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Oh poo poo!! Were they meant to be felted? They looked so good beforehand too, drat  .Edit: a terrible snipe, have a cute hat. 
left_unattended fucked around with this message at 00:38 on Mar 1, 2021 |
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Mar 1, 2021 00:35
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left_unattended posted:Oh poo poo!! Were they meant to be felted? They looked so good beforehand too, drat Yes, hard earned knowledge to not throw all the mittens in there without testing a swatch first. I did a swatch AFTER the tragedy, it turned out perfectly. Well, I cut up the panzer-mittens and frankened some seat pads out of them, so at least my butt won't be cold. And I got to buy some more yarn to knit new mittens, so yay! Have a pic of some stuff that didn't turn out terribly instead! I'm trying to bust some of my yarn stash, so I made this small outfit just because.  That hat is totally adorable, left_unattended!
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Mar 1, 2021 09:10
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Not sure if this is the right space (if not, please let me know where to go) but our daycare provider loves "crapping" which I believe is "crochet" filtered through toddler tongue. Older woman so she presumably has everything but the thing she loves most after kids is Jesus and since Easter is coming up I'd like to "wow" her. Any advice? Money is not an object.
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Mar 13, 2021 05:34
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No advice, but maybe 'tatting' rather than crochet?
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Mar 14, 2021 00:51
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She makes like little pictures. It's a white background and then it's my daughter at the beach or another person's kid with a truck they like, etc. Maybe needlepoint? I just want to get her something very nice and there is a language (and gender) barrier so it's not like I can really ask about it. If it helps, when my daughter pretends to do it she shoves a pen through a piece of paper.
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Mar 14, 2021 07:04
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Yeah, that's something under the umbrella of embroidery (could be needlepoint, cross-stitch, or something else). There aren't really any similarities with crochet (which also isn't the same as knitting). DIY does have an embroidery megathread where they might be able to help more.
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Mar 14, 2021 07:12
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i like nice words
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I made another sweater (but didn't make the yarn this time). I think it came out really nicely. Pattern is Piper. I also made a pair of socks out of handspun Hampshire wool, which is primarily a meat breed but also comes with durable, bouncy, felt-resistant wool. This is after running them through the washing machine, there was no noticeable change. They're just a really simple pair of toe-up socks with a barely-visible cable on the sides. 
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Mar 15, 2021 06:50
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Thank you for the help! My journey continues. Nice sweater, BTW. Good job.
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Mar 15, 2021 08:08
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MarsDragon posted:I made another sweater (but didn't make the yarn this time). I think it came out really nicely. Pattern is Piper. Like that sweater. Where do you get your spinning fiber? What was your yarn weight and how did you ply it? I took up spinning around Xmas and I love seeing knits in this thread made of handspun.
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Mar 15, 2021 14:11
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That particular spinning fiber was from The Farm at the End of the Road/Woolhalla, who I got in contact with because of the Shave 'Em to Save 'Em program. (great program, by the way! Please check it out!) She runs a little network of small shepherds in Arizona to get yarn/spinning fiber processed at a local mill, so she has a bunch of breeds available. As for the yarn, it was crepe yarn (2-ply yarn spun S and plied Z, one ply spun Z, both plied together S) at around 16-18 wraps per inch, so...heavy fingering? Crepe yarn is a really fun construction, and supposed to be extra durable. Not as much as going for a full cabled yarn, but up there.
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Mar 16, 2021 01:41
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MarsDragon posted:That particular spinning fiber was from The Farm at the End of the Road/Woolhalla, who I got in contact with because of the Shave 'Em to Save 'Em program. (great program, by the way! Please check it out!) She runs a little network of small shepherds in Arizona to get yarn/spinning fiber processed at a local mill, so she has a bunch of breeds available. I didn't know about crepe and cabled yarn before, that's really cool. When I can spin again I might have to try that. I've been mostly plying mine Navajo style because I like a round cross section. Thanks for the info and links, will definitely check that out.
