The Knitters Thread

Poppy_Golightly

I still have all my needles from 30+ years ago and recently added the new larger ones for the chunky knits. Only thing is that these are plastic, and with man made yarns I find they 'squeak' and I don't really like them, but I've never heard of bamboo ones!

I use Knit Pro Zing needles - work slides along them beautifully and I love the colours!  They're quiet too!

Savvy_Sue

I've got some of those metal ones too, haven't yet used them but they do look so fabulous don't they? Generally I love bamboo, I've been finishing some knitting for a friend and she has the most lovely bamboo needles! 

PipneyJane

< bump >

Just wondering what everyone is knitting these days.  I'm working on an Owl's Sweater using Sublime's Pheobe yarn in a shade between royal blue and navy.  It's a chain-woven yarn - 94% wool 6% nylon - that I bought on the cheap (£1.95 a ball) from Blacksheep Wools at the St!tch & Craft Show in ?2018.  I know now why it was cheap, every 20 or 30 metres, there's a white fleck of undyed wool, a bit like the flecks in tweed yarn.

Since I wasn't sure I had enough yarn, I've knitted the sleeves and the yoke first and am now knitting the body downwards from the yoke.

- Pip

Wraithlady

I am trying my hand at knitting socks - using some ombre stuff I got online. It's pale grey shading to charcoal, the toes, cuffs and heels are done in the variegated stuff I had left over from crocheting my SIL the Edlothia shawl.

I've finished 1, and although not the prettiest sock in the world, it is a long sock that will actually go over my abnormally large calves (muscle, not fat, unfortunately) . Presently knitting up its mate.

Savvy_Sue

I have been out of the knitting groove for a while: I got an annoying split on my thumb which was very painful, and the wool I'm using for the shawl I've been working on has sequins in it, so not the best. But I went on a jolly to a wool shop and found some lovely sock wool so plan that as my next project - Wraithlady I now knit two at a time on long circular needles to save having to count and measure and all that malarkey, also saves the tedium of finishing one and then having another to do! 

timehastoldme

Working on this halibut jumper for OH, he's tall so I've had to add a lot of extra length. It's been slow going because of freelance work being a bit much, but it's getting there!

Jazee

Some great stuff going on.  I'm finishing the last sleeve on a baby cardigan, but then I'm going to go back to charity knitting.  Any ideas how many stitches I'd roughly need on 4mm needles to create a six inch square please? Wool is DK.

Wraithlady

Savvy_Sue said:

 Wraithlady I now knit two at a time on long circular needles to save having to count and measure and all that malarkey, also saves the tedium of finishing one and then having another to do! 

I will have to try that next time but 1/ I will have to buy the right size needle and 2/ the tutorials I watched seemed really easy - until I tried it. It never seemed to work but I shall try again.

Also (why do I have echoes of the 'Spanish Inquisition' sketch?) I needed to keep trying it on and adjusting the pattern to fit over my calves. The sock pattern writer expected dainty, skinny lady legs, not 48cm girth tree trunks!

Katiehound

Jazee said:

   Any ideas how many stitches I'd roughly need on 4mm needles to create a six inch square please? Wool is DK.

Don't know if this any help at all- just lifted off 'tinternet '
Actually I think I have seen a chart somewhere- will look again
looked again- most of the charts are US & give yarn recommendations


this is suggestions for a 10 cm square. As the writer pointed out even yarns purporting to be DK can vary tremendously.
the 4.5mm needles gave a tension of 20 sts x 27 rows,
 4mm was 21 sts x 28 row and 3.5mm,
23 sts x 31 rows for a 10cm square.
 I lightly steamed the squares and pinned them flat before measuring

and this from another website:
you can also pick up a 4mm needle, cast on 34 stitches, knit stocking stitch across a couple of rows, and check if you can get a row gauge of 21-24 stitches per 4 inches/10 cm without your fabric looking either too dense or too loose.

In which case you would need very approximately 30-36 sts for a 6" square

Jazee

Thank you katiehound.