, 2010 03:54
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Fooley posted:Check etsy before you buy any more needles. I got a full set of DPNs for $20. Well I've discovered so far that I hate aluminium needles. And I especially hate the circular aluminium ones; the plastic cord is so inflexible it just gets in the way all the time! On the plus side, all were cheap needles, so I will experiment a bit more then buy myself some nice ones. I've been considering one of these sets: KnitPro Limited Edition Rose Interchangeable needle set - these are just beautiful or KnitPro Spectra TRENDZ Acrylic Interchangeable Deluxe Set Not sure if wood or acrylic needles are nicer to work with though? I also saw the Denise Interchangeable Knitting Needles recommended. This one has the appeal of being very compact so easy for me to cart around in my handbag. Helanna fucked around with this message at 05:31 on Dec 2, 2010 |
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Dec 2, 2010 05:26
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Metal vs. wood vs. plastic is a totally subjective thing -- before you buy a bunch of anything, please just buy one pair and see how you like them! If you want a set of interchangeables, there are a bunch of companies that offer them, but it's a good idea to read reviews and see what each set's strengths and weaknesses are. This is one of the topics that gets discussed ad nauseam on Ravelry.
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Dec 2, 2010 05:38
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i like nice words
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Personally I'm a fan of nickle plated needles. However lately I've been doing a lot of lace work so I am trying to buy more wooden needles because they're a lot grippier. I just recently got a pair of signature arts circulars and I'm a pretty big fan, though they're a little pricy. I think i'm going to buy a set of DPNs next http://www.signatureneedlearts.com/
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Dec 2, 2010 06:10
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Helanna posted:Well I've discovered so far that I hate aluminium needles. And I especially hate the circular aluminium ones; the plastic cord is so inflexible it just gets in the way all the time! This can actually be a good thing if you're just learning how to knit on the round. It's pretty useful for making sure your stitches aren't twisted when you join them, and it's also good because it holds the form really well as you watch your work grow. It doesn't get in the way once you learn how to like.. twist it. If it's getting in the way that bad, you might wanna try knitting on DPNs!
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Dec 2, 2010 09:30
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I ended up getting the Knitpro Symfonie Wood Interchangeable Needle Deluxe Set. It was a birthday gift from my grandparents and it was such a good investment. http://www.knitpro.eu/Symfonie_Wood.aspx?ch=NEEDLE&left=WO (About halfway down on the page.) The good thing is the cables are really thin and flexible. You still get problems I find when casting on and the project itself doesnt really have the weight to it to hold everything together. I did use some really cheap and nasty circulars at first. I found that boiling the kettle and dunking the cable in for thirty seconds at a time helped. It softens the plastic up and makes it a little easier to work with. I tend to do it in intervals because I was a little worried about it melting. If you are planning to do a lot of knitting I would say invest in at least one nice pair of needles. Also check charity shops! My mother-in-law has a whole bag full of gorgeous wooden needles that she bought for 30p a piece. You can also pick up cheap yarn there as well which even if you dont want to make anything with it, you can practice on it. I did that, just bought some cheap bright orange acrylic yarn and made swatch after swatch practice all the different types of technique. Then when I finally moved onto my nice 50% wool blend I could knit knowing I wouldn't make as many mistakes and do the yarn justice.
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Dec 2, 2010 13:09
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Just so you know when you're looking up reviews, Knitpro is called Knit Picks in the US, and the Symfonie needles are called Harmony. I really like bamboo, so I wanted a set of bamboo interchangeables. At the time I think the only one available was WEBS' set. (The Symfonie/Harmony are plasticy and heavily laminated -- it's not a wooden feel.) WEBS' is okay. I didn't return it, but I can't really recommend it either.
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Dec 2, 2010 16:07
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While they lack the US4 size (which drives me batty, but I have a dozen bamboo circs that size now), the Denise Interchangeables are what I have, and I like them. The tips could be pointier, but it doesn't bug me too bad. The cords have some flex, and I haven't had to buy any needle in their range since.
