I’m ok with making it looser as long as I’m concentrating but I tried to learn to crochet last year and had the same issue but much worse.

1 Like

I’ve bought some completely smooth ones quite recently, in rainbow colours no less. Must be some kind of treatment as they are entirely smooth and no catching

1 Like

I knotted and sowed and everything as a kid and teenager, just taken knitting up again after many years. Started with some scarves etc just to get back into it.

One joint/knuckle has been hurting since around the same time I started though, this worries me

Yeah, it sucks, I have bad joints anyway but much worse when I knit and my mum had to give up because of it.

This is a major part of it for me, am a massive anxiety induced fidgeter. Phone/picking at nails/constantly eating something can only get you so far

1 Like

This looks AWESOME, can’t wait to be at sweater knitting level.

My BFF is having a baby this winter so I can make lots of little fun things for the baby though :star_struck:

I’ve mentioned it elsewhere but I’m currently knitting a Slytherin scarf for a friend. Will take a pic at a later stage when I’m happier with how it looks!

:snake:

I knit every day. I also spin on a wheel, not on a bicycle.

My tips are:

For beginner friendly patterns that will take you through from a garter stitch scarf to a cardigan google ‘Tin Can knits the simple collection’

The only YouTube channel you need for tutorials is Very Pink Knits. She has loads of slow motion ones too. Check out her channel.

Buy the best tools you can afford. I like Chicago for metal and Lyke for wood. Metal are more slick so move faster. Chicago are pointy but not too pointy. I have drawn blood with hiya hiya sharps. Wood are good for anything with silk or cotton as they have a bit more drag.

Do a tension square/guage swatch. Measure your tension. Then wash your swatch like you will your knitted item and measure it again to see if it has grown/shrunk. This is how you will find out whether you are using the right needle size or whether you need to adjust.

Knitting scarves is boring as they’re really long. Hats are good and there are loads of free patterns.

Knit a jumper for a baby. It is quicker and fit is less important but you’ll get the idea of how to do it. Again, I would recommend Tin Can Knits. Start with jumpers knit in the round from the top down. Like their Flax jumper.

Knitting Stephen West patterns is fun. I knit a lot of socks but less since I’ve been working at home. Here are some things I’ve knit and spun during lockdown. Three unfinished jumpers not pictured. Also some socks. The pencil socks got the most likes of anything I’ve ever posted on Instagram.

Happy to do online knitting zoom with any dissers that fancy it as I am really missing knit night at my local yarn shops (Wild and Woolly and Knit with Attitude both in Hackney and both have excellent online shops)

11 Likes

I’m also a really tight knitter, I usually go up at least two needle sizes to get the right tension e.g most people knit DK weight on a 3.75 but I usually need to go up to a 4.5mm

1 Like

All of this looks cool, but I especially the love the yellow and etc socks!

This evening I started knitting a baby blanket with some nice northern lights-ish yarn I found:

It is without a doubt the physically largest thing I have ever knit but it’s fun with the changing colours and I’m doing stripes across as well (I don’t know the proper words to describe what I’m doing in English and I’m too sleepy to find out, will show you all when there’s a bit more to show!)

Also bought two different types of purple yarn that will be used for some baby stuff as well. Possibly another but slightly different blanket, idk. Bought a baby knit book on sale which has a lot of good stuff in it too.

2 Likes

Weirdly Mrs HYG just restarted again today after doing it years ago. She’s forgotten everything and was getting properly pissed off at tutorial videos trying to figure it out again. Didn’t seem as relaxing as she’d planned it to be but I’m sure she’ll get into the swing of things.

Oh that looks like Noro or Drops. Colour change yarn is fun. Look forward to seeing the baby blanket.

This weekend should have been Yarndale, one of the biggest wool and fibre festivals in the UK. It’s gone virtual but it’s not the same. I miss squishing and meeting up with my knitting pals.

I like knitting… but can only do very basic things. The only vaguely acceptable looking thing I’ve made is a kindle case. And a tonne of wonky squares I was going to make a wonky blanket out of. Might get back on that before winter.

Gf’s sister have me a little kit to make a blackbird. But was a bit overwhelmed by the instructions. Plus I’m crap at keeping track of the no. of stitches. Would be quite happy just knitting an endless scarf.

A kindle case is great though, I’ve never made anything like that!

If you’re interested I can tell you how to do some super easy fingerless gloves that I used to make a lot of back in the day.

Maybe more of a strange kindle sock than ‘case’ :slightly_smiling_face:. Got an unfinished one that’s a bit neater.

Fingerless glove instructions would be much appreciated!

3 Likes

Very nice colours! It does the job and you’ve made something from nothing :smiley:

Will get back to you on the gloves/wristwarmers!

1 Like

Ok @kram so there’ll be thousands of ways to do this but this is a super basic and easy method and you can do variations in patterns etc as you please. From memory:

Cast on enough stitches to comfortably go around your forearm/lower wrist, however far down or up your arm/wrist you want it to go. You can obviously measure to be sure, or just try as I used to do :stuck_out_tongue:

Then, knit one stitch and purl one until it’s long enough to reach your actual wrist/beginning of hand. Then stocking stitch/stockinette stitch (relying on a glossary here for the english terms but you do one needle plain knit and the backside purl knit so the front is smooth and nice). Keep going until it is long enough to cover your hand up to your knuckles/however far up you want it. Cast off, and use the thread to sew the sides together, leaving a hole for your thumb. Done!

So these are completely fingerless, and you can do variations on knitting techniques and colour combos and whatever you want to try out, but this is how I liked to do them.

I am a knitting beginner!
I bought this book! So far I’ve made half of the scarf…

3 Likes

Thanks v. much. This seems within the realm of my capability :slightly_smiling_face:. Will give it a go soon and report back. If successful… I know what everyone is getting for Christmas.

1 Like

Here’s the link to the Tin Can Knits simple collection - really good beginner patterns and tutorials and all free. I have made loads of Barley hats. The other thing that is good about them is that all the patterns come in sizes new born to xxxl

3 Likes