Craft Corner

Was actually just smiling seeing you around the place again @Bunniekins 😊 (and that’s not just saying something nice, I was genuinely smiling). It’s awesome to see you have a go at things.

I’m having a strange day. I’ll need to get off the forum soon although I’d love to just spend the day chatting on here. I have let myself go to a not so good extent in self care. I need to try and pull myself together again 😳😔

Was just trying to motivate myself and came to the craft corner for some 'feel goods' about what everyone is doing and I love them all.

I found this today and would love to make something similar from an old recycled door. It’s a one day maybe project.

And I liked this too

@Former-Member I have 10mm needles with 9 mm yarn and yet after I knitted it it looked like this!!! Oh and it was Lion Yarn.

@Teej Thanks Teej 😄 xxxx

Okay, back again, still waiting on image clearance, but I'll show you a couple of scarves I knitted some time ago on big needles so you can see how they might work out and why.

First one in burgundy, is done on size 19 knitting needles, with a thin tape yarn (flat ribbon sort of thing) and is very slippery and stretchy.

The stitch loops will slip and slide and make bigger holes if it hangs unevenly. I can't recall what the yarn is, but it was a cheap throw out yarn at Spotlight a couple of years ago.

Just a plain garter stitch which is knit every row because there was no need for anything fancy. The tape measure gives an indication of the size of the stitches.

this shows how it looks bunched up as when it's worn.

From memory, I would have had about 100 stitches across and it would be around 2.5 metres long. I had no further use for the yarn, it was purchased for this purpose so used the last of it to make fringing.

This one is made from Schachenmayr Boston Sun cotton which is a #5 Bulky weight yarn recommended needle size 7 to 8mm.

I used size 19 needles, knitting alternating 2 rows knit, with 1 row purl to get that bumpy line look. There would be probably 50 to 60 stitches across for the width I wanted and it's also about 2 metres long with a fringe.

Again the tape measure gives and indication of the stitch sizes.
This is it bunched up as if being worn.

If you look closely there will be mistakes, and some joins are visible if you know where to look for them.

@Bunniekins Hopefully, this might give you an idea of what to look out for about width and length to get the look you want.

Needle sizes you can change up or down to get the lacey or closed up look, there's no hard and fast rule unless you are following a pattern and then swatching for gauge can be extremely important.

Hope the images come through soon.

Wow @Bunniekins that's a pretty good piece of knitting for a beginner! No, really. Your tension seems to be quite consistent, and that's one of the hardest things to get, so well done there. I' not seeing any dropped stitches - you get ladders when knitting stitches are dropped.

Okay, so you either decreased or increased, amazingly evenly I must say! Which is the beginning end, the narrow or the wider? I can't tell cos the image won't embiggen clearly enough for me to 'read' the stitches.

To combat either increasing or decreasing when you don't want to, know the number of stitches you started with and take a moment before beginnig the next row to count the stitches to be sure you have the same number. If you have more or less, check where you've added by looping through a part of the yarn the is not a stitch on the needle itself, or if you've knitted two stitches together.

both are easily done and even long term knitters will do it, as well as drop stitches from time to time. If you aren't sure which is the ending and beginning stitch, put a marker, perhaps a piece of different coloured yarn , a bread tag, a paper clip, or if you have them stitchmarkers through it. Keep taking it up as you do each row until you get familiar with how the end stitch looks from both sides of the work.

Tips for an easier undo and rerolling of yarn. Undo in bits, roll, the undo more, so you don't end up with a tanlgled mess.

Use a toilet roll insert, make sure there are no 'catchy bits on the outside', carefully snip a wee angled notch in one side to hold the end of the yarn, put the end inside the hollow. Wrap the yarn around the outside of the tube, spreading the yarn evenly-ish along and back as you wrap.

When done, you can slip the yarn out of the little notch that whas holding it, and carefully pull the tube out of the inside of the ball of yarn, and use that end to work from. This process makes a centre pull ball of yarn which is much easier to use.

Larger straight sided tablet bottles (ones with shoulders not so good) can also be used to do the same, catch the end of the yarn with the lid, and roll the yarn around the bottle. When done, lift lid, remove yarn from inside, and carefully remove bottle from inside yarn ball. Again, centre pull yarn ball.

Hopefully that will help Pea. Count the stitches on each row, hon, yes tedious, but is part of the craft and makes for less undoing!

Lovely ideas @Teej they are so cool!

Thank you @Maggie, yes, indeed, people's creativity is something that constantly amazes, amuses, inspires and educates me. Sometimes all at the same time!

@CheerBear I am so sorry that I keep forgetting to say thank you for your review of the Scheepjes cotton. your words have inspired me to include some in an order one day when the right thing makes itself known to me, and the prices are right too.

YOur words highlight many of the great things about cotton, some shed horrendously when worn and I've learned to steer clear of them at least.

Must away now, other things need attention today, much as I'd like to stay and chat endlessly about crafty things and inspiration.

Here's hoping all who pass by have a wonderfully inspired day.

@CheerBear Thanks CheerBear 😄 xxx

@Former-Member, thank you for the pictures xxxx

we used to do the pencil shaving to see how long we can go without breaking them