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Knitting?

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JAMIEDODGER
JAMIEDODGER Posts: 4,339 Forumite
Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Combo Breaker
edited 29 August 2023 at 4:32PM in Old style MoneySaving
hi all,

did mention this on the daily thread but...

i really want to take up knitting again, havent knitted as a kid but i can still remember how to cast on, do a knit stitch, purl, but thats about it:D

id like to knit some gifts for xmas 2007 so want to start early in the year will prob need to practice loads too lol

can anyone give me the name of a good book? or place to start?......

ideas very much appreciated:D

jamie
November NSD's - 7
«134

Comments

  • dawn060861
    dawn060861 Posts: 85 Forumite
    Go to the library and have a look, I would not buy a book. I knitted scarves this year from the eyelash type wool from Poundland , it cost £4 per scarf and they went down a storm, I got some chunkier type wool, bitty wool I call it with various colours and it knitted great.

    Dawn
  • JAMIEDODGER
    JAMIEDODGER Posts: 4,339 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Combo Breaker
    thanks dawn, i am going to pop into the library this week and have a browse:)
    November NSD's - 7
  • loumac
    loumac Posts: 942 Forumite
    Jamie,

    I'm a complete novice and have found https://www.learn2knit.co.uk quite helpful.

    I also asked on my local freecycle for wool and patterns for practice and it seems to be one of those things people have in the loft and forget because I've been offered loads!
    Wandered away from the MSE track for a while but am back and on a mission! Debts cleared nearly £18k. Now to start saving ...
  • phizzimum
    phizzimum Posts: 1,712 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture Combo Breaker
    saw an advert the other day for one of those weekly hobby magazines that you're meant to collect forever - this one was about knitting -with "free" needles, yarn and a DVD.

    not that i'm suggesting anyone go out and buy it, but in few weeks there's bound to be loads of copies given to charity shops or listed on ebay!
    weaving through the chaos...
  • janb5
    janb5 Posts: 2,673 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Name Dropper I've been Money Tipped!
    Have a look in your local charity shop - I picked up a learn to knit book in there and often the pictures are very useful!
  • stefejb
    stefejb Posts: 1,725 Forumite
    JAMIEDODGER wrote:
    i really want to take up knitting again, havent knitted as a kid but i can still remember how to cast on, do a knit stitch, purl, but thats about it:D
    jamie

    That's pretty much it to be honest - most other stitches are just a variation of that.
    If you have a proper old fashioned wool shop near you then make friends with the owner who will be more than happy to sort out any difficulties if you take your work in. When i couldn't work out a pattern for those curly wurly scarves this autumn mine wrote a pattern out for me - mind you i suspect i pay her mortgage some months. I bought loads of those £2.99 sets of wool and needles from The Works but i would think that the ultra fluffy yarns might be a bit of a challenge for an absolute beginner as its quite hard to see where to pick up a dropped stitch. eyelash yarns are fine though and grow quickly on big needles. buy bamboo needles if you can - they are a joy to knit with!
    Definitely look in charity shops and library for pattern books - after all a bobble hat is a bobble hat no matter how old the book
    stef
    I'm going to feed our children non-organic food and with the money saved take them to the zoo - half man half biscuit 2008
  • Pink.
    Pink. Posts: 17,650 Forumite
    10,000 Posts Combo Breaker
    Hi Jamie,

    There are some really useful links in these older threads that might help.

    Learning to Knit

    To knit or not to knit...

    I'll merge your thread with them later to keep all the replies together.

    Pink
  • Jayar
    Jayar Posts: 735 Forumite
    Woohoo - what a great idea Jamiedodger, thank you.
    Scarves for all my friends this year. I know I much prefer a gift that someone has taken the time to make themselves. Just hope they feel the same ;)
    A friend is someone who overlooks your broken fence and admires the flowers in your garden.
  • liz545
    liz545 Posts: 1,726 Forumite
    the book 'the knitters bible' is a fabulous investment, it's by Clare Crompton. It explains things in a really easy way, with very understandable diagrams, and for each new technique you learn, there's a corresponding pattern - I can't recommend it highly enough!
    2015 comp wins - £370.25
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         Thanks to everyone who posts freebies and comps! :j
  • Angelselondon
    Angelselondon Posts: 267 Forumite
    I used to make people knitted little gift dolls by Jean Greenhowe. they are very basic and easy to make, like a sock, but people seem to love them. The easiest ones are funnily enough the most popular Jelly Babies


    http://www.knitwellwools.co.uk/acatalog/JEAN_GEENHOWE_BOOKS.html#a17

    JAMIEDODGER wrote:
    hi all,

    did mention this on the daily thread but...

    i really want to take up knitting again, havent knitted as a kid but i can still remember how to cast on, do a knit stitch, purl, but thats about it:D

    id like to knit some gifts for xmas 2007 so want to start early in the year will prob need to practice loads too lol

    can anyone give me the name of a good book? or place to start?......

    ideas very much appreciated:D

    jamie
    HOW MUCH CAN YOU SAVE?: OLYMPIC CHALLENGE 2008
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