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I found a link describing an awesome yarn store here in Fort Wayne. It is supposed to be in this big old store and people drive from two hours away to shop and take classes there. *Bounce* I can't wait to check it out. I don't think I've ever been in a real yarn store before. I did most of my projects back when I had more free time when I was living in a small Texas town. No good stores there.
Here is a question: My sister in law is now 10 weeks pregnant. They plan to find out if it is a girl or a boy, but that won't be for awhile. They live in hot, humid East Texas. What kind of knitted/crocheted patterns are appropriate? My mom advises me to just not make anything at all besides the large baby blanket I already made years ago for this first child. But I can't sew clothing. I want to knit or crochet more stuff! Baby is due in April.
Posts: 1014 | Registered: Jul 2005
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Oh, I've heard of that store! or in the context of my grandma telling my aunt to stop there the next time she goes to Ft Wayne (they live in Hartford City).
I like making hats out of baby cottons, my favorites are Bernat Cottontots and KnitPicks Crayon looks really good but i haven't ordered it yet.
Posts: 5362 | Registered: Apr 2004
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Theca, the baby won't be able to play with them for awhile, but I love little crocheted balls. They're soooo easy to make and so soft for baby to hold and eventually throw. If you'd like I can send you a pattern; I'm making our baby-to-be a few for Christmas.
space opera
edit: breyerchic, Mr. Opera is originally from Hartford City...small world!
Posts: 2578 | Registered: Apr 2004
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wo it is a teeny world! Did he go to high school there? if so it's likely he knows some relative of mine, my grandpa had 11 siblings who all lived there, so I have cousins (some several levels removed) from 60 to 10 that live in the area.
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Yep - he went to school there. His parents and most of his extended family still live there. If you want, e-mail me some of your relatives names for fun and I'll see if he knows of them. Probably so, since HC is so tiny!
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If you're interested in felting check out this book (it just came from my book club): Felted Crochet by Jane Davis. There are over 20 projects and most of them are pretty nice. It also has an excellant description of exactly what felting is and how to do it by hand and with the washer.
Yesterday Mr. Opera, kids, and I went to a Fiber Festival in the next town over. I bought a needle felting kit to make Christmas decorations with and 2 big balls of natural roving so that Operaetta and I can make little animals. I'll let you know how it turns out; the lady said it was really easy.
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I have just started a yahoo group for jatraquera's to sell their hand made items, and others to buy them, feel free to join, use responisbly, I may list a few of my knit projects from time to time, join even if you don't craft, there might be something you want, price however you want, to make a profit, cover expenses, or whatever.
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I went to that yarn store the other day. It WAS really nice. I ended up buying that felting book but haven't had time to look at it yet.
SO, I would be interested in the crocheted ball pattern, when you have time.
Breyerchic, what if some people want to just show off their projects on the site, but not buy or sell items?
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Thats fine with me too Theaca. That can be done here though, so I didn't mention it, but there's no problem with it.
I have a pattern somewhere for crocheted hacky-sacks, but I'm not sure where, my grandma makes them, they wouldn't be appropriate for a baby though.
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Theca, I just pulled it out, so here in a second I'll e-mail it to you. I made a ball in part of an evening and it turned out really cute.
In case anyone wants to know, needle felting is fun! I was able to make a snowman decoration for the tree (about 5 inches high) in around 40 minutes. I'm sure it will go even quicker next time. The only bad thing is that you have to be careful not to stab your fingers, which of course I did. I'm not sure of letting Operaetta give it a try - Mr. Opera says "yes" but I'm not so sure. She'll definately need a lot of supervision and have to be VERY careful.
space opera
edit: Theca, I didn't realize your e-mail wasn't listed. Send me one and I'll reply back with the pattern
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I never saw your last post! I'm putting my email back in the profile (I put it in and take it out again regularly) and emailing you also. I'd love that ball pattern if you can find it again, no hurry.
Posts: 1014 | Registered: Jul 2005
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Theca, I'm glad you bumped! I'll get that pattern out to you tomorrow. It's soooo easy and they're really cute - I made Space Space Baby and my nephew a couple for Christmas.
