Knitting for Ballet and more........

[Anjuli_Bai]

My mother taught me to knit and crochet when I was 5.  I had the chicken pox and was driving her crazy since I was so bored.   From that time to this I've always had a handwork project (including embroidery, crewel, sewing, tailoring, etc).  It all came in handy when i was dancing as I could knit leg warmers, ankle warmers, etc.

 

Now that I am retired, I still knit and crotchet - mostly blankets for the Linus Project.  A group of us get together at a senior center and enjoy both the hand work and the company.  There are so many books on "how to" out there...I thought I would add my own useful hints taking advantage of so many decades of experience......

 

 

Knitting Made Simple, by the knitting group at the College Ave. Senior Center

 

 

How do I get started?

 

You need some yarn, needles and a sense of humor.

 

 

 

How do I put stitches on my needle?

 

Make loops around the needle.

 

 

 

How do I know how many stitches I need?

 

Whatever your age is - that way you might remember it.

 

 

 

But suppose I have a birthday while I'm knitting it?

 

Well, then you have other problems.

 

 

 

What should I do if I drop a stitch?

 

Forget about it - you obviously don't need it.

 

 

 

What should I do if I find I have some extra stitches?

 

The more the merrier.  (Rejoice - you are still able to give birth)

 

 

 

What should I make for my first project?

 

An Argyle cable knit sweater with a hooded collar.  After than everything else will seem easy.

 

 

 

What should I do if my yarn get's all tangled?

 

Give it to Aiko - she likes tangled yarn.

 

 

 

Joy always has a lot of knitting books and patterns - should I go and buy some?

 

No, just borrow them from Joy.

 

 

 

Should I stop if I find the pattern is too complicated?

 

No - give it to Mary - she likes complicated patterns.

 

 

 

Suppose I find I'm tired of doing the same stitch over and over again?

 

Give it to Sheila - she doesn't like to have to think about what she is doing.

 

 

 

Suppose I get halfway through and I made a mistake - should I rip it out?

 

No - just cut it off. 

 

 

 

There's a strange thread hanging out of my knitting - what should I do?

 

Cut it off.  See what happens.

 

 

 

I made a mistake but I'm not sure how to fix it.

 

Cut it off.  Anything you don't understand - cut it off.

 

 

 

 

I made a baby blanket - but the stitch count isn't right.

 

Since the baby can't count - don't worry about it.

 

 

 

 

Suppose the sweater turns out too big?

 

Find someone bigger to give it to.

 

 

 

 

I made a knitted gift for a friend and she said it looked strange.

 

Tell her you made it to fit her.

 

 

 

A friend said she couldn't tell what I was making.

 

Tell her it'll be a surprise for both of you.

 

 

 

I would like to crochet rather than knit but I don't have any crochet hooks.

 

Take a knitting needle and bend it with your teeth.

 

 

 

I don't really like the way a certain color of yarn looks - it's brighter than I thought - should I rip it out?

 

 

No - never rip out.  Just put on some sun glasses.

 

 

I worked so hard on this, but I don't like it - should I rip it out?

 

Go take a nap.

 

 

 

 

My friend loved the sweater I made her but when she washed it - it shrank.

 

Take it back and find a smaller friend.

 

 

 

 

Everyone seems to be able to decipher the knitting instruction abbreviations but me.

 

They're lying - no one understands them

 

 

 

So, what shall I do?

 

Make up your  own that look something like:  E=MC 2

 

 

 

 

What do I do with the bags and bags of unused yarn I have?

 

Keep it - when you run out of yarn - life is over.

 

 

[Jan McNulty]

I especially like the instruction on how to make a crochet hook!

[porthesia]

Oh how I smiled at this!  My mother was a beautiful knitter, but I never really got the hang of it.  Took me 18 years to knit a Rowan jumper with just one cable up the front.  OH does wear it occasionally.   If I drop a stitch then I have to pull back and then I can never pick them up again.  Got a scarf that I've undone about 6 times now!

 

Of course it doesn't compare to the cross stitch that I started before I even got pregnant with dd and she was 19 a week ago!! Mind you I have completed a few other cross stitch projects during that time.

[Jan McNulty]

My Mum was a fabulous knitter who used to knit arran sweaters and some very complex patterns. I was totally useless, unable to maintain tension. After a couple of rows the stitches on the needle were so tight I couldn't get the other needle through!

 

I had more success (success being relative) with macrame!

[LinMM]

I'm hopeless too I seem to remember my knitting getting too tight as well....Ive still got a bump on one of my fingers from holding my pencils and pens too tightly too!

 

Whereas I have an 86 year old Aunt who still knits all sorts of things and wins prizes at fetes with the people (like Mr.Flowerpot) and objects she designs including fancy children's gloves. (Wish I could post some pictures of them)

Last Christmas she knitted a whole Noah's Ark with lots of animals(two of each of course) for her great grandchildren. How she has the patience I don't know!

