The Knitters Thread

basketcase

PipneyJane said:

Savvy_Sue said:

Savvy_Sue said:

PipneyJane said:

Savvy_Sue said:

It all went a bit wrong last night: I don't know if I accidentally went back and forth on the last row instead of round, but I ended up with the working yarn at each end of one needle, whereas I think I need to be able to push the non-working end to the end of the  needle. 

All I had time to do last night was slip one sleeve onto the other needle, and I'll try to work it out again tonight ... 

Looks impressive though!

Fingers crossed, Sue.  Hopefully, you'll only need to tink back a few stitches.

- Pip

I seem to be back on track now. Going to knit more thoughtfully for a bit ... 

Got in a pickle again, but I think I'm getting the hang of it now. I know which sleeve is 1 and which is 2, so I just check that 1 will end in a position where I can start 2 without any malarkey ...

In my late night youtubing, I found a woman who knits one sock inside the other, alternating stitches on separate balls. That just does my head in...

That’s a trick that is mentioned in Jane Austin.   It does my head in, too.  I’d be bound to screw it up.  (I think the Yarn Harlot tried it once and wrote a blog post about it.)

- Pip

Savvy - could you mark the ends of the rounds in different coloured markers/bits of wool/whatever then you knw which sock was which?

Pip - Interesting.  Where in Jane Austen?  I don't remember seeing that.  Is it in the letters or the novels?  Not that I intend trying it.  The very thought does my head in too!

PollyWollyDoodle

It’s mentioned in War and Peace - apparently the lady would cast off the last stitches and then triumphantly reveal the second sock inside the first. Sounds far too difficult for me!  

nursemaggie

Jane Austin did not write War and Peace.

I would be bound to get them knitted together. It would work if you wanted a thicker sock but double socks are a nightmare to put on and take off. I do have some to put in my wellies. I think it would take a lot longer doing them like that as I would have to do it slowly and not watch any videos or TV.

PollyWollyDoodle

nursemaggie said:

Jane Austin did not write War and Peace.

Indeed she didn’t. Jane Austen may well have mentioned the double sock knitting as well, but it definitely occurs in War and Peace. Which was written by Tolstoy. 

PipneyJane

I got it wrong, @basketcase.  As @PollyWollyDoodle said, it’s from War and Peace.  (Why I thought it was from a Jane Austen novel, God only knows. Not enough coffee this morning, obviously.)

- Pip

Jazee

This is the first diamond of what will be a throw for my three seater sofa.  Could take a while.  I'll be using this colour which is light beige in reality along with black and terracotta.

PipneyJane

Jazee said:

This is the first diamond of what will be a throw for my three seater sofa.  Could take a while.  I'll be using this colour which is light beige in reality along with black and terracotta.

That’s lovely, @Jazee.  How big is it?  (I can’t get a sense of size from the photo.). How many more do you need?

- Pip

Jazee

Thanks Pip.  Each one measures 12 x 8 inches.  I estimate that to cover the sofa properly I'll need 100.  Quite how they'll look when stitched I don't know.  Finished number two last night.  It's chunky wool knitted on 4mm, 41 stitches and a holey pattern which knits up on the diagonal.

PipneyJane

Jazee said:

Thanks Pip.  Each one measures 12 x 8 inches.  I estimate that to cover the sofa properly I'll need 100.  Quite how they'll look when stitched I don't know.  Finished number two last night.  It's chunky wool knitted on 4mm, 41 stitches and a holey pattern which knits up on the diagonal.

You will be very Zen about stitching them, by the time you have finished: in the zone and very calm and relaxed.

They’ll look lovely.

- Pip

basketcase

   I finished the joke rabbit and gave it to DD, who was suitably amused.  Actually completed the knitting and sewing up etc some time ago then got stuck on embroidering the rather individual nose and one-hair-thick flash.  Looks scruffy to me, but DD says it's accurate, so that's a relief.  Didn't bother with eyes in the end, because being very dark brown/black on black it actually looks more realistic without them!

   Now to dig out the dreaded mountainscape jumper.  And go hunting for what's left of the relevant brain cells! I've also got myself some row counters.  I've just been marking the pattern, but the counter and some highlighting tape (thanks pip!) will hopefully be one less thing to stress about...

   Back to the rabbit - looking at sock patterns, I think I've finally worked out why I had such a struggle initially.  The pattern is for DPNs, which I've never used and didn't have, so I decided to knit it on a circular.  I think the reason that I couldn't get it to join into a circle is because it started by casting on only 48 stitches and that may be too few to work properly.  On the upside, I now have a comprehensive collection of cables for my interchangeable circulars!