The Knitters Thread

SallyUK

Hi Everyone
Just a quickie from me while I'm at work.

A work colleague has just had her first grandchild and I'd like to knit her something at the weekend, either a cardi or a blanket maybe.

What pattern would you recommend and what size needles/wool would I need to go buy after work tonight?

(Sorry, I'd look myself, but can't get online long enough while at work, so thought you lovely people might have something you could post for me here)

Many thanks!

Sal
x

Kay_Peel

SallyUK wrote: »

Hi Everyone

A work colleague has just had her first grandchild and I'd like to knit her something at the weekend, either a cardi or a blanket maybe.

What pattern would you recommend and what size needles/wool would I need to go buy after work tonight?

There's a very quick, easy but fancy looking baby jacket pattern that can be finished in under 5 hours:

http://users.netaccess.co.nz/major/freepatt/patt01.htm


The recommendation is for a thin aran weight wool using 6.5mm needles but I've knitted a tiny version using 4 ply wool and 4.5mm and a medium size using DK wool and 5.5mm. You'll need about 100grams - possibly less, with enough left over to knit a hat.


There's a quick baby blanket that looks harder than it is and very impressive:

http://wishingiwasknitting.blogspot.com/2007/02/feather-and-fan-rainbow-baby-blanket.html

It's a traditional Shetland lace pattern worked on big needles. It may take more than a weekend to knit, however, since the finished size is 30 x 36 and you may want to wash it and block it before giving it as a gift.

Personally, I've made it smaller since new mums seem to prefer a lap or car blanket rather than a cot blanket. You'll need 3 x 100grams of a machine washable yarn (new mums don't want to be messing about hand-washing a blanket) and size 6mm needles and just keep knitting until you run out of yarn. It can be quite difficult to get the pattern right over the first couple of rows, but once you get into the swing the blanket will grow and grow very quickly.

Good luck

SallyUK

Hiya Kay

That baby blanket is gorgeous, I love the coloured one too.

Does it need to be done on circular needles though? What size are the bigger needles used? ** oh I just realised you said 6mm needles, sorry!)**
Thanks for the info.

Sal
x

Kay_Peel wrote: »

There's a very quick, easy but fancy looking baby jacket pattern that can be finished in under 5 hours:

http://users.netaccess.co.nz/major/freepatt/patt01.htm


The recommendation is for a thin aran weight wool using 6.5mm needles but I've knitted a tiny version using 4 ply wool and 4.5mm and a medium size using DK wool and 5.5mm. You'll need about 100grams - possibly less, with enough left over to knit a hat.


There's a quick baby blanket that looks harder than it is and very impressive:

http://wishingiwasknitting.blogspot.com/2007/02/feather-and-fan-rainbow-baby-blanket.html

It's a traditional Shetland lace pattern worked on big needles. It may take more than a weekend to knit, however, since the finished size is 30 x 36 and you may want to wash it and block it before giving it as a gift.

Personally, I've made it smaller since new mums seem to prefer a lap or car blanket rather than a cot blanket. You'll need 3 x 100grams of a machine washable yarn (new mums don't want to be messing about hand-washing a blanket) and size 6mm needles and just keep knitting until you run out of yarn. It can be quite difficult to get the pattern right over the first couple of rows, but once you get into the swing the blanket will grow and grow very quickly.

Good luck

Kay_Peel

Hi Sally

The nice thing about traditional lace baby blankets is that you don't have to worry about tension or sizing. You can also use whatever needles are to hand. Look on the ball band and it will tell you what the ideal needle size is (3.25mm for 4ply,4mm for DK, 5mm for aran etc). With lace, you need to go up a needle sizes to make it looser. If I'm knitting with DK wool for a Shetland lace pattern, then I might use 5mm, 5.5mm or 6mm. It doesn't matter, really.

With blankets I always use a circular needle. It's more comfortable and your stitches don't bunch up. You can get a good idea of how you're doing and you can spot any mistakes more easily because you can spread out your work in one long piece.

Hope that helps.

SallyUK

Hi Kay

Thanks again for your help.

I ended up getting size 6mm needles. Hope they're not too big.

I'm home now and had a quick google and found this blanket which I like, but have no idea how much yarn it takes!!

http://www.knittingonthenet.com/patterns/babyafheart.htm

Sal
x

Kay_Peel wrote: »

Hi Sally

The nice thing about traditional lace baby blankets is that you don't have to worry about tension or sizing. You can also use whatever needles are to hand. Look on the ball band and it will tell you what the ideal needle size is (3.25mm for 4ply,4mm for DK, 5mm for aran etc). With lace, you need to go up a needle sizes to make it looser. If I'm knitting with DK wool for a Shetland lace pattern, then I might use 5mm, 5.5mm or 6mm. It doesn't matter, really.

With blankets I always use a circular needle. It's more comfortable and your stitches don't bunch up. You can get a good idea of how you're doing and you can spot any mistakes more easily because you can spread out your work in one long piece.

Hope that helps.

Kay_Peel

SallyUK wrote: »

Hi Kay

Thanks again for your help.

I ended up getting size 6mm needles. Hope they're not too big.

I'm home now and had a quick google and found this blanket which I like, but have no idea how much yarn it takes!!

http://www.knittingonthenet.com/patterns/babyafheart.htm

Sal
x

Hi Sally

That's a lovely pattern.

It's knitted in an aran wool using 4.5mm needles to give it a closer, more tightly knit feel. It will take 7 balls weighing 100 gms, so it will be warm and quite heavy and will take a bit longer than a weekend to knit - more like two weekends and a few more hours during the week, if possible. Some people say that a plain blanket with a motif (like this one) is preferable to one with lacy holes that little fingers can get stuck in.

You could try knitting it in a chunky wool with your 6mm needles. You'll need about 8 balls weighing 100grams each. Cast on 25 fewer stitches than the pattern calls for and just keeping knitting until you run out of chunky yarn, or until you feel that the size is right.

Here's a tip to make your edges very neat and tidy:

At the beginning of every row - slip your first stitch purlwise. Then, take the yarn to the back of your work and continue knitting the row.

At the end of every row: knit into the back of the last stitch.

You'll find that the last stitches on every row are twisted neatly and that your work will look even and tidy. It will really make a difference.

Good luck with whatever you choose. :beer:

janb5

Dear Sally and Kay,

Thank you Sally for sending the link for this pattern and thank you Kay for your advice re keeping the edges tidy. I have copied your response onto the pattern to ` stash` for a future project!

:j

janb5

Kay_Peel wrote: »

Hi Sally


With blankets I always use a circular needle. It's more comfortable and your stitches don't bunch up. You can get a good idea of how you're doing and you can spot any mistakes more easily because you can spread out your work in one long piece.

Hope that helps.

Are circular needles hard to get used to - I always feel nervous of using them but suppose it is much easier when doing heavier blankets, shawls etc What does everyone else think?

blueberrypie

janb5 wrote: »

Are circular needles hard to get used to - I always feel nervous of using them but suppose it is much easier when doing heavier blankets, shawls etc What does everyone else think?

It's not at all difficult to get used to a circular needle for knitting flat. Just ignore the fact that the cable is there, and pretend the needle you're holding in your right* hand is a) longer and b) not attached to anything else :-)

(*assuming you knit right-handed - if not, substitute "left" for "right" :-))

missychrissy

I know that circular needles are useful, I do use them sometimes, but even as a seasoned knitter (50 years) I find it difficult to knit if I cannot tuck the needles under my armpits.