Learning to Knit Support & Chat Thread

[~*max*~]

Hello fellow newbie knitters. I'm wondering if there's any interest in having an ongoing support & chat thread for us. We can talk about how the learning is going, what people are working on, share some beginner patterns & resources, & cheer each other on.

I'll start. I am a very new knitter. I am teaching myself by using a book and www.knittinghelp.com . So far I can cast on & knit. I haven't tackled purl yet. I am working on a very simple scarf - cast on 15 and knit until desired length. I am a bit of a perfectionist, so the going is slow. But I am finally feeling like I have the hang of it.

For yarn & pattern resources I like www.lionbrand.com .
For great yarn prices I like Smiley's Yarns: http://www.pagelinx.com/cgi-shopper/...file=iriot.htm .

And how about you?

[katmann]

I'm further along than you, but I still consider myself a beginner. I tried my first cable knit project this week and I might have to frog it. I dropped a stitch somewhere and I don't know how to fix it.

I used knitting for dummies and knittinghelp to learn. I bought Stitch n bitch too, but the directions are sometimes confusing. I find it hard to jump into knew projects since I don't have a spectacular array of needles just yet.

I like this thread idea.

[~*max*~]

Katmann, that is impressive! How long have you been knitting?

Smiley's has needles on sale for $3.99. Of course, you have to spend at least $50. per order, but they have some really good buys on yarn. I bought a wool/soy blend that is so nice & soft. I can't wait to try it out. (I'm saving it until I'm a bit more competent.)

I hear ya on the frogging. I was half way through w/my scarf today when I noticed a big error and had to take out half of it. :

I'm having trouble getting all my housework & kid stuff done these days bc all I want to do is knit!!

[ZanZansMommy]

Oooooo...I'll join. I just started knitting last week.

Max- I'm also using knittinghelp. It's how I learned casting on. The actually knitting part came from a friend who showed me. Now I've got the hang of it pretty well. I'm knitting a small scarf for DD. It's my 4th attempt b/c I have also dropped stitches or lost them somehow on the needles & then I can't figure out what to do next. So it's all slow going for me.

I'm going to check ot your other links.

Katmann- I got my needles at AC Moore with a 50% couponI figured since I'm new at this I'd better start off on the inexpensive side.

[~*max*~]

Welcome ZZM! (Hope you don't mind if I shorten your name. ) What are you making the scarf out of? I'm experimenting w/the fibers of yarns, seeing what I like best & what is easiest to use. So far I find the bulkier yards & bigger needles a lot easier to learn on. I am currently using a mohair/acryllic blend that has that crimped look. (I'm sure that's not the correct term, but you know what I mean.) It's very easy to hide my errors in, as opposed to the thin wool I started out with.

[ZanZansMommy]

Max-I'm just using an acrylic yarn I had picked up for DD for crafts. Once I get the hang of this (it's coming slowly) I'll experiment with some woll or maybe even cotton. I'm not sure. I haven't read anything about which fibers are easier to work with. Once this scarf is done I want to learn to purl & read directions.

I'm finding my #9 needles very comfortable. DD has #13 & those are much too big for me.

[notjustmamie]

Can I join if I want to start knitting but haven't gotten to it yet?

My grandmother gave me a lesson or two when I was little, but I never practiced much and gave up quickly. I picked up crochet as an adult and now I'd like to be proficient in both. I'm planning to get a set of needles (or, if we can find a pair of DH's that are straight--the circular ones make my head spin at this point) and start with the videos on KnittingHelp.com.

Several folks have recommended that as a crocheter, I may want to try knitting in the continental style. I'll have to see. Holding two needles in any position while I work seems a bit daunting to me at the moment.

[MissRubyandKen]

I'm in. Like the idea. Don't have time to post more now, but will be back later.

[~*max*~]

notjustmamie, of course you can join! Welcome! This is just the place for you. I too learned to crochet first and also really struggled w/holding two needles. But after about a week of practicing I am starting to feel comfortable with them.

And welcome to you too MissRubyandKen. Looking forward to hearing from you.

I just picked up "The Chicks with Sticks Guide to Knitting" from the library. This looks like a fun book for getting started w/some nice patterns for beginners and advanced beginners. There are actually a couple sweaters in there that I'd love to make some day.

[katmann]

Originally Posted by ~*max*~

Katmann, that is impressive! How long have you been knitting?

I learned about 5 years ago and then stopped after a month or so. I just picked it up again while I was pregnant, around last October or so. I was desperate to knit wool soakers for cding my baby, but the ones I made had too-small legholes. But that project got me to learn a lot, including magic loop knitting, which I learned from knitting help (sounds way scarier than it is).

