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I had someone seriously bug me for a knitted sweater "just like this one". "this one" cost $80. I found a similar pattern, figured the yarn cost, figured the time it would take and "well, it's a skilled trade and I'll be providing my own tools so that's double minimum wage.. so that sweater will be $1675" That shut her up. My issue is a family member is pregnant and will be EXPECTING a blanket, and I frankly don't want to give her one. But if I don't there will be a huge uproar and somehow my mom will get dragged into it and OMG.
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Sep 27, 2012 01:44
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Wandering Knitter posted:On the other side I get people who refuse to believe I knit and crochet. Usually older women who are shocked, SHOCKED that I can do both. To the point where one woman accused me of lying. And no, she wasn't kidding. I learned how to crochet first, so knitting was easy. Most of the people I know who are in disbelief that I can do both learned how to knit first.
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Sep 27, 2012 01:59
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Crochet isn't even that hard. How are people stunned by this? Neither of them are that hard you just sort of have to practice like with anything else. I make about three people gifts. Everyone else I basically tell "nope gently caress off." Sometimes I'll make something for someone on a whim, but mostly I'm very selfish.
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Sep 27, 2012 02:59
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My gift process has three crucial steps. 1. I offer to knit something for you. Volunteering yourself isn't going to work. 2. We iron out the details together. If I was thinking of a hat, you're not getting an Aran sweater. If your house is all serene neutrals, you don't want a neon pillow. I don't want to knit miles of stockinette, you want a scarf sort of like that, but narrower and without the fringe. 3. You get it when you get it. It'll happen eventually, but those might be next winter's gloves. Everyone gets advance warnings about this, plus occasional updates. With those in place, it's amazing how drama-free everything is. Obviously there are exceptions -- sometimes I know someone well enough to know she wants green mittens, sometimes I finish something but hang onto it until someone wants it, once I wanted to knit a super-bulky sweater in a hurry so I offered to any small sizes -- but those are the rules of thumb for knitting without additional stress.
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Sep 27, 2012 04:00
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i like nice words
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Amykinz posted:I had someone seriously bug me for a knitted sweater "just like this one". "this one" cost $80. I found a similar pattern, figured the yarn cost, figured the time it would take and "well, it's a skilled trade and I'll be providing my own tools so that's double minimum wage.. so that sweater will be $1675" That shut her up. My issue is a family member is pregnant and will be EXPECTING a blanket, and I frankly don't want to give her one. But if I don't there will be a huge uproar and somehow my mom will get dragged into it and OMG. Tell them you've developed carpal tunnel, or are developing arthritis in the wrists, and you're laying off the knitting as a preventative measure. Surely offering to chip in a bit of money at a baby shower will distract them from demanding a blanket?
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Sep 27, 2012 04:09
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I am lucky enough to know several other knitters and crocheters so no one really asks me for anything. I've made hats for my boyfriend, sister, and a friend's baby, and I made an amigurumi for a friend when I was learning to crochet. Other than that, I haven't done many gifts. I've made scarves for a couple friends that they claimed to absolutely adore, but I can count the number of times I've seen both scarves worn on one hand. One of them was even given back to me after a few months. 
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Sep 27, 2012 04:11
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I was thinking about this today and came up with a plan with a classmate: a knit/crochet gift exchange. I knit and can't crochet, she crochets and can't knit. I like the idea of tradesies instead of trying to figure out payment or making things as favors.
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Sep 27, 2012 04:14
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Wedemeyer posted:Tell them you've developed carpal tunnel, or are developing arthritis in the wrists, and you're laying off the knitting as a preventative measure. Surely offering to chip in a bit of money at a baby shower will distract them from demanding a blanket? Sadly this is a "first level" family member, (aka like a sister-in-law) that I see nearly weekly. I'll probably just weave a blanket or sew a baby quilt or something. Anything else regarding the relationship is E/N so I'll leave it out of here.
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Sep 27, 2012 05:30
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What if you get chunky yarn and do something nice and open on large needles? At least then you'd be done with it much sooner. I have a friend that willingly knits baby blankets for everyone we know that is expecting. She gets nice sport/dk weight yarns, too. I have no idea how she does it, especially since this seems to be the year that everyone is getting knocked up.
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Sep 27, 2012 06:11
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The most successful knitted gifts I've made have been a series of hats for my boyfriend. He's on his fourth now and when weather permits, he pretty much only takes them off when he's in uniform or in the shower. He even sleeps in them, which I find absolutely adorable.
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Sep 28, 2012 00:06
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My mum knitted a blanket using chunky wool which was a blend of acrylic, wool and mohair. She knit panels in garter stitch and then I sewed up the panels using mattress stitch. It is unbelievably warm it has both wool and mohair and if you had a blend with acrylic then it would be easier to wash. (Babies are messy...) My mum can't knit too fast and can only knit for an hour or so at a time due to joint problems but she managed to produce a sizable blanket for about £30 in materials. Even something basic like that has so much charm and sentmental value. Is it a blanket for the baby or is the expecting mother wanting one?
