Friday stitch and....gripe? Celebrate? Show off your latest project? Hug your kids? Talk about the project you would really like to do but never started?
Posted on 10/21/2005 10:03:29 AM PDT by Knitting A Conundrum
Friday stitch and....gripe? Celebrate? Show off your latest project? Hug your kids? Talk about the project you would really like to do but never started?
If you crochet, I suspect that the Continental method is easier in how you handle the yarn. At first, just hold it like you crochet. I think it's a bit faster, too.
The American style is slower, but might be a bit easier to manage the thread at first.
There are actually a few other ways to handle the yarn. But these are the two you'll find most often in the US.
I bet! Stitchery is more fun than most work!
I've got an excellent pic of me at my top weight, in period costume.
This year, I wore the same clothes to the same reenactment, and took a similar pic. Boy there is some real difference!
I will have to make new period clothes. The old ones didn't fit me this year.
You can see a combined pic here:
http://shrinkingtosanity.blogspot.com/2005_09_04_shrinkingtosanity_archive.html
Here's an article about the Teflon yarn...
http://www.knittersreview.com/article_yarn.asp?article=/review/product/040219_a.asp
I love the costume, btw. If I may ask, did you make it from a pattern, or just wing it?
My grandma started me on Crochet when I was nine. She had one of those knit/crochet/tat how to books, and I was trying to teach myself that when a neighbor came over and showed me more how to do the knit stitch.
Mostly, though, I did crochet. Over time, I would crochet doilies, afghans, hats, potholders and lace edgings. One filet stitch shawl which was supposed to be a tablecloth, but I decided I had done enough. Mostly I did afghans. Tried to do rugs, but I had trouble with tension. Learned how to make baskets by knitting very, very tightly (like a size seven hook with knitting worsted) from a book called Hard Crochet.
When I was about 12, my grandma had decided to take up knitting and me, my mom, and her spend a summer together where we all knitted a good bit.
Somehow, though, I learned to do it backwards (probably after my grandma went home, and I picked it up after not doing it for awhile), with the front leg of the knit stitch in the back instead of the front. (there are places where this way is standard. I evidently handled my purl stitches backwards, too, so they didn't cross.)
Didn't realize it was backwards until much later when I was in college. I became a nut about Dr. Who and HAD to have some Dr. Who scarves. I made 3 eventually, two knitted, and one crocheted. One of my girlfriends, who was also a Dr. Who fan, had learned to knit in a more organized fashion. She taught me the knitted on caston, and taught me to do my knit/purls the standard way.
Didn't do much more than scarves at that time. After I got married in '99, I decided I needed to learn to knit socks, now having a husband to take care of. So I searched the internet for a good beginner pattern, and did one of the "Another Joan's Socks." It was made out of some cheap white synthetic yarn, and it was defintely not to the proper gauge.
I made another. It seemed more appropriate. I started knitting them in woolease, which made some nice looking socks, but the yarn pilled.
There was a nice yarnstore in Boise where I was at that time. Some of the regia sock yarns were coming out. I bought some. It was fingering weight, and I had the dickens of a time getting used to knitting at that gauge. I knit a ragland sweater about the same time. Decided that socks were more my cup of tea.
I then discovered lace knitting. I got a book called Traditional Knitted Shawls, and started knitting a shawl. Sort of learned to read from charts, but I admit, I'd rather read regular directions. Finally mastered knitting fingering yarn. Became a proficient sock knitter. Designed some socks, and began learning to interpret early Victorian knitting patterns. Ended up putting together some knitting pamplets on Victorian patterns.
Along the way, I discovered many good sites on the internet, and moved to Ogden where I had access to the Needlepoint Joint, which is a great yarn and needlework store. Hung out on the Knitlist and and the Socknitter's list for awhile, and some other crafting lists, and as I moved more and more into reenacting, began to focus mostly on historical stuff.
And that's how I got to where I am today!
Thank you so much for taking the time to answer my question, it is appreciated!
WOW!! That is so fantastic! Congrats on the weight loss. You look great :) Happy you found a weight loss program that works for you.
I just LOVE hearing happy/good news like that!
"Man, that visual just about did away with any desire I had to work this afternoon!"
Mine too! At least I get to go home now :) Hope you get to do the same soon.
I based the pattern for the top off of some illustrations I have of period clothing, especially from Fitting and Proper. The skirt is sort of ok (I made the waistband wrong for the period. It's made out of hand dyed linen (using walnut). The cap is actually a little late - it was based on one of the Kannick's Korners patterns, which was appropriate, but which turned out to be too big for my big head and long hair, so I got out my copy of the Workwoman's Guide,(which is from the 1830s) and found one that was very similar and so the cap is sort of a combination of both.
What I plan to do is take the top apart at some point in the future, and cut it down to an appropriate size - but not until I am ready to get a new dress form. I also need to make some new underpinnings - I need some 18th c style stays. I was working on a pair when I started losing the weight, and they of course will not fit me any more.
What I want to make is a dress either like this:
http://dept.kent.edu/museum/exhibit/ohio/labels/2.htm
or like this: http://www.columbia.edu/itc/barnard/theater/kirkland/3136/18th%20Century%20Gallery/pages/1784.htm
I admit to being a yarn snob! I love the nice stuff. But I get a lot on ebay. Really good prices.
Though I love my LYS and do support them. Sometimes too much. *g*
I wish I could post a picture of my stash . . .
I use continental and it is much faster. No "throwing" the yarn. But it might be harder to find someone who knows how to teach you.
Thanks for posting your knitting history for me, also. Anyone else?
I wouldn't dare post a pic of any of my fabric, book or yarn stashes....then I'd have to admit that I have too much.
Thats the first step, admitting we have a problem. ;)
I always wish I could have finished the Precious Moments cross-stitch that I started as a gift for a friend. More skill needed then the novice I was!
Good for you!!!! Hang in there!
BTW, any preference for bamboo vs. aluminum needles?
Start with bamboo. It helps keep the yarn from slipping. Then as you go further along, you may find you want it more slippy. Then switch to coated metal.
I do some knitting on steel needles, too, but they are very slippy.
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