|
Tourette Meltdown posted:Putting my money where my mouth is re: knitting! Well done, madam! It takes a lot of guts to post your work, especially your early work. I may post mine eventually, although to be honest it will probably be just a couple of swatches that I used to practice techniques. After about a week of practicing knit stitches (including some mistakes so bad I had to pull it all out and start all over again, I finally today figured out how to do the purl stitch, and based on my excitement you would have thought I had just re-invented fire I'm sorry, but that dinosaur hat is just about the coolest thing I have every seen in my life. I like your mini scarf, too. I like to think that it is not so much a short scarf, as a potentially useful long cloth. Also, am I the only bro-knitter on SA?
|
#
?
Jul 27, 2013 18:37
|
|
|
|
| # ? May 9, 2024 16:15 |
|
|
laertes22 posted:Well done, madam! It takes a lot of guts to post your work, especially your early work. I may post mine eventually, although to be honest it will probably be just a couple of swatches that I used to practice techniques. After about a week of practicing knit stitches (including some mistakes so bad I had to pull it all out and start all over again, I finally today figured out how to do the purl stitch, and based on my excitement you would have thought I had just re-invented fire Practice makes perfect! I didn't purl for years - really. I learned to knit when I was seven, and I ONLY knit until I was in college. I doubt you're the only bro knitter here - more dudes had been taking it up lately!
|
|
#
?
Jul 27, 2013 19:13
|
|
|
Bro-knitter checking in! I started my first project a few months ago and have finally finished a sleeve, my goal is to have it done by the time it gets cold. My speed is increasing exponentially so it's looking good!
|
|
#
?
Jul 27, 2013 19:39
|
|
|
jota23 posted:I personally LOVE circular needles and use them as exclusively as possible. I dislike how larger garments pull my wrists when I am near the end of a row when I am using straight needles. Circulars always balance the bulk of the fiber between my hands thus pulls a lot less on one wrist or the other. Everyone has their preferences, but I feel that circulars are great once you learn a few tricks. I love you for this tip. I had been given a bunch of old circular needles, mostly still in the packages, and hadn't done anything with them because I figured they'd be impossible after 30+ years twisted into the packaging shape. Thirty seconds in boiling water and they're completely ready to knit with.
|
|
#
?
Jul 27, 2013 20:48
|
|
|
Another circular advocate here. I love my Knitter's Pride novas and just finished my first-ever sweater with them. The yarn is rustic as gently caress and I still have a bunch left over. 
|
|
#
?
Jul 27, 2013 21:08
|
|
|
OxnardMontalvo posted:Another circular advocate here. I love my Knitter's Pride novas and just finished my first-ever sweater with them. The yarn is rustic as gently caress and I still have a bunch left over. This is gorgeous. Y'all sweater (and cardigan!) people are way more dedicated than me - just that baby thing almost killed me. Something about garments drives me nuts, even when they're itty bitty. I love making toys, though!
|
|
#
?
Jul 27, 2013 21:14
|
|
|
Aww, thanks! I find making toys is way more fun, since it's just so fast. Plus, you can make adorable little clothes for them in no time compared to what full-sized stuff takes. One of these days, I'll master short-rows and make my own toy patterns.
|
|
#
?
Jul 27, 2013 21:35
|
|
|
Yes, that sweater looks totally awesome. I've done a shrug or two, but I don't know if I'll ever do a sweater because that kind of patience is so far beyond me. I'm not scared of finishing -- I love intricate little projects like hats and gloves and mittens -- but miles of stockinette, I could never. Needlechat: I like bamboo most of the time. For gloves/mittens, I have little metal DPNs. I have the fancy-rear end Dyakcraft set of bamboo laminate circs, but I'm pretty drat lukewarm. I do like the texture of the needles. I would probably get a set of Knitpicks Sunstruck if their quality control didn't suck and if I weren't still mad at the company for their huge security breach and ludicrous handling thereof. I'm trying Knitters' Pride Karbonz instead -- we'll see.
|
|
#
?
Jul 27, 2013 22:14
|
|
i like nice words
|
The first thing I knit was a tube-scarf. I don't have any pictures of it, but I did find a picture of the second thing I knit, a vest for my son. It was way too short and he only ever wore it once. It's still around somewhere in our boxes of too-small baby clothes, and I don't think I'll ever bring myself to get rid of it  
|
|
#
?
