[monkaha]

I *think* I've figured out knitting now. At least, I can make a square. So what should I make? My ultimate goal is to make soakers/covers/longies for DS, but I don't think I'm there yet. I'll be going on a long car trip next month, would like to work on a project then too.<br><br>
Thanks for suggestions! And could you please link me to directions? Thx!<br><br><br><img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="http://www.mothering.com/discussions/images/smilies/coolshine.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title="sunshine">

 

[*Devon*]

I jumped right from squares to soakers, and the first one I made came out great!<br><br>
All you really need is for someone to explain the pattern to you in detail, and I'm sure anyone on this board could help you with that... it's just knits and purls, and mostly knits at that!!!<br><br>
A good square project is a dish/washcloth, or if you're really ambitious you could do a baby blanket!! Or, a long rectangle with the sides sewn up is a pocketbook!<br><br>
~Dev

 

[monkaha]

Um, yeah, about the purls..... they look just like the knit stitches I'm doing, so I must be doing something wrong. Or will they look different if I keep doing them? LIke the difference is only noticable a few rows later?

 

[Bronxie]

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<div style="font-style:italic;">Um, yeah, about the purls..... they look just like the knit stitches I'm doing, so I must be doing something wrong. Or will they look different if I keep doing them? LIke the difference is only noticable a few rows later?</div>
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I thought the same thing also. One diff I think is that purls are bumpy where the regular knit is smooth. You'll notice the diff as you go. Someone please correct me if I'm wrong. <img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="http://www.mothering.com/discussions/images/smilies/winky.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title="Wink">

 

[sweet tea]

hey...where did you learn how to knit? I want to learn so bad...I spose you are to busy to teach me..moving and all..lol

 

[*Devon*]

That is why I adore knitting in the round!! You only need to purl for the ribs.<br><br>
The way you can tell if you are doing it right is if your front and back looks completely different (aka stockinette stitch). Basically, the purl is just knitting in reverse because you are zigzagging back and forth (imagine if you couldn't Return on a typewriter, you'd have to type backwards, right?). Anyway, your front should be little V's and your back should be little smiles and frowns.<br><br>
It took me a while to figure it out too!<br><br>
~Devon

 

[monkaha]

Stacey, I got a kit from walmart that had needles and a little book, and I bought the cheapest yarn I could find. Between the book and the million or so knitting sites online (I'll email you links if you want) I've kinda figured it out. Come down here, and for a slight fee of packing a couple boxes, I'll teach you. <img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="http://www.mothering.com/discussions/images/smilies/mischievous.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title="mischief">

 

[bc1995]

A dishcloth was my first project after go through all the lessons in the Walmart Learn to Knit kit. My next project was a baby blanket. I say make a washcloth or two and then jump right into a soaker. You can do it!

 

[girlndocs]

Go for the soaker! Do it! I went straight from dishcloths to my first soaker pattern and I'm just going along the pattern (the LTK one) with my copy of Knitting For Dummies in hand and <a href="http://www.knittinghelp.com" target="_blank">www.knittinghelp.com</a> at the ready. It has really gone much more smoothly than I ever thought it would and I'm so EXCITED! <img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="http://www.mothering.com/discussions/images/smilies/bouncy.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title="bouncy">

 

[monkaha]

I found a knitting store here (Purl's) and went in and got nice and overwhelmed. But the ladies there steered me towards dishcloths, and I bought a pattern book. So, now off to buy some cheap cotton yarn and get busy! (yeah, in between packing boxes, laying tile, and repainting the entire house-blah.)

 

[*Devon*]

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<div style="font-style:italic;">Go for the soaker! Do it! I went straight from dishcloths to my first soaker pattern and I'm just going along the pattern (the LTK one) with my copy of Knitting For Dummies in hand and <a href="http://www.knittinghelp.com" target="_blank">www.knittinghelp.com</a> at the ready. It has really gone much more smoothly than I ever thought it would and I'm so EXCITED! <img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="http://www.mothering.com/discussions/images/smilies/bouncy.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title="bouncy"></div>
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My sentiments exactly, only replace KfD with Stitch n Bitch -- the LTK patterns are great for beginners, and it is good to have an illustrated to help with the tough parts (increases & decreases, Kitchener, etc) and knittinghelp has videos for everything!

 

[GoodEats]

If you want a truly beginner soaker pattern, you know, just to get you started... try <a href="http://tierra-verde.8m.com/soaker.html" target="_blank">this.</a> It's all knit except the ribbing at the top (10 rows) and you essentially just knit a triangle and use K2Tog to decrease. It couldn't be a simpler car project. Then you can drag out your how-to manual for the seaming (which is pretty easy to figure out, anyway).<br><br>
Anyway, it will let you get into a rhythm and have something to show for it, without a lot of strain. <img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="http://www.mothering.com/discussions/images/smilies/thumb.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title="thumbs up"><br><br>
(I got squirrelly and added knit-in-the-round cuffs to the first one i did... <img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="http://www.mothering.com/discussions/images/smilies/winky.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title="Wink"> )

 

[*Devon*]

I gotta tell ya, I started out with cheapy yarn too, thinking my knitting was so crappy it didn't deserve nice wool <img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="/img/vbsmilies/smilies/bag.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title="Bag">: ...<br><br>
However, now that I do use nice wool my knitting has improved tremendously, plus it's a lot easier to use. Cotton is very nice, but it has no stretch so it might be better saved for later in your knitting career. It shows mistakes a lot better too.<br><br>
Invest the $8 in a ball of Zara or LTK yarn-- you won't regret it.

 

[sweet tea]

well I just got knitting needles & hand dyed super soft wool in varigated blues and yellows in a swap and I got the pixie doll pattern and the waldorfy girl doll patterns....now all I need is a book to tell me what a knit, purl is :LOL<br><br>
oooh dishcloths! what a great idea....yeah, I think I will check out the library today maybe they have something... I can't wait to see your first project. <img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="http://www.mothering.com/discussions/images/smilies/orngbiggrin.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title="orange big grin"><br><br><br>
*tile, grout, tape box, stitch..repeat*

 

[Sarah]

Monkaha- Did you ever figure out your purls? I was curious about what was going on in your work from the way you described it.<br><br>
Knits and purls are like looking at two sides of the SAME STITCH the knit side is the smooth side and the purl side is the bumpy side. It would be like if you were writing on tracing paper and you had to make a whole page of bbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbb's without ever hitting "return" ... well you could write a row of bbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbb and then you could turn the tracing paper over and write a row of ddddddddddddddddddddd... and then turn the page over and bbbbbbbb and so on... when you were done- you would be looking at a bunch of b figures- even if half of them had been made by writing a letter d.<br><br>
If you knit and then purl every other row - you should wind up with a material with a smooth side of V shaped stitches and a bumpy side.<br><br>
If you can see ridges on the smooth side, if it is not entirely smooth- but seems to have a horizontal texture- you still need to practice your tension. Most people knit tighter than they purl in the beginning. If you are aware that you are doing that- you can try to make your knit stitches a little looser, and try to make your purl stitches a little tighter.<br><br>
If you think of the stitches looped over your needle as making a little "hump" - when you make a new knit stitch, you'll "push" that hump of the old stitch off your needle (think of it like a shove- even if it feels like a drop) You can push it back- or when you purl-you can pull it forward- you will see right away where you dump that hump- If you are doing a rib stitch or a cable, you should not need to have to count all the stitches as you go along- you should be able to see if it is time to push or pull that hump to the front or back of your work.<br><br>
Love Sarah