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Dec 2, 2010 18:39
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Anne Whateley posted:Just so you know when you're looking up reviews, Knitpro is called Knit Picks in the US, and the Symfonie needles are called Harmony. I have the Symfonie/Harmony set and I love them. I disagree about them feeling plasticy. They feel very wooden, just not bamboo-y. They feel more like knitting with rosewood. I also have bamboo circs. I'd guess I use the Symfonie/Harmony set 90% of the time and the bambo the other 10% - when I want something grippy. I'm super picky about needles - I won't use aluminum at ALL and I really really REALLY dislike acrylic (but I will use them for things like knitting with plarn). Oh yeah, I forgot - the Symfonie/Harmony needles are VERY pointy. My mother prefers not to use mine because she thinks they're too sharp.
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Dec 2, 2010 19:17
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Another vote for the Knit Picks Harmony needles being awesome. I skipped knitting with DPNs and instead learned to do "magic loop" (which is a way of using a large circular needle to knit small-circumference things like socks, which would normally be done on DPNs). For magic loop, the most flexible cable is the best, and after reviewing all my options, I found the Knit Picks set to have the most flexible cable. I couldn't even figure out how to do magic loop (or small-circumference circular knitting using two large circulars, which is another method) when I was trying to use those stupid Susan Bates and Boye aluminum circulars. It's not that I hate aluminum, it's just that the cable is so stiff that it really gets in the way. My best friend gave up entirely when trying to use those. It's a good bit of money to spent up front, but I figured that I wouldn't have to buy any needles after that, no matter what the project, except the size 1-4 needles that don't come with the set. In the long run, it saves money, especially if you're going to be magic looping instead of using DPNs. The Knit Picks sets also come in clear acrylic, which is much cheaper than the wood.
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Dec 2, 2010 20:36
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I've been fairly satisfied with my KnitPicks Harmony set up until recently, when one of the cords got pulled partially from the metal connector piece, so now if I try to use it my yarn gets snagged. I also wish that the tips were shorter so that they could have made a 16" cord for it, and I don't like substituting with Magic Loop. Right now I'm wishlisting a set of the new Addi Lace Clicks, but the waiting list is fairly long...
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Dec 2, 2010 21:02
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Helanna posted:I also saw the Denise Interchangeable Knitting Needles recommended. This one has the appeal of being very compact so easy for me to cart around in my handbag. Don't get the denise if you can help it! The joins catch all the drat time and it's such a hassle to get the yarn to move. Plus the cables have really good memory, which is really bad when you don't want it to bend at a 90 degree angle. I sort of regret ever telling the gifter about it last year, but they do get the job done. Someday I'll get some fancy smooth join sexy needle set.
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Dec 2, 2010 22:14
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I too have the Harmony set and have been very happy, though I've found I hate magic loop and will be getting a collection of larger sized DPNs as soon as finances allow. The sock set of wood DPNs is very affordable though! I like the laminate on the needles, which allows the yarn to slide nicely along (without being as slippery as metal needles). This is very important (to me) because I knit rather tightly, whereas if you knit loosely you might enjoy bamboo more. As far as plastic needles... I got a single needle/cable set to try out the Denise set and can't stand them! The joins suck and the plastic needles bend too much in my fingers, which makes my hands hurt if I knit for more than like 20 minutes. But again, I knit tightly so I'm probably putting more pressure on them then I should.... Another thing I've picked up is don't discount all aluminum needles when you just try cheap ones. Pointy-ness of the needle and the quality of the cable can make a huge difference! On a recent project I tried a different style of knitting on my old Boye straights but couldn't stand it because the stupid things were so blunt compared to my Harmony set!
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Dec 2, 2010 22:30
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Drei posted:I've been fairly satisfied with my KnitPicks Harmony set up until recently, when one of the cords got pulled partially from the metal connector piece, so now if I try to use it my yarn gets snagged. I also wish that the tips were shorter so that they could have made a 16" cord for it, and I don't like substituting with Magic Loop. Right now I'm wishlisting a set of the new Addi Lace Clicks, but the waiting list is fairly long... Contact KnitPicks - they're generally really good about replacing stuff. I would also love a 16"cable, but I'm a magic loop addict, so it's not a huge deal. Mnemosyne - I got two sizes of the clear acrylic tips, just to try them out. I think I got like US 13 & 15 cause why the hell not, right? (I already have all the other sizes in wood)...OH MY GOD, I HATE THEM. They're completely clear - I can't SEE whether my needle is in front of or behind the yarn. Plus they tend to magnify the back loop, so I was constantly convinced I'd somehow picked up the back loop as well as the front. I'd be a ton happier with them if they were tinted in some way.
