2020 Fashion on the Ration Challenge

PollyWollyDoodle

There is something called the “magic loop” method which means you can use a longer needle, you just pull the cable through in a loop. If you - sorry, I mean your friend - google it you’ll find plenty of examples.  I have never been able to get on with it, so I stick to DPNs. 

That is a great story about your friend’s mum. Now that’s real knitting skill!

Laura_Elsewhere

@basketcase - I rarely use patterns and am a bit clueless with them, for sewing or knitting, and I literally don't know what the stitches are called in crochet because I can only follow charts, not written instructions! 

for socks I use DPNs, but you can use circs by what's called the Magic Loop method. I don't know why it's called that as it doesn't seem terribly magical to me, but... lots of videos (again, why? It's not exactly complex...) - basically you create a herniated loop - like this https://www.dummies.com/crafts/knitting/designs-patterns/how-to-knit-in-the-round-with-the-magic-loop/
I can't use circs at all, as I can only knit with my right-hand needle anchored at its back end, so if I have to hold the RH needle I'm stuffed Hence why I learnt to make intricate lace shawls by crochet instead  

You normally knit socks on 3 needles, using a 4th to knit with, but packs often supply 5 in a set. I find it very easy because it divides up stitches so neatly so I know where to decrease etc. 

What kind of socks do you want to knit? Ankle-socks in 4-ply or boot-socks in DK? Lots of different sorts...  
EDIT: oops, I meant your friend, obviously...  

Cherryfudge

Morning everyone, is it raining where you are, and if so, how is the sewing/knitting coming along? Mine is still ah, virtual... apart from what my friends refer to as my husband's 90th birthday present, where I'm still taking back row 3 of about 2 million. Ulp. Good job he has a long way to go to get to 90.

Following a discussion off-thread, I've been encouraged to contribute carrot cake to the village hall. I'm told this recipe originally came from New Zealand but I have it from 'Traditional Farmhouse Fare' ( a collection of recipes from Farmers Weekly, 1994 ed., Chancellor Press. I reduced the fl oz of oil slightly but haven't worked out the metric equivalent as I'd have to cook the whole thing in metric and I don't trust myself not to forget and revert to imperial, which as you know, won't work.

Carrot Cake
2 eggs
225 g/8 oz demerara sugar (or white/soft brown depending what you have in)
175 ml/5 fl.oz corn oil (or sunflower, rapeseed etc. - a light, unflavoured oil)
1 teasp vanilla essence
1 teasp bicarb
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp ground cinnamon
100 g /4 oz wholemeal or plain white flour
175 g/6 oz finely grated carrot
75 g/3 oz sultanas (or other dried fruit)
50 g/2 oz chopped nuts (optional)
Whisk the first seven ingredients together until really thick and foamy. Fold in the flour first, then grated carrot and fruit/nuts. Mix thoroughly.
Turn into a 1.25 litre/2-pint capacity tin (or 12 muffin cases) and bake in a moderate oven (180C, 350 f, gas 4) for 60-65 minutes (less for muffins - try 12-15 minutes).
Frosting
25g/1 oz butter, 50 g/2 oz cream cheese (low fat works as well as full fat), 200 g/7 oz sieved icing sugar, grated lemon zest.

PipneyJane

basketcase said:

Laura_Elsewhere said:

I meant: If anyone wants to start knitting socks, I'm always happy to advise.

    I - I mean my friend - may be interested in starting knitting socks. I she has circular needles, but not DPNs.  What length of cable and/or tips would you advise?  Or is there a technique for using the circulars so that the stitches aren't stretched when you try to join them together, IYSWIM?

   Not sure just seeing what the pattern said would work.  It didn't with Henry's Rabbit.  Knitting on 2 needles then sewing them up really doesn't appeal. 

   Mind you, that puts me in mind of something that happened waaaay back when I was going out with a Shetlander.  His mum knitted amazing stuff and used to supply the local shop selling to tourists.  Anyhow, she decided to knit a really nice lacy baby shawl but, rather than spend a lot on baby wool, thought she'd knit one in ordinary wool first to see if she liked it.  That, in itself, amazes me - it was large and complicated.  I wouldn't have finished it yet!

   Anyway she was over halfway along when, to my surprise, she said "I'm stuck with this.  You use patterns" (she didn't usually) "can you work out where I'm going wrong?"  So I read the pattern line-by-line with her checking that's what she'd done till we got to where she was stuck.  I suddenly realised what it was.  It was a 4-pin pattern and she'd knitted the whole thing on 2 needles!  So, I told her and asked had she not realised that herself in the beginning.  Her airy response was "Oh, I can't read patterns, that's why I asked you.  I only bought it so I could copy the picture.  Now I know what the trouble is I can get round it."  And she did!  I wish I could knit like that...

   Back to the mundane, I notice many people seem to use DPNs for socks.  So are circulars even an option?

