Craftalong Un-swap part 3: Knitting

[706Designs]

Eek!  You guys are smoking ahead of the the rest of the crowd!  Nice work.

It may seem like a small steps for most, but with the help of my husband, I figured out how to do a slip knot (I think the hubby would be good at knitting, since he's good with knots.....he has NO interest, however).  Now, I need suggestions for help.  I was going to go to a knitting meeting at a very nice LYS, but it was horrible weather, yesterday.  The next meeting, I'm unable to attend.  None of my friends/family knit.  I have the 1st SnB, but am needing something more help.  Suggestions?!?

Oh, for those of you interested, Craftalong 2's signup has begun http://www.craftster.org/forum/index.php?topic=21417.0

Sandy

[xmelinda]

Okay!  I'm in my new house!  FINALLY!  Y'all don't have to listen to my lame excuses about how I'm moving!  Now you can listen to my excuses about how I'm not unpacked and can't find anything! 

I've got my 2 skeins of Noro Silk Garden that I bought at Purl Soho in NYC last month, and I want to make a scarf that is light and can be worn with clothes, as opposed to a keep-warm sort of scarf.  Here are some patterns I'm trying to decide between:

http://www.straw.com/cpy/patterns/party_scarf.html
http://www.straw.com/cpy/patterns/big_net_scarf1.html
http://www.straw.com/cpy/patterns/squiggle-fizz-circus.html
http://www.straw.com/cpy/patterns/party_decostar_scarf.html

I realize that because I won't be using fuzzy novelty yarn or deco ribbon, my scarf will not look like these, but I thought some of these patterns might also work with the Silk Garden.  We'll see.  I probably will choose based on which looks easiest    Or I'll just start and see which looks best.  My mother-in-law made a scarf on the bias while she was visiting us the last time, and it looked really neat.

Oh, and if anyone still hasn't decided what to make, that Crystal Palace site has some cool patterns!

Melinda

[donutgirl]

here's mine so far.. I was going to make the Ribbed for her Pleasure scarf from Snb, but I started knitting it while on vacation and just wanted to knit something simple w/out having to think about it.  So it's a garter stitch.  It's for me, and I like wide scarves, otherwise I'd be bothered by the width.

but yesterday I quit my job so I've plenty of time to finish now!

[alison]

alright, i was so unhappy with my first scarf i had to make another one.



this one is much more my style.  it is pink (it is much more pink than my web cam can pick up) cashmere yarn i picked up to make a baby present, but what baby needs cashmere?

i knit a tube, then sewed the ends together so i had a big circle.  i can wrap it around my neck 5 or 6 times, and then there's no ends flapping around in the wind. 

[xmelinda]

That's a neat design, alison!  And a cool way to get some cashmere even if you can only afford a little bit    But, I really really really loved the "lawn" scarf, too.

Melinda

[alison]

That's a neat design, alison!  And a cool way to get some cashmere even if you can only afford a little bit    But, I really really really loved the "lawn" scarf, too.

Melinda

thanks.  i made it on big needles, thinking i wouldn't have enough to make a good scarf, but it is ribbed and it kind of stretched and now its like 8 feet long...which is fine because i just wrap it all around my neck and it is SO soft....i think i have to go back and get more yarn for mittens, but that may be above my knitting abilities.   since it will be cold here for another 6 months or so, it may happen.

[iqjones]

Just a quick question-- has anyone else had problems with bamboo needles?
I learned to knit on them, then snapped one in half during the construction of the 2nd project.
 I used to do that all the time with pencils, I think I get some sort of hand spasm thingy when I go all super-intense.
 I told the woman at the (not-nice) LYS & she said it was impossible.
Thank goodness the nice yarn store moved nearby & they have lots of nice metal needles.

[melidomi]

I've never had this problem (though I have snapped some casein needles by sitting on them or trying to cram them into a bag too violently, very heartbreaking).  It could be that you had a defective needle - after all bamboo is a natural thing and it's possible that that piece of bamboo had an infection or something - but if you've done it with pencils alot you might want to stick to metal needles - at least for anything smaller than say, 8mm (arbitrary number drawn from a hat)

[sasto]

I'm such a buckethead sometimes, I've been looking at the embroidery thread for the knitting info & didn't know where you were! For the newbie knitter, this is a really cool thread about making your own needles which is sooo easy & so much cheaper than buying even one set! Check it out http://www.craftster.org/forum/index.php?topic=2611.0

I finished a scarf last night that was made with eyelash & a really thin confetti yarn. I'm kind of over the eyelash thing but my mom bought me half a dozen skeins (because they seemed so small) so I'm giving her several scarves for hooking me up with the yarn. I used the drop stitch idea that I hear is in the new SnB--I found a pattern online somewhere. I've been knitting for about a year but have mostly just done flat garter stitch stuff. I've been really slow about adding new skills with knitting because it's such a nice mindless task when you have very little to count & only one stitch to keep up with. I live in Texas, so the practicality of knitted items has a teeeeny little window, especially when one is physically "well insulated." Still, of all the crafts I dabble in, knitting is almost meditative for me. Very calming. I like that.

I will post a pic tonight. For those of you who are just getting started, hang in there--like almost everything else, it gets easier with practice!

[Linds3485]

ok I am going to learn how to knit... seriously this time. Anyone have any suggestions on resources to use to learn? What basic supplies am I going to need? Just needles and yarn, or is there more to it? I saw this kit on JoAnn's and it says it has a bunch of stuff with it... or should I just by everything individually?

http://www.joann.com/catalog.jhtml?CATID=82333&PRODID=47186

And how do I know what is the "right yarn" to get? As you can see, i'm clueless. Help!