The Knitters Thread

nursemaggie

You know what I have no idea. I am finding that new patterns use a different language. They don't tell you what the new language means so I go wrong. I end up rewriting the pattern.



The one I am using now does not have any proper explanation of how to sew up. It just says sew together. I can see all her stitches and I would say the two edges are put together right sides together and sowing over the two edges together. I have tried the knitting squares all in a row, I did not actually sew it up as it was done with lots of us make lots of blankets.



We tried doing them in strips. Someone in our group who could not knit sewed them up. I have only sewn up one blanket I made. It was crocheted so I crocheted it together in a contrasting yarn. It was brightly coloured squares so I used white.



Mattress stitch is done with both sides laid flat and you weave it through the stitches.



Hopefully someone else will post and explain better than me. I would not use mattress stitch on that blanket because it will blend in with the colour you are using and show the stitches on the other colour.

movingon

Thank you both. I agree NurseMaggie about the mattress stitch- it would also make a " ridge" on the wrong side?
I thought a blanket would be simple!

FluffyDog

Totally agree that "new" knitting patterns are very strangely written. And while I'm at it what's with all the charts? I'm used to charts for intarsia knitting for colours but the way they are doing lace???? I can follow a 80 or 90 written row pattern but figuring out what symbols mean?

I knit a pair of fingerless mitts for the DIL's Christmas present, got a great bargain on possum and merino blend.

I'm trying to use up all my sock yarn left over. I got creative, don't like the ten stitch or the mitred square patterns, I find the colours tend to not look as sharp with all the garter stitch. So, I found a pattern for stocking stitch mitred squares, knit four and sewed them together to make a square. Then I've picked up and worked on the edges. Stocking stitch for the multicoloured yarns and garter stitch on the solids. Kind of got a log cabin patchwork effect going on. It's staying square but I will have to buy a longer circular needle.

nursemaggie

Hello wonder collie.



I think patterns are trying to be international, but they threw the baby out with the bathwater.

FluffyDog

Nursemaggie, it's like knitting has become a competitive sport! How many shawls or scarves can one family use?

The FB knitting groups can be scary, they are very judgmental. I'd never heard of needle or yarn snobs before. Apparently, you have to spend a fortune on brand name needles, meh, I'm using needles that my grannies used and I'm 60!

Savvy_Sue

I google everything! There are some very good sites for demos, e.g. newstitchaday

Seakay

Hello and welcome, movingon!

I quite like a visible stitch in a contrast yarn for sewing blanket squares together - this can look nice if you crochet the squares together or use blanket stich.

My favourite invisible stitch is demonstrated here

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cSsx_J4OTHA

from 3.30 onwards. I always thought that it was called mattress stitch, but having looked mattress stitch up online this is different

Hope this helps!

PipneyJane

FluffyDog wrote: »

Nursemaggie, it's like knitting has become a competitive sport! How many shawls or scarves can one family use?

The FB knitting groups can be scary, they are very judgmental. I'd never heard of needle or yarn snobs before. Apparently, you have to spend a fortune on brand name needles, meh, I'm using needles that my grannies used and I'm 60!

Ravelry is much more friendly that the FB knitting groups. It's free to use and gives you the opportunity to see the project notes of other knitters, so that you can work out what they did when they didn't understand what the hell the designer meant.

We can always translate for you, here, too.

HTH

- Pip

PS: Enjoy your mum's needles. My biggest regret is leaving my mum's needle collection with my older sister. It included rubber needles that belonged to my Gran. BigSis no longer knits or sews and hasn't a clue what she did with them during any of the four house moves she's made since mum died.

movingon

My favourite invisible stitch is demonstrated here

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cSsx_J4OTHA

Thank you so much:)

PipneyJane

New month, new knitting?

What are you all working on?  I've got a heavily pregnant colleague, so am working on another Five Hour Baby Sweater, this time in lemon yellow, to give to her.  It won't be that different from the one below



Beyond that, I've got another Blanche Too on the needles.  I'm knitting it in the round and am working on the shoulders for the front.  It's going OK now, but I had to rip it out almost back to the waist band, to correct an error in my sizing maths.

My "handbag knitting" is another pair of Business Casual socks.  I made a pair, years ago, for a very dear colleague (photo below).  This pair is for me and uses the leftovers from the pair below.



- Pip