Any knitters in the house?

CatSlave

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K1P1: Your book "The Essential Guide to Color Knitting" finally arrived yesterday. I'm SO jazzed! It's gorgeous.
Five Stars !!
 

dirtsider

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Found an interested book for knitters and crocheters. It's called From Fleece to Fiber. It's about different types of fleeces and has pictures of the types of fibers/yarns that can be spun from them. It has backgrounds on the different sheep, goats, and other animals the fleece came from. I picked it up and have only glanced through it so far. I'm currently working on some other books in my 'to read' pile. This one will have to wait for a bit.
 

moth

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Ooh, I love fibers. Still a newbie, still learning, but love them. I know a little of spinning from what my mom used to do (she got raw wool from my uncle's farm and cleaned, carded, spun it herself) and wish I'd paid more attention back then. Thanks for mentioning this book. I couldn't find the exact title tonight but I'll keep trying.

*adores alpacas, squishes them with much love*

And how did I not know that K1P1 (whose username makes so much more sense now that I knit :) ) had a book out? Just ordered it, and am so excited to see it!
 

moth

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K1P1's book got here a few days ago. Absolutely love it!

I'm pursuing nefarious plans to enter the world of knitting design, and this is definitely a book I'll go back to over and over.
 

crazynance

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for quick baby shower gifts, I have been crocheting. I made a disk dolly (you put all the crocheted discs on an elastic string), a rabbit that looked like Piglet, and a circular blanket that looks like a seashell. Still got more babies arriving with friends, more to do!
 

ShaylaElla

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Another knitter here. Mostly I design and knit my own sweaters, though there's always the standard hats, mitts, scarves, washcloths and baby clothes. I save all my knitting for the winter season, when I see no sunlight from Sunday afternoon until Saturday morning. Ah, Canada. I teach a small knitting class during those cold, dreary months.
 

butterflykitty28

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I love knitting

My grandma taught me how to knit when i was 7 years old.. i am now 27 and i love knitting blankets for family members :)
 

moth

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I haven't tried a blanket yet, but it's on my (very long) list. :) I only just learned to knit a few years ago, and I love it. I've made a ton of things and have bought and read a ton of books. I'm working on my first sweater, for a 10 year old girl, and it's a good thing I have her right here in town to try it on as I go -- she's way smaller than the book's recommended size for her measurements.

Sure am glad I'm good at math...sleeve recalculations... :tongue
 

adm

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I'm a knitter. I like to knit socks and other small projects. I like the book Knitting from the top and attempted to make a sweater using this method - but I ran out of yarn and had to frog (for knitting newbies that means ripping out your work - frog = "rip it, rip it" ) and started a vest instead
 

adm

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Miss Macchiato - yesterday I saw an add for needles (straights and DPNs I think) that are made out of carbon fiber...just like the stealth bomber! They were very cool, and would be bunnyproof. But at about $35/set for dpns, they were a little rich for my blood.

I just googled these - very cool needles, but I agree they are little too much $$ right now. thanks for posting!
 

SummerSurf57

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My sister likes knitting. I personally hate it, but she likes all that arty stuff - sewing, knitting, the such. She's made socks, cardigans, jackets, baby bootees, baby clothes, rag dolls, teddies - even a pair of slippers once.
 

Niiicola

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I recently made Lyra's winter hat from The Golden Compass movie for my daughter. On size 19 needles (!!!!). I haven't ever knit anything I think my characters would have worn, but I do have a hand-knit scarf in my current WIP. It's kind of my own inside joke.

Also, I find that writing is getting in the way of my knitting habit lately :(
 

tiny

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I just really learned to knit over the past two months mainly because I saw a Christmas stocking I wanted but refused to pay the money for.

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moth

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Those look great! You're doing really well. Love the Fair Isle. :Thumbs: Was it strange to work the chart upside down?
 

tiny

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No, it was actually very easy after a few false starts when I realized I'd started from the top. Problem with that stocking is I found I was twisting all the stitches causing it to be very stiff. I've fixed that problem so I need to start again on the patterned pieces. I'm just really amazed with cables right now. They're so much easier than they look.
 

