Knitting

Discussion in 'Other Conversation' started by sloan127, Jan 8, 2014.

  1. sloan127

    sloan127 Active Member

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    My grandmother taught me a little about knitting MANY years ago. She was an expert knitter and I watched her a lot so I remember a lot of the things she taught me. Now, all these years later, i am trying to get back into it. I have found several helpful online sources and I bought one knitting magazine last week. I was wondering if anyone else knits and where you get ideas and supplies. I would love to try some different yarns eventually but they are probably hard to find around us. Walmart is about all we have. I heard that we have a small yarn shop near us but I haven't been to see if that place sells yarn or if it is for classes and sells finished items. I am hearing both ways so I will just have to go see. I really don't know what to look for but it will be fun seeing and feeling the different types of wools and such.
     
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  3. eyeofthestorm

    eyeofthestorm Active Member

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    I love to knit. I learned to crochet from my mother as a child, but didn't "conquer" (and by conquer, I mean make anything at all... even just a swatch) until I was in my late 30's.

    The most influential thing I've read was The Sweater Workshop, which shows how to make just about any kind of sweater "without a pattern." I put that in quotes, because you have a basic math formula, and all the parts of the sweater are ratios of one basic measurement. It's much simpler than I'm making it sound, and it changed the way I thought both about knitting and crocheting.

    I take inspiration from about anything I see now, and think... Can I copy that?

    As far as yarn - around here, yep, it's Wal-Mart, too. My favorite online source is Smiley's. IMO, you have to buy in bulk (to make it worth the shipping), but you get great yarns at amazing prices.
     
  4. crazymama

    crazymama Active Member

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    I'm sure the local shop sells yarn, probably some crazy expensive wool. My favorite needles came from my local shop, I was desperate for them at the time (lost a double point in the middle of a hat!), I paid WAY more than I really wanted to spend on needles, but they are amazing. I forget the brand right now but they are bamboo.

    Have you found www.knitpicks.com yet? Their Harmony needles are great! I also have bought lots of blank wool from them and dyed it myself (love dying yarn, it's so fun).

    My favorite wool ever to work with has been purewool, you can find them on Ebay, it comes from Peru, I like their single strand worsted for hats and used that the most for baby stuff (longies for over our cloth diapers). (you can get that blank as well, you can dye wool with acid dye or koolaide and vinegar.... there are lots of tutorials online!)

    I am not above shopping at Walmart either, Pattons wool is ok to work with and if I'm doing something I want to be economical, I will use good old Red Heart.

    Also the site knittinghelp.com is great if you are stuck on something, the videos there are great!
     
  5. KrisRV

    KrisRV New Member

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    a lot of Good wills and stores like them have yarn sometime check them out Beth for books too.
     
  6. sloan127

    sloan127 Active Member

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    Our local Goodwill has been selling knitting needles for a couple of months now. I think a store donated a few boxes of them. The are all brand new in the pack for $1.00 and some are $.50. They don't have a lot of sizes and they are not something fancy, just the sort that Walmart carries, but they are fine for me to practice with and make scarves.
     
  7. Jackie

    Jackie Active Member

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    I can do a wash cloth, but that's about it! But my dil is a very good knitter. She made me a lovely sweater last year for Christmas.
     
  8. sloan127

    sloan127 Active Member

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    I hope to make a sweater eventually. I am finding lots of great info from the sites mentioned here and I am loving it! Thanks!
     
  9. sloan127

    sloan127 Active Member

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    I am still working on my knitting and have been enjoying it very much. Freddy loves working with wood and since we don't have wooden knitting needles in any of our local stores, he made me some! I love them! He did a very good job too. He sanded them until they were just right and then used beeswax on them. One pair we sort of tie dyed with some Wiltons food coloring. Then he waxed those. They are very cool. He picked out two or three wooden stoppers for the ends of some and made double points in one or two sizes. I think he is having more fun than I am! With what he has made, some I already had and the brand new ones I got at Goodwill for .50 and $1.00 a pair, I have most sizes now in knitting needles. Goodwill even has circular ones for .50 but only in sizes 6, 7, or 8. I really am loving making Emily scarves and doll clothes for my cousins American girl doll. Today I started my very first sweater. So far so good. I have only had to take out a tiny section when I forgot to switch to larger needles after doing the first six rows. I really want to keep this up because It makes me really have to concentrate and think and my brain needs the exercise!
     
  10. sloan127

    sloan127 Active Member

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    I went in a small shop with one of my older daughters yesterday and she said I might want to go in a certain section because they had yarn there. This is a shop where you rent a bookcase or area and they sell your stuff for you. So I went and looked and sure enough they had yarn and a few other knitting items for 70 percent off. The lady who runs the shop said a man was selling off the leftover stock from a yarn shop his wife had closed when business got bad. Most of the yarn was stuff I didn't care for, but I did get a few things and had fun looking at old patterns they had. Love finding a bargain!
     
  11. sloan127

    sloan127 Active Member

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    I am officially hooked on knitting! I finished my very first sweater tonight! I will see if I can get one of my kids to post a picture for me. It has some places that are nowhere near perfect, but I love it! Can't wait to start something else.
     
  12. ABall

    ABall Super Moderator

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    not knitting, but did anyone else get a bunch of beginner crochet kits from Jo-anns? mine came in the mail and each kit had a hook, a skein of yarn and instructions for a simple project. My daughter watched a You tube video and made a hat, I don't think she can follow a pattern and I asked her why she didn't make a scarf or something easy first..... I don't know how to knit or crochet. .......... I just wish I could get her to call the yarn yarn and not string.
     
  13. Jackie

    Jackie Active Member

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    NO!!! I would have loved that! I can do simple crocheting, but that's it!
     
  14. sloan127

    sloan127 Active Member

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    I did not get one either. I do like JoAnn's, but it is frustrating to me that so much of the knitting items are only available online. I like to see and feel the yarn before I buy it. I am in love with ChiaoGoo red lace circular knitting needles and am working on my second pair of socks. I love making them and am slowly getting the hang of it. So far I have not been able to talk any of my kids into learning to knit but maybe they will come around. I just hope my hands can hold up to the knitting. They get a little stiff and sore sometimes.
     
  15. ABall

    ABall Super Moderator

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    I am signed up as teacher with the teacher card......
     
  16. Jackie

    Jackie Active Member

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    I've got the teacher card, too, but still didn't get any crochet hooks in the mail free!
     

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