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Mar 22, 2021 04:12
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I really like cabled yarns, especially since you can just fold them back on themselves and not have to worry about having a bunch of extra balls of yarn/bobbins lying around. Center-pull balls for the win. (there are some disadvantages of just always using center-pull balls but whatever) If you want to find out more about the various kinds of yarns you can make, check if your library has a copy of The Spinner's Book of Yarn Designs by Sarah Anderson. It's got a ton of different ways to put your yarn together, from workhorse standards to fancy art yarns. If you want to know about getting spinning fiber, then the first thing is that there's roughly four levels of processed. Generally lower on the chain is cheaper, but you have to put in more labor to get to the end product. Of course, this also means you have more control over every step of the process. It's trade-offs all the way down. (also fleece price varies wildly based on how valuable it is, stuff from big companies takes advantage of economies of scale in ways individual producers cannot, etc etc) 0. Get a sheep/alpaca/rabbit/other fiber-bearing animal. (I'm going to assume you don't want to go this far) 1. Raw fleece. The most bang for your buck as far as supporting small businesses goes, but you're getting all the dirt and oil with it. Fleece may have flaws, shepherds may or may not know anything about good wool for spinners, and you have to carry it all home. But this will get you the most variety of breeds, and you're supporting small shepherds (if that matters to you). Usually you find them at fairs and fiber festivals, or calling up local shepherds and asking. Now with COVID a lot of stuff has gone online, so poke around. The disadvantage to online-only is that you can't investigate the fleece in person, which is where you could uncover most of the flaws. The Spinning Loft is reliable and sells in oz increments, so you're not saddling yourself with 2-10 pounds of wool right off the sheep. For information on how to buy/wash, check out these guides: Tips of Buying Fleece, How to Wash Fleece. Honestly, raw fleece is too much of a pain in the butt for me, because I hate scouring. I'm in a tiny urban apartment so it's really hard to do in any large capability. There are mills around that will wash and card your fleece for a fee, but you have to find them and it'll kick up the final price. YMMV, pick your poison, etc. 2. Washed fleece. Pricier, but at least you don't have to scour anything (still gotta comb/card/flick). Also usually the people offering it know what they're doing, so you're looking at better quality wool to begin with. You can find a surprising amount on Etsy, check for "washed locks" or similar. Or there's Good Clean Fiber, which guarantees fleece specifically picked for handspinners. Everything I've gotten from them is great quality, but you are paying for the privilege. I like this level, because I dig combing. It's not as common as raw fleece, though, and not everyone is into combing/carding/whatever. 3. Processed fiber. This can be from a big supplier (in which case the wool usually comes from overseas) or it can be small shepherds using local mills. The big suppliers sell through shops, small folks have Etsy/Facebook/Ravelry. Woolhalla is an example of a small producer, something like Paradise Fibers would be a shop. Big suppliers will usually offer very competitive prices, so this is a budget-friendly option. It's more expensive when buying from smaller producers, as usual. For this level you don't have to hand-process the fiber yourself, which can be good or bad. In particular you can't get a "true" worsted out of commercially-processed fiber because mills all card the fiber first and then straighten it into top, so it's not technically as parallel as hand-combed top. Which is true, but also who the gently caress cares. 4. Dyed fiber. This varies between the big suppliers, which tend to be solids, and indie dyers, which make the extremely pretty braids you never know what to do with. There's not a lot of variety in terms of breed of sheep at this level (hope you like Merino and BFL!), though if you look you can find more variety than a few years ago. I generally find these types through fiber festivals and Ravelry ads. A lot of indie dyers do some fiber dying these days, which is nice. My personal favorite is Allons-y, but it's pricey and sells out quick. What level you go for really depends on what you want to make. It's best to experiment with all of them and see where your comfort level is, then adjust accordingly. I think it is worthwhile to at least try to wash, process, and spin a few ounces of raw fleece, because it's a good experience and you can learn what you can do by starting from the beginning. But plenty of people are perfectly happy buying all those pretty dyed braids, so do whatever you want. It's your hobby.