Cranky

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Yeah, cables are *much* easier than they appear to be. Love them!

I still can't figure out socks on double points, though. I bought a sock loom, and I'm gonna give it a go. May try magic loop. I want a pair of skull socks like yours, tiny. :)
 

tiny

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Double points are a must for socks when you get to the toe though they make turning the heel easier. But, if you get a set of five instead of four, they're easier to use I think. Just keep an like number on each needle and Bob's your uncle. Oh and I prefer bamboo needles now. So much easier than the metal ones. They're warm, they've got a little grab, and they're just cool. :D

I still haven't made any wearing socks, just stockings. Yep, I'm making Christmas stockings. Little early, but everyone will get one when the holiday rolls around.
 

moth

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Totally agree about preferring wood over metal. I usually use KP Harmonies. I also magic loop everything, even small stuff. I made a few amigurumi bunnies last Easter, and even when the rounds got down to 8 sts I still magic looped it. Basically for small stuff in the round you have to choose your poison -- deal with an unwieldy cable or with many extra needle points? :) I've done both and it's unwieldy cables for me.

I used to have the twisted-stitch issue too -- I was wrapping my purls backwards (didn't know it at the time though) and then not knitting them through the back loop to untwist them. It felt wrong and weird and I didn't like the fabric I was getting, but I had no clue what was wrong or how to fix it. The day I found out what combination knitting was, I said "a-HA!" and cured myself of my backwards purls. I know some people do combination knitting on purpose but for me it doesn't work.

Cranky, maybe I've been living in a cave or something but I've never heard of a sock loom. Is it for knitting or for weaving?
 

moth

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Yep, I'm making Christmas stockings. Little early, but everyone will get one when the holiday rolls around.

Forgot to say, starting Christmas knitting now definitely doesn't sound too early! :D
 

tiny

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Because I'm knitting on circular needles right now, I wrap the yarn so the loop is the right direction to knit through easily (my knits and purls are going different directions on the needles). It causes problems when I'm trying to learn some of the fancier stitches but I'm really focused on cables and Fair Isle so it's not such a bad deal.

I thought about the loom, but I really like the idea of the needles. It fascinates me to use sticks to make fabric. I have a five gallon bucket with one of those organizers for tools that I keep all my stuff in and I've found I'm a bit of a yarn hound. I love having all the colors I can find in cotton, but I so love knitting with wool. I'm working on a hat in wool for the husband and it's so nice to knit with.

Oh and I use jump rings as stitch markers because I found the ones they sold in the knitting section are just too big. Grommets from the hardware store are great for sticking on the ends of the needs, too.
 

Cranky

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Totally agree about preferring wood over metal. I usually use KP Harmonies. I also magic loop everything, even small stuff. I made a few amigurumi bunnies last Easter, and even when the rounds got down to 8 sts I still magic looped it. Basically for small stuff in the round you have to choose your poison -- deal with an unwieldy cable or with many extra needle points? :) I've done both and it's unwieldy cables for me.

I used to have the twisted-stitch issue too -- I was wrapping my purls backwards (didn't know it at the time though) and then not knitting them through the back loop to untwist them. It felt wrong and weird and I didn't like the fabric I was getting, but I had no clue what was wrong or how to fix it. The day I found out what combination knitting was, I said "a-HA!" and cured myself of my backwards purls. I know some people do combination knitting on purpose but for me it doesn't work.

Cranky, maybe I've been living in a cave or something but I've never heard of a sock loom. Is it for knitting or for weaving?

This is a knitting loom. Which, yeah, sounds weird. But it's adjustable, etc., and I plan to take a run at it later this week. :)

Tiny, I do prefer needles, too, but no amount of juggling (five needles or four) seemed to work for me. I can use double points to finish off a hat, but it's nerve wracking stuff, heh. I just can't seem to get the hang of it. I like circulars, so I'll try magic loop next, plus the loom.

Also, put me down for bamboo as well. Unless we're talking tiny gauge yarn and lace patterns. :eek: