knitting and crochet, nattering and sharing

www.winwickmum.co.uk is the website

Socksandsocks01 I would have a look at Winwick Mum for socks, her easy sock patter is very well written and gives clear instructions and photographs of every step.
I use the magic loop method because I find the very short circular needles awkward to use. You will discover what suits you best the more you do! I’ve knitted 32 pairs of socks now and I find it quite addictive ?

Keyholders

I used to go to slimming class held in a church. No religious people or religious talk. You may see a cross on the wall. The religious people are the keyholes who unlock the doors. The slimming and knitting clubs bring in money for the church seems congregations are so small these days it help them pay for the heating bills etc.

I'm wanting to knit socks. I've made leg warmers on 4 needles years ago. I think joining in the round wasn't perfect but accept I'd improve with practice. I've bough an Addi sock wounder circular needle which is tiny but apparently makes sock knitting easier. Any ideas anyone whats the best way to try sock knitting? Anyone recommend an easy pattern

I have 40 rows, not 38 for the gauge. I want to lose 3/4-1" from side length. A few more calcs, same as above for stitches

I can lose 1/4" from the rib. I have 0.5" left to lose ie 5 rows

There are 3 intervals between decreases when I can lose 1 row each time. After that I need to k 25 rows and will lose the other 2 rows then

The person who wrote that pattern has done a fantastic job, one of the clearest patterns I have ever used. Her schematic (drawings) are excellent with all the finished measurements marked and lots of empty space for notes

almost a mishap with needle sizing. I mistakenly read 2.5 on the needle tip, the reading light is intense and the mm size is below, US size, my needle size for breslin is actually 3mm. Phew, I am very glad I double checked after getting 2.25 mm, or US size 1 ready for ribbing. I noticed the 2 numbers more clearly. I really need to check my needles with a gauge before starting a swatch

I intend to have two wips this time, as they are very different. I cast on with 2.75 and two needles held together for a nice stretchy edge I am shortly going to remove one needle and wire and will add that tip to the other end of the remaining wire to give me my 32inch circular. I put a marker on every 50 stitches, to save me repeat counting. I will be taking the markers off

I am going to join the circle now and just make one row of rib. To join neatly, I make one extra stitch on the right side and do a slip stitch to join ends and avoid the jog over

That was a very near miss for me re the needle size, I have now marked two small zip lock bags and will store the needles in those, for this jumper

Merino has a short staple length and will quickly bobble on wearing but it will be warm. If I like it, then I may well make another in a yarn containing a long staple, such as silk or bfl (blue faced leicester) Certainly one with much less merino. Bfl or silk only needs to be a part of the mix

swatch is drying but still damp and it is tightening a bit
stitches now numer 26. It does not seem a lot but I have done some calcs for size 3 and size 4 circumference

size 3 24 stitches in 4 inch swatch ={252/24] x4 =42 inches
size 4 " " " " ={276/24} x4 = 46 inches

size 3 26 stitches in 4 inch swatch = {252/26} x4 =39 inches
size 4 " " " " = {276/26} x4 =43 inches

I hope that helps someone re swatching and how important it is wrt number of stitches. Now I am going to make size 4 not size 3 because ease is 2-4 inches and my bust is 39, so size 3 would be skin tight

If I get a reduction in rows, it won`t be much and in that case I will make size 4 straight off without taking any length off

Oh Doodledog I knit ‘funny’ too so it was heartening to read your robust defence . I’m now wondering if my technique came through my Irish maternal grandmother. I’d like to think so.

Lockdown saw me learning crochet. Like others, I find Bella Coco a great teacher.

I did think it was a bit ironic to be making a ‘virus shawl’ (which has a rapidly multiplying pattern) during a viral pandemic .
.