I haven’t read all the replies to you, yet, @basketcase, but yes you can knit socks on circular needles. I’d use 2.5mm circulars, at least 60cm long.   (Too long gets annoying but too short won’t give you flexibility.)

The technique you need - if you want to Google it - is called Magic Loop.  Basically, you have half the stitches on the cable at the back and the other half on the needle tips at the front, with loops of cable sticking out at either end.  When you get to the loop at the end of the needle, you rearrange everything and slide the (previously) back stitches onto your working needle, keeping the loops in place. This takes the strain off the stitches and gives you considerable flexibility.  You can magic loop and knit in the round  three stitches.  You can also knit two socks at a time using this method, but you will need a longer cable.

Another variant is knitting socks on two circular needles.  In this case, you have half the stitches on each circular and, when you get to them, you knit those stitches on that circular, never swapping from one needle to the other.  You use shorter circulars for this technique.

HTH

- Pip


ETA:. I love the story of the shawl.

Laura_Elsewhere

@basketcase - what you, I mean your friend, may be discovering is that it's a bit like saying "I want to make an apple pie - what's the best way?" and finding that everyone has their own distinct preferences and insists that is the best and only way  

Give it a go, I would say. Why not ask friends if you, I mean your friend, can borrow a circ or DPNs and experiment? If you find a pattern for boot-socks in DK, then they are quicker, and often it can be easier to learn the fiddly bits when you have thicker yarn and bigger needles (there are no truly difficult bits. There are some k2tog bits and otherwise it's simply knitting...). 

PipneyJane

Cherryfudge said:

Morning everyone, is it raining where you are, and if so, how is the sewing/knitting coming along? Mine is still ah, virtual... apart from what my friends refer to as my husband's 90th birthday present, where I'm still taking back row 3 of about 2 million. Ulp. Good job he has a long way to go to get to 90.

Following a discussion off-thread, I've been encouraged to contribute carrot cake to the village hall. I'm told this recipe originally came from New Zealand but I have it from 'Traditional Farmhouse Fare' ( a collection of recipes from Farmers Weekly, 1994 ed., Chancellor Press. I reduced the fl oz of oil slightly but haven't worked out the metric equivalent as I'd have to cook the whole thing in metric and I don't trust myself not to forget and revert to imperial, which as you know, won't work.

Carrot Cake
2 eggs
225 g/8 oz demerara sugar (or white/soft brown depending what you have in)
175 ml/5 fl.oz corn oil (or sunflower, rapeseed etc. - a light, unflavoured oil)
1 teasp vanilla essence
1 teasp bicarb
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp ground cinnamon
100 g /4 oz wholemeal or plain white flour
175 g/6 oz finely grated carrot
75 g/3 oz sultanas (or other dried fruit)
50 g/2 oz chopped nuts (optional)
Whisk the first seven ingredients together until really thick and foamy. Fold in the flour first, then grated carrot and fruit/nuts. Mix thoroughly.
Turn into a 1.25 litre/2-pint capacity tin (or 12 muffin cases) and bake in a moderate oven (180C, 350 f, gas 4) for 60-65 minutes (less for muffins - try 12-15 minutes).
Frosting
25g/1 oz butter, 50 g/2 oz cream cheese (low fat works as well as full fat), 200 g/7 oz sieved icing sugar, grated lemon zest.

Thank you for volunteering for cake duty, @Cherryfudge.  That looks yummy!  I have copied the recipe to my Recipes file.  Thank you for sharing it with us.

No rain here (West London) at present.  We’re scheduled to get ours tonight/tomorrow morning.  It’s still quite warm here.  Hot enough that I walked to Lidl in shorts, tee shirt  and sandals - last week, I was wearing jeans and trainers.

- Pip

Laura_Elsewhere

I really must sort out my coupon spend... just ordered yarn for both Aged Parents to knit up into socks and fingerless mitts for their Xmas presents - both potter about and have breakfast these days in their dressing-gowns and slippers and I reckon that leaves a lot of ankle to get draughty in an old house in Scotland! 
But with our long history of one parent paying for materials for me to make the other one a present from us both, I'm going to ask Dad to give me the coupons for Mum's socks and Mum to give me the coupons for Dad's socks Clever, eh? 

PipneyJane

Laura_Elsewhere said:

I really must sort out my coupon spend... just ordered yarn for both Aged Parents to knit up into socks and fingerless mitts for their Xmas presents - both potter about and have breakfast these days in their dressing-gowns and slippers and I reckon that leaves a lot of ankle to get draughty in an old house in Scotland! 
But with our long history of one parent paying for materials for me to make the other one a present from us both, I'm going to ask Dad to give me the coupons for Mum's socks and Mum to give me the coupons for Dad's socks Clever, eh? 

Very clever, Laura.  Take a bow!

- Pip

Laura_Elsewhere

Co-ordinating face-covering and blouse! 

 

PipneyJane

Very fetching, @Laura_Elsewhere.  Beautifully coordinated.  Pity it has to hide your smile - your eyes hint at something making you laugh.

- Pip