Knitting

olgah34

moonlight, they are beautiful! I bought recently alpaca lace from WEBS, yarn is very very thin, I am not sure what number of needles to use?

olgah34

olgah34

this is bolero, which I knitted for my granddaughter Morgan....Moonlight, if the pattern is not free, just tell me where it is...I just love it!

olgah34

sorry, I don't know why the picture is so huge!!! I went to my husband's computer I nternet Explorer

moonlight60

Hi Olgah34

That is a free pattern from the clever folks at Knitty. Find it here...

http://knitty.com/ISSUEspring09/KSPATTaeolian.php

You can't tell, but that shawl has gold beads all through it. I made it for my sister who is a belly dancer. She wanted me to make something for her, so I made this as a hip scarf

Is that Alpaca Lace by Cascade Yarns? I have some and have used it. It knits up and holds a block beautifully...but alas, I can't wear Alpaca (makes me itch) so I've always given my finished pieces away. I do that anyway, otherwise my house would be overrun by lace

For Alpace Lace, I use US size 3 or 4 if the lace is very lacy, or if there is a lot of stockinette in the pattern, I would use US 2 1/2. But lace knitting is subjective...you use the needles that result in a look that you like. If you are new to knitting lace, you'll want to knit a few swatches of your pattern in various needle sizes, block the swatch, and see which you like best.

If you are like me though, and think swatches are a waste of time, try a US 3 for that lace. The worst that will happen is you won't be perfectly happy with the lace and you'll have a wonderful present for some lucky person

Beautiful bolero! I'm knitting something similar now...a long sleeved shrug so I can have sleeves that I can take off when the hot flashes hit! 

Momine

Thanks for the pattern. I have knitted lace sweaters for dd back in the day with the 2-ply I used for the hat, knitted on a 4mm needle. But your shawls are masterworks, and I will go check the pattern.

olgah34

Sorry, Moonlight, what does it mean stockinette?

moonlight60

What size was that two ply for the sweater? Was it fingering or lace? I like fingering for garments because it's a bit thicker and sturdier, so a 4mm (US 6) would be perfect.

Laceweights, which range from almost as thick as fingering (heavy laceweight) to as thin as sewing thread (gossamer weight yarn) can take needles from US 00 (gossamer) to US 6 and above (heavy lace) depending on the look you like.

Suggestions on the pattern are just what the designer liked For wraps and shawls, gauge doesn't meant much, which is why I prefer knitting them. My fitted garments never turned out for me, so I simply decided to "specialize" in something where that didn't matter

Well, I guess you weren't really asking for a lesson in yarns and needles...but that's what happens when you get me started. Knitting lace really is a passion of mine. So here are two of my favorites.......

Magickal Earth, by Sandy Terp. It is a shawl meant to be knitted with Cobweb weight, but I used a standard laceweight. You can see what the difference in the two weights did...mine turned out queen-sized bedspread size instead of a 36" square!

Here I tried my hand at designing...and I use that term loosely. Rose Trellis lace (the body of the stole) is a very old stitch. The edging is based on Beech Leaf stitch and I borrowed that edging from a shawl in the book "A Gathering of Lace".

moonlight60

Stockinette is "knit the right side rows and purl the wrong side rows", It is the most basic stitch in knitting, along with "garter stitch" which is knit every row. If you've knit anything, then you are familiar with it, but perhaps by a different name?

JustJean

I have crocheted for over 50 years now. My mother taught me when I was just a little girl. I have attempted to learn to knit oh, I'd say about several dozen times. A friend would say "I can teach you to knit!" but then, well, it always failed. So a few weeks ago another friend (one who has been knitting almost 70 years) took on the task of trying to teach me to knit. I now have about a 4" wide and 8" long piece of something that is full of mistakes and lumps and bumps and holes and gaps and obvious mistakes, but I am bound and determined to finally learn how to freakin' knit.She has only taught me the knit stitch, so that is all I am doing for now. I don't want her to teach me anything else until I get to where I can do this one almost in my sleep without a lot of mistakes!

Can I join the group? Maybe I'll learn something.

Momine

Moonlight, you should design more. That rose trellis shawl would also work really well as a baptismal present baby blanket.

olgah34

JustJean, welcome! Knitting is fun and it is something about it, I think it is almost like art...There are some lessons on UTUBE, I just don't know where they are. Write about your problems with knitting, we'll try to help!

Moonlight, this is just fantastic! Unbelievable! I never knitted tablecloth, I just stiched it. I bought in Germany whole kit with painted flowers and very thin thread...was fun.Now I want everythinf- shawl, tablecloth...