I can knit and crochet ok. Its the sewing everything together Im not so keen on.

katek, do you use lopi wool? Icelandic jumpers are beautiful but I had to give mine away as it was so hot to wear

The swatch is washed and steamed and is now on its last stage, the final dry and it will remain like that until I have finished my socks. I am a weeny bit too tight on stitch count, I also adjust on row count if needed, much easier. I would not get closer with any other size of needle but I know that knitting completely in the round on circulars will be a teeny tad looser. If the swatch remains the same then I will stick with size 3. My 10cm swatch was 25 stitches. It changed completely when the oils and finishing had been washed out

Doodledog, I have several cones of colourmart yarn, not used any of it yet. They smell very much like when I was machine knitting from cones, similar to shetland wool on cones and by golly that bloomed really lovely after the all important wash. Depending when I can get into my cupboard again, I may just spend some time on making swatches and storing them, with notes. I can always use the ravelry tool for finding patterns to fit a particular gauge. Rather than fitting gauge to a pattern

Ahh, a kep is a hat. I made something similar to this free pattern, with jamieson yarn. Blocked nicely on a balloon

www.jamiesonsofshetland.co.uk/da-crofters-kep---shetland-wool-week-pattern-2021---wilma-malcolmson-2946-p.asp

Lol doodledog! I crochet as opposed to knitting, but can knit if necessary. Many moons ago I got hooked on knitting Icelandic sweaters…..the entire family, including my parents, had one of these. We looked like the cover of a knitting pattern! I’ve been given a kit for Xmas to knit a Shetland Kep……afraid to start it’s been so long!

It was probably me!

I always have lots of things on (different) needles. Sometimes it's so I can have a mindless project to watch in front of the TV and a more complex one for interest when I can concentrate.

Sometimes it's because I am knitting one thing when someone asks me to make another. Sometimes I just get bored with a project and put it down until it appeals again. Sometimes I just see the perfect pattern, or buy the perfect yarn and just have to cast it on.

I noticed upthread that a poster had said she had several works in progress. I tend to finish one project before starting the next…….what does everyone else do?

That's a lovely pattern.

I agree that preparation is key. I use a lot of Colourmart yarns, and as they don't match up to UK weights you really need to be sure you've got the right one for the pattern, and you need to test the gauge when the swatch has been washed and the oils are removed.

I tend to get round this by choosing patterns that aren't row-dependent (ie looser styles with instructions that say 'continue until pattern = 15cm' rather than 'knit 30 more rows').

I'm using Noro yarn on the sweater I'm knitting now, and have got to the shaping, so am really having to fiddle to make sure the stripes stay roughly the same size as the body.

Now I am prepping for the breslin, I have wound a cake of yarn from a skein (bought a swift and am glad), yarn strand is fine in diameter, it would have taken a very long time winding by hand from a chair back

I did my body measurements, no different to me sewing from a pattern and size 3 will suit. I am short and will take 1" off the body length, sleeve length looks fine as the sleeve underarm is high into the armcye. I can adapt later if needed. Underarm body length will be 15.25

Next and most important step is to find the gauge, I need 24 x 38, so will have to go down several needle sizes, I think I will start with size 2.5. I am not wanting to make a swatch with circulars ie every row knit. I will do the normal stockinette on straight needles, back and forth 1 row k and 1 row purl. To compensate, I will firstly put strands to mark, so I know where the gauge is supposed to be, it will help with the counting. I am comparing pattern gauge with yarn recommended gauge btw, hence the much smaller needles than pattern plus I knit loose

I can get the prelim gauge while the swatch is still on the needles, I can get a fair idea after 2 inches, if it seems ok I will carry on to make a 6 x 6 inch square. I will then record the gauge before washing. This will help me to be accurate when using actual circulars, so I can compare before I get too far.

Then I wash the swatch and steam block by patting ,not pressing down and get the accurate final gauge when the swatch is bone dry. It seems a long process and it is, but is very worth it, in the end.

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Sorry - missing bracket in first line.

karmalady

I just found a knit and natter group, only a walk away but it is in an evangelical chapel and I don`t do religion, having gone through a lifetime, up to age 40 being a catholic. I am not going to that one. I am still looking,

Ours is or was - we haven't met since Covid hit) in a pub - it doesn't mean we are all alcoholics?.

