In Stitches
February 16, 2010 by Bird
Filed under Craft Diary, Show And Tell
This autumn I learned to knit, and I couldn’t have picked a better winter to knit through! My first creation was a lurid stripy scarf in garter stitch which I won’t terrify you with even though I still get a glow of pride when I look at the damn thing – and since then I’ve been knitting full tilt. Many dodgily knitted and questionably coloured items of cold weather wear later, I think I may have finally got the hang of it.
What I mean by that is that I am capable of following a pattern – I’m still quite messy but since I finished my first successful hat (and have worn it with childish pride ever since) I have to admit I’m quite obsessed.
Coming from a family of demon knitters – my mum always had a pair of needles in her hand and my sister in law can knit an aran sweater without a pattern – I’ve always been in awe of those with the mysterious power to create using only sticks and wool. My childish efforts would result in saggy not-quite-squares riddled with ladders and holes, which would be quietly put away and never mentioned again.
But just look at me now; I do a mean 2×2 rib and recently discovered circular knitting – oh the joy of not having to bother with seams! I’ve made a couple of hats as gifts and will now have to make one more since R lost the one I made for him and started nagging for another (ok that’s not strictly true – I jumped at the chance)
So what’s this I’m making now? I promised fellow knitter Holly of Earth To Holly fame that I’d show my current project if she showed hers, so here it is, a slouchy hat on circular needles made from my first posh yarn – alpaca! I’ve only just started, but I promise you’ll see it when it’s done. It’s a gift that I promised someone ages ago so I just hope I get the thing finished before spring comes.
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Hahaha, I am laughing so much. You two inspired me to get knitting the first time after a decade. The beret that was my first is on my blog but I so wanted an alapaca hat for me… so I ordered some and have been using circular needles for the first time ever….jeez, it did my head in initially. I only got it right after following a video off youtube! Anyway I finally finished my effort last night and I am quite proud. It looks like a daft hat but it is lovely and will be very warm
Love to you both….btw, it is down to the knitting why I haven’t been on Twitter, lol XX
Oh the knitting bug is contagious Chrissy! Your beret is absolutely stunning, my attempt at a beret was laughable but I’m going to go through my patterns this weekend and I’m determined that this time I will get a lovely warm beret knitted, just in time for summer
Alpaca is GORGEOUS to knit with – I’ve only knitted with acrylic or acrylic blends before, so getting used to the new texture was weird. Even the softest wool like alpaca irritates my skin though, so I can only knit in acrylic for myself – good for saving pennies but I do wish I could have a lovely alpaca wool hat for myself. I envy your alpaca wool hat so much that I might throw caution to the winds and give it a try… but it is scarily expensive!
I think I was lucky to discover circular knitting before I really got the hang of straight knitting – it’s still hard to remember that you just knit plain to get stocking stitch though – oh the joy of having to unravel and start again…
I love my alpaca and it didn’t irritate my skin one bit……………which is amazing, me of every allergy going to mankind!
I have yet to blog it it,I cannot find a decent day that is bright enough to take a pic. I knitted this one from Toft http://www.thetoftalpacashop.co.uk/ProductDetails.aspx?AltProdID=FP0001
It worked out stupidly expensive but it was easy if you don’t mind circular needles, only knit and purl and it does look really special.
Thanks for the link Chrissy, that hat looks amazing, I hope there will be a light enough day soon for you to photograph yours! And it’s good to know that you found alpaca gentle on the skin, I’m a bit scared of shelling out for expensive yarn if I then can’t wear the result, but maybe I’ll just give it a go
Another blogger friend getting into knitting…
Holly hasn’t made me anything yet…perhaps you might beat her to it? I keep losing hats & gloves…
Dr Jay, I could knit you a nice pair of mittens with elastic between them to put through the sleeves of your coat so you never lose them again
Not sure how to ensure your hat stays put though…
ROFL !
Haaaaaa! Shameful how drjay is over here beggin’ for woolies…you may be next on his list, Chrissy!
Oh my gosh, Bird! I agree…what a coincidence. That is so odd that we posted our knitting on the same day. W said, “Birds of a feather!” Ha!
Anyway, this is going to be so beautiful, and I can’t wait to see it. And alpaca–I am so jealous! My mom had so much yarn–all acrylic–and told me to take whatever I wanted, so I will use it up and then search for some nice wool when I’m all out. And just last week she gave me an extra circular needle and I, too, was thrilled. No seams? I’m there!
Thank you so much for linking to me…very sweet of you. Happy knitting, and I look forward to seeing your hat when it’s finished. *hugs*
p.s. I am intrigued by the “lurid stripy scarf”
)
Birds of a feather… I like that
Oh but Holly, I had to unravel and start again! I am used to knitting with acrylic which seems to have more stretch, and once I’d got to a certain point I could just tell the hat was knitting up really small – and when I tried it on someone with a similar sized head to my friend, it was tiny! So I’m starting it all over again because I really don’t want to cut off circulation to my friend’s head
I love circular knitting, it has it’s own complications but I kind of enjoy that. I hope you have fun experimenting with your circular needle too! I also have a big stash of acrylic wool, partly because it’s cheap ‘n’ cheerful and knits up easily but also because wool irritates my skin, so only friends and loved ones get stuff knitted in real wool. Sigh! I do have my eye on some raspberry hand dyed baby alpaca though – surely something so soft and innocent looking couldn’t hurt… :O
And well thank YOU for linking to me all that time ago in your original knitting post, I’ve been dying to return the compliment
The lurid scarf? The few times I wore it outside people stared in disbelief and a workman shouted “you won’t get lost in that will you luv” – it was obviously more colourful than I realised. I still wear it for gardening