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Mar 23, 2021 06:26
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I agree with almost all of that, but I would distinguish a little differently. #3 -- I would say processed fiber from a commercial processor. I don't think that big producers mostly do solids -- there are lots of wonderful blends of colors as well as fibers. The distinction here is you're getting it straight from the mill. Ime price and quality are excellent from larger operations, very variable from tiny ones. #4 -- I would say resellers. This includes middlemen like Paradise Fiber, the zillion etsy shops that are all selling the same fibers/blends from the same processors above (but with their own quirky names), and indie dyers who add value by dyeing the pretty braids. I personally try to stay away from #4 in general. The fiber that's being imported and resold is sometimes really nice, but you can get it cheaper from the source. The braids are pretty, but too often imo they're partially felted or compacted in the dyeing. I mean, sometimes they're too pretty and I fall for it anyway, but I try not to! Anne Whateley fucked around with this message at 07:00 on Mar 23, 2021 |
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Mar 23, 2021 06:57
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That's a lot of good info, thank you. I dye yarn and dyed some commercial combed top already, which I've been blending with a hackle. Still trying to get the hang of dizzing it from there, but it'll probably be a lot easier when I can stand or at least sit upright. We're getting ready for an overseas move and I'm debating buying a bunch of undyed top and getting it dyed before we move to bring with me, since I don't know if I'll be able to bring my dyes along.
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Mar 23, 2021 07:27
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Anne Whateley posted:I personally try to stay away from #4 in general. The fiber that's being imported and resold is sometimes really nice, but you can get it cheaper from the source. The braids are pretty, but too often imo they're partially felted or compacted in the dyeing. I mean, sometimes they're too pretty and I fall for it anyway, but I try not to! This is why I like Allons-y, never had any problem with felting or compaction (at least not above any commercially processed fiber in general). It's possible, and maybe I've just been lucky but the closest I've ever gotten to actually partially felted was Nube and those guys are their own special variety of weird. Everything else was fine, maybe needed some vigorous shaking or steaming before drafting. Still no idea what was up with Nube though.
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Mar 25, 2021 07:10
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knitting my spouse a sock and I was so intent on getting the cuff nice and tight yesterday I think I injured myself. Woke up at 5 this morning with excruciating back pain on my yarn-holding side. happy with the cuff tho 
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Mar 26, 2021 14:32
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That is a really beautiful gradient I cast on a sweater Monday and am hauling rear end to get it done by Sunday. Hopefully my hands still work after
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Apr 1, 2021 00:22
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Hello fibrecraft friends! Since most people read the forums from bookmarks and don't look at subforums these days, just popping in here to say I've (re)started a needle felting thread over here. It's a craft that can complement knitting in case you have any unspun wool lying around, or you want to put details on an existing knitted/wet-felted piece.
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Apr 12, 2021 14:50
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I'm about to put away all my winter clothes to make space for summer clothes in my wardrobe, and now I'm wondering if there is anything I should think about before storing knit clothes. Most of the items are made of wool, or wool/acrylic blends. How do you all do it? Any tips and tricks?
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May 16, 2021 11:55
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Put cedar balls in the cabinet with your woolens to keep moths, mold, and mildew away. Much cheaper than a cedar cabinet, nice smell, no harsh chemicals! Sand them once a year to keep them potent.
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May 16, 2021 17:29
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Going to order some balls  Thank you!
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May 18, 2021 11:01
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Pretty yarn hides a multitude of sins.
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Sep 18, 2021 21:36
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That is awesome! Well done
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Sep 19, 2021 04:02
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ChickenOfTomorrow posted:Pretty yarn hides a multitude of sins. Love the raglan garter detail!
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Sep 19, 2021 04:29
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Very pretty! 
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Sep 19, 2021 23:51
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Nice work and definitely pretty yarn. Is that the Tincanknits Flax? It has a similar design with the garter panel on the sleeve.