Also, from the other 'side', my local church rents out rooms for all sorts of things - pilates, toddler groups, poetry appreciation, things like that- but there is no religion involved.

Unless the knitting group is specifically to knit items for the church, you may well find that nobody who goes is a church member, or even if they all are they won't be talking about religion. There's no harm in checking it out to see for yourself, if you are on the lookout for a local group.

witzend

I spent over an hour browsing jumper patterns, this time via wool warehouse where there are pattern filters and the patterns are nicely laid out. Tbh I really want mindless knitting, fulfilled by socks at the moment. I need dk not worsted as in many of rav patterns. I don`t want a shapeless jumper down to my knees and I don`t want polo neck or boat or low neck, after all a wool jumper for me has to be cosy. Not many cables or aran style either, I have 2 already and mostly it is just too warm to wear them

I find what I might like and pop them into my library in rav, at the moment I am liking west yorkshire spinner patterns as they are stylish and not over the top, like many rowan patterns. They are safe in my library and I shall re-visit them when I have finished my sock session, which may be in a few weeks

I finished my socks, wished I had used my instinctive size 2 circular. I used 2.25 and the socks expanded (the yarn relaxed) after soaking, I have them on now over tights and they are fine like this but I am already knitting on a size 2, which is like knitting with pins

Who else ends up buying yet more yarn for a stashbuster project, even though there’s plenty of stash left?

The other day I bought 2 x 100g balls for my big blanket (5 foot by 6 foot if I ever actually finish it) just to be sure I have plenty of nice bright colours for each (double strand of different colours DK) row.

I’m doing it in 3 x 2 foot sections, just over halfway through section two at the moment.
Good mindless TV knitting though, just garter stitch.

I just found a knit and natter group, only a walk away but it is in an evangelical chapel and I don`t do religion, having gone through a lifetime, up to age 40 being a catholic. I am not going to that one. I am still looking,

It is a full moon and I am normally wakeful during this time. I have to recommend gentle knitting in bed, just my tiny sock circular, a very small package. The rhythm must set my brain into sleep mode because thoughts of the day disappear and sleep comes. I was wary of those tiny needles but honestly, I recommed that size now. It is so easy to slip a small make into a little bag and so easy to hold them, with relaxed fingers

It seems as though everyone I know will be getting home made socks this year, starting with my neighbour who has cancer. My other house, my neighbour got bowel cancer and loved his new socks, he called them his lucky socks. I made them in bright colours to suit his personality

Drops yarn, its very good value and garnstudio patterns are nice

I have been slowly plodding away on a sock today, turned the heel and am going to now slip it onto a 9"circular for the foot. I got used to that size circular when making the iris mitts, no joint ache whatsoever, I just hold the tips loosely

The yarn I bought from a stash is by my favourite mill, john arbon so I am delighted. I made a decent offer, which was accepted

Yarncraft is a perfect winter occupation, I cannot knit during the warmer months but I do sew then and that keeps my enthusiasm for knitting as it is something I look forward to doing, during the hibernation months

Very interesting thread, thank you OP.

I knit and crochet and have done since I was very young. Mu gorgeous Gran taught me to crochet and Mum taught me The weird thing is Gran couldn't knit and Mum couldn't crochet. Gran also made beautiful lace

I have been using circular needles for a few years now and much prefer them to straight ones.

For those of you looking at knitting from the top down, you can get hundreds if not thousands of patterns from

www.Garnstudio.com

and they are all free!

The majority of their garments are worked from the top down on circular needles. They are the producers of Drops yarns.

There are patterns for all ages plus blankets, accessories and even toys, both knitted and crocheted, and for all abilities.
There are many video tutorials too.

When I first tried to knit a jumper in the circular I was a bit put off by the number of stitches that would be on the needles, but the garment knits up just as fast and no seams to sew up.