How daft was I?

Latest Articles

How daft was I?
Page 1, 2 Next

Downsizer Forum Index -> Make Your Own/DIY

Author

Message

Northern_Lad

Joined: 13 Dec 2004
Posts: 14210
Location: Somewhere

Posted: Mon Oct 02, 06 9:06 am Post subject: How daft was I?
Decided to knit myself a new hat 'cause last years' is looking a little shabby - well, it was a fist attempt. Got some nice wool, and 5 3mm double ended pins - good grief do my finger tips hurt now; and I'm only 3 rows in!

sally_in_wales
Downsizer Moderator

Joined: 06 Mar 2005
Posts: 20809
Location: sunny wales

Posted: Mon Oct 02, 06 9:10 am Post subject:
3mm are really tiny! Sure you wouldnt be better with something a bit chunkier? Whats the wool like? As an example I knit fine hats on 4ply using nothing much smaller than 4mm usually and if I'm using dounble knitting its usually 5mm needles for hats.

Northern_Lad

Joined: 13 Dec 2004
Posts: 14210
Location: Somewhere

Posted: Mon Oct 02, 06 9:18 am Post subject:

sally_in_wales wrote:

3mm are really tiny! Sure you wouldnt be better with something a bit chunkier? Whats the wool like?
As an example I knit fine hats on 4ply using nothing much smaller than 4mm usually and if I'm using dounble knitting its usually 5mm needles for hats.

You know, I'm not at all sure what size the wool is. It feels finer than the DK that I use on 4mm though.

I generally stick to chunky wool on 8-10mm pins - maximum reward for minimum effort.

2steps

Joined: 05 Sep 2005
Posts: 5349
Location: Surrey

Posted: Mon Oct 02, 06 9:20 am Post subject:
I prefer to go for chunkier stuff too. I find knitting really slow going and tend to get fed up chunky stuff grows fast

Stacey

Joined: 18 Jul 2005
Posts: 8380
Location: Kernow

Posted: Mon Oct 02, 06 5:06 pm Post subject:
Most of my handspun will give you a hat in about an hour

Bodger

Joined: 23 May 2006
Posts: 13524

Posted: Mon Oct 02, 06 9:26 pm Post subject:
How about an idiot blokes knitting competition ? I knitted rabbit nets once .

Northern_Lad

Joined: 13 Dec 2004
Posts: 14210
Location: Somewhere

Posted: Tue Oct 03, 06 7:40 am Post subject:
Right, looked at the label last night: it's a Yeager Arran (80:20 wool:alpaca), and the little cross-pin thingy says 3.75mm.

Rosa

Joined: 10 Sep 2006
Posts: 387
Location: Hampshire

Posted: Tue Oct 03, 06 8:13 am Post subject:
If your finger tips hurt then you are probably knitting too tightly. Always have clean dry hands when you knit and make sure the needles are clean, it will make it so much easier.

Northern_Lad

Joined: 13 Dec 2004
Posts: 14210
Location: Somewhere

Posted: Tue Oct 03, 06 8:17 am Post subject:

Rosa wrote:

If your finger tips hurt then you are probably knitting too tightly. Always have clean dry hands when you knit and make sure the needles are clean, it will make it so much easier.

It's when I push the right pin through, it goes into my left tip. I'm sure it will toughen up soon.

oldish chris

Joined: 14 Jun 2006
Posts: 4148
Location: Comfortably Wet Southport

Posted: Tue Oct 03, 06 8:20 am Post subject:

Stacey wrote:

Most of my handspun will give you a hat in about an hour

I think you are making a few assumptions about the knitters capability. I can do a Guernsey (5 ply wool, 2.75mm needles) in about two years. A hat (left over wool) in a matter of weeks.
For a hat, three circuits a night is good steady progress. I found that trying too hard causes "repetative strain injury", and the way i hold the wool and needles, its the mouse operating wrist what suffers the most: double frustration, can't knit, can't
spend the evening playing computer games either!

We must be allowed to see the end result: see if a Northern Lad can knit better than a bloke from the South!

Stacey

Joined: 18 Jul 2005
Posts: 8380
Location: Kernow

Posted: Tue Oct 03, 06 8:32 am Post subject:
I think you're making a few assumptions about my handspun. It usually averages out at about 4 wraps per inch

oldish chris

Joined: 14 Jun 2006
Posts: 4148
Location: Comfortably Wet Southport

Posted: Tue Oct 03, 06 1:01 pm Post subject:
like it!

James

Joined: 11 Jan 2006
Posts: 2866
Location: York

Posted: Wed Oct 04, 06 8:44 am Post subject:

bodger wrote:

How about an idiot blokes knitting competition ?

I knitted rabbit nets once .

how about an idiot blokes guide to knitting?

I've always wanted to know how to knit. My mum taught me when I was a kid, but like chemistry, making pancakes, playing cribbage and many other things besides riding a bike, I forgot how to.

Last year I bought a knitting machine- great big 1970's thing I could hardly lift. I knitted a hat that ended up looking like one of those liberty caps the French revolutionaries wore. I think I had my tension wrong or something.

If I could knit, I'd challange bodger (& northern lad?) to an idiot blokes knitting comp.

Northern_Lad

Joined: 13 Dec 2004
Posts: 14210
Location: Somewhere

Posted: Wed Oct 04, 06 8:50 am Post subject:

James wrote:

..., but like chemistry, making pancakes, playing cribbage and many other things besides than riding a bike, I forgot how to.

Chemistry, erm, depends what level - Bagpus and Cab are good places to start (yes, I know they're mainly biologists, but they must have been cleverer at some point)

Pancakes: break an egg into a bowl and beat. Add flour until it gets too thick to mix. Add milk until you get a nice thick batter - double cream kind of thickness. Cook.

Cribbage: google it, but be careful as I think there's something to do with knobs.

Knitting, hmm, I'll see how busy I am later.

Stacey

Joined: 18 Jul 2005
Posts: 8380
Location: Kernow

Posted: Wed Oct 04, 06 9:06 am Post subject:

James wrote:

I've always wanted to know how to knit. My mum taught me when I was a kid, but like chemistry, making pancakes, playing cribbage and many other things besides riding a bike, I forgot how to.

https://www.knittinghelp.com/

They have free online video tutorials

	Downsizer Forum Index -> Make Your Own/DIY	All times are GMT Page 1, 2 Next
Page 1 of 2

View Latest Posts