Knitting in artificial light

I know to never attempt anything to do with black - be it yarn or wool - in artificial light! Daytime only and sitting by a window.

You could try a lamp with a daylight bulb.

Septimia

You could try a lamp with a daylight bulb.

That's what I use. I have a floor-standing one with a magnifier and a daylight bulb, and it gets used a lot. I've had it since the 1980s, so it doesn't owe me a penny. It has come in handy for seeing splinters in little fingers and countless other uses as well as for knitting and sewing.

Robert Dyas sold me an amazingly bright bulb to go in my ordinary standard lamp.

I have a daylight bulb I got from Hobbycraft in a standard lamp next to my seat so it shines down on my hands. Very bright.

I make some small items with black sections - ‘professional’ hand puppets for a charity, inc. a policeman and a judge! always have to sit by a window in good daylight to sew them up or I just can’t see the stitches.

Some years ago I was knitting a long black cardigan, all done except the border all round the front. ‘pick up and knit’ umpteen stitches all around the front edge.

After trying for ages, I just couldn’t see the blasted stitches and I’m afraid to say the whole thing ended up in the bin! At least it was relatively cheap acrylic…
That was my worst ever UFO (Unfinished Object) and I haven’t had one since.

Much sympathy from here - dark colours are really tricky in artificial light. Daylight bulbs help - I have an ancient angle poise which gives enough light for picking up the dropped stitches!

Has anyone used the iron on webbing for hemming trousers?
I used this a few years ago with limited success and wondered if it has now improved.
Like other grans on this forum I struggle with black even in daylight.

Has anyone used the iron on webbing for hemming trousers?
DH is the expert! He uses a damp cloth, it seems to be fairly successful although probably hemming by hand or machine is probably longer-lasting.

I knitted a navy blue hat for charity recently and decided to stick to lighter colours until the daylight improves.

Oh, knit in natural daylight - although it's in short supply at this time of the year.

Could you knit first thing in the morning in natural light?

Neck lights or a head torch have helped me with crocheting dark colours. Both readily available on Amazon or eBay.

Get a neck light, you wear it round your neck and it has bright lights at each end, I managed to sew navy on navy the other day with no difficulty.

I am unable to crochet in black yarn or sew black fabric unless the natural daylight is very good. The bright cloudless, albeit frosty days, are brilliant at the moment. Overcast weather and I have to revert to another project

Not any help to you but as a 13 year old I was desperate to have a black jumper, which my mother refused to buy me. More ways of skinning a cat! So allowed a couple of weeks to go by and then asked if I could knit myself a jumper and choose my pattern myself. My mother was quite pleased by this and I was duly dispatched to get wool pattern and needles. I arrived home with a pattern for the jumper and it was made on no 11 and 13 needles threeply and black wool!!
My mother was not best pleased but didnt go back on her word and as I was so desperate to have this black jumper, I did some knitting every day until it was made. Never chose 3 ply again or such small needles but enjoyed wearing the sweater for a very long time. My only suggestion is one thing that I did that helped a little. I got a old white pillowcase to put on my knee so that the black showed up in a better way, Have to say I have never made another one in black 3 ply for anything. Another suggestion is to make two different things at the same time , so you do some of your black cardigan in the daylight if possible and while you are not tired and then have a change to something in a lighter colour. Good luck

I use daylight bulbs, painting studio. Works a treat.

Try a white background eg sheet of paper with bright light shining on your work. Haven't knitted or crocheted anything in black for a long time but did use the "reflection" technique.

I have neck lights for my embroidery. They fit like a collar round the neck with an adjustable light each side. I think Robert Dyas sell them, also amazon.

Lamp with daylight bulb, also try to avoid anything using black wool unless straight forward.

I had to stop knitting black or any dark colour a few years ago, even in daylight, the stitches all merged together.

Daylight bulb. I use mine all the time.

I recently bought a reading light from Amazon which you wear round your neck and can angle exactly where you want it.I knit and read in the evening and for around £10 it's one of the best things I ever bought.Well worth a try.

Do you have light coloured needles? That makes a huge difference. I am knitting a pullover in a dark forest green, and thankful that I am on rounds of plain stockinette stitch. I wouldn't want to do any lacy pattern with it.

Well done Madeleine, or rather your younger self.
I once made a black cardi in 4-ply, très chic, Marion Foale pattern. But a "friend" asked to borrow it and left it in a disco, never to be seen again.