The Knitters Thread

PipneyJane

moo2moo wrote: »

Cafetierre cosy. Clearly it would look far better on the right size cafetierre.

Cute!

I'm now tempted to make one for the cafetierre I have at work. Where did you find the pattern?

lynseydee

cuddles123 wrote: »

Well I have been on a shopping spree and now have a selection of sock yarn

King Cole Zig Zag in 2 colours 200g
Superba Poems in grey shaded 100g
Regia Arabesque blue 100g
Rico Superba Mexico 100g
Rico Superba Chinee 100g
Sublime Extra Fine Merino 150g (for bedsocks)

Wanted to buy a selection to find out which I prefer.
Also got a free pattern with the Regia, which appears to be very similar to Silvers.
Can't wait to get started!

Where did you get your wool from cuddles and how much was it? Would like to use proper sock wool the next time I decide to make some instead of the wool I got from Lidl's which I'm currently using.

PipneyJane

NualaBuala wrote: »

I'm about to buy my first circular needles to make The Jumper - is there anything I need to know or should look out for? Are all brands much the same or can I get any old thing from Ebay? I wasn't sure about length but think I need 80cm. I need 7 or 8mm needles and might do the sleeves with circulars too (attempting the Magic Loop) but not sure, might just use DPNs. I'm so unsure about so many things - will be a miracle if this ever gets made!

Having spent a fortune on circulars over the years, may I suggest the KnitPro interchangeables? Although the initial outlay is higher, you'll never be stuck for a needle size or a cable length. They come in wood (my preference), nickle or acrylic. The cables screw onto the ends of the needles. The joins are smooth but they sometimes need tightening (if you lose the "tool" supplied, you can use a paperclip or a pin. I've used an earing before now). If the price is a dicincentive, remember you can always use circulars to knit flat, whereas you can't use flat needles to knit in the round. And they solve the "poking the person next to you" problem.

The cables come with end-caps that you can screw on to replace your needles if you need to put something "on hold" (say the back neck of a jumper, in order to work the front). If you need a longer cable, then you swap out the one you're using by switching your right-hand needle to the new cable, screwing end-cap onto the empty ends then knitting until all your knitting is on the new cable, before switching over the left-hand needle.

Also, the cables don't stay terribly kinked and they can be joined to each other if you need a longer cable. One of my biggest annoyances with other cable needles is that the cables just kept curling up on themselves, getting in the way of what I'm knitting. The Knit-Pro ones do that a little but not to the same extent as the Clover ones I've owned or the Addi-turbos.

I've got a full set of the wooden Symfonie interchangeables and haven't used another needle since. The only problem I've had is that, when knitting two sleeves at a time while working magic loop on 7mm needles, I sometimes found that the stitches were a bit tight to slide off the cable back up onto the left needle. (I've just finished Kate Davies Owls jumper. It needs blocking so no photos yet.) I don't recall having this problem when I did the sleeves of my Willow sweater. Maybe it's just more noticible on bigger needles? It isn't a problem when knitting one-at-a-time sleeves but things get a little pulled about when you're doing two-at-a-time sleeves.

jennyjelly

Nuala, Knit Pro interchangeable circulars are lovely with a very smooth needle to wire bit. Although they are a bit pricey you can get wires and needles separately on ebay and mix and match as you need - I just buy the particular length or needle size as and when I need it so there's no big outlay. Also you can get a little kit to join the wires so you only need a few and you can make any length you like.

cuddles123

lynseydee I bought my yarn locally as I wanted to feel it. Went a to a specialist shop and asked for advice. Paid anything from £3.99 for the King Cole to £6.99 for the Regia.

Re circular needles. I have just bought a set of Boyes interchangeables and love the. Good range of sizes of tips and cables, end caps, grippers and tightening tool. Won them on ebay for about £10. Came from US, but total with shipping was about $40.

OrkneyStar

cuddles123 wrote: »

lynseydee I bought my yarn locally as I wanted to feel it. Went a to a specialist shop and asked for advice. Paid anything from £3.99 for the King Cole to £6.99 for the Regia.

Re circular needles. I have just bought a set of Boyes interchangeables and love the. Good range of sizes of tips and cables, end caps, grippers and tightening tool. Won them on ebay for about £10. Came from US, but total with shipping was about $40.

I also like to 'feel' my yarn so often buy locally. I also often use e-bay for yarns too, especially if it is a known make that I have 'felt' or used before.

nunnygirl

cuddles123 wrote: »

Are these any good?


http://jezzeblog.blogspot.com/2006/10/pattern-for-small-dolls.html

Oooh this one is.....thank you :T

NualaBuala wrote: »

Aw cute!

