Knitting for complete and utter beginners?

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Knitting for complete and utter beginners?
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Shan

Joined: 13 Jan 2009
Posts: 9075
Location: South Wales

Posted: Thu Mar 04, 10 9:23 pm Post subject:
Errrrmmm, what if hyperwhatsitly speaking, you might have gotten some one to cast on for you once upon a time and somehow your scarf had ended up very narrow on the one end and v e r y wide on the other because you somehow manged to add stitches and you don't know how you did it and the needles and wool were then hidden from you... all hyperwhatsit of course...

jamanda
Downsizer Moderator

Joined: 22 Oct 2006
Posts: 35056
Location: Devon

Posted: Thu Mar 04, 10 9:44 pm Post subject:
I'd say you'd hypothetically got a scarf with a triangular design feature.

T.G

Joined: 13 Sep 2009
Posts: 7280
Location: Somewhere you're not

Posted: Thu Mar 04, 10 10:33 pm Post subject:
or an unusual belt

Shan

Joined: 13 Jan 2009
Posts: 9075
Location: South Wales

Posted: Fri Mar 05, 10 7:37 am Post subject:
I can sew very well... but knitting...pah

Midland Spinner

Joined: 13 Jan 2009
Posts: 2931
Location: Under a green roof

Posted: Fri Mar 05, 10 8:40 am Post subject:

Hypothetically speaking, when you start a row, if you accidentally wrap the yarn around the needle then knit into that loop it will add a stitch - if you do it too often you'll end up with a hypothetical triangle.

So theoretically, if you slip the first stitch of every row and make sure that you only work 'real' stitches not yarn in the wrong place that should help.

Another possible way to get 'new' stitches is when you go from the knit part of ribbing to the purl part of ribbing, again, if you get the yarn caught round the needle it's easy to mistake it for a stitch in the next row.

Is this (hypothetical) scarf ribbed, garter stitch, stocking stitch? And could we have a photo?

My very fist piece of knitting was red (I don't remember if it was acrylic, but probably

), I was only young. Our next door neighbour cast on 6 stitches for me and by the time I'd done 6 rows I had 12 stitches. I've got a lot better since then, but I try to remember that whenever I speak to a new knitter.

judith

Joined: 16 Dec 2004
Posts: 22789
Location: Montgomeryshire

Posted: Fri Mar 05, 10 9:02 am Post subject:

Shan wrote:

Errrrmmm, what if hyperwhatsitly speaking, you might have gotten some one to cast on for you once upon a time and somehow your scarf had ended up very narrow on the one end and v e r y wide on the other because you somehow manged to add stitches and you don't know how you did it and the needles and wool were then hidden from you... all hyperwhatsit of course...

Could you carry on knitting while gradually reducing the number of stitches again? That would give you more of a shawl than a scarf.

mochyn

Joined: 21 Dec 2004
Posts: 24585
Location: mid-Wales

Posted: Fri Mar 05, 10 9:08 am Post subject:
And slipping the first stitch of every row gives a very tidy edge. I was speaking to a friend yesterday who told me that, at the age of nine, she'd dreamed how to kit baby socks. She got up, knitted one sock in dark green yarn and has knitted nothing since. I think she needs lessons.

Shan

Joined: 13 Jan 2009
Posts: 9075
Location: South Wales

Posted: Fri Mar 05, 10 9:29 am Post subject:
Hi Midland Spinner, The scarf/garter/ermmm scarf was many many years ago and has been chucked out amongst one of my 13 home moves. I could have been doing any one of your suggestions in fact I'd bet I was doing them all!

Shan

Joined: 13 Jan 2009
Posts: 9075
Location: South Wales

Posted: Fri Mar 05, 10 9:29 am Post subject:

judith wrote:

Shan wrote:

Could you carry on knitting while gradually reducing the number of stitches again? That would give you more of a shawl than a scarf.

Now you are getting way too technical for me.

Midland Spinner

Joined: 13 Jan 2009
Posts: 2931
Location: Under a green roof

Posted: Fri Mar 05, 10 5:21 pm Post subject:

You could hypothetically try again, get one of the Welsh Contingent to cast on for you, then start and see how you get on - if it works OK keep going until it's a scarf. If it doesn't work, cast off after a few rows and call it a tension square, we won't tell if you don't!

Slip the first stitch of every row to give you a nice edge, count the stitches regularly - every couple of rows, and if there are a couple too many, just decrease them - no one will notice.

By the time you've finished the scarf you'll be a lot better at knitting than at the start, and you'll have a scarf. Then you could move onto something more interesting (or not - no pressure!)

HenX

Joined: 27 Apr 2009
Posts: 1459
Location: Forest of Dean

Posted: Fri Mar 05, 10 6:42 pm Post subject:
I'm not part of the welsh contingent but would be happy to show you how to cast on and do basic stiches if you like? I'm no expert but can generally follow a not too tricky pattern and things.

Midland Spinner

Joined: 13 Jan 2009
Posts: 2931
Location: Under a green roof

Posted: Fri Mar 05, 10 7:21 pm Post subject:
I'd show you as well, but Nottinghamshire's a long way from Welsh Wales

Fee

Joined: 21 Mar 2005
Posts: 15922
Location: Earth

Posted: Fri Mar 05, 10 7:39 pm Post subject:
You coming to the Somerset mini-meet on the 21st? I'll have my knitting with me, could bring some extra needles for you

SarahB

Joined: 09 Sep 2007
Posts: 869
Location: South Wales

Posted: Fri Mar 05, 10 10:21 pm Post subject:

goldy1 wrote:

Jamanda wrote:

goldy1 wrote:

Hyperwatsitlty I would send someone to you tube and tell them to look for beginners guides .

I find the videos very confusing. This is better for me

we all learn different I cant fathom pic learnin

I taught myself the basics from a book, then extra stuff from a friend and on youtube once I'd fathomed the not skewering oneself part.

Jo S

Joined: 13 Jan 2009
Posts: 5174
Location: Somerset

Posted: Sun Mar 07, 10 1:02 pm Post subject:
My so-called best friend, who does both knitting and crochet, has suggested I start with crochet and has offered to bribe me with flapjack. I think this is an excellent plan Any crochet-ers going to the mini-meet later in the month? (Is it the 20th or the 21st btw, too lazy to look up the proper thread )

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