[LinMM]

I'm useless at sewing as well. I seem to remember giggling and chatting through sewing lessons until towards the end of one term a group of us got Saturday morning detention till we had finished what we were supposed to have been making....some sort of apron I think.

[porthesia]

My knitting was also very tight!  As she got older my mother used to get me to knit the rib for her as her knitting was quite loose but then she would struggle when she first took over as I knit it so tightly.

 

LinMM our first project for sewing at school was to make an apron for our cookery lessons - I've still got it - don't know why and I've still got the sampler type thing made in infant/junior school.

 

At infants school we had to knit a dishcloth - the teacher had to knit mine for me and at junior school in our last year we had to make a coffee table - bit of varnishing, bit of weaving cane to make a decorative edge and glue the legs in - and again the teacher had to finish mine off for me.

 

I keep trying all these crafts but really I'm not that good - got a box somewhere full of glass from my stained glass days and also the grinder.  I enjoy grinding the glass and love the soldering but am pretty useless at cutting as very little strength in my hands now and as for picking colours - not really my forte.  Did make a lovely window having pinched the design from a friend I made at the class - unfortunately got broken in the move.  I also made this dragon suncatcher who is flying across the face of a moon - my goodness I bled for this dragon - literally,  As a first project it may have been a bit ambitious - some very fiddly bits to put together and his tail kept going out of shape and the glass kept cracking through the constant taking apart, re-foiling and re-soldering,.  Fortunately the instructor did sort it out for me but most of it my own work.  Can't seem to find a chain strong enough to take the weight - the moon is the size of a dinner plate - that was really good fun cutting that out!!  I've got loads of bits for making cards, again I can copy but I'm not very good coming up with my own designs.

 

It's a bit worrying that non-dd has just started at Hobbycraft - what could I try next?!!

 

edited to correct typing mistakes, really got to get these nails taken off!

Edited July 11, 2013 by porthesia

[Anjuli_Bai]

I think I'm going to sketch a pen and ink drawing for each of the Q & A's and make it up into a small book - I'll knit it together.

 

Just for fun.

[LinMM]

You'd get lots of takers from the Forum I'm sure!

But if you knit all the books together you could sell that would be an awful lot of knitting.....even for an enthusiast!!

[newballetfan]

I LOVE knitting and especially knitting useful things - I spend a lot of time in libraries and archives (historian...) and they are always very cold, so I knitted fingerless 'Fagin' gloves and have worn them to death. Your instructions made me chuckle a lot, definitely knit them up into a book!

 

Porthesia I envy your proximity to Hobbycraft...though I would be permanently broke if let loose in there regularly ;-)

[porthesia]

newballetfan, it's not open yet - 1 August is the big day.  Nearest one is 19 miles away although non-dd is being trained at the one 31 miles away, but she is having quite a lot of fun.  Just need John Lewis to move into town and I'll be happy.  Local town shops due for re-vamp and expansion - not even started yet and supposed to be completed by 2015 - can I wait that long!!  Believe it's a local pub that is refusing to sell holding it all up.

 

Non-dd has been making slices of cakes out of felt and decorating the tops with felt strawberries, raspberries and icing - they look good enough to eat!

[Lottie]

 Of course it doesn't compare to the cross stitch that I started before I even got pregnant with dd and she was 19 a week ago!! Mind you I have completed a few other cross stitch projects during that time.

 

A similar thing for me as I have recently picked up a tapestry again this summer, after a 21 year break, that I only managed to complete about a quater of before my children came along! It's mostly green in colour as it's a cabbage and I need the summer light to work out which green to use where. Over half done now then it will be made into a cushion.

I've given my Non-DD who is now 21, a tapestry to do as well as she wanted to have a go. It's the cauliflower that goes with the cabbage. (Kaffe Faucett)

[hfbrew]

Can any of you clever people recreate my ds first teddy from a photo?

 

it was knitted by special needs pupils when I was expecting him and he treasured it. It even went to WL!

 

Unfortunately it was thoughtlessly discarded (long, very upsetting story).  He has expressed a desire to have a new one for  his 21st.

 

Now I can knit but only with a pattern and I only have a photo! So can anyone help? I can email picture!

[LinMM]

Can't help but what a lovely idea!

If you don't get anyone from the Forum let me know and I can ask my 86 year old aunt as she is quite a fast worker and brilliant at working things out.

She knitted me a little Alien character to go with a story (Beegu) which I was working on last year with some Reception children.

[hfbrew]

Can't help but what a lovely idea!

If you don't get anyone from the Forum let me know and I can ask my 86 year old aunt as she is quite a fast worker and brilliant at working things out.

She knitted me a little Alien character to go with a story (Beegu) which I was working on last year with some Reception children.

Thankyou so much, I may well end up doing that. Will be happy to reimburse for materials and time!

[alison]

hfbrew, funny you should mention that, but I've been involved in a completely different knitting discussion today, and this site was recommended: https://www.ravelry.com/account/login

so maybe you could ask on there if you don't get any joy here.

[hfbrew]

Thank you so much.. Im hoping to explôre as many options as possible in the hope of getting at least one replica!