What is on your needles?

I’ve never heard of socks being defined by their flavour OP!
Do you also do chocolate and fruits of the forest?

I am spinning a soft merino/alpaca blend for a shawl and have another gansey to make. I also have the wool ready for a giltwood shawl

Last make was flax by tincanknits. A free pattern, easy and lovely to knit

The gansey I am making is anchor and finished size is 53 inches, a unisex pattern. I did the swatch very carefully, even machine washed on a wool wash (miele machine) it came out lovely and soft and perfect gauge on 2.5 needles

I use seaknit circulars these days, bamboo and easy on my fingers, especially for a big garment with many 000sof stitches. I have chiaogoo red lace too, also good needles but not as kind for a big knit

oops wrong spelling, seeknit needles

Hearts for a local hospice on mine.

karmalady, I belong to a knitting group, where many of the ladies knit socks on circular needles. I get in a terrible muddle with circular needles.
I am at the opposite end of the ability spectrum, currently knitting ,- on two needles - a simple cardigan for my toddler GC. The yarn is a wool mix, suitable for chucking in the washing machine ( which my DD will do!)
As we knit in a public place, we are sometimes donated wool by people who know of us, and this is knitted by the wonderful group into children's jumpers which I take to my foodbank .

I’m ashamed (no, I’m not really) to say that I can’t knit, sew nor crochet. I dreaded my MinL knitting for the DDs, even though I begged her not to. They wore her offerings when we saw her, but otherwise they weren’t worn. I’ve a genuine (irrational?) dislike of hand knitted garments.

chocolatelovinggran, I am going to be knitting in a public place starting in spring, I have just treated myself to a lifetime pass to various beautiful gardens, all with benches

Most of us have spent all our lives knitting on two needles, then when the internet came alive, we picked up on the US designs and they were much more advanced than us. eg circular needles, top down, short rows. I never used to do any of that but made many lovely items the old way, including arans and dresses. Nothing wrong with 2 needle knitting, apart from the time taken to very neatly join the pieces

A cotton cardigan that takes a lot of concentration.
A chunky cardigan knitted in one piece up to thaw armholes in black/various shades of grey 100% wool.
And an Aran jumper, my favourite type of knitting.
I like to have a few things on the go, I get bored concentrating on one.

I have a huge yarn stash so, rather than simply donating the yarn, I am using it to make little jumpers for my local charity shop.
Does anyone have any suggestions about where else I might donate them?

Flippinheck, how kind :do you have a local mum- to - mum group?
We have one, and it's mum's helping new mums who have no one else - care leavers, out of prison, in financial need following illness, etc.
Used garments and equipment are collected for them, but a new knitted baby cardigan would be so lovely.

Flippinheck, no idea where you live but there is a children’s hospital in the nearest city to me and there is a shop in there that sells knitted baby clothing and raises money for the hospital. Wonder if there is anywhere like that near you….

I'm with you Georgesgran.

My nan knitted me a cardigan when I started at grammar school. Everyone else had 'fully fashioned' ones from the school shop. I don't think I had grown into the one nan made by the time I left school.

I realise that it is very different now but.........

I’m knitting Trauma Teddies for a charity that supports families in difficulty.

A triangular shawl for my granddaughter in a red, green, white and silver sparkle yarn.

A sleeping bag for my grandson's baby doll in a red and green fair isle self-patterning yarn.

First things I've knitted in over 30 years!

Hopefully both finished by Christmas 🤞🏼

At the moment I am crocheting a very colourful blanket in autumnal colours. I am using moss stitch and crunch stitch.

I've been crocheting poppies for GD to take to school. They are making a display for Remembrance Day.
What I'll do with the rest of the red yarn, I do not know.

I am glad you have re-started V3a and anyone else

I was watching a programme by a neuro-scientist the other day. A rhythmic movement of hands, back and forth, each hand going towards the other, that is knitting and has been shown to reduce dementia risk by over 40%. That motion actually builds new pathways in the brain

I was knitting at the time and also working on a tricky pattern, row by row. A two- pronged approach to maintaining cellular activity in the brain. As is working out how to turn a heel in a sock

karmalady my Mum died with Alzheimer's and my Dad has vascular dementia, so that benefit would be very welcome 🤞🏼

I have two or three things on the go. I have to finish pockets on a long line edge to edge cardigan. That won’t take more than half an hour. I am knitting a v neck sweater, also some Christmas figures and nearly finished gloves, but my heart has gone out of the gloves as they were for walking my dear departed little terrier.

I also knit baby stuff like blankets, cardigans etc for a charity.

I have too many several projects on the go:
Seed stitch socks, spiral socks on circular needles.
Crochet throws x 2
2 x knitted mitre squares throws
Probably enough yarn to keep me busy for several years 🙄😁
I use circular needles for all knitting, definitely easier than conventional knitting needles.

Obviously you do need to look after your hands and arms too

circular needles allow a heavy weight, as is my gansey jumper, to lie in my lap with no weight on hands or arms

I find steel needles, although chiagoo are excellent, do put strain on my fingers. Silky bamboo are gentle and surprisingly I have not had any finger-joint pains using those by seeknit

I do sit comfortably and have a swivel, serious -readers lamp by me. Dark yarns are difficult when patterning

I do get up every so often and walk about the house doing things or I will go on a hilly town walk for 30 minutes. Blood needs to keep circulating

If I am making something small and simple then I will go upstairs and knit while sitting in my bed before sleep, that rhythm sends me to sleep quicker than anything

At one time I had 4 UFOs ( unfinished objects) on the go, it took a lot of mental effort to finish the Mouche animals, I did it and now have two bears and a pig for the AC. They used very small needles and a tight tension. All the implements are in a craft bag, just in case I might want to make another Mouche animal in the future

I like nice things for my knitting craft, last thing I bought was a project 39 leather bag by redesigned, expensive yes but so what, a fraction of the price of a bought hand made gansey

Do carry on V3ra, knitted blankets and even shawls are very easy and always welcome eg the liberty-ferry shawl. I have a knitted blanket on my bed right now and a shawl handy over the back of a rocking chair

The liberty-ferry shawl has just enough of a pattern to fire the brain but is very easy

kittylester

I'm with you Georgesgran.

My nan knitted me a cardigan when I started at grammar school. Everyone else had 'fully fashioned' ones from the school shop. I don't think I had grown into the one nan made by the time I left school.

I realise that it is very different now but.........

My school had a very strict uniform code but once in 6th form you were allowed to knit your own navy jumpers.
Sloppy Joes were in fashion and we were all mad for them even though they looked a bit daft worn with a pleated skirt. 😂

I am spinning a soft merino/alpaca blend for a shawl

That sounds impressive!

I’ve been moaning that the neckline of my favourite black jumper is too low to wear in the winter so she has given me some alpaca bouclé wool so I can knit a lightweight scarf.

It’s like knitting cobwebs! 😩