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Dec. 11th, 2004 09:30 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
cleolindaAHHHH HELP. Recommend me some knitting needles! I don't know how long (12"?) or what size (8? 9?) or what material (metal?) or what brand hellllllp.
(I'm looking at using Utopia [worsted, acrylic] in blue tweed for a simple starter scarf. And how much of that do I reasonably need? A ball or two, until I'm sure I like it, since it's just a starter?)
Also: am on friends list skip=120 (not even the whole friends list, just a filter made up of people I know offline or pretty well online) and still not caught up. Woe.
(I'm looking at using Utopia [worsted, acrylic] in blue tweed for a simple starter scarf. And how much of that do I reasonably need? A ball or two, until I'm sure I like it, since it's just a starter?)
Also: am on friends list skip=120 (not even the whole friends list, just a filter made up of people I know offline or pretty well online) and still not caught up. Woe.
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Date: 2004-12-11 07:31 pm (UTC)no subject
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Date: 2004-12-11 07:39 pm (UTC)no subject
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Date: 2004-12-11 07:44 pm (UTC)Although, if you can afford it, I would start on bamboo or wood needles - they tend to catch the yarn better, so you loose fewer stitches. Also, having a good contrast between your yarn color and your needles helps with keeping track of stitches.
Also, even for scarves, I prefer to use circular needles and just knit with them like they're flat - the reason is that you can just transfer the scarf to the middle/cord part and store it on there - fewer chances of the knitting slipping off of the needles and you never lose one!
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Date: 2004-12-11 07:45 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-12-11 07:54 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-12-11 07:40 pm (UTC)PS, I just bought new needles at WalMart. Size 11 Boye brand (the best brand, IMHO), and they were only 3 bucks. At JoAnns, where I had bought all my previous needles, they were $6 and up. So try WalMart, and don't forget a crochet hook of equivalent size to finish off your scarf. Have fun!!
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Date: 2004-12-11 07:42 pm (UTC)no subject
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Date: 2004-12-11 09:40 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-12-11 09:40 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-12-11 07:47 pm (UTC)Then again, I have carpal tunnel in both hands, and have trouble with the smaller stuff, so... YMMV.
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Date: 2004-12-11 07:59 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-12-11 07:54 pm (UTC)Also, for a size, she recommends size 13, because they're thicker, and therefore it's easier to see the stiches and keep track of your count.
Good luck! :) I ought to have her teach me one of these days...
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Date: 2004-12-11 08:29 pm (UTC)So...check your yarn, and see how think you'd like it to be and you're set. Personally, I've never used anything beyond a 10, but that's me.
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Date: 2004-12-11 08:47 pm (UTC)Also, I highly highly highly recommend that you start out with WOOL yarn - acrylic has no stretch to it, and new knitters almost ALWAYS start out knitting very tightly, so it becomes almost impossible to actually get the needle into the stitch. I promise, you'll be much less frustrated if you get yourself a nice wool yarn to start. (And you can always get the Utopia for your next project, once you're a pro!)
Lamb's Pride worsted is terrific stuff (look under Brown Sheep brand yarn) - tons of colors, very soft, very affordable and good yardage - you can get a pretty good-sized scarf out of one skein (just don't cast on a million stitches - forty will get you a good width).
Last tip: every brand of yarn has different yardage, so look at that rather than skeins/balls - Utopia's got 225 yards/skein, so one skein will make a good length scarf (4-5 feet?), but it never hurts to get an extra skein. Lamb's Pride is roughly 190 yards/skein, I think. I'd get two skeins to be safe.
If you have any questions, let me know!
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Date: 2004-12-11 09:09 pm (UTC)I think the proper term is "more slippery", btw. ;)
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Date: 2004-12-11 09:20 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-12-11 09:11 pm (UTC)You might want to consider getting really thick yarn, and really big needles(19) and knitting something that way first, because it is soo rewarding. Or you could get medium(13) needles and get two strands of yarn and knit something that way. It doesn't go as quickly, but it's still very rewarding. I love to knit! :)
There is this book, Stitch n' Bitch that ROCKS. I would recommend getting it if you're considering doing this a lot. It also has some neat patterns as well, and it teaches you all you need to know about knitting.