Jul 27, 2013 22:24
|
|
|
jota23 posted:For starters, boil some water and soak the cord connecting the two needles. If they are metal, I just drop them in the water. If they are wood or plastic, I hold the needles and soak the cord. It only takes a few minutes for the cord to lose it's springiness once it hits the hot water. As to the ongoing conversation, I don't really have a particular preference as to what kind of needles I use for my projects. I just go with whatever size I have available, regardless of needle type--I've got a scarf in the works on a pair of circulars right now, mostly because the circulars were the appropriate size and I wasn't about to go buy some straights just for one project. (Also, it's a really wide scarf.) I also just did some fingerless gloves on DPNs:  DPNs used to give me a bit of trouble until I started a certain habit: on the second stitch of each needle, insert tip of working needle, pull tightly on the working yarn, then knit stitch and continue as normal. Stitch 'N Bitch recommends it for turning rows if you tend to have loose end stitches, so I figured applying it to DPNs would help with the gaping hole problem. It's worked pretty well for me! suddenly cats fucked around with this message at 02:45 on Jul 28, 2013 |
|
#
?
Jul 27, 2013 23:53
|
|
|
Tourette Meltdown posted:
Tell me about this awesome blanket? Is it made with bobbly yarn?
|
|
#
?
Jul 28, 2013 05:37
|
|
|
Amelia Song posted:Tell me about this awesome blanket? Is it made with bobbly yarn? Yes! Bobbly yarn, I think I held two strands together. I could only find the colorway I liked at Michael's, and I bought six or eight skeins. Planned to knit it on US9s but my tension was ridiculous and that made more of a bobbly dishcloth, so it ended up coming off US15s. Pretty straightforward - CO 2, inc 1 on each side in every other row til you like the diagonal width, then decrease every other row til you're done. I think. Or you could just CO and knit a big rectangle. Clearly I paid a lot of attention while knitting it. I saw something similar on Ravelry or in a magazine maybe, and just had to have It. It's SO soft. And SO not really appropriate for very small babies because it's not a tight knit, but I love it in our nursery, and he'll grow up into it. Edit: Also, I don't think I used a pattern for my dinosaur hat, but when I make another I'll be using http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/dino-cap. Dinosaur hats for the whole family! Tourette Meltdown fucked around with this message at 12:20 on Jul 28, 2013 |
|
#
?
Jul 28, 2013 10:55
|
|
|
Here is my fiancee's first finished project (there are still tail ends as the store was out of needles, but otherwise finished). There are a few small mistakes, but I think it was good for her first attempt.
|
|
#
?
Jul 29, 2013 04:02
|
|
|
Here is my fiancee's second project, finished earlier today. She managed to crank it out in just a couple of hours, which I think is not bad for a total beginner. I will post my first project once I finish it (I'm no where near as fast as her). We noticed a big dropped stitch, but we are working towards fixing it. I will post my first project once I finish it (I'm nowhere near as fast as she is).
|
|
#
?
Jul 29, 2013 04:07
|
|
|
laertes22 posted:Here is my fiancee's second project, finished earlier today. She managed to crank it out in just a couple of hours, which I think is not bad for a total beginner. I will post my first project once I finish it (I'm no where near as fast as her). We noticed a big dropped stitch, but we are working towards fixing it. DANG! The amount of difference between her first and her second is staggering - look how even! Look at that smooth edge! She's picking it up really well. Y'all are gonna be pro-knitters in no time flat. Edit: Forgot. I decided to just finish out my layette over the weekend, so I knocked out a quick hat and pair of booties Sunday morning, and about half a pair of pants that I don't have a picture of for some reason. I love working with super thick yarn like this - I had that hat on and off the needles in about an hour, and the booties were maybe 10 min each. I'll have to do something else for straps, that brown yarn is some old crappy half-acrylic and it's just not working for me. Hat  and booties. 
Tourette Meltdown fucked around with this message at 14:12 on Jul 29, 2013 |
|
#
?