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Dec 2, 2010 22:38
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I went ahead last night and bought a set of the pink Denise needles that I found online relatively cheap (more so than most websites anyway) so they should be here in a few days. I'll see what I think of them, and if I don't like them (and assuming I keep knitting over the next couple of months!) my husband said I can get the expensive limited edition KnitPro wood set for my birthday in Feb. I figure thats pretty reasonable when I've already spent hundreds on knitting stuff this week Totally going to go on a charity shop trip in the next couple of days and check for stuff. Not many charity shops around here though. Loads where my mom lives, I'll make her go shopping for me! She's great with a sewing machine too (whereas I'm hopeless with one!) so I'm going to have her make me up a project bag etc. once she gets back from her honeymoon next week.
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Dec 3, 2010 03:04
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Ok, so I'm trying to make this cowl: http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/tuesday-night-cowl It looks fabulous, but I can't figure out what the pattern is telling me! The worsted instructions tell me Cable Stitch Pattern (28 rows): Rows 1,3,5,7,9,11,15,17,19,21,23 and 25: Sl1, k70 Row 2 and all even numbered rows: Sl1, p70 That's whats killing me, I thought for the cable stitch pattern I should be working the cable stitches? That parts long and complex, but totally different from what its telling me there. Now, in the pattern instructions it says, Beginning with Row 2 (WS facing to start), work cable stitch pattern 5 times (140 total rows, including cast on row.) Does that mean I'm supposed to work rows 1-25 as said just knitting and then work the cable stitch row on 13 only? (Doing this 5 times as stated?)(Wait, and adding that up its not enough rows? What the christ!) Or am I an idiot? I can't figure this out for the life of me and I'm sure its much easier than I'm making it out to be. Help! CureMinorWounds fucked around with this message at 20:51 on Dec 3, 2010 |
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Dec 3, 2010 20:48
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CureMinorWounds posted:Ok, so I'm trying to make this cowl: http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/tuesday-night-cowl You are only doing actual "cabling" on rows 13 and 27, the other rows are either all knit or all purl. It's a 28 row pattern. 28*5 add up correctly to 140. It's a really big loose wide cable that's really more of a scrunching than a cable. You're doing a provisional caston, which is actually Row 1 of the cable pattern. Row 2 is where you start slipping the first stitch and you begin following the "instructions". So do provisional caston. Then, work rows 2 - 28 one time. Then work rows 1-28 4 times. Then put your provisional stitches on another needle and either graft with Kitchener or do a 3 needle bindoff and you're done.
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Dec 3, 2010 21:06
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I'm working on my first hat, which started on my circular needles and then have to move to the DPNs as i get closer to the top. I can't seem to find a good tutorial or video showing how to do this w/o worrying about dropping stitches in the process, etc. Anyone have anything to throw at me here? It's this WWII hat which the b/f fell in love with btw: http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/classic-world-war-ii-watch-cap
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Dec 3, 2010 21:27
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Fionnoula posted:You are only doing actual "cabling" on rows 13 and 27, the other rows are either all knit or all purl. It's a 28 row pattern. 28*5 add up correctly to 140. It's a really big loose wide cable that's really more of a scrunching than a cable. OOOOHHH. Thank you, I think I just needed someone to explain it to me. Though, new problem, I've never done a provisional cast on and didn't think it was going to be that important, guess I'll get on looking that up.
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Dec 3, 2010 21:59
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zamiel posted:I'm working on my first hat, which started on my circular needles and then have to move to the DPNs as i get closer to the top. I can't seem to find a good tutorial or video showing how to do this w/o worrying about dropping stitches in the process, etc. Anyone have anything to throw at me here? My friend made that pattern for her first circular project - the annoying thing is that it tells you to switch immediately to double points when you start the crown shaping. She had 7" DPNs but there were just too many stitches to fit comfortably on the needles, and she kept dropping stitches off either end. So for that particular pattern I would strongly recommend either finding longer DPNs (though they can be annoying to use once you have a smaller stitch count) or using stitch markers and starting the decreases on the circulars before switching over to DPNs when you need to. (Since the decreases are supposed to happen at the beginning and end of the needle, the stitch markers are to mark where your decreases are - so if you're doing the smallest size, put a marker after every 32 stitches, and you'll do the decreases before and after each marker). For general advice on using DPNs, knittinghelp.com is a good resource. Just remember that it's not so different from knitting on circulars - but instead of a cord you have 3 needles holding your work. And you're still just knitting with two needles at a time!
