knitting and crochet, nattering and sharing

If anyone has any tips on beginning a collection of circular needles I would be grateful. Or do I just buy them individually as I need them?
The beauty of interchangeable ones is that they take the place of a huge number of 'fixed' ones. If you are knitting in the round it is important that the needle is the right length as well as the tips being the right size, so being able to mix and match gives you lots of permutations. If you always make the same things (eg jumpers in a similar weight yarn) you might only need a couple of pairs - one for the body and a small one for the sleeves - but if you want to be able to make a range of things having a set will give you far more options.

It's difficult to advise on which set is best, as much depends on what you like. Some people prefer short tips, and others like longer ones, some like metal needles and others wooden. There are lots out there, and the prices range from quite reasonable to £££ for branded ones that become your real favourites. The main difference between the price bands is usually in the joints and the flexibility of the cords.

I have several sets, as I have been using interchangeables for many years, and I get them as presents. I like metal for 'sticky' or 'grabby' yarns, ie hairy ones that don't slide around, and wooden ones for 'slick' yarns, ie silky ones that slide off metal too easily.

I use them for flat knitting as well as in the round, so get a lot of use out of them. Charity shops sometimes get them in, but they are often kept off display 'for security reasons' , and you have to ask an assistant to look in the back. It will be hit and miss, but if you see a set grab them.

My favourite set is Clover Takumi, FWIW. They are quite expensive, although not at the top of the price range, but I find the joints are good (I'm a twisty knitter), the length of the tips works for me, and I love the cords.

I do knit with circular needles but hadn't heard of the interchangeable ones, thank you for the information on these, will have a look at them.

I too learned to knit when I was a child, and always click, clacked away. Never mastered crochet at the time, but since shoulder and hand pain, I have thrown myself at crochet.
I wear some thumb supports, and can get along ok.
I've turned out some jumpers, shawls and blankets, not to mention the toys. At the moment, I'm making blankets for Cats Protection, using up some of my yarn stash. Thinking about something lacy next as a project. Has anyone tried Tunisian crochet?
I had this notion that when I retired, I would volunteer at the local primary school to teach knitting. This was before my arthritis worsened and Covid arrived.

Thanks karmalady for a lovely thread. I also have been an avid crocheter and knitter since childhood. Downwards knitting sounds intriguing and thank you Cressida for the link.
I am currently unable to knit because of a shoulder injury so it’s good to read other people’s chat.
Thanks to all.

I had a go at Tunisian Crochet, it's a bit of a (weak) link between knitting and crochet.
Free patterns and a demo video
crochetkim.com/free-patterns/technique/tunisian-crochet/

If you've struggled learning to crochet, Bella Coco is highly recommended for the left and right handed in UK terminology
bellacococrochet.com/absolute-beginners-crochet/

I'm an avid crocheter, and can watch TV, Facebook and Gransnet et al at the same time.
Here's one I made earlier.

I used to go to a knit/crochet and natter but have not returned since Lockdown 1 - it was held in a smallish, unventilated and unventilatable room

Chardy

If you've struggled learning to crochet, Bella Coco is highly recommended for the left and right handed in UK terminology
bellacococrochet.com/absolute-beginners-crochet/

Yes, I like Bella Coco and also Hooked by Robin, who explained how to join crochet squares very well on YouTube.

I taught myself tunisian crochet by watching YouTube videos. This is one of the best channels. youtu.be/Uip1bSUnNoE
I recently finished a knee blanket made in tunisian crochet panels. My daughter liked it so much she has asked me to make her a yoga blanket with the same stitches.

Knitting hurts by thumbs but I crochet all the time when watching TV. Currently I’m working on a mood blanket and a bright striped blanket.
The dogs and cat are well catered for with blankets.
This is such a nice thread.

Thanks to all those who wrote about circular needles. I am definitely going to find a simple jumper to start off with. My last cable cardi would have been so much easier without seams!

I started knitting and crochet again when lockdown started. I learnt a new skill of amigurumi. I made a family of rabbits and unicorns for my youngest grandchildren

This is my first attempt at amigurumi. Not sure of the spelling

How nice to find so many knitters on here.
I too was taught to knit at an early age by my Grandma & it’s been a great pleasure to teach two of my DGDs and one DGS to knit so far
I knit nearly every day - I couldn’t sit and watch television without my knitting in my hands.
After several years knitting a bedspread, interspersed with baby blankets, small jumpers and cardigans, I’m now knitting a gorgeous Rowan v-neck sweater in dark green for myself.

As a young mum I taught myself to knit and still knit jumpers for the small grandchildren. Small blankets also. I haven’t heard of top-down patterns but sounds a great idea.

I too knit and crochet. My mother, who was left handed, taught me to knit. I never did (my fault) pick up from her how to knit in a conventional fashion though my results are fine. I’ve told my DGD to ask her other nanna to teach her to knit…
No doubt exasperated with me, my mum sent me next door to a similarly right-handed neighbour to learn to crochet. I found my mum crocheted clockwise while I work anti-clockwise. As my counterpart nanna can’t crochet, I’m happy to teach our DGD (and the other DGM if she asked me).
For several years now I’ve belonged to a K and N group who meet weekly plus keep in touch via WhatsApp. They are avid sock knitters, yarn bomb and seek out specialist hand dyed yarns. In the last few years I have made hats for prem babies in the local SCBU and continue to do so as they are always appreciated. The K and N group has recently - and finally - persuaded me to make socks on teeny weeny circular needles. We share lots of advice, support each other and spend a lot of time laughing.

