The Knitters Thread

Savvy_Sue

If you spot other 'lurkers' by the wool it might be worth striking up a conversation ...

lynseydee

madlyn wrote: »

We have a Poundland, Wilko's and Pounstretcher near me so will give them all a go.

I'm sure I saw in our local poundland size 4mm needles with the wool so you might be able to get it all together.

lynseydee

I have inherited some alpaca yarn and would like to make a matching hat and scarf with it. The trouble is, how do I know what the tension will be so I know which pattern to go for as it isn't stated on the cone? I'm guessing from the thickness of the strands that it's a 4ply. I have found this pattern but not sure if I was to knit it up whether I would need to mix it with another yarn as it says one strand alpaca and one strand silk

https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/143-3-bella

I have two colours I would like to knit it in so could I just knit with two strands of alpaca instead?

Savvy_Sue

lynseydee wrote: »

I have inherited some alpaca yarn and would like to make a matching hat and scarf with it. The trouble is, how do I know what the tension will be so I know which pattern to go for as it isn't stated on the cone? I'm guessing from the thickness of the strands that it's a 4ply. I have found this pattern but not sure if I was to knit it up whether I would need to mix it with another yarn as it says one strand alpaca and one strand silk

I think you might need to do a bit of googling to see whether that pattern gives you a clue as to what gauge of alpaca wool it relates to: 5mm needles seem quite thick to go with 4 ply wool. However, you could just knit a tension square and see how it works out.

lynseydee wrote: »

I have two colours I would like to knit it in so could I just knit with two strands of alpaca instead?

I can't see why not, and of course knitting with two strands together would make it thicker, so on the 5mm needles it might be fine. Again, a tension square is the way to go: I've knitted with two strands of different colours and the results are OK but you have to see if you like it.

BTW, when I've been knitting from a cone, I've usually wound a load off and round a piece of cardboard to make the project more compact. Obviously you may then have 'ends' to darn in, but I found cones would fall over and roll across the floor at regular intervals, plus they are not very transportable!

CAFCGirl

Hello to all,

How are our projects going?
I'm finishing off my loom knitted shrug cardi thingy today (official name). Just the cuff to bind off and it's done. A few errors made in it but I consider this my test one to see if I can manage it/like it enough to commit to doing it in nicer will etc.
It was a lot more straightforward than I realised so I'm pleased I've attempted it and looking forward to trying it on when completed. Then will try to upload a photo of I configure that out LOL

Savvy_Sue

I'm part way through several things ...

Haven't done anything on my cardigan since well before Christmas.

Early in January I managed to finish a pair of hand-warmers which should have been a Christmas present and they were well received. I had told them there would be a delay.

Have managed several hats for someone undergoing chemo, and still working on another, which is DK cotton but on a comparatively fine needle so takes a while to grow.

Have started another pair of hand-warmers, these need to be larger than the previous pair so I'm having to wing it a bit with the pattern, but fortunately it's very simple (no proper thumb, just an opening in the seam). It's in sock wool on a fine needle, so again it grows slowly. Plus the needle broke: it's a fixed circular needle and the pointy bit came out of the metal shank that joins it to the plastic. Fortunately it's been possible to stick it back together and it's holding so far!

And then I realised a fluffy head band I knitted which is VERY good for cold walks was falling apart, so as I didn't much like the colour and had been told it did nothing for me, I decided to knit another. I'm on the third attempt: I was trying a pattern of s1, K2tog one row and knit the next, but it was coming out on a slant. Then I tried it K2tog, s1 but that was slanting the other way. So now I'm working on a sea shell pattern, but not sure it's working properly. Ho hum. If that fails, I'll probably just do it K or StSt. How boring ...

dbrookf

Does anyone have any knitting ideas/patterns that our craft club could do please? We have regular coffee mornings and the proceeds go to charity but we are running out of ideas! Anyone had any particular success with anything similar?

lynseydee

lynseydee wrote: »

I have inherited some alpaca yarn and would like to make a matching hat and scarf with it. The trouble is, how do I know what the tension will be so I know which pattern to go for as it isn't stated on the cone? I'm guessing from the thickness of the strands that it's a 4ply. I have found this pattern but not sure if I was to knit it up whether I would need to mix it with another yarn as it says one strand alpaca and one strand silk

https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/143-3-bella

I have two colours I would like to knit it in so could I just knit with two strands of alpaca instead?

I have managed to find a pattern that would work for the yarn but, when I came to use it, I have found that it is breaking as I unravel it from the cone. Is there any reason why it might be doing this? I'm not sure how old it is or how it has been stored.

Savvy_Sue

lynseydee wrote: »

I have managed to find a pattern that would work for the yarn but, when I came to use it, I have found that it is breaking as I unravel it from the cone. Is there any reason why it might be doing this? I'm not sure how old it is or how it has been stored.

Sorry, but it's likely that the yarn is no good, too old / too dry.

I had some doing that and took it into my local wool shop for advice. That's what they said: it doesn't improve with age ...

Savvy_Sue

dbrookf wrote: »

Does anyone have any knitting ideas/patterns that our craft club could do please? We have regular coffee mornings and the proceeds go to charity but we are running out of ideas! Anyone had any particular success with anything similar?

Sailor's Society are always after woolly hats, and there are patterns for those, plus neck warmers, fingerless mittens and a balaclava here.

Could be worth contacting your local hospital to see if they have any special projects they're wanting support with, eg prem babies / twiddle muffs for dementia patients / chemo hats.

Aha, I see The Big Knit is back - and that's really small projects! Hats for Innocent drinks in aid of Age UK.

BTW, say if you need more ideas and I will pick brains of my knitting friends.