Easter Craft Club date poll

[innit]

That makes sense.... but then I'll just have to keep going til it's square, right?

I've ordered some new lanark wool for some more square action, can't believe how super cheap it is

 

[toggle]

That makes sense.... but then I'll just have to keep going til it's square, right?

I've ordered some new lanark wool for some more square action, can't believe how super cheap it is

you keep going until you are at the right size, each side is 6 inches, so you ahve 12 inches on the needle

 

[Biddlybee]

I was good (tight?) I ordered a sample card
What did you order?

 

[toggle]

I won't look at the site anymore, until I have cleared enough space so i could store it.

 

[innit]

you keep going until you are at the right size, each side is 6 inches, so you ahve 12 inches on the needle

thanks, I'm a bit remedial today...

that does make more sense than casting on loads of stitches and swatching though, you really are a genius!

 

[innit]

I was good (tight?) I ordered a sample card
What did you order?

I got a couple of silk tweed dk (ochre and cobalt) and a couple of the natural dks as well (can't remember which now!) - should be able to make some tasteful colour combos!

 

[Biddlybee]

Nice
I really need to learn more about wool/yarn tbh - find out what I can replace things with in patterns etc.

 

[Biddlybee]

Just got the samples from New Lanark and they're good for seeing the colours and feeling how itchy they are; but it's made me realise I haven't really got a clue about the difference between dk and aran - does that just refer to their weights/thickness?

Had a quick search and found this

Some of the names for the various weights of yarn from finest to thickest are called lace, fingering, sock, sport, double-knit (or DK), worsted, aran, bulky, and super-bulky. This naming convention is more descriptive than precise

I know if I'm making something bigger than a scarf a swatch is the was to go, but is that a pretty accurate description of how I can tell the thickness? (especially for buying online, and whether I can replace one wool with another in a pattern).

 

[eme]

Yep - DK yarn X, in theory, ought to be the same weight (thickness) as DK in yarn Y. Sometimes there is a bit of variation, but nothing that swatching / changing up or down a needle size can't resolve

ps - thanks for lil needles; am on my 7th sq now

 

[RubyToogood]

I don't entirely agree. Different DKs can be fairly different, and can behave in different ways. Eg the Debbie Bliss ones tend to look quite thin to me. The best thing is to look at the recommended gauge on the ball band, and get something with the same gauge (eg 22st per 10cm). But even so a wool DK will behave differently to a cotton DK for instance.

 

[Biddlybee]

Thank you ladies, that has made it a bit clearer in my head

(Rubes gauge isn't always displayed when you buy online is it?)

 

[toggle]

Thank you ladies, that has made it a bit clearer in my head

(Rubes gauge isn't always displayed when you buy online is it?)

http://yarndex.com/

you can get some off here.

 

[RubyToogood]

Thank you ladies, that has made it a bit clearer in my head

(Rubes gauge isn't always displayed when you buy online is it?)

I've never seen it not displayed. There is a certain amount of leeway with gauge (one stitch either way won't make much difference), and for instance kidsilk haze can be knitted up at entirely different gauges and still look good, but most yarns have a specific gauge that they will look right at - too tight and it'll look lumpy, too loose and it'll look holey and floppy.

In the UK, the only yarn terms that are really used are 4 ply, DK (double knit), aran and chunky. (There are lots of other yarns that don't fit into those categories though.)

 

[Biddlybee]

Cheers you two - I think I might've not looked out for it before, as so far I've stuck to scarves or used the exact wool needed in a pattern.

 

[Choc]

god you girls are just talking japanese here

(i have just realised that with my current garment whilst having done a swatch for it for the first time, i now use the wrong needle size [american and european size confusion] anyway! so i am now publicly giving up at being an accurate knitter)

it's freestyle for me all the way

 

[RubyToogood]

You don't need to use the same size needle as the pattern states, Choc. The whole point is that you use whatever size of needle gives you the gauge the pattern requires.

 

[innit]

it's freestyle for me all the way

hee hee

I got my new lanark wool already! What a quick service, and the wool all looks lovely (I see what you mean about scratchy though toggle, it's ok but I don't think I'll be using it to knit myself some undies!).

None of the balls of wool had bands though, so I have no info... am currently knitting on 3 3/4 which seems to be working out ok but I would have preferred a nice paper band with some information!

 

[eme]

A sobering thought.... 8/64

 

[toggle]

knit a few more today, think i'm about up to 200

 

[Choc]

wow the squares look wicked!

 

[innit]

They look really cute eme! was funny to spot the china yarn on the internet

I just counted up, I've got 32 completed squares and another couple on the needles so I'm officially half way, yay! (except I've got loads of ends to sew in, boo)