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Sep 20, 2021 01:13
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Yes! It's Flax Light, which is the same pattern but written for fingering weight yarn.
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Sep 20, 2021 02:13
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Wow, that's awesome. I love the colors and how neatly stitched it is. Cool beans. And I had no idea there was a pattern for fingering yarn. Hmm...
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Sep 21, 2021 11:10
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Cool. I did Flax and Flax Light in toddler sizes as my first sweaters. I really like tincanknits because it’s a free patterns and also a detailed write up, which gives me some confidence in approaching new things. I’ve just started my first adult size sweater and doing one of their paid patterns called “Almanac”. While I’m posting: I also did their Worlds Simplest Mittens in August, as I wanted fingerless mittens for the cold mornings but with phone use. The brown were too small, the blue were about right (with a few mistakes) and the red I removed the garter panel because I thought it would look nice without it and they are the ones I have been wearing.    Then I made some Norwegian style mittens from a free pattern on Ravelry and converted the pattern to a matching hat. I can’t see ever wearing them altogether but enjoyed the knitting. (top down: hat, left, right) 
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Sep 23, 2021 10:54
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Oh I'm doing a Flax right now too! It's in the rainbow Caron big cake. I just finished a Harvest too, in the cookie Caron big cake (they were on sale OK) though I still haven't blocked it. Apologies for linking to twitter: https://twitter.com/GoldfishWarning/status/1425972567198810113?t=1QLjTcettN4CUQa4zvsxIw&s=19 Tin can knits is really great. I'd never made full adult sized garments before.
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Sep 23, 2021 15:30
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That looks like a very cosy cardy. How did you find the larger Caron Cakes? I bought a small one with included hat pattern when I was still new to knitting, it had quite a few joins and knots through it and I sort of wrote off Caron brand after that.
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Sep 23, 2021 21:49
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DRINK ME posted:That looks like a very cosy cardy. Thanks! I was warned about that with this brand, but I actually haven't seen it even once yet in the Big Cakes I've bought. Idk if there's a difference in quality between the two sizes, I'm just lucky, differences in factories, or what
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Sep 23, 2021 21:57
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I'll trot out my quarterly warning that if you're buying from Walmart (and sometimes Amazon gets this too) you are buying a different product than other retailers stock, even when the brand, product, and lot names/numbers match. I haven't bought from Hobby Lobby in years, but Michaels and Joanne (at least prior to pandemic) had fairly consistent stock in my experience.
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Sep 24, 2021 10:17
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Lovely mittens, DRINK ME! I have those Norwegian mittens in my never-ending mittens queue, I think. Great color choices. Killingyouguy!, that's a beautiful cardigan! Here's my latest project, a baby outfit. I also made a blanket to go with it, but I don't have a pic of it. 
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Sep 24, 2021 15:34
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I made a rainbow sweater for my daughter. It was supposed to be a back to school sweater, but I didn't make it in time. It's better now that the weather is colder anyway. "Everything is gonna be alright" sweater or Pride sweater or just plain rainbow sweater.  
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Oct 13, 2021 10:36
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That is awesome! It's adorable.
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Oct 14, 2021 00:23
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Aerofallosov posted:That is awesome! It's adorable. Thanks!
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Oct 14, 2021 12:00
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I just finished my first pair of mittens and am seeing a lot of conflicting info out there about how to block them. I don't have a mitten blocker, but I feel like I could DIY one easily enough. Is there any benefit of using one over just pinning like I usually do? Any good tips?
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Oct 30, 2021 23:54
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I don't even pin my stuff in place unless it's lace. Just pat them into place and let it dry. Try to do it on some mesh or a cooling rack or something since mittens are thick.
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Oct 31, 2021 01:09
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Mitten blockers aren't necessary, just nice for helping them dry a little faster. You can just stick them on a hanger for the same effect of making a little room between the layers for air to go. If you really want, you could cut some out of cardboard instead
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Oct 31, 2021 02:53
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