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Sep 28, 2012 23:23
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Hoping there are some math whizzes in here who can help me out. I'm trying to work out a rough estimate for the required yardage of yarn given the dimensions of a (thankfully rectangular) project. The formula I have so far is: Height x width = dimensions in square inches. Stitches per inch x rows per inch = stitches in a square inch. Stitches in a square inch x size in square inches = total number of stitches, then multiply by 3 because it's knitted with 3 strands held together. This gives the true total # of stitches. Then I need to work out the number of stitches per inch of yarn. Divide the total number of stitches by ^ to get the inches of yarn required. Divide by 36 to find the yardage required. Does that make sense to anyone else? Yes, emailing the designer would be much easier. But I've never had much luck getting people on Rav to message me back. Also I was bored and wanted to test myself.
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Oct 1, 2012 23:55
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I would say to get gauge in the stitch pattern, then knit a 5x5 or 10x10 square in the pattern. Weigh that swatch and then you can work out yarn to square inch of knitting.
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Oct 2, 2012 00:22
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Amykinz posted:I would say to get gauge in the stitch pattern, then knit a 5x5 or 10x10 square in the pattern. Weigh that swatch and then you can work out yarn to square inch of knitting. I'm trying to work out yardage before buying the yarn. I'm ordering it from WEBS and it takes a few weeks to get to me. I'd like to order it all at once if I can.
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Oct 2, 2012 07:31
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 Heart-shaped lace in some of my handspun for a friend's daughter. I ended up with a 40" scarf out of about 198 yards. It's blocking now, hoping I can get it to 48".
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Oct 4, 2012 23:29
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When you soak a piece that used heavily dyed yarn, how long do you soak it for to make sure it doesn't bleed all over everything you own? I'm almost done knitting a cowl, and I used a Madelinetosh yarn in a deep green. The entire time I've been knitting it, the dye has rubbed off on my hands. I wash my hands after knitting it and it comes off pretty easily, but it is a huge pain. I was planning on soaking it in cold water when it's finished, but I dunno if that does much of anything. Any suggestions?
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Oct 4, 2012 23:45
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Madelinetosh is gorgeous, but a known hot mess. Look up the madtosh Ravelry group, and there's a thread about color running. The general advice is synthrapol, but I haven't tried it myself, and they get into way more detail there.
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Oct 5, 2012 00:29
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I have used vinegar to set dyes in animal fibers before. I don't use much, though, because the smell can be hard to get out.
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Oct 5, 2012 17:53
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I think the deal with Tosh isn't that the dye isn't set, but that it's oversaturated (unsurprising when you look at some of their color ways like Fathom). I've only knit a few things with it but I only noticed some due running when I blocked the FO and haven't had any problems you'd expect from unset dye like fading. I am a little concerned since I just ordered three colors to crochet a striped baby blanket, but I think soaking the skeins prior should be enough to shake out the extra dye.
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Oct 5, 2012 20:13
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I'm pretty new to knitting, and just finished my first scarf. I'd only really done crochet before, and did some swatch-type knit projects before starting this triangle scarf pattern. I'm super proud of it and can't wait to wear it, which is a relief. I worry like crazy and kept convincing myself that it would end up as a disaster that I'd have to foist off on someone  Sorry about the photo quality, crap camera, you know the deal. The yarn made some pretty stripes:  This is more true to the colors:  Now I can start on something a little more complicated.
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Oct 6, 2012 01:24
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Hooooooooly poo poo I love that scarf!  I think I even got some awesome yarn I can use for that! And I love the tassels on the ends!
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Oct 6, 2012 01:32
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Thanks!  I used the method and dimensions from this purl bee scarf for the tassels. I think it'd look cute with short, stubby tassels too, but my scarf needed the extra length.
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Oct 6, 2012 01:47
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That is freaking gorgeous. I love the tassels too. Just wowza.
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Oct 6, 2012 02:47
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Oxnard, I am crazy about this scarf. 
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Oct 6, 2012 04:25
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That's gorgeous, especially if you're new to knitting. When I was learning I did nothing but garter stitch rectangles for the longest time.
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Oct 6, 2012 12:11
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Aw geez, thanks guys! I tried to learn as much as I could with this scarf, learned Russian joins, changed color at the end, and blocked it to extend its width. In at the deep end, as they say. I'm still super slow, had to frog tons of it numerous times, and for some reason I purl faster than I knit. Now I have to figure out something to do with this malabrigo dk weight yarn I have. It looked great in skein form, okay in ball form, and like dog barf camouflage in both crochet and knit swatches. I've re-dyed half of it(I bought two skeins, oh god) with a food coloring/vinegar concoction and it looks better, but I doubt that I can get the other half even close to the same color so that limits me to smaller projects. I think I might try some fingerless gloves this time around.
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Oct 6, 2012 21:22
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Oxnard, don't rule out striping! Striping "wild" colors with something more plain (I usually use kettle dyed/semi solids for this, I don't like the look of a multi and full out solid, but that's personal preference, of course!) helps mute the "dog barf effect."
