Knitting for nitwits

[ShiftyBagLady]

i fancy making a patchwork blanket too but I think it will be one of those things I keep meaning to do but never get around to it. I do have one square done done though so maybe I will just add to it whenever I have nothing else to do.
i went to that shop today but it was flipping closed will try to get to the one in herne hill tomorrow

 

[wiskey]

I've not seen the blanket you're talking about, but the first thing I knitted was a patchwork blanket for my niece... if you've got the patience to sew it together, then it's just knitting a whole bunch of coloured squares, which I found quite easy. Can dig the pattern out if you fancy a go at that? (think I've only got a paper copy though).

I actually quite like sewing

Patchwork sounds like a good idea I'll see what she thinks tomorrow.

 

[MightyAphrodite]

I actually quite like sewing

me too

and knitting.

shut it marget

 

[ShiftyBagLady]

Google mulesing - it's not pleasant but it's what happens to merino sheep in australia. If you can get merino wool from sheep in the falklands it won't have been mulesed

What about some UK wool? Blue faced leicester is nice and soft - not machine washable though. There are also new 'wools' made from milk protein and maize - they're very soft as well afaik

There's a new sheep breed that starts with B but I can't remember its bloody name - it's really soft as it's a merino cross. I think it was a welsh uni that made the hybrid - I'll ask himself if he can rmember what it is but it's some of the softest wool I've ever felt.

eta - Bowmont!!

theres a woman who knows her sheep!
I've seen some merino wool which is all very worthy and ethically sourced but can't find out if the do the museling in peru, you wouldn't happen to know would you madzone?

have seen some great british wools too, i thought these websites were good, some lovely needles on this site http://ecoknits.co.uk/ and i particularly like this colour here http://www.fiddlesticksdevon.co.uk/acatalog/Hacho_Yarn.html

 

[madzone]

In fact having had another look through I felt a lot braver before I read this book!

What would you suggest I make then? I have zero desire to make clothing.

What about a bag? You could make one that can be fulled (washed and shrunk) and so would hide any mistakes.

 

[madzone]

theres a woman who knows her sheep!
I've seen some merino wool which is all very worthy and ethically sourced but can't find out if the do the museling in peru, you wouldn't happen to know would you madzone?

have seen some great british wools too, i thought these websites were good, some lovely needles on this site http://ecoknits.co.uk/ and i particularly like this colour here http://www.fiddlesticksdevon.co.uk/acatalog/Hacho_Yarn.html

Hmmm, don't know about peru - will look into it


There's also a really nice place to get organic wool based in wales called garthenor organic

 

[wiskey]

Well we have progress on the patchwork blanket, she thinks its a good starting point. and has said (because she knows me) thats its probably best 'because when you get bored I can do the last 3/4 of the squares'

So now I need a wool shop in Bristol so I can buy wool . . . any idea's?

 

[madzone]

Well we have progress on the patchwork blanket, she thinks its a good starting point. and has said (because she knows me) thats its probably best 'because when you get bored I can do the last 3/4 of the squares'

So now I need a wool shop in Bristol so I can buy wool . . . any idea's?

http://www.getknitted.com/acatalog/Open_Days.html

btw - don't be tempted by the cornish organic wool , it's shit

 

[wiskey]

Thanks thats the one I knew about already

She thinks some sort of baby proof-possibly acrylic mix-not too expensive-chunky stuff.

 

[madzone]

Thanks thats the one I knew about already

She thinks some sort of baby proof-possibly acrylic mix-not too expensive-chunky stuff.

Sounds good to me - bombproof and very forgiving

You won't be able to full it though so ignore my suggestion about a bag.

I want to go to that shop

 

[wiskey]

I'll tell you what its like tomorrow

how much does wool cost? I mean what should I be looking at price wise. Obv I don't want the really expensive stuff. And what should I look for in choosing it?

I quite like the idea of bamboo mix wool!

 

[madzone]

I'll tell you what its like tomorrow

how much does wool cost? I mean what should I be looking at price wise. Obv I don't want the really expensive stuff. And what should I look for in choosing it?

I quite like the idea of bamboo mix wool!

Real wool is proper expensive now - I think it's a lot to do with fancy designers like debbie (spit) bliss jumping on the popularity of knitting and making a buck out of it.
I don't know about the price of acrylic I spin my own wool I'd guess it was about £3 - £4 ish a ball depending on how 'fancy' it was

 

[wiskey]

Real wool would be a waste on me I suspect.

If I go in and confess to being a total newbie to the whole knitting thing will they be friendly? are people in knitting shops friendly generally?

I don't want it fancy I just want it chunky, and purple.

 

[madzone]

Real wool would be a waste on me I suspect.