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Date: 2004-12-11 09:41 pm (UTC)Two things to help you -
A: Knitty.com
B: A copy of Stitch & Bitch. It's not perfect, but it's entertaining and has some fairly easy projects.
Start with size 8 needles if you want smaller work. If you're working with a chunky, try rocket needles - size 15-17ish, usually plastic, you can make a scarf in a day and see how you feel about it.
I use bamboo, personally, where I can. Metal needles are good if you're doing small work and you need to dig into stitches for k2togs.
Since you're working with a worsted weight, 8 or 10 needles so the work goes faster, and you'll probably want 100 yards or more, depending on width of the scarf. Remember if you do stockinettes or ribs, they're gonna curl on you.
If you end up liking this, treat yourself to non-acrylic fibers sometimes.
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Date: 2004-12-12 09:07 am (UTC)I've never had ribbing curl on me, but then again, the one ribbed scarf I started, I never finished. I got at least 2 feet finished, though, and I didn't see any signs of curling.
Any tips?
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Date: 2004-12-12 11:09 am (UTC)Adding some garter stitch on the edges seems to help even anything out a bit, though.
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Date: 2004-12-12 11:42 am (UTC)I made my boyfriend a knitted bear last year and it was hellish to make all the little pieces, but it came out so well. I think I shall foray into the world of other knitted animals now!
Anyway. I should stop hijacking threads on other people's journals, so I'm outta here. :D
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Date: 2004-12-12 06:58 pm (UTC)The bunny pattern is by Fiber Trends, it's a commercial pattern that's probably available through your local yarn store. (not a Jo-Ann's, though) You might be able to find a place online, but Fiber Trends themselves doesn't sell the patterns through their website.
I've previously done a knitted alpaca from a pattern from them. Their patterns are actually quite easy to do, and the amount of pieces you have to futz with are few. The alpaca was 2 pieces, in fact. This bunny will be about four.
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Date: 2004-12-11 10:25 pm (UTC)Are you planning on jumping -straight- in, or practice a little bit first?
Shorter needles are supposed to be easier (quicker) so you'll pick it up faster that way. Longer ones are ... well, more practical because you can make more stuff with it.
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Date: 2004-12-11 10:26 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-12-11 11:14 pm (UTC)Although you can crochet some really cool stuff, too, so it depends on what you want to make. You could take up tatting, even! ^_^
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Date: 2004-12-11 10:38 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-12-11 11:27 pm (UTC)*sigh*
:p
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Date: 2004-12-12 09:02 am (UTC)I learned (read: taught myself from books and the internet!) to knit two years ago on metal needles. I don't know what people are talking about with the slipperiness; any slickness there is, I actually *like*. Bamboo ones are gonna cost you more anyway, so go for the cheap metal ones. :D Definitely stay away from plastic though; the ones I have are obnoxiously..well...sticky. They have too much friction or something, I don't know, I never use them.
As for gauge, I'd go for an 8 or a 10. Anything bigger is going to help your scarf knit up faster, (and you'll probably be able to see the individual stitches better as well, which is good) but they'll be awkward to hold. I still haven't mastered using ginormous needles yet.
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Date: 2004-12-13 08:38 am (UTC)I've used bamboo and metal, and I liked the bamboo much better. I don't care for the round thing so much, but straight needles can get big and unwieldy.
I like larger needles for big showy scarfs with big hoops, and they're very fun if you're doing two yarns together, like two warm wools, or a warm wool and a frilly thingy. I used a 13 for my black wool scarf, and I'm using 15's for my fancy frilly pink scarf. I started on 8's and they just pissed me off too much, although I'm trying them again. 10 would probably be good if you want a small tight knit and something warm.
I also strongly recommend practicing a lot before you really get going. Knit a few rows just to see what it looks like. Sounds like a pain in the ass, and I never do that 'test it before you do it' suggestion in anything else, but I do now in knitting.
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Date: 2004-12-13 12:37 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2005-01-24 07:05 am (UTC)e-mail citanul730@aol.com