[MissRubyandKen]

I'm another who crocheted first, but now am learning to knit. Also been using knittinghelp. Love it! Very helpful.

To those who need help picking up dropped stitches. Try this tutorial. Not sure how this would work for cables though, I'm not that progressed. I had to learn this pretty much right away because I dropped a stitch on my first project and noticed about six rows later. Basically you just take a crochet hook, or knitting needle, to bring that stitch back up row by row. You need the pics!

katmann I agree that pic of cabling looks beautiful!

I have a 13 month old, so I do more daydreaming about than actual knitting. Some nights I will deprive myself of little sleep if she obliges me by not missing me for awhile. I just tried cotton for the first time this week and it is very nice to work with. I got a set of Denise Interchangeables and am loving knitting with them. You can use them for straight or circular.

Next thing I'm thinking about trying is changing colors in the work. Or maybe a simple lace pattern.

[katmann]

Originally Posted by MissRubyandKen

katmann I agree that pic of cabling looks beautiful!

just to clarify, that's not my work. That's just the page for the pattern.

[Mama~Love]

Hello, I'll join the group here. I'm still somewhat new to it, but I have knitted hats in the round and dishcloths, but I really want to learn to knit longies & soakers, and socks too.

[~*max*~]

Originally Posted by katmann

just to clarify, that's not my work. That's just the page for the pattern.

I'm impressed that you are even taking it on!!

MissRuby&ken, thanks for the tutorial link. I'm sure I'll need it!

Also katman, what a bummer that the legholes in the soakers you originally madel! I'd have been so disappointed after all that work. I hope you found someone else who could use them. It does sound like you learned a lot though.

Welcome mama~to~my~bunch. Glad to have you with us.

I just finished my first scarf - and it was quite anticlimatic. It came out OK, but the edges were a bit uneven. I was tempted to frog the whole thing, but my daughters really liked it and started fighting over who gets to wear it first. (Now that's a boost for my ego! ) I am going to practice now on making them some things for their dolls - an easy audience to please. I found a really cute, colorful yarn to use. It's called "confetti".

In my scarf I learned to cast on, knit, & bind off. The binding off was tricky & came out much tighter than the cast on end. That will take some practice too. Any tips?

[MissRubyandKen]

Originally Posted by katmann

just to clarify, that's not my work. That's just the page for the pattern.

Oops, my mistake! It was late and I admittedly didn't read one word on the link. Just looked at the pic. I'm not brave enough to take on cabling quite yet. Kudos to you for taking it on!

Originally Posted by ~*max*~

In my scarf I learned to cast on, knit, & bind off. The binding off was tricky & came out much tighter than the cast on end. That will take some practice too. Any tips?

You can bind off with a needle 2-3 times bigger than the size you've been knitting with. Or you could try the sewn bind off. It's the bottom cast off on the page, so scroll down. It's stretchy, so good for ribbing. You can control how tight or loose the stitch is by how tight you pull the yarn through, so I would think it would be good for doing a looser cast off too.

I haven't finished a project yet without making a few mistakes on it, and learning from them in the process . I'm looking forward to getting to the point where I can finish a project and sit back and look at it in awe that I finally finished without a mistake, lol. Bound to happen eventually, right?

[Maine Mama Doula]

I want to join! I taught myself last August while pregnant and took on my biggest project first - Lg longies for DD1 using gaia merino wool. They came out great except or the crotch which I kitchener stitched inside out! Not sure if I'll ever be good enough to go back and fix it? I saved the scrap yarn just-in-case. DD1 refuses to wear them! I don't think she likes the colors. I used the Picky Pants pattern.

My most recent finished project was a pair of board shorts for DS using the Sheepy Pants Pattern and corriedale wool. I'm working on a Juliette skirtie now and it is, by far, my hardest project. I'm not any good at the "easier" stuff like hats and I've only knit in the round.

Anyone from Maine?

[~*max*~]

Thanks MissRuby&Ken. I'll try that w/this project. Purling is going well. it's actually fairly easy. (Dare I say that?)

Welcome Babyluvandkisses - nice to see you on another thread. (I'm a May Mama too.)

[MissRubyandKen]

Is anyone else on Ravelry? I think I recognize one or two? If anyone else is I'd love to know their usernames so I can friend them and check out their stuff. I'm nurslingblessings over there.

[notjustmamie]

Originally Posted by MissRubyandKen

Is anyone else on Ravelry? I think I recognize one or two? If anyone else is I'd love to know their usernames so I can friend them and check out their stuff. I'm nurslingblessings over there.

I'm there, but I don't really participate in the discussion groups or anything. My user name is expimag.

[~*max*~]

What is Ravelry exactly? Like Facebook for knitters? I checked it out, but didn't really get it.