Knitting!

[Annpan]

That site is... well... interesting

I really struggle to find cool free patterns on-line, if you know of any others let me know please. I always design my own stuff, not always with great success

Fee: well done, keep it up, knitting used to really bug me, it took me ages to work out how to stop the needles sqweaking 'kringe'

[Scrake]

AnnPan - Knitty.com and Magknits.com both have very nice free patterns (and the archives for both are extensive)

As with all free things, there are some absolute oddities, but in general each issue of Knitty will have at least a couple of things I'd like to make. Alas, I knit veeeeery slooooowly so can't make everything I see.

[goldy1]

Some good free pattern sites are. http://www.berroco.com/index.html
http://www.knitty.com/ISSUEwinter06/index.html

[Ranter]

At the end of last year I asked my Mum to show me how to knit (again). I'd done some when I was younger, but had forgotten how to cast on & off.

My first project (& so far, only project) was to knit little pieces to make a Father Christmas Card for my nephews & nieces, with felt & ribbon for face, boots, hands & belt, & cotton wool as trim. I was really proud of it & mum was well impressed. You'll have to take my word for it though, no pictures.

Just knitting with an oddment now, to make sure I don't forget again.

[Millymollymandy]

I haven't knitted for years and every time we move house my husband gets really annoyed with the sack full of 'knitting stuff' that moves with us - one jumper nearly finished started about 1988 and a Kaffe Fassett leopard skin cardigan that I did about 14" of back in the early 1990s.....

I don't think I'd make sense of a pattern right now but I used to do all sorts of wonderful and complicated things! I just don't have the inclination any more - I could say I don't have the time, but I spend it on the computer instead.

[Annpan]

My sister knitted me the most fantastic socks last year, she knits ALOT. She started them while we were watching 'The Lord od the Rings' trilogy, extended, back -to-back (yes, very sad but I don't care ) 13 hours we sat for and she knitted practicly the whole time, when we went to bed that evening she had just got past the toe on the first foot (maybe 3 inches )
I don't know how many man hours they took to complete, but they are the most lovely pair of socks ever

I don't knit that much, just started again when I was preggers (something to do while watching long movies on TV, locked inside over the hottest summer on record) I like knitting cool stuff that you just couldn't buy in the shops.

[the.fee.fairy]

I have visions of knitting lots of cool things...alas, i don't think that'll be for a few years!!

I undid my scarf, it annoyed me cos it took too long, so i've started again with chunky wool on big needles!! Much quicker!!

Funkypixie: thanks for that link, it looks brilliant.

I'll add www.craftster.org to the cool links, they have loads of great home-made crafty things on there. I've made a lot of the stuff, i love the monster bag!!

[Paddy's mum]

Almost every crafter has a hidden place full of UFO's. It goes with the territory - Unfinished Objects.

My knitting is really good. It goes like this:

Knit 1 Purl 1 Knit 1 Purl 1 Knit 1 Purl 1 Drop 2 Knit 1 Purl 1 .......... !

[the.fee.fairy]

I haven't got to the purling stage yet...
I'm determined to do the book in order, rather than jump in at the difficult bits, so i'm in the process of knitting a scarf in garter stitch. When that's finished, then i can go on to purling!!

[Scrake]

Fee Fairy - garter stitch scarves have their own charm: I keep one on the needles nearly always, alongside more involved projects (am making a knitted waistcoat for my father at the moment, taking ages but I think he'll like it)

The Yarn Harlot has a recipe for a chunky garter stitch scarf, but it's made sideways and I think that they always look lovely (while remaining nice meditative knitting)

http://www.yarnharlot.ca/blog/archives/ ... eople.html

(her blog is also recommended, she's a truly speedy knitter, and makes some interesting projects)

Sorry, for bombarding you with links!

[funkypixie]

I did 3 scarves before I considered doing anything else

Having said that, I finished this bag earlier today and I'm dead chuffed with it.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/cheekyboy/416800444/

Have decided to jump in the deep end and design a baby sleeping bag for my new nephew who is due on the 21st of this month. When I say 'design' what I actually mean is 'make up as I go along'...

[Scrake]

What a beautiful bag, funkypixie! I love Noro, but try to avoid temptation as it is quite expensive*. The colours make it worth it though! What colourway of Kuryeon?

To bring this back to the selfsufficient direction, has anyone here tried spinning? A friend of mine who is an archaeologist got to try drop spindling as part of her Masters course. I was very jealous :-)


* And usually fail - this scarfused a bunch of Noro Kuryeon

[funkypixie]

Thanks!

I picked it up relatively cheaply on ebay so I didn't feel *too* guilty about the cost . It's colourway 164 btw.

Your scarf is lovely too. Not quite my colourway but a fabulous length.

I'd love to have a go at spinning and dyeing but wouldn't have a clue where to start. Plus space is a bit of an issue for me so no hope of a wheel. Having said that, there is a wheel in the store cupboard at school that never seems to be used. They might let me borrow it if I ask nicely , but that's a project for the far future.

[PurpleDragon]

The blanket Shirlz was talking about.

My sister was taken into 24 hour care 4 years ago because she was unable to look after herself anymore. (She was 40 at the time).

When she was younger she had crocheted herself a blanket, but unfortunately it wasnt in a fit state to go with her into the care home.

Recently the Drs asked us to dig out things that would help jog her memory to see if she could remember anything, and I figured it would be a good idea to crochet a blanket for her so that it might jog her memory of doing it.

Unfortunately, she can't see anything but colours, but I figured if I did a brightly coloured one, she would be able to feel the texture and see the colour.

Anyway, I mentioned this on NEEPS! and Ina suggested the NEEPsters get involved and crochet squares in order the blanket can be made really quickly. I've had to take crochet lessons because I couldn't crochet, but I am slowly making my first square. Zombiecazz has already given me a square as well.

Apparently Lidl are going to be doing a special on wool and accessories (needles etc I believe) starting this week (?)

[Bonniegirl]

I love your felted bag!! I used to knit but I have since discovered crocheting and I much prefer that.

I've done a similar bag but crocheted:

Finished crochet bag in 100% pure wool/angora


The same bag after it's been felted in a hot wash


I've done a few of them so far but the one above is my favourite so far!