If I go in and confess to being a total newbie to the whole knitting thing will they be friendly? are people in knitting shops friendly generally?

I don't want it fancy I just want it chunky, and purple.

Yeah, places like get knitted should be really friendly

 

[wiskey]

Ok cool. Tomorrow I shall be brave!

Thanks Madz

 

[RubyToogood]

i went to that shop today but it was flipping closed will try to get to the one in herne hill tomorrow

Don't! It's only open Weds, Thurs, Fri and Sat. Iknit seems to be open at strange random times. I went the other day and it was shut, but came back ten minutes later and it was open.

I've not seen the blanket you're talking about, but the first thing I knitted was a patchwork blanket for my niece... if you've got the patience to sew it together, then it's just knitting a whole bunch of coloured squares, which I found quite easy. Can dig the pattern out if you fancy a go at that? (think I've only got a paper copy though).

That's a better idea. You don't reeeaallly need a pattern just to do squares. You just cast on, say, 20 stitches, and then knit until the thing is as long as it is wide, and cast off. Or the mitred squares are fun and not truly that advanced.

i particularly like this colour here http://www.fiddlesticksdevon.co.uk/acatalog/Hacho_Yarn.html

Mirasol do some gorgeous wool. I'm lusting after some Miski at the moment (100% baby alpaca).

She thinks some sort of baby proof-possibly acrylic mix-not too expensive-chunky stuff.

Yes, it needs to be very soft and non tickly, and washable.

 

[ShiftyBagLady]

OH FOR FUCK'S SAKE

Sharp Works is not open on tuesdays I spent ages waiting for the bus top get there and then ages waiting for one to get back, I must have wasted the best part of an hour to find out that they fucking open on tuesdays.
There is a conspiracy to keep me from knitting. I just know it.

 

[RubyToogood]

Had you read my post above, you would have known this

 

[ShiftyBagLady]

thats not helping ruby

 

[RubyToogood]

I'm not here to help, I'm here to demonstrate my effortless superiority over you poor benighted wannabe knitters

 

[crustychick]

I hosted my first knitting circle last night! It was awesome. We have 4 new fledgling knitters who all learnt how to cast on, knit, purl and cast off. Including stocking stitch and ribbing. And I was one of the teachers (having only been self-taught from a book about two weeks ago). It was awesome. I also made/started/almost finished a mobile phone cover, with 3 different colours. It’s got a mistake or two in it but I might do another one now I’ve got the hang of it. Ooooh, knitting is FUN

 

[wiskey]

sooo, I was brave I went to Get Knitted, I confessed my stupidity/ignorance and she showed me a whole load of baby wools and bamboo wools. And they were very soft and lovely but my how dull they were, all pastel colours. So I asked if she had anything a bit more RAA and she said oh if you want RAA you want to come over here . . .

And it was great. I got cadbury purple and golden yellow. And she was very friendly. It looked like a very interesting shop to if you understand it all. We looked at two displays, god knows what the other 98% was full of!

And then I went and had a knitting refresher and I have got halfway through my first purple square now And we didn't fall out and we actually had fun. And I only had a few mistakes but they weren't that bad.

And now I'm on my own! and I've discovered that I find it really hard to push the needle through the back of the stitch and it drives me nuts. I'm sure I must have the technique wrong

Wiskers

PS: she thought the book was rubbish!

 

[madzone]

Why are you pushing the needle through the back of the stitch?

 

[wiskey]

ok not the back, wrong wording. but when you push it through I find it really hard to get it into the right bit. It takes about 30secs for each one. its driving me mad. might be easier today now I'm not tired.

 

[madzone]

ok not the back, wrong wording. but when you push it through I find it really hard to get it into the right bit. It takes about 30secs for each one. its driving me mad. might be easier today now I'm not tired.

Sounds like you're knitting too tight. Try not to pull the wool so hard when you're looping it round the needle iyswim. It's a common thing to happen when you're starting or starting again after a long break. You'll find your own tension soon enough.

 

[wiskey]

I was going to have go now but I've found a slight technical problem . . . can't knit with a cat in the same room!

 

[madzone]

I was going to have go now but I've found a slight technical problem . . . can't knit with a cat in the same room!

When you say hard do you mean physically and you have to push hard or do you mean slippy/tricky?

 

[wiskey]

both really, firstly I can't get it to go through the right hole, then I can't get it not to go through some of the thread not all of it (splitting it iyswim) and thirdly I have to push hard.

now I have two cats. one after the knitting and one after the needles!

 

[madzone]

Cats and knitting

The trickiness of getting it through the loop is just down to practice imo and the having to push hard things is what I said before - again it'll come back with practice. Knitting can be really fucking stressful

 

[wiskey]

I did another line It was easier this time. You're right I think I need to loosen up a bit.

(i bribed that cats )