You right, stockinette has a different name, I mostly knit from European magazines ( like VERENA   a lot), not familiar with English knitting vocabulary.

olgah34

chrissyb

Kick I'm going to wander down to the shop shortly to check out if she has a shuttle but if not I will have to wait till I go to the city which will be in a couple of weeks as I'm going down for knee replacement surgery.  I will have time before being admitted to pop into one of the big department stores that has crafty things.  Actually I may even let my fingers do the shopping and phone the shops that are most likely to have one and I'll get them to send it to me.  Now why didn't I think of that before?

Moonlight your work is divine!  I love knitting lace but can never find nice patterns, where do you get yours?  if you don't mind me asking.

Olgah love the pics!....lol

Momine

Olga, lol on the collage. There are many similaritites between Denmark and the Baltic states.

olgah34

Yes, and who is from Denmark?

Momine

I am! Like you guys we also learned to knit and sew in school, and people still do these things. I think we also share a thing with choir singing.

moonlight60

Olgah, that was funny I hope you don't mind, but I had to forward it to some of my knitting friends

My favorite site now for finding patterns is www.ravelry.com. It is free to join, but you have to join the site to look around. It is a huge knitting and crochet community. The wonderful thing about it is that when you find a pattern (for any kind of knit or crochet...not just lace) you can see what other people have done with it...different results with different yarns, and people post tips and errata that they find. It truly is a wealth of information and help.

You can buy patterns through them as well, though lots and lots of them are free, and they can be downloaded immediately.

There are lots of books out too...lace knitting is having kind of a revival these days

chrissyb

Kick I've just ordered my tatting shuttle with extra bobbins and it should be in my hot little hand by the end of the week.............yay!  I can't wait to get started!  Oh  what type of thread do you recommend?

Love n hugs.  Chrissy

olgah34

Ladies, I am not about knitting, sorry, wrong topic... But I just very nervous, because tomorrow they will remove my TE...I won't be able to knit for a while too... my head does not work at all... talk to you later...love and hugs...

chrissyb

Olgah any surgery will make you nervous but I'm sure you are going to be just fine.  Just think what pretty boobies you are going to have when you are done     This road is a long one but you are nearing the end with wonderful results to enjoy.  We will be thinking of you tomorrow.............Good luck!!!!

Love n hugs.  Chrissy

olgah34

Thank you, Chrissy!

mebmarj

Knitting was a form of therapy last year. Learned from a kit. It was nice to busy myself with projects for others.

Happy knitting

moonlight60

Olgah, what Chrissy said...try to focus on the pretty end result! This whole ordeal is such an endurance test, but I know you'll get through it!

Our thoughts are with you always, and hope you won't be away from your knitting needles too long.

Please let us know how you are when you can.

Love and hugs!!!!!!!

Kicks

Chrissy - Great! Let me know when you get it. To start/learn, you need to get/use the thickest/biggest crochet thread you can find. To start, it makes it so much easier to see what you are doing. (Also a lot easier to undo knot booboos.) It won't make dainty lace/doilies/tablecloths but will be a lot less frustating/stressful to learn with so you can comfortably go on to the dainter stuff when you feel comfortable. Do not get more than one ball of it - you'll be ready to go on to smaller thread before you use it all. If you already have some fairly thick crochet thread don't worry about getting any new.

olgah34

Thank you, Moon!

Moderators

olgah34, we edited your bolero picture so your work wasn't being cut off by the ad!

Note for picture-posters on the site (and we LOVE to see your beautiful work!): just be sure the pics are no more than 650 pixels wide, and they'll fit nicely on the boards.

chrissyb

Olga, thinking of you!  Hope you are doing well!

Moonlight I checked out the Revelry site and it is amazing!!!  Some of those patterns just blew my mind but there are some really simple things as well.  I joined (obviously.....lol) and have downloaded about half a dozen patterns..........now I just have to find the time to do them!  I have two grown daughters who will just love the lace wraps and I'm sure will both want one.  Thanks for the address.

chrissyb

Kick, guess what?  Yes!!!!   The shuttle has arrived woohoo!!!!   Can't wait ti get started!

Love n hugs all!   Chrissy

SoCalLisa

there are ladies in moving beyond collecting 9x7 inch "squares" and crochet them together for BCO ladies who need a little extra special love in afghans..I have knit some for that and also I knit lap robes for hospitalized veterans...keeps our hands busy and helps others...