Naval-Gazing Knitting Stuff

[neadods]

A quick blort of knitting babble because it appears I'll do anything rather than work on the story I should be writing I took a class today and it's on my mind.

1) I have taken a class in entrelac. Now that I know how it works, I can safely say that I feel no need to ever do it again. Not only does it look like a dog's breakfast on the needles, but it's hardly the sort of thing you can put down and pick up later. It's also a bugger on your hands and wrists. My arm had been feeling perfectly normal most of the time for the last two days (I even forgot all about hurting it until I put pressure on it wrong climbing into bed last night) suddenly seized up, with stabbing pain along the point of impact. There's a big cosmic clue that things ain't right.

2) I have, between that and the sockmaking class, learned how to painlessly slip stitches from one needle to another, do a knitted pickup along a bound edge, and how to work short rows. This is worth the price of admission right there.

3) The two classes, though, have taught me that I'm just not interested in doing fiddly patterns that require a lot of concentration, at least not yet. Maybe I'll work my way up to socks and sweaters, etc. But right now? Just as happy doing modular, flat stuff, ta.

4) It's okay to have cheaters. I've become quite fond of the feather-and-fan pattern, which is four rows long. 4 rows + a preference for patterns I can walk away from and come back later to = 2 sets of needles and a sharpie. I've numbered the needles, marked the pattern on them, and use beads, er, stitch markers to mark the pattern repeat and the border. Voila! A beautiful pattern useful for everything from scarves to bedspreads that I can put down at any point within an 18-stitch repeat and come back to later without ruining anything. No more "let me finish this row" or "I can't remember where I'm going" or even "which way is front?" I do have to remember to grab the next needle rather than simply turn the work, but So! Worth! It!

The one part of this post that might be useful to everyone who knits:
Spacer beads make great stitch markers, and you can get 'em at Michael's at $3 for 15. Much prettier than plastic and faster than making your own with beads and jump rings.

Comments

[neotoma.livejournal.com]

Entrelac is something that I find pretty enough, but really have no wish to do myself. Even when Kathryn Alexander came to my guild, I was all "that's really gorgeous; I don't want to do it". On the other hand, it's not intarsia, which I *loathe*.

There's a pattern for feather-and-fan socks in Socks Socks Socks -- try it when you decide you want to stretch your skills.

Some weekend we should try to meet up and be all crafty together. Unfortunately, it will have to be in DC, since I am carless.

[neadods.livejournal.com]

Having grasped the point of short rows, I think I just have to get used to the tiny circular needles - or learn to use double-pointed ones. We'll see how I feel about socks after I finish the class I'm taking... even though the one I'm working on is a dog's breakfast, it's still going to be enough to teach me the concept... I hope!

[twistedchick]

How tightly are you holding the yarn and needles? It should not hurt. The knitting should not be stiff; it should still have some stretch.

I went to knitting from crochetting, because in knitting I can change how I hold the needles and not get tendon problems. So I'm a bit concerned that you say that knitting is hurting you.

[neadods.livejournal.com]

It's not so much a case that knitting hurts per se as knitting with small needles on thin yarn doing a complex pattern less than two weeks after they told me I broke my arm hurt. (Wierdly, too, it was the point where I hit myself - up the forearm - that cramped first, not wrist or fingers.)

This is probably another reason why I'm looking at the sock project with great disinterest, while the feather and fan shawl on 8s isn't much of a bother at all. (Then again, I'm going to wear the shawl, whereas I wouldn't put on wool socks for any money, being allergic.)

[twistedchick]

Well, with a broken arm it's going to hurt, no matter what you do. When your arm is better, you can find some interesting cotton sock yarn if you want to do socks; it's out there, and it makes as pretty patterns as anything you ever saw. And don't forget the Sheep and Wool Festival the first weekend in May, where you can find anything about knitting -- including non-wool things.

[neadods.livejournal.com]

cotton sock yarn if you want to do socks

That is some of the best news I've heard all week; I had been left with the impression there was no such thing, but it's what I'd want!

[twistedchick]

I can't remember if I got mine at Sheep and Wool or if I swapped some with neotoma; you might want to check with her. It is easy to work with, soft, and comes in bright colors. There are a few different kinds -- there's one that has a lot of elastic in it (use #4 or #5 needles for best result), and there's one that is smaller and has a little nylon for reinforcing, and that one takes