Jul 29, 2013 14:08
|
|
|
Who wants to hear a story about how my knitting bag was stolen at a music festival and the contents found (and retrieved from because I'm not losing my almost loving complete sweater) in the the toilet of a Honey Bucket? I'm down a half finished sock, some needles, and a ball of yarn, but I got my goddamn sweater which is now washed and hanging in my bathroom. "Cleaning feces from wool/silk" is not something I ever thought I'd Google. Yesterday was the worst day. Here, have a limerick: Directions were followed to the letter, My knitting just couldn't be better. But someone said 'gently caress it!' And chucked it in the Honey Bucket, And now it's just a poo poo sweater. (We came up with a lot of these. It's how I coped.)
|
|
#
?
Jul 29, 2013 22:53
|
|
|
Waddley Hasselhoff posted:Who wants to hear a story about how my knitting bag was stolen at a music festival and the contents found (and retrieved from because I'm not losing my almost loving complete sweater) in the the toilet of a Honey Bucket? I'm down a half finished sock, some needles, and a ball of yarn, but I got my goddamn sweater which is now washed and hanging in my bathroom. "Cleaning feces from wool/silk" is not something I ever thought I'd Google. Yesterday was the worst day. What the gently caress?! WHO DOES THAT. (I mean ditching it in the porta, which clogs the suction truck that comes to clean it out, resulting in a headache for everyone, not to mention the mostly-knitted-sweater)
|
|
#
?
Jul 30, 2013 03:05
|
|
|
They raided a bunch of camps. Another porta was filled with men's clothes and a backpack, but none of the clothes were actually in the shitter, so I don't know whether or not the thief actually put it there, or some drunk person later in the night. Anyway, this is the sweater in question. Everything is done but the sleeves. I just put it on, and it didn't shrink, and seems to look as it did before the shitbath. And I just started this today. I'm not really a shawl person, but I have all this lace from another shirt I was working on... the gauge was off, and it became apparent that it was going to be way too small. So instead of starting over, I'll just make something else.
|
|
#
?
Jul 30, 2013 04:04
|
|
|
^^^ Haruni is an awesome pattern, I've made it twice. Another dudeknitter checking in, though I have not done much lately as I've been focusing on the Tour de Fleece. Now that that's over I can get back to working on my dozens of UFOs. 
|
|
#
?
Jul 30, 2013 04:06
|
|
|
I've been meaning to make Haruni since I started knitting. Thinking about doing it in lace held double, one red and one a bright purple. Also I love your limerick Waddley.
|
|
#
?
Jul 30, 2013 06:16
|
|
|
left_unattended posted:I've been meaning to make Haruni since I started knitting. Thinking about doing it in lace held double, one red and one a bright purple. left_unattended posted:Also I love your limerick Waddley. This lovely silk garment I knit, As you can see, it has perfect fit. I thought this blue sweater Just couldn't get better But now, it's covered in poo poo! snail goat fucked around with this message at 21:26 on Aug 15, 2013 |
|
#
?
Jul 30, 2013 07:32
|
|
|
This was my first completed knitting project (from 2006). I held together a strand of cheap acrylic and fuzzy pink yarn, and just did garter stitch on size 10 needles until I ran out.  my first scarf 3 by frenchnewwave, on Flickr  my first scarf by frenchnewwave, on Flickr
|
|
#
?
Jul 30, 2013 14:27
|
|
|
Tactical Grace posted:Bro-knitter checking in! I started my first project a few months ago and have finally finished a sleeve, my goal is to have it done by the time it gets cold. My speed is increasing exponentially so it's looking good! Wow, way to hit the ground running with a sweater on your first project! I have been knitting for years and I have finally gathered up enough courage and money (I'm a one skein kind of gal so buying six at once was a transition for me) to start my first sweater project. I can't wait to see your finished sweater!
|
|
#
?
Jul 30, 2013 23:24
|
|
|
I recently threw a malabrigo superwash wool sweater into the dryer without thinking and it shrank to about 3/4 the size it should be   I still haven't gotten up the courage to see if blocking/stretching can save it. I'm never making another sweater EVER AGAIN.
|
|
#
?
Jul 30, 2013 23:50
|
|
|
rear end Crackers! posted:I recently threw a malabrigo superwash wool sweater into the dryer without thinking and it shrank to about 3/4 the size it should be My dad once felted a wool sweater on accident. It made a good thick jacket for a friend's toddler, at least.
|
|
#
?