H hook, worsted weight yarn - 1 band color, 1 stripe color
Ch 2 Rd 1- 8 sc in 2nd ch from hook Rd 2- sc in next sc, 2 sc in next sc around (12 sc) Rd 3- Repeat Rd 2 (18 sc) Rd 4- sc in next 2 sc, 2 sc in next sc around (24 sc) Rd 5- Repeat Rd 4 (32 sc) Rd 6- sc in next 3 sc, 2 sc in next sc around (40 sc) Rds 7-9- sc in each sc around (40 sc)
Switch to stripe color (join with a sc)
Rds 10-12- sc in each sc around - finish off leaving a long tail
Make the second half of the ball by repeating Rds 1-9 in main color. Finish off.
With tail left from stripe color of first half of ball, join both halves together with a whipstitch around, stuffing ball with polyfill before completely closing.
Enjoy!
space opera
edit: You know what would be neat? Using wool to make one of these balls and felting it in the washer. I might try that soon.
Posts: 2578 | Registered: Apr 2004
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Yes--I was planning to make nice soft ones for the babies, but a bigger, sturdier felted one for my cat! I think he'll love it. I'll probably make a cat one first, actually, since he's here and my niece isn't even born yet.
Thanks for the pattern!
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quote:ERROR The requested URL could not be retrieved
My mother-in-law taught me how to knit a few years ago. I made my son an awesome Harry Potter scarf, just like they wore in the first movie.
But I never really enjoyed the knitting that much, and it hurt my hands.
Last year, a friend taught me to crochet. Much better! It doesn't hurt my hands, the work goes so much quicker, mistakes are easy to pull out, and it is more fun! I keep inventing new things to make. Today, I made myself a kind of scarf shaped like a mobius strip. It is made of this funky yarn called "Boa" that looks like feathers when you work it. I'm going to wear it tomorrow with my skirt and sweater.
Posts: 10397 | Registered: Jun 2005
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CaySedai, that scarf looks yummy! Are you really finding that yarn easy to work with? My daughter was knitting with yarn like that and she found it really frustrating... although it hides mistakes well, she found it too easy to pick up extra stitches... I guess counting after each row would solve that problem...
This winter I've knitted 2 nice warm hats from alpaca yarn (so soft, not itchy at all!), one for my son and one for me. I'm also working on a pair of socks for my daughter (got one almost done) and a lacey scarf, also for my daughter.
Tante, your mobius scarf sounds cool...
Posts: 239 | Registered: May 2004
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That yarn is probably very hard for beginners. It's just too hard to see specialty yarns properly. However, CaySedai's scarf looks to be made with a very large needle size. That helps a great deal.
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You know, I'm beginning to be tempted by the thought of having a craft blog where I can put my pictures of my projects and so on. But that might be too much work for me to keep it up. But the knitting blogs I've seen do look neat.
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Every few years my crafty urges overcome my lack of time, so this Christmas I spent several weeks madly crocheting scarves for family presents. But for now I'm bored with crocheting, so I'm planning on knitting a sweater-vest for a friend who recently complained that she can't find any sweater-vests in stores.
I know the basics of knitting, and I've been doing some pretty complicated crocheting for years, so I'm pretty sure I can teach myself the knitting stuff I don't know from books and whatnot. But this is the first time I've knitted/crocheted an actual garment where the gauge really matters for fit, so it'll be a fun challenge. I've decided on the pattern, but I'm still shopping around for the perfect yarn...I have to keep suppressing my overly-ambitious creative instincts so I don't choose a yarn that's a wildly different weight.
I do have a question about needles, though - thus far I've only used the Wal-Mart metal needles. Is there any particular advantage to using wooden/bamboo/plastic/whatever needles instead? Or is it mostly just personal preference?
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Oh, the wooden ones are supposed to hold onto the yarn better, so they don't slip right off. But they cost more, so I've never tried them. As long as your gauge is right, it shouldn't matter which needles you choose.
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In my experience, the wood ones do hold the yarn better, but if I'm doing a bigger project where I'm doing a simple pattern for a whole row I find the wood slows me bit, the yarn doesn't slip along as easily.
Posts: 239 | Registered: May 2004
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Hmm...well, maybe I'll just get metal ones to start off, and if I'm having slippage problems I'll try wooden ones. I think I also read something about bamboo being a little more flexible and therefore easier on your hands, but the ones I've seen are even more expensive than wood.