Santana

I too learned to knit when I was a child, and always click, clacked away. Never mastered crochet at the time, but since shoulder and hand pain, I have thrown myself at crochet.
I wear some thumb supports, and can get along ok.
I've turned out some jumpers, shawls and blankets, not to mention the toys. At the moment, I'm making blankets for Cats Protection, using up some of my yarn stash. Thinking about something lacy next as a project. Has anyone tried Tunisian crochet?
I had this notion that when I retired, I would volunteer at the local primary school to teach knitting. This was before my arthritis worsened and Covid arrived.

I’ve had a go at Tunisian crochet but struggled to master it, I keep meaning to have another go. I bought some special hooks so I’ve got no excuses!

I learned to knit when I was 9 years old and have knitted ever since. My mam taught me back then and I taught myself to crochet when I was 24 years old with 2 small children. I love metal knitting needles the best and cannot stand the plastic ones. I have taught myself the C2C crochet and several other crochet techniques. But I would love to be part of a knitting group as there are non in my area. Knitting and crochet can be very solitary crafts which I do while watching TV.

My maternal Nan taught me to knit when I was about 6 or 7, while paternal Nan taught me to crotchet and to use her treadle singer which I still have.
I have tried a couple of top down patterns but struggled to keep count or know where to increase. Currently three quarters of the way through a cot blanket for March and the wool
Should arrive for the next one tomorrow. Our WI has a craft and chat afternoon, which my DD refers to as Stitch and Bitch. ?

I think I was about 6 or 7 when I learnt to knit, I remember a little kit with wool and pink plastic needles.
I crochet knitting-wise, I can’t do it ‘properly’ but it seems to turn out ok. I don’t do anything fancy (I cannot follow pattern charts to save my life!) although I have tried amigurami a couple of times.

Thank you Doodledog, I'd never heard of top down knitting but have Googled it now. I used to live in Liverpool and was fascinated by the amount of yarnbombing that went on there, something I'd like to do with others here (Cornwall). There's a road in our town where the owners of the terraced houses have yarnbombed the uprights to their porches, great fun.

oh thank goodness, we have a community, it made me very happy to read all your posts

I made several pairs of socks three years ago, on karbonz size 2 dpns, then my right hand thumb joint really started to hurt. That was very upsetting because suddenly my lifeline knitting hobby was in jeopardy. I found several things on the net eg carrying a full plate in one hand puts great strain on that very joint.

I found some thumb supports that I had to put into hot water and mould them to my thumbs, they have a strap and worked very well, I used them a lot in the day while my joint was healing. I found some very good hand and thumb supports on a physio site and I wore them at night, my hand was fully velcroed in

I bought general hand support gloves from quilting sites, they were good for support while knitting. The result is that I have no pain at all now and no nobbly thumb joint. I keep tham all in a box, know exactly where they are and I would be going straight to them if I feel so much as a twinge again. My best daytime gloves, have a solid support along the thumb, they have short fingers with holes for fingers and thumb

Top down does work nicely, I used my sewing dressform.

Every time I did a new pattern from rav, I needed new circular needles, this was before I discovered chiaogoo interchangeables. Keeping the circulars in order was becoming increasingly difficult. Then I found a fabric holder on a clothes hanger. Just channels with the needle sizes on one side, now my fixed circulars are all in there, neat and tidy. Definitely can be home made with numbers written on the sides.

Can I recommend youtube for knitting channels, I have seen a few very nice patterns that I added to my rav library list. The very best youtube channel in myopinion, only discovered 2 days ago, is called fruity knitting. I accidentally saw one of her videos and went straight into the search box, entered fruity knitting, made sure I subscribed and then scrolled through the many videos she made. Yesterday, I watched her podcast 1, made in 2016. It was an hour and 20 long with no adverts. Lovely to watch, she described from her early days and the money in metal cylinders that went whizzing across the shop, I remember those from childhood. She is a proper good knitter and lovely to listen too

just to say that I watch those youtube videos on my tv

I’ve always got knitting on the go, but never learned to crochet and can’t be bothered to learn now. TBH I do prefer the look of knitting anyway. I think I was put off crochet back in the 70s by a housemate who was forever crocheting seriously garish ponchos - she was such a nice girl so of course I pretended to think they were lovely, but lived in dread of her presenting me with one - and being obliged to wear it!!

At the moment I have a big stashbuster blanket on the go, finished size will be about 5 foot by 6 foot, knitted in 3 sections, double DK on a 4.5mm circular needle.
That will eventually go to Knit for Peace. I have also made scarves, little teddies and dolls for K for P.

Then I’m about 1/3 of the way through a 3rd or 4th (I’ve lost count) ‘Toothy’ Worry Monster for Knit for Nowt.

I used to make the odd jumper for Gdcs but the other granny is a superb knitter and makes such a lot for them, they always have plenty anyway.

I’ve also twice made several items for elder Gdcs’ school Christmas fair raffles - Christmassy things that are fun to make and have always gone down well.

Pre Covid I also made Twiddle Muffs for dementia patients at the local hospital - I was also asked to make ‘knitted knockers’ for their midwives to use in breastfeeding demonstrations!