Jul 30, 2013 23:59
|
|
|
rear end Crackers! posted:I recently threw a malabrigo superwash wool sweater into the dryer without thinking and it shrank to about 3/4 the size it should be Weird question (I am sorry about your sweater btw  ) but I notice that some yarns are "machine washable" or "superwash." Are some yarns actually machine washable? (Like if you throw them in, they won't shrink) I guess I'm asking because even though I knit with some superwash wool yarn, I would never consider throwing anything I've knit in the washing machine. (I definitely have waited a few months to wash & block FOs because of super laziness, but that's besides the point.)Also I have another question (somewhat related because it pertains to sweaters). Say I wanted to knit a sweater with this yarn (because I was in a yarn store and saw it and felt it and realized that I may want to sleep in a bed of it), but I've read that it has a tendency to bloom and garments become larger. Should I be knitting a smaller size to account for this? Or should I be utilizing this yarn for garments with negative ease? Positive? Ease confuses the heck out of me.
|
|
#
?
Jul 31, 2013 00:33
|
|
|
Afaik superwash is specifically made to be run through the washing machine. I always air dry everything though. Mostly. 
|
|
#
?
Jul 31, 2013 00:42
|
|
|
ackapoo posted:Say I wanted to knit a sweater with this yarn (because I was in a yarn store and saw it and felt it and realized that I may want to sleep in a bed of it), but I've read that it has a tendency to bloom and garments become larger. Should I be knitting a smaller size to account for this? Or should I be utilizing this yarn for garments with negative ease? Positive? Ease confuses the heck out of me. Swatch it for gauge! The best thing is to make at least a 4" gauge (I prefer a 6" gauge just to make sure I get the center stitches and not the oddly shaped end stitches), then wash and block your swatch. That way you can see exactly what your your yarn will do, how it will bloom, and just how small of a needle you want to use. Sometimes if a yarn has a more open weave, I'll swatch until I find the drape I want then find a pattern that matches that gauge as opposed to yarn weight or needle size. Ravelry makes it easy to search for that. Let me explain a bit about ease. If you measure your bust and it's, say, 36", then a zero ease will be a sweater that measures 36" around the bust. If you want positive ease, a looser fit, you add a couple inches to your sweater (38", for example). Negative ease, tighter fit, you subtract (34", for example). Some sweaters look better when they are tighter, while some look better when they are looser. I tend to find a project I like, then look at all the other member photos until i find one that basically fits close to my body type. That way I can see how it will look on me, and can adjust to suit. A great reference is a book called Knit To Flatter.
|
|
#
?
Jul 31, 2013 01:04
|
|
|
ackapoo posted:Weird question (I am sorry about your sweater btw I'm just starting out knitting, but I've been using knit cloths for years. The cotton ones I throw in the washer and dryer all the time, and have had no problems. Wool or acrylic, I'm not so sure.
|
|
#
?
Jul 31, 2013 02:31
|
|
|
ackapoo posted:Weird question (I am sorry about your sweater btw
|
|
#
?
Jul 31, 2013 03:31
|
|
|
laertes22 posted:I'm just starting out knitting, but I've been using knit cloths for years. The cotton ones I throw in the washer and dryer all the time, and have had no problems. Wool or acrylic, I'm not so sure. Cotton doesn't felt, so it can go in the washing machine no problem. Same with any plant-based or synthetic fiber. Linen is actually improved by throwing it through the wash a few times, because linen gives no fucks. The problem is with most animal fibers, especially wool. Wool, when subjected to heat changes and agitation, likes to become felt. This is good when you do it on purpose. Not so good when you do it accidentally. Different breeds of sheep have different felting tendencies, but generally softer means more easily feltable. I don't think mohair felts very well, but angora loves to. (but mohair can have other problems with the washing machine) Generally, just handwash anything you made out of something that came from an animal.
|
|
#
?
Jul 31, 2013 04:32
|
|
|
The only problem I've ever had with acrylic is that it tends to pill--but it does that with enough wear anyway, regardless of how frequently you throw it in the dryer.
|
|
#
?
Jul 31, 2013 06:43
|
|
|
Malabrigo yarns tend to felt if you so much as look at them wrong, too, especially the lace. I've heard of people felting their projects in Mal lace just by gently swishing them around cold water.
|
|
#
?