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Oct 6, 2012 23:22
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OxnardMontalvo posted:I'm pretty new to knitting, and just finished my first scarf. I'd only really done crochet before, and did some swatch-type knit projects before starting this triangle scarf pattern. I'm super proud of it and can't wait to wear it, which is a relief. I worry like crazy and kept convincing myself that it would end up as a disaster that I'd have to foist off on someone This is lovely. Make sure you try socks! If you're coming from a crochet background socks actually aren't that difficult.
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Oct 7, 2012 00:01
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Phishi: That's a good idea! I'm still going to dye the other half, I just can't stand to even try the way it is now, but once I've evened it out a bit, I could pair it with a nice neutral. I'll see how the color turns out before I decide. Dead Cow: Thanks! Socks are my end goal and why I picked up knitting in the first place. I always imagined they were one of the toughest things to knit, but I've watched the knitpicks sock class on youtube and I'm eager to give it a try. I'll make a dummy sock with some crummy cotton yarn and the needles I have at the moment and pick up some sock-sized needles later. Would circulars be easy enough or are DPNs the way to go?
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Oct 7, 2012 01:48
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That's a total personal choice. Some people are all for circs, some for dpns. I prefer using DPNs for socks, just because I find it fits my hands better and I don't get ladders. Other people use circs and don't get ladders. I'd recommend trying both if you can, just to see which one you prefer.
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Oct 7, 2012 01:58
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Well, I'll be using a set of circulars on my dummy sock, so we'll see how that goes, but I'll probably end up investing in a set of each if its just preference. I just have to remind myself not to splurge on expensive sock yarn until I've proved myself capable of making a pair of socks that fit.
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Oct 7, 2012 02:38
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OxnardMontalvo posted:Well, I'll be using a set of circulars on my dummy sock, so we'll see how that goes, but I'll probably end up investing in a set of each if its just preference. I just have to remind myself not to splurge on expensive sock yarn until I've proved myself capable of making a pair of socks that fit. See, I think you should use nice yarn! You can always redo it if it isn't fitting. A bonus of circs is that you can try on the sock as you go. Also I totally learned to knit just so I could make socks too. 
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Oct 7, 2012 02:51
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OxnardMontalvo posted:Phishi: That's a good idea! I'm still going to dye the other half, I just can't stand to even try the way it is now, but once I've evened it out a bit, I could pair it with a nice neutral. I'll see how the color turns out before I decide. Socks were my second project after making a scarf. I did them on DPNs, then I tried circs, now I prefer the knitting on DPNs but circs are so much faster when it comes to trying them on and doing two at a time.
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Oct 7, 2012 03:26
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Bob Shadycharacter: Oh don't worry, I won't use awful yarn. I think this dk stuff I have will make nice, warm socks, it knits up really soft, so I'll use that for my first pair. I have a feeling that if this goes at all well, I'll be making a ton of socks. And that's good to know about circulars! Dead Cow: Yeah, looks like I'll definitely get a set of each. Winter's coming and my feet will be toasty, come hell or high water! 
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Oct 7, 2012 03:47
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Well I hope you're happy, OxnardMontalvo. I went out to the local yarn store today just to pick up the yarn I would need for that triangle scarf. Maybe I'll actually be able to knit it in a month or four. If it's not too much of a bother, can you take more pictures of it? I'm curious to see how the whole thing looks laid out with the tassels.
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Oct 7, 2012 04:02
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Haha, ecstatic Here's what it looks like all laid out on the floor under terrible, yellow lighting:
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Oct 7, 2012 05:22
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Oi, forgot to add in another mention of just how beautiful that scarf is. What yarn was it? Another technique I remembered for toning down wild multis: basic fair isle, or even something like corrugated ribbing. A lot more advanced, so maybe filed for future use, but it's nowhere near as complicated as it looks! Examples would be the the Spot Check Sock and the Corrugated Stripe Socks. Same basic ideas could be applied to anything in the round. And good luck on the socks! They are not nearly as hard as a lot of people think, you just have to blindly follow the directions for stuff like turning the heel. Not hard once you know how to do it, but strangely still makes me feel super smart.
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Oct 7, 2012 06:00
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Aw thanks, the stripey stuff is Trendsetter Tonalita in Peacock and the edge plus tassels are Stitch Nation Washable Ewe in Dragonfly. Trendsetter makes some ghastly novelty yarns, but the tonalita line is quite pretty for a wool/acrylic blend. And yeah, fair isle is another 'some day' dream. Those socks look great.
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Oct 7, 2012 06:43
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After Christmas knitting I'll have to look into that! I have the feeling something EASY that's for me will be just the ticket. I've done only a bit of it in two colors and did two-handed stranding, which is probably the easiest possible way to do it if you're at all coordinated enough. Once you can work in the round and do knit stitch in both english and continental styles, you'll be ready to rock some basic fair isle!
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Oct 8, 2012 00:32
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OxnardMontalvo posted:Haha, ecstatic So cool.  And it looks like it'll be nice and warm without being too bulky. Now just to figure out a matching hat. And maybe matching gloves. I might have to go back to the store.
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Oct 8, 2012 00:52
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