Also, does anyone here knit socks? I'd like to try making those too since they'd be a smaller commitment than, say, a sweater, but I'm a bit intimidated by the patterns I've seen - double-pointed vs. circular needles, and I never realized a sock has so many parts before! Posts: 952 | Registered: Jun 2005
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There are awesome sock patterns out there, I'm still tempted. They do take a lot of work and you need just the right yarn to do it justice. Double pointed needles aren't really that hard, once you try it out.
I made mittens and mitts instead the past few monhs, plus hats and scarves. The mittens are smaller than socks, with less "parts" and it's a good way to learn double pointed needles. Mitts are even faster than mittens, they are like half mittens with the fingers open to the air. They are actually pretty neat.
Posts: 1014 | Registered: Jul 2005
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I've been knitting socks for a couple years, and have only completed one pair! My first few attempts ended up rather un-sock-like (except maybe for a person with balloon feet. So I unraveled them and tried again. I find them a bit of a challenge but I'm finally getting the hang of it. Don't be intimidated!
The good thing about socks is they are small, easily portable projects that you can work on anywhere, and for most of the sock it doesn't take much brain power. But turning the heel is the tricky part and does require concetration.
I use double-pointed needles, wood ones so the sock doesn't slip off. I've been using a sock pattern I got for free off the internet, at sweaterscapes.com I think. There are books on knitting socks. You may want to look for a pattern that lets you start at the toe and work your way up, I've heard it's easier to get a good fit that way.
Just find a good, basic pattern and take your time!
Posts: 239 | Registered: May 2004
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I'm crocheting a huge blanket for my sister that was supposed to be a christmas present. Hopefully I will finish it before I see her! I've been making cording,trim and jewelry with a lucet, and I've been working on some wood burning. Next I want to get my hands on an inkle loom. My husband got me an amazing sewing machine for christmas but I haven't used one in... at least 12 years so I'm taking some classes before I attempt anything! I'm involved with the SCA so the first things I'll be sewing will likely be garb.
Posts: 37 | Registered: Oct 2005
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I've been knitting a year, I've made tons of scarves, quite a few hats, some purses (two huge felted ones), and a baby sweater. I've been using circular needles for my hats for a while, but when I got to the decrease I was just using them as straight needles, and had a two inch seam, at christmas I learned to use Double Pointeds, and they're fun, still haven't done socks, but I'm getting there (they should be next), the yarn is thinner, so it's harder for me to make sure it's straight when making the circle.
My aunt gave me a sock pattern that you start at the top, but instead of a normal sock, you make a tube sock, since supposedly turning a heel is hard, she hasn't done that yet either.
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ctm: I have picked up an extra stitch a couple of times, but the next row I combined two to make them go together. I also dropped a stitch once this time around, but transferred the completed stitches back to the other needle until I got to that loop and just put it on the needle, then transferred the stitches back and went on from there.
I realize that's probably not the way to do it, but it still looks good.
I'm using US13/9mm plastic needles. That brand (Penn) was on sale at Hancock Fabrics (half price). The person at Hancock Fabrics who showed Cayla and me how to knit said to use bigger needles. She meant even bigger than the US12 and US13 size needles that we got. The yarn label suggests using 6.5mm size needles, IIRC. I can't find the label right now, but I'll check and correct this later.
Yarn Bee yarns are half price at Hobby Lobby this week, so I'm going to stock up just a little. Other yarns and needles and so on are also on sale.
Posts: 2034 | Registered: Apr 2004
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It probably does want 6.5 mm, lots of yarns do, I always use 13 or 15 wit those for making scarves. What you do when you drop a stitch, is grab it down there with a crochet hook, and if it's several rows back, you work it through the lines that are there now (pull it through, I'm not sure how to explain it), then put it back on the needle, if it's on the current row, you did it right.
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Oh, it's on sale? I made a great hat last week. I maybe should look at the yarn this week, see if I want more colors. Also I need some baby yarn, maybe that will be on sale too.
Posts: 1014 | Registered: Jul 2005
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I got some knitting stuff for Christmas, but haven't had the time yet to sit down and give it a try. Hopefully I'll be able to this week!
