BYC KNITTING CLUB

[Carols Clucks]

I love those fingerless gloves! And they are so fun to make.


Itsy, my mom taught me to knit and refused to allow me to join any USA knitting classes because she used the techniques learned in Denmark. It is much faster and none of this odd wrapping of yarn around needles (well maybe for a special stitch) I use youTube to look for videos on any new stitch I want to try, I look until I find some one using my method and try that. I have come across a few I just can not figure out or that do not turn out the same-or I just did not try and follow the video as close as I should have, but knit and purl are fine. I would try searching the methods til you find the one you want to use and then with some scrap yard follow the video again and again until you figure out that stitch.

 

[peepacheep]

Cybercat, Sock knitting scared the heck out of me but DH kept pestering for a pair. I picked some instructions that had no pictures, that pair of socks still glow in the dark from all the cursing I did. When I finally was able to get help at the nearest knit shop, 75 miles away, the woman there got very quiet when she took a look at my sock. She then very politely said, ''Um, you are knitting the sock inside out'.

Have knitted countless pairs since, socks are my no-think knitting now. While I knit the on 2 circulars the clearest instruction for me I found in Stephanie Pearl-McPhee's book, Knitting Rules. While learning to knit was not relaxing it is now. Good luck and enjoy!

 

[Theeggboxtoo]

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How do you keep your fingers warm?

 

[Carols Clucks]

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How do you keep your fingers warm?

I make mine long enough to cover pretty much all but the tips and use them for with I am taking photos

 

[MullersLaneFarm]

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Wool is wool, there is nothing that can substitute for it. I have plenty of friends that are various levels of vegetarian with a couple of vegans thrown in for good measure. I still do not understand the reasoning behind not using wool. I can understand not using leather and milk products with no bias, but sheep breeds of today are not like the ones of hundreds of years ago that roo'd their hair. To not shear a sheep yearly is unconscionable. If they are not sheared, they risk health issues. (Roo'ing is where the sheep 'blow' their fleece, like dogs do every spring. It literally falls off them when they rub against fences, trees and the like.) That's as far as I'm willing to go in this conversation. I just don't understand the reasoning and even my vegan friends cannot give me an explanation that makes sense to me. I don't want you to defend your stance, I'm sure I've heard it from my vegetarian and vegan friends before and I don't want this thread to turn into a troll thread, if you know what I mean. If you do want to discuss it, and think you can show me the light, then please send me a PM, okay?

That said, there are plenty of other yarns out there made from sustainable baste fibers, cotton, linen, bamboo and even acrylics that aren't Red Heart .... (

what can I say, I'm a yarn spinner and a yarn snob), even I use Red Heart occasionally ... when I have to. You'd be surprised what yarns have come about in the last 5-10 years that are synthetic, not animal based and are very, very, very nice!

 

[MullersLaneFarm]

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KnittingHaven?? KnittingForums?? I'll have to check those out!

Have you been to Ravelry yet?? Be ready to spend a couple of days just looking through all the patterns ... not to mention all the forums there!

 

[MullersLaneFarm]

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LOL!

One of my students in my last mitten knitting class knitted left handed (from the right needle on to the left needle). She was getting along fine with the cuff, up through the thumb gusset. I don't stand over my students, examining and cluck-clucking them, just ask them if they are having any problems as I walk them through the various parts of the project. This student was getting along fine. When she got past the gusset and to put her thumb stitches on hold, she asked me to take a look, Yup, she was knitting 'inside out'. Her work was coming out the top of her needles instead of below them. Good thing about knitting in the round, you can keep going the way you are and when finished just turn them right-side out! no biggie!

 

[WoodlandWoman]

The issue with wool is that the vast majority of male lambs are slaughtered for food. Pretty much like the dairy industry and home raised chickens. That's why I mentioned spinner's flocks that have wethers.

There are a lot of very nice, very soft synthetics out there. They have a lot of spring and bounce, like wool does. They also have great washability and are very easy care. The biggest drawback is that they don't have the breathability you get with a natural fiber.

Cottons and bamboos give you great breathability, but you don't get as much springiness and flexibility in the fiber. You notice this a lot when you're knitting with it and also when wearing it. Bamboo is one of the fibers I haven't worked with, but I've heard from some other knitters that it drooped and stretched more in garments they made with it than other fibers. I'm not sure how much, compared to cottons.

There are also some very coarse wools out there that are not nice and soft. When it comes to yarn shopping, no matter what it's made out of, you really just need to do the touch test.

I knit and crochet with different materials, depending on the project, too. I don't like to give a baby blanket to a working mom with a toddler, that has to be hand washed and laid flat to dry. I want it to be very soft, but I also want it to be used, loved and easy to care for. Babies exude a lot of different things, from various orifices. I love wool for winter hats and scarves here, for the extra warmth. I usually make items for pets out of synthetics that can be machine washed and dried.

 

[DuckLady]

I wish I could have you all here for a Sit n Knit or BYC Knitting Retreat! How fun would that be!

I may be moving my yarn shop back to town in the next couple of months. Hopefully it can be worked out. I miss the classes and the social aspect of it all!

It will be nice to have my mudroom back, too!

 

[WoodlandWoman]

I hope that works out for you soon. I love knitting or doing other crafts with family or friends. It's always so much fun to see what everyone is working on.