Fun Stuff > MAKE
QC Craft Circle
Papersatan:
Today while watching a movie I dug out a skill from my past to keep my hands busy. My muscle memory for this is not what it used to be so it was slow going.
Here's what I have so far (with a bonus shot of my mardi gras nails):
CrowFairy:
Any suggestions for getting the hang of casting on consistently? It keeps ending up a bungled mess somewhere along the line. :/
henri bemis:
papersatan - omg I remember that! I couldn't for the life of me replicate that pattern now, but I had the whole opaqueish box full of colored thread and made so many bracelets it's ridiculous. That one, and the one that looks like a spiral staircase were my favorite, I think. I was just talking about that with a friend the other day, and I kind of want to get into it again. Because why not?
LoliBot - I'm not sure what problem you're having, but when I first started learning, it was a few months before I realized I was just casting on entirely wrong (the knitting would work, but I had an ever expanding useless length of yarn between the needles, which made it difficult to keep everything neat).
I usually do it like this - casting on - but a lot of getting the tension right is just practice. Cheap, simple yarns are really good to practice with.
Lines:
This is old, but I'm an experienced knitter, so advice I can give!
1. For me, it was like a 2, however, I learned the absolute basics from a friend, like casting on and how to make a knit stitch. The rest I learned from watching videos online and reading in books/online.
2. Seriously, the internet is a fantastic tool for learning how to do things - there are videos and step-by-step directions everywhere. I am a visual learner, so videos and pictures make things so much easier for me than descriptions, but once you get the hang of what abbreviations mean, it gets easier.
3. It depends on how much you want to spend. Honestly, if you're a beginner, getting stuff cheap at places like Michael's, JoAnn Fabrics, and Hobby Lobby is easy because of sales and they tend to stock mostly affordable products. However, if you start to really get into knitting, it can become quite expensive, but that's because the materials aren't mass produced. You can buy perfectly nice yarn and pretty decent needles at craft stores. I also recommend the website KnitPicks, because I LOVE their needles (I some wooden and metal ones) and they do have some yarns that are more cost effective than some craft stores.
4. I wouldn't say knitting is "fun", I'd say it's simultaneously relaxing and challenging. It's fun when you get a few people together and knit while chatting, but usually when I knit, it's while I'm watching a movie or something at home. I really enjoy it, though, don't get me wrong. I'm kind of obsessed.
5. I would say you know you're good at knitting if you actually enjoy it and can master one technique and still want to learn more. Say you master the knit stitch and make a garter stitch scarf, then it's time to master the purl stitch and learn things like stockinette stitch, moss stitch, and ribbing. Ok, you've mastered scarves, how about trying a hat in the round? (These terms may not all make sense, but they're really easy to look up.) Basically if you keep challenging yourself to master a technique and then progress forwards, you're good.
6. Define "really get into knitting"... It depends on what you want to be able to make. If you're happy with simple things like scarves, hats, and fingerless gloves and the like, then I'd say not much. If you want to get into things like socks and sweaters that actually focus more on having the perfect fit, then I'd say a lot, because you need to not only know about how to knit, but also how to knit to specific measurements. I've been knitting for over 10 years and I'm still working out the kinks on that. (But that's because math is not my greatest strength. Also I haven't been a consistent size, which makes things more challenging for me personally.)
7. For me, it's a 9-10. :P Ravelry, a social network for knitters/crocheters/spinners/weavers/etc., definitely made things more addictive because there are patterns everywhere and tons of people to talk to about knitting. I strongly encourage you to check it out!
Also another good resource is Knitty, because not only do they offer all sorts of free patterns, there's also a lot of descriptions on how to do things.
CrowFairy:
Thanks for all of that. I've picked up a knitting-for-beginners kit and several skeins. And about 150 patterns (OCD is a butt at times). XD
My mom showed me the easiest method for casting on, so now I need to figure out the knit and purl stitches in the singular sense so I can make this dishcloth I'm attempting.
I haven't tried much lately, but I think I'll try again soon. :) It was pretty fun to cast on once I understood how. :-D
Navigation
[0] Message Index
[#] Next page
[*] Previous page
Go to full version