knitting and crochet, nattering and sharing

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I came across some patterns yesterday that I have had for years and never made as I wouldn’t want the finished items.

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That's a pretty scarf Karmalady.
I did make myself a cardigan last year - first thing I have made for myself in ages - and I enjoy wearing it all the more because it's 'all my own work'.

I have nearly finished the jumper for my nephew - just need to source a couple of buttons - and the border to go to finish off the gilet for my niece. Then they can go in the post when Royal Mail are accepting overseas post again!
The wool for the shawl project has arrived so that's next, unless the scarf tempts me away.

I wish I could thank posts and I mean yours lixy. I love to read of adventures in knitting

I've been given circular needles and wondering if anyone can recommend a YouTube video to help me use them. I learned to use Dpn needles to knit socks by using YouTube. Very slow so would like to try the circular ones to see if its quicker?

Hi Lilliesmum79
As far as I can gather the secret of using circular needles successfully lies in having the appropriate length of cord between the two.
This tutorial talks you through it step by step.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=EGamxTtwaeU

Hope that helps.

I am currently using a circular needle but as a flat knit as the shawl I am making is too wide for straight needles.

Karmalady Yes, I have started the shawl after all!

I have finished the shawl! Not at home so can't do a picture yet, but I am pleased with it. It is light and will roll up to almost nothing so will be useful with the amount of train travel I'm going to be doing in the next few months.

I did have some fun with it as it has five bands of colour, so that was a lot of different balls of wool on the go. At home I would spread them on a table in front me and sit on the sofa so would have plenty of space. Trying to do it in the armchair here at my Mum's was a bit more challenging!
I did discover that putting each ball into a small ziplock bag stopped them from rolling across the floor quite so much!

So, on to a jumper for GD, and then that scarf is beckoning - looks like a good train project to me.

I have been looking up my most favourite circulars for sock knitting, they are very difficult to source but I had them from wild and woolly. I have various makes of sock circulars and use circulars plus dpns for the heel and toe

These are beautiful on my hands and yarn, the longest needle in the right hand, by kinki amibari

I only have the 2mm and 2.25 and always seem to be using just the 2mm as I am a loose knitter. I always but always have socks on the go, very handy to carry with me

www.wildandwoollyshop.co.uk/shop/needles/circular-knitting-needles/kinki-amibari-bamboo-asymmetric-circulars/

Why have I only just noticed this thread???
I've spent a happy couple of hours reading and admiring all the lovely projects 😍

I belong to a knitting group. We knit simple jumpers/ blankets for Romanian orphanages, the jumpers are sent in lorry’s carrying other aid.

I used to knit cardigans for my granddaughters when they were small but teenagers now and not so keen. I have knitted hats recently for daughters . I have been knitting for a long time but cannot manage picture patterns or fair isle, too complicated but can do reasonably complex patterns which are normal stitch variations. Made two lovely shawls for twin granddaughters when they were born, completely different and individual they still have them .

I actually finished my first ever crochet project in January - a scarf for Mr A. I'm quite chuffed with it. I know it was very simple but it looks perfect, it's warm and it's a beautiful colour. Came out a bit longer than I was expecting - quite a bit longer, if I'm honest, a bit of a Dr Who scarf without the colour 🤣 But never mind. I said I would take it apart and remake it a bit shorter but Mr A asked that I wait till the Summer, otherwise he might not get to use it this Winter.

I'm absolutely in awe of all the beautiful things I see being made on here, and live in the hope that one day I will understand half of what people are talking about 😁

That's a lovely first attempt AreWeThereYet
The yarn looks nice and soft.

I've just given a huge bundle of shetland yarn bought eons ago to a local charity
I kept putting off using it because it was itchy!

That's kind of you Namsnanny, thank you. Yes it is very soft and cuddly. I felt quite envious of Mr A wrapped up in it during that nasty cold spell 😁

Arewethereyet, lovely useful cuddly scarf and straight sides, very well done and an interesting post twiceasnice. A warm welcome to anyone new

I have a knit group this week, am determined to go as I have missed several sessions due to ice or appointments. I have some yarn to take and share, ideal for baby garments

I am still knitting and have 5 UFOs, so I can change, rather than plodding through one by one. All in zip locks as moths will look for wool soon. Spinning too, when I need to change hand and finger use

I am still de-cluttering, not much to de-clutter these days and my stash is precious and safe. I did not mean to buy any more yarn but I bought another 500g of 4 ply falklands merino, spun locally in a small mill. It was in a sale and is destined for breslin number 3.

My initial breslin is one of my favourite tops, ever since I frogged and re-knitted longer and corrected the pattern mistake I made. The second one is from frogged 2 striped 4 ply merino and is a wip right now. I shall do a few basic stripes, the same merino as above

I am gathering several colours of 4 ply merino, safe in zip locks. All will be encompassed in a randomly striped jumper one day

My greatest pleasure is getting lots of odd yarn donated/found in my local Knit group and putting it into some sort of colour order - temperature/colourwash etc. I then make 5ft by 5ft blankets for victims of domestic violence or people in need of a hug, also blankets for our hospital baby unit, all done through charity.

Members of my knitting group use up their spare wool to make small garments which they donate to the food bank. The recipients are delighted and the children warm. A win - win .

My knitting group is having a 'use-it-up' drive so we are knitting twiddle-muffs for our local hospital. It's a really interesting way to try out new knitting stitches to add texture without committing to a big project, so another 'win-win' I think.

The scarf is progressing as a train project, thank you Karmalady for the pattern link. I'm getting good at counting in fours!

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lixy, make that scarf longer than you think. It is best around the neck and then over the shoulders on each side

re the above top, I have fished one out of a drawer endless times this winter, when my neck, shoulders and back feel chilly

Grandmagrim Addi interchangeables have bayonet type fittings which hold the needles on the cable so that they can't unscrew (they have to be pushed in and twisted.) Pricey but maybe you can drop hints for birthday or Christmas? I like the lace points myself, I find them faster than standard blunter ones.

I like Hiyahiya fixed circulars for sock knitting - very sharp. I knit holding the working yarn in my left hand - semicontinental style - two socks at a time on two circular needles; avoids second sock syndrome and allows me to check that patterns on self striping yarns are lining up properly. All self-taught in my fifties, but it hasn't half speeded up my knitting!

something to share. I am in process of knitting a jumper with a lace panel, there are 36 rows on the chart and it is so difficult to see my place.

Light bulb moment: magentic board that holds charts and 2 magnetic strips but not flat which was also hard to read. I have a music stand and put the board on that this evening. It is perfect, absolutely perfect. I can sit back now and knit lace withought having to count and re-count. I have one strip above the row and the other below and it stands at eye height

Oh goodness karmalady that sounds like a brilliant idea.
I'm nowhere near accomplished enough to attempt lace knitting but I do lose my way in ordinary patterns sometimes.

Your idea reminded me that I used to use a piece of card with a long, thin rectangle cut out, like a small, open letter box to help young children keep their place when starting to read paragraphs.
Maybe I could make something similar to help keep on track through a pattern!

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