Jul 31, 2013 12:28
|
|
|
I wash wool (non-superwash) in the washer on a wool cycle with wool detergent. Never had a problem with it. I have a toddler and a baby who both wear lots of wool, I'd never have time to handwash it all I don't have a dryer though, so I don't know about that. Edit to say that my washer is a front loader, elextrolux, 2 years old. bilabial trill fucked around with this message at 12:57 on Jul 31, 2013 |
|
#
?
Jul 31, 2013 12:53
|
|
|
The only thing I've ever tried felting was a knit deer head trophy. It turned out surprisingly well, and now adorns my living room wall. One of these days I'll even find a wood plaque to mount it on. I used Brown Sheep's "Lamb's Pride" which is a wool-mohair blend, and it turned out great, because it's just slightly fuzzy, but I don't think that would be desirable in other projects. I don't have any finished pictures, but maybe I can get one later. Here's the pattern for anyone interested: http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/my-dear---a-deer-trophy
|
|
#
?
Jul 31, 2013 14:24
|
|
|
Mizufusion posted:The only thing I've ever tried felting was a knit deer head trophy. It turned out surprisingly well, and now adorns my living room wall. One of these days I'll even find a wood plaque to mount it on. I used Brown Sheep's "Lamb's Pride" which is a wool-mohair blend, and it turned out great, because it's just slightly fuzzy, but I don't think that would be desirable in other projects. This is adorable and going in my queue. I don't do a LOT of felting, but I do a fair bit - that garter square bag, another bag for my mother a billion years ago, ANOTHER bag for my grandmother (sensing a pattern here), slippers, maybe some other things. Seriously, I have washing machine felting down to a science. My husband, however, has accidental washing machine felting down to a science. I guess I should be glad they're store-bought items and not anything I slaved over. Bag for my mother: 
|
|
#
?
Jul 31, 2013 15:10
|
|
|
PSA: Webs/yarn.com's big end of summer sale starts today! There's plenty of novelty stuff, but there's also Juniper Moon Chadwick and Willa. Both have been discontinued, which is why they're on such big sale, but they are really nice, luxe, LYS-y yarn at more of a Michaels price. I stocked up bigtime. Obviously go on Ravelry beforehand, read reviews, play to the yarn's strengths -- for example, Chadwick is single-ply, so you want to knit it tightly to minimize the wear. But it feels amazing! The colors are great, too, and there are still a lot in stock (at least for now).
|
|
#
?
Aug 1, 2013 17:11
|
|
|
Anne Whateley posted:PSA: Webs/yarn.com's big end of summer sale starts today! There's plenty of novelty stuff, but there's also Juniper Moon Chadwick and Willa. Both have been discontinued, which is why they're on such big sale, but they are really nice, luxe, LYS-y yarn at more of a Michaels price. I stocked up bigtime.
|
|
#
?
Aug 1, 2013 19:18
|
|
|
Any advice on finishing a project from hell? I'm making a basket weave baby blanket using baby weight yarn on a set of size 6 circular needles. Its supposed to be a 2 skein project but I just started the second skein, the baby is here and my hands hurt so bad after even one row. Is there anything I can do to make it easier on my hands? Would I be the world's worst cousin if I just said "gently caress it" and made it a small blanket?
|
|
#
?
Aug 2, 2013 15:56
|
|
|
|
| # ? May 9, 2024 16:15 |
|
|
wtftastic posted:Any advice on finishing a project from hell? I'm making a basket weave baby blanket using baby weight yarn on a set of size 6 circular needles. Its supposed to be a 2 skein project but I just started the second skein, the baby is here and my hands hurt so bad after even one row. Is there anything I can do to make it easier on my hands? Would I be the world's worst cousin if I just said "gently caress it" and made it a small blanket? Maybe try switching needles? I don't mean the size, but the actual needle for a different brand maybe. I was knitting a sweater once and it hurt my wrists like crazy until I bought a different brand needle. Bizarre, really. Otherwise, no, you're not a bad cousin for not hurting your wrists to finish a blanket! You could easily give yourself carpal tunnel or something that could cause issues for a while.
|
|
#
?
Aug 2, 2013 17:30
|
|
