So here we are—Issue 3 already!
I didn’t know I’d find this much to write about but things keep popping up on the internet which sparks an idea and away we go! I’ve also had a few bits of news and some photos for our virtual show and tell from some of you. I’m going to start with machine knitting this time.
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Machine Knitting:
Some of you may not be aware that Elaine Cater now has a website and Facebook page, as well as being on Instagram. You can purchase her patterns and books via the website, either for download or a paper copy. There are some free patterns too.
If you’re in need of inspiration, take a look at Iris Bishop’s website. There’s lots there about her work, not just her machine knitting, but her artwork too. Definitely a website to aspire to.
I came across a YouTube video called Machine Knitting—Embellishment ideas (so cute). It has some very different ideas and I was fascinated to watch how the knitter was transferring stitches from the main bed to the ribber. That bit comes in around 5:45 minutes into the video. This video is made by Knitology 1x1 so follow the link for others made by her.
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Hand Knitting:
Can you read a knitting chart? If not Little Nutmeg Productions will show you how. Lots of other free tutorials on this site too.
Are you like me? It takes me three or four “goes” at having the right amount of yarn for a long tail cast on. Here’s tip that might help. Wrap the yarn ten times around the needle you’ll be using. That will show you how much yarn you need to cast on 10 stitches. Measuring from that you’ll be able to work out how much yarn you’ll need for your cast on. Add six inches or so as you’ll need a bit in your hand when you get to the end. If you don’t know how to do a long tail cast on there are plenty of YouTube videos to show you how.
Some of you may have noticed that I like to knit socks! But for myself only as I’m not keen on knitting for other people, except occasionally for family. So if you do find yourself knitting socks for other people, how do you know how long to knit the foot? I found this chart which could prove useful. If you do use it remember that the shoe sizes are American so you’ll need to find a conversion chart for that.
Are you knitting from a ball, hank or skein? Perhaps you prefer donuts or cakes? An Interweave article explains the difference.
I also found Fiona Morris’ blogspot that I think some of you might find useful. There are both patterns, tips and techniques, including some articles Fiona has written for magazines.
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Crochet:
Continuing on from last months witterings about crochet, I found a granny square that I hadn’t seen before—one with an offset centre! Here’s a link to it in Ravelry patterns . I just had to try it! Well, one square just to see how to do it. It also meant I could try out reversing the direction as mentioned last time. So I searched around and found a few bits of yarn that hadn’t gone to the girls and here’s what happened. It’s not easy to see from this picture, but the starting point is in the centre of the square before the 2nd colour was added. I’ve added an arrow to help you spot it! Hope that makes sense!
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I expect most of you know by now, but in case you haven’t heard, The Knitting and Crochet Guild have postponed their annual Convention. They have provisionally rescheduled it for the weekend of 11-13 September in the hope that we can all move about by then. Further details will be available as more becomes known.
The Knitting and Crochet Guild website also has a mystery knit-a-long to help us destash and pictures of all the Collection in 100 Objects. If you haven’t yet explored their website now could be a good time to do so.
Some of the KCG Branches are hosting on-line events. They usually get a mention on their Facebook group. You don’t have to be a member of the Guild to join this group but you will need to answer three simple questions before you get access.
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Just to finish off this section—have you ever tried finger weaving? You probably have everything you need right at home. Take a look at these YouTube videos. This first one doesn’t have any commentary. This is an even simpler explanation and does have a commentary. Just a bit of fun and maybe something to do with the grand kids once we can meet up again!
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Browsing the world wide web
Once again I’ve spent far too long browsing the internet. Here’s a few more sites for you to look at. I may sometimes link to just one particular page on a site, but do look around at other pages as you’re likely to find other things of interest.
The Wool Factory Another place to buy wool online. They also have haberdashery, fabrics and accessories. They are based at Alfold in Lincolnshire, so when this is all over it could be somewhere to visit on holiday or when you’re just passing through the area and need a break.
So you’ve found a pattern you like, but the yarn is either discontinued, too expensive or you want to use something from your stash. Take a look at this yarn substitution site to see what might fit the bill.
Can’t find a pattern you like? Would like to have a go at making your own design, but not confident? Can’t see that expensive software such as DesignaKnit is for you? Take a look at KnitAnything to see if they have can help with the calculations. Another similar site is Made & Worn where you choose a basic shape and add a stitch texture from a range they have available. Not free but worth a further look. Don’t forget to look at the faq’s as you’ll find info there about any pattern you should purchase.
A number of you have been knitting for babies, both prem and full term. I found Marianna’s Lazy Daisy Days blog. There are a number of cardigans and other patterns there with full instructions. Don’t be put off as some of the patterns give the instructions for each size individually rather than all sizes together with numbers for different sizes brackets. Can’t always see a button to download them? At the bottom of each pattern is a green rectangle that says “print friendly”. Click on that and you have the option to print or save as a pdf.