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Dec 4, 2010 00:34
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Fionnoula posted:Contact KnitPicks - they're generally really good about replacing stuff. I would also love a 16"cable, but I'm a magic loop addict, so it's not a huge deal. To contrast this, I love my Zephyrs to death and I never really run into confusion on placement where my needles are in the yarn?  I've only had one break and KnitPicks was amazing CS wise - I had a replacement set in less than a week and calling them for the replacement was all of 5 minutes and a very pleasant conversation.
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Dec 4, 2010 12:27
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Drei posted:advices Thanks so much for this, I don't know why I didn't think "oh hey, start decreasing on the circ until you can't anymore THEN move it over" Probably because I'm blonde, or that I got short 5" DPNs. That worked out beautifully. I took to the DPNs like a freakin fish in water, surprisingly. And even though I watched for it, I got a bit of laddering in between the needles towards the top. But I think I found a new crack cuz I'm sick of looking at large projects for a while. Couple more photos if you click through: 
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Dec 5, 2010 19:49
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That looks great! Glad to hear you took on the DPNs and came out victorious. What yarn did you use?
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Dec 5, 2010 20:18
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Hooray I finished the pallendrome scarf for my mate with the 25% John Lewis discount! Just in time for ice skating at Somerset House tomorrow. I have a horrible feeling he will somehow get in an accident with it, but that's what you get for wanting a 2m scarf. The yarn is Rowan Felted Tweed Chunky in shade 289. 50% Merino Wool, 25% Alpaca and 25% viscose. It's a much nicer colour in the flesh, my student halls have poo poo lighting and it's 10 past midnight so gently caress you if you think I'm going to try and fix a photo.
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Dec 7, 2010 01:10
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Drei posted:That looks great! Glad to hear you took on the DPNs and came out victorious. What yarn did you use? That's plain ol' Paton's Classic Wool, which knits up surprisingly soft. He's refusing to wear it to work, which was the point of the hat AND the dark coloring since he's at a railroad yard. Men! Then I felt jealous he had a hand knit hat and I, the knitter, did not, so I banged out An Unoriginal Hat today. Made with Classic Elite Yarns Beatrice colorway, which is a really soft chunky, but discontinued, Merino yarn I got in my grab bag. Did an extra repeat for the rolly uppy brim. (yes that's a technical term) Was also the first time I tackled cables and after a while, it wasn't too bad. Problem was my cable needle is metal, so I'll be buying a wooden set from knitpicks with my next order.  I really have to finish this baby blanket, but drat are hats satisfying. madlilnerd posted:Awesome scarf So cute  Did you make that tag or buy them? Never thought to put tags in.
zamiel fucked around with this message at 09:08 on Dec 7, 2010 |
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Dec 7, 2010 09:00
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Nice hat! I loooove cables so much on accessories.zamiel posted:So cute I make them because all the custom labels I've seen are too expensive for my liking. I made that one out of the edge of a canvas bag- it's already folded over and sewn so it won't fray. At home I sew the edges up on my sewing machine and then hand embroider the message. I like putting tags in for stuff I make for friends, especially if it's the first thing I've made them. Don't let them forget your hard work!  Also the drat boy didn't come ice skating today, although the other friends ooh-ed and aaah-ed at it, so I guess it passes the art student test!
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Dec 7, 2010 20:18
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My friend asked me to make him a hat, and while I have a general idea of what to do, I don't know exactly what pattern I should use for some of the parts. Here is the picture he drew:  Click here for the full 1205x865 image. For the middle parts, I was going to just knit some 2inch rows about 1 1/2 longer than the circumference of the bell part. The legs are going to be i-cords. Does anyone have any suggestions?
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Dec 8, 2010 00:54
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Robin Sparkles posted:My friend asked me to make him a hat, and while I have a general idea of what to do, I don't know exactly what pattern I should use for some of the parts. There's a pattern in the book "Amigurumi Knits" for a jellyfish - it's obviously smaller than a hat but it's quite detailed and might give you some good ideas. I loving love the book, I'm knitting a preying mantis pattern from it right now.
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Dec 8, 2010 01:03
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