knitting and crochet, nattering and sharing

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

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

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!

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 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.

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

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 😁

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!

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 😁

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 .

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

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/

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.

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'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?

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

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.

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

https://www.gransnet.com/uploads/talk/202301/medium-323038-59840e6d-169b-491d-b913-cf082e301479.jpeg https://www.gransnet.com/uploads/talk/202301/medium-46006-11e15133-15e1-4213-8a99-cc49ed92bc06.jpeg

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

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

oops, I did a double check on my yarn stash today and have enough packs for 6 jumpers. Well, I can justify it now as the yarn was much cheaper when I bought it . It is really nice pure wool, all of it and in moth proof bags

So now it is afternoon and I have had my fill of spinning today, yes fibre stash again. I have now pulled out a pack of frogged 4 ply yarn. two colours, the style I had made did not suit me at all

I have looked through my bought patterns and have decided to make another breslin, as I love wearing it and I can adapt it to take the two colours. There is a pattern on the top 1/3 of both sleeves and body, so I can put the second colour in there with just diddy stripes of the 1st colour, which I will also use for the neck. I will also put a few rows of colour 2 above the rib

This time I will take my time, I rushed the last one and fortunately made very good notes as I shortened the sleeves and wanted to keep the increases. It will not be for this winter but will be something to do as it is rainy and windy here, day after soggy day

I do love knitting and spinning and sewing

I am a glutton for punishment and frogged breslin, a female guernsey by julie hoover. My fault, I made too small a size and missed out some pattern rows. It was gloriously warm to wear and I was never going to waste expensive wool. I never did the intial wash after knitting, that I always do. Which actually helped with the re-knit

I made the next size up also with a size bigger needles and took my time over the pattern, result was a bigger, holier knit. I did knit intensively as I want to wear this jumper this winter. Finished this morning and have soaked for 15 minutes with eucalan in tepid water and the excess dye and aything else came out and also the wool bloomed beautifully. All the gaps are filled

I just gently squeezed and gave a rinse in a large amount of water at the same temperature, normally eucalan does not need a rinse. Gentle squeezed withabsolutely no washing motion or the wool would felt. Rolled flat in a big towel which took up a lot of water and now the jumper is laying flat on a pop up jumper dryer on top of a flat top airer

Tomorrow I could use overhead steam with gentle patting but probably I will be wearing the jumper, which will help the final shape. Playing it by ear at that stage

I am almost tidied up and am eyeing up my bag of spun yarns, ready for the sheep heid hat. I must crack on with yarn de-stashing, as I very much want to get back into spinning, which I love to do outdoors in spring weather too.

I cannot justify adding new spun yarn to yarn stash, not while I have more than 3 jumper weights of dks in my cupboard, all rav de-stashes from other people and all very good yarns like rowan felted tweeds and john arbon. Sometimes I wish I had 4 arms

I have been hunting out patterns and have discovered my favourite designers are cheaper in places other than ravelry. Some experienced designers always make patterns that look and fit really well, not boxy fits. I have wool yarn stash, some beautiful wools that I got cheaper via someone else de-stashing and they need matching with beautiful patterns

If you have a favourite designer then look to see if they appear in paperback pattern books, mine does and I found 4 second hand books via abe books and one via amazon. Each book of 20+ patterns cost less than one or two rav patterns

I have some beautiful patterns on the way, some vintage and others with texture and shaping

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

I knit for most days of the week as it helps a lot with depression, anxiety etc which I suffer from. My black dog days would carry me off to bed but I try and fight against them. I am a fast knitter and can crochet as well. Also like to do watercolour painting. Lately I have been knitting presents for friends for christmas as well as over 100 blankets for Battersea cats/dogs home. Knitting is my rock which I cling to like a limpet.