I saw a question on one of the Facebook groups the other day. The person wanted to use DK yarn for a 4ply pattern and wanted to know how to do the conversion. After commenting that it would make a very different garment and it might need adjustment to the pattern as well as stitches and rows I pointed her to a website to help her.
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Saturday 13th June is World Wide Knit in Public Day. It’s still a way off, and there is no telling whether we will be able to meet up, but if we can’t why not take a chair out into your front garden and sit and knit for a while (weather permitting!)? It’s a public place and those passing whilst on their daily allowed exercise could have a chat with you at a social distance. I think that would be allowed!
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Now that we can’t get to wool shows, the wool shows are coming to us! Yes on line. Take a look at the On Line Wool Show. Well worth exploring when you have time! Lots to see and you might even be tempted! Free patterns too if you’re looking for something different to knit.
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Here’s something to look forward to. Create-It have uploaded their show dates for late 2020 and for 2021. Obviously they are all dependant on the situation at the time, so fingers crossed. If you can’t make a show at Farnborough you could venture further afield to the Kent Showground at Detling. It’s only about 1½ hours away so probably a suitable distance for a day out.
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The UK Hand Knittering Association website and Facebook Group will be of interest to you I’m sure. They’ve been busy organising on-line talks, and competitions as well as offering lots of inspiration on Facebook and the website has an interesting blog and patterns. You’ll need to go to Ravelry to download (and pay) for the patterns. I didn’t come across any free ones when I was looking but there may well be. I’m also assuming that you will need to sign in to Ravelry to access the patterns although you can see pics on the UKHKA website.
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As Dave and I can’t go and visit our Mums we have been telephoning them instead. My Mum’s Care Home has told me that a few weeks after lockdown and self isolation is over they plan to have a garden party. I naturally asked if they would like some items for a craft sales table. Ohh yes please! Now I know what to do with a lot of the things I’ve been making, parcel them up and post them when restrictions lift. I’m not going to send them now as they aren’t essential and they may not have room to store them. I may not be able to get to the party, but I can contribute in other ways. I doubt they will be the only people trying to raise urgently needed funds so don’t stop crafting now.
My Stay and Home and Keep Busy List
One of the things on my list was to knit up yarn from my rather extensive stash. One yarn that jumped out at me was a pack of ten 50g balls of Rowan 4ply cotton in a cream colour. I just don’t knit jumpers or cardigans for me by hand—it takes far too long and I’m never satisfied with the fit, so I ruled them out immediately. But I do wear socks all year round, so a cotton pair would be good. Maybe two pairs, but they would need to have different stitch patterns, but before I do that I want to try the first pair for a day to see how they feel and wear. So one pair knitted and pic in the show and tell.
I’m on the mailing list for Yarnspirations. A message dropped into my inbox with something that caught my attention – the stitch pattern on a blanket knitted in a chunky yarn! I could quite see it as a scarf made from the Rowan Cotton. However after working out how many stitches I would need and knitting a couple of pattern repeats I could see that the cotton wasn’t suitable. The stitch pattern needed something like chenille or with more bulk and not a 4ply smooth cotton, so back to the drawing board on that. I still want to try the pattern, but I’ll have to look for some different yarn. I’m sure I must have some somewhere!
And it’s thinking cap on again to use the Rowan yarn. As cotton doesn’t stretch I thought it should work well for a “market bag”. (You know, one of those holey ones for all the veggies!). I’ve found a number of patterns, both knit and crochet, so you never know, I may end up with two. My guess is they will be a popular buy from a craft stall! I’d like to think that soon there will be very few people using plastic bags.
Last time I mentioned a blouse that had been waiting about three years for a simple alteration. This time I am pleased to tell you that the curtains I bought at least 5 years ago have been shortened (by 16cm/ 6½”!) and are now up. I had been dreading doing it and had felt daunted by the task, but it wasn’t anywhere near as difficult as I feared and I now wonder why I had put it off for so long. I could almost be tempted to do another pair in the future as our windows are definitely not a standard size and all have radiators under them so length is important. So ü on my list.
I’ve also turned a framed cross stitch sampler into a mini quilt so that the my Mum can look at it and her dementia carers can talk to her about it more easily. That’s ready now to be posted as it may be some time before we can visit. So another ü . At this rate I’ll be getting a gold star soon!
One of the things on my list is to have a good sort out, not just craft stuff but other things as well. After all, I am supposed to be decluttering! One point though —when we can get out and about again I am sure that every charity shop you can think of will be inundated with donations as I expect, like me, you will be turning out the odd cupboard or two. If you have things to donate why not hang on to them for a little longer and donate them when the first rush of items has been dealt with? It would be such a shame if your donation can’t be put to best use because they have more than they can handle.
The next pair of sock has been cast on and finished. The yarn was leftover from a previous pair and just sufficient. More about them with a photo in the show and tell. There are further colourways that will work together and should be sufficient for two more pairs. I don’t like throwing yarn away, unless it’s just a few metres and not enough to do anything with. So my stash is reduced—not a lot but it’s better than nothing!
My list doesn’t seem to be getting any shorter but it looks like it is holding it’s own. I know I have completed some of the things but added more!
Show and Tell
A few of you have been in touch since the last Newsletter.
Nina said it is good to catch up via the Newsletters. She has actually knitted a jumper on the machine and that it is so nice to be able to see what she’s doing again. She hadn't realised how bad her cataract had got until it was removed. Hopefully there will be a photo to follow. How lucky was Nina to be offered the op at short notice in January?
Although Sally is still working full-time from home, two hours per day have been gained from not commuting. As a consequence there is more time to clean during the week and less housework is needed on the weekends.
These past weekends have been spent using some of the extra hobby time to start doing some stash ‘housekeeping’ including making gauge swatches for some of the less-familiar stash yarns, to know what the yarn feels like when knitted, and start calculating patterns to use them for. The soft cotton (mink/beige) is going to be a light-weight jumper or t-shirt (depending on whether there is enough yarn for full length arms!). The dark blue acrylic is going to be a work-smart jumper for autumn. Sally has included a brief description of the yarn plus the tension, and stitches/rows on the little tags.
The sampling has shown good results. As I was putting this Newsletter together Sally sent a photo of the finished top knitted in the mink/beige yarn.
In her email Sally said “The shape is based on an purchased summer top that I have and like. I added a few knit/purl/knit columns in the centre of the front to make it more interesting.
Looks great and something that will be worn lots.
Sandra tells us she has finished the main part of a cardigan (by hand) but decided to make it a longline one and now doesn’t have long enough needles to do the bands! Sandra will be ordering a circular needle to enable her to finish the cardigan and commented that some may remember it’s not her favourite accessory! To keep her hands busy till that comes Sandra has returned to knitting baby cardigans for the hospital. She has also been very busy in the garden/greenhouse so not a lot of time left for anything else. When the weather changes Sandra hopes to finish a machine knitted tank top for hubby that she started a few years ago. Unfortunately she can't remember the tension she used. Are there lessons to be learnt here? 1- finish what you started and 2 - write info down.
Karen sent two pictures. One is of a pair of mittens she’s been working on. Karen told me that she’s actually onto the fourth mitten now as these ones are “handed” and the first time she knitted two left hands!
The second photo Karen sent is of a scarf she’s working on. To keep the pattern the same as both ends you knit two pieces like this (but longer!) and graft them together. I’m looking forward to seeing this when it’s completed and blocked. It may have to be a photo only though as it’s for a birthday present at the end of May.
Sylvia has sent two pictures: this purple cardigan was knitted on LK150 with chunky yarn bought from Bournemouth last year. She found the pattern in a book given to her by a friend from the Basingstoke club and didn’t need to make any alterations to it. Very smart and I love the way the stripes match on the fronts and sleeves.
This white lacy jumper was knitted on a Knitmaster SK700 and ribber. The yarn is Yeoman Cashmilon and it has been adapted from a pattern printed in MKM. (It has a slash neckline rather than as per the pattern.) There’s also a bit of tucking on the rib at the neckline. Some of you will have seen this at the last meeting we were able to have, but I’ve included it here as there was quite a few people missing that evening.
This is the pair of socks that I knitted in the Rowan 4ply cotton. They haven’t been washed yet. There are a couple of errors in the lace pattern and hopefully they won’t be noticed! My challenge was to pattern the feet as well as the legs/cuffs.
Here’s the second pair of socks I’ve completed since the last Newsletter. This time in a Wendy yarn called “Happy” (now discontinued) which is 4ply and 75% bamboo / 25% nylon. It was marketed as a sock yarn. I’ve knitted a few pairs in this yarn so time to use up the left-overs. I weighed the yarn and it looked like there would be sufficient for a pair in one of the colourway, but I did need to play yarn chicken! The next pair will definitely be two or more colourways.
Re-name the days of the week, so
Mix and match Monday
Tuck Tuesday
Weaving Wednesday
Trim Thursday
Fair isle Friday
Slip Stitch Saturday
Stitch up Sunday
These refer to machine knitting. Any suggestions for hand knitters and crocheters??
It is far better to be alone than to be in bad company.
Keep Calm,
Carry on
Knitting or Crocheting!
Stay Active at Home, Stay Safe, Keep Well.