I have an *adorable* crochet pattern for a felted hedgehog that I want to make Space Space Baby. I also have a care bear to finish for Operaetta (was supposed to be a Christmas gift...oops!) and another one to begin for my niece's birthday.
Do any of you scrapbook? I've been working on Operaetta's baby book for ages - I got the chance yesterday to sit down and sort out some pictures. After that I need to do Boy Opera's, and I also have a Disney one from our trip to complete.
posted
I did a scrapbook about my senior year in high school, and one for my 10th year in 4-H (going through the years and projects), I'm going to do one just of my friends now.
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My problem with new projects is that I always want to skip the baby steps and go straight for the cool stuff. Hence I was originally wanting to do an argyle project when I've never knitted anything with multiple colors before...luckily, I realized that that's probably not feasible for me just yet. At least, not when I want to get the vest done by my friend's birthday in March.
ctm, the wooden needles for socks sounds like a smart idea - I'd probably only work on them infrequently, so I know I'd be upset if they slipped off while I wasn't looking.
I started a scrapbook of my 2002 semester in London right after I'd gotten back home...but I haven't finished it yet. I have all this non-photo stuff I'd saved all semester too, receipts and postcards and ticket stubs, all sorted by country and everything. Someday, it will get done - and then I'll have to do a 2004 one for my other semester there!
*sigh* So many projects... Posts: 952 | Registered: Jun 2005
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I use bamboo needles, which yeah are more expensive, but are so much more fun to use, my circulars are metal, but either the painted ones or the really fast ones.
Posts: 5362 | Registered: Apr 2004
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I do some scrapbooking (along with crocheting, knitting, embroidery, etc). I have some pictures of my latest pages on my blog. I've been trying to set aside one day a week to work on scrapbooking, so that I don't get any further behind. Here are the ones I'm currently working on:
Baby (Cerra's first year, plus her birthdays) Fiction Publication (Pages for my fiction publishing credits, plus any reviews) Christmas College 1 (Freshman year) College 2 (Sophomore year) Family (everything that doesn't fit into one of the more specific books)
I still need books for three of those. Are there any places where you can get nice scrapbooks (12X12) that aren't too expensive? Most of the prices I've seen are insane.
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Have you tried ebay, Mel? I bought most of my stamps on ebay for quite a lot less than I would have paid Stampin' Up. Stamp pads too.
I especially liked the hiking pages layouts. I tend to like the simpler layouts best and that one turned out lovely.
Posts: 5948 | Registered: Jun 2001
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I finished a jumper for my sister for Christmas - chunky yarn on 10mm needles. I'll try and post a picture sometime.
Now I'm making myself a cabled vest for work for winter (to wear over my shirts): very very small cap sleeves (just ribbing really) and v-neck. It's in a grey-purpley tweedy wool with flecks of different colours through. It looks much nicer than it sounds. Posts: 4393 | Registered: Aug 2003
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Thanks, jeniwren. I feel like I'm just starting to get the hang of what makes a nice layout.
I took a look at Ebay, and there are some nice-looking books there. I'm just a little bit worried about being able to see it before buying. The reason is that I bought an album that claims it is 12X12, but it is really 11.75 X 11.75. It was only $5, so I'm not too angry, but I don't want any more like that. Is this a common thing, or should I only be wary of this company (Pioneer)?
posted
I don't know...I make cards more than anything else, though I have done a little scrapping. I like doing it, just don't have very much experience. Is it a big problem if the album is off by a quarter inch?
If you're unsure about what you might be interested in on ebay, email the lister. If they've got good feedback, you should get a decent response. I've had nothing but really good experiences with crafters on ebay. If you're not totally sure, you could go to your local craft store, find the brands you like, then look for them specifically while shopping on ebay.
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Hence I was originally wanting to do an argyle project when I've never knitted anything with multiple colors before...luckily, I realized that that's probably not feasible for me just yet. At least, not when I want to get the vest done by my friend's birthday in March. ![[Blushing]](graemlins/blushing.gif)
I have all this non-photo stuff I'd saved all semester too, receipts and postcards and ticket stubs, all sorted by country and everything. Someday, it will get done - and then I'll have to do a 2004 one for my other semester there!