How about these?
http://knitty.com/ISSUEwinter05/PATTpocketcreatures.html

And there are lots of links on this thread where someone else was looking for monster patterns:
http://www.knittinghelp.com/forum/showthread.php?t=84649

Thank you SO much! I knew I'd come to the right place :T:T:T:T:T:T:T:T:T:T

pennib

NualaBuala wrote: »

Aw cute!

How about these?
http://knitty.com/ISSUEwinter05/PATTpocketcreatures.html

And there are lots of links on this thread where someone else was looking for monster patterns:
http://www.knittinghelp.com/forum/showthread.php?t=84649

Arn't they just so cool. I love em they're great for using up little bits of wool.
I'm going to have a go at knitting the little birdie that Orkneystar posted a little while back.

euronorris

I love the little handwarmer monsters. I think my sister would love them as a Christmas or Birthday pressie (B'day in Jan). She always gets cold hands and has lots of those gel pack thingys.

I managed to download the armwarmers pattern on work laptop Means my personal laptop is on it's last legs. Holding out hope for a bonus at the end of October, and then can buy a new one with proceeds from OH for my B'day and Christmas also. Trying not to get my hopes up though as bonuses haven't yet been confirmed and the market isn't exactly stable right now.

Hope everyone is doing well. Scarf still coming along nicely

x

NualaBuala

PipneyJane wrote: »

Having spent a fortune on circulars over the years, may I suggest the KnitPro interchangeables? Although the initial outlay is higher, you'll never be stuck for a needle size or a cable length. They come in wood (my preference), nickle or acrylic. The cables screw onto the ends of the needles. The joins are smooth but they sometimes need tightening (if you lose the "tool" supplied, you can use a paperclip or a pin. I've used an earing before now). If the price is a dicincentive, remember you can always use circulars to knit flat, whereas you can't use flat needles to knit in the round. And they solve the "poking the person next to you" problem.

The cables come with end-caps that you can screw on to replace your needles if you need to put something "on hold" (say the back neck of a jumper, in order to work the front). If you need a longer cable, then you swap out the one you're using by switching your right-hand needle to the new cable, screwing end-cap onto the empty ends then knitting until all your knitting is on the new cable, before switching over the left-hand needle.

Also, the cables don't stay terribly kinked and they can be joined to each other if you need a longer cable. One of my biggest annoyances with other cable needles is that the cables just kept curling up on themselves, getting in the way of what I'm knitting. The Knit-Pro ones do that a little but not to the same extent as the Clover ones I've owned or the Addi-turbos.

I've got a full set of the wooden Symfonie interchangeables and haven't used another needle since. The only problem I've had is that, when knitting two sleeves at a time while working magic loop on 7mm needles, I sometimes found that the stitches were a bit tight to slide off the cable back up onto the left needle. (I've just finished Kate Davies Owls jumper. It needs blocking so no photos yet.) I don't recall having this problem when I did the sleeves of my Willow sweater. Maybe it's just more noticible on bigger needles? It isn't a problem when knitting one-at-a-time sleeves but things get a little pulled about when you're doing two-at-a-time sleeves.

jennyjelly wrote: »

Nuala, Knit Pro interchangeable circulars are lovely with a very smooth needle to wire bit. Although they are a bit pricey you can get wires and needles separately on ebay and mix and match as you need - I just buy the particular length or needle size as and when I need it so there's no big outlay. Also you can get a little kit to join the wires so you only need a few and you can make any length you like.

cuddles123 wrote: »

lynseydee I bought my yarn locally as I wanted to feel it. Went a to a specialist shop and asked for advice. Paid anything from £3.99 for the King Cole to £6.99 for the Regia.

Re circular needles. I have just bought a set of Boyes interchangeables and love the. Good range of sizes of tips and cables, end caps, grippers and tightening tool. Won them on ebay for about £10. Came from US, but total with shipping was about $40.

Oooh, thank you all! :T I hadn't even considered Knit Pro ... and then I did and saw the set of Symphonie was €60! :eek: So I will look on Ebay at interchangeables - Boyes and Knit Pros. I lack patience and had already ordered an 8mm bamboo circular as it was dirt cheap on Ebay.. I don't know what the joins will be like though and if I go ahead and get a set I can always use the cheap one for holding stitches in "resting" pieces etc. Thanks again folks! :A

Euronorris - hope you are feeling better now.

Glad you all liked the handwarmer monsters patterns - they seem a bit fiddly/complicated for my limited abilities but I thought they were very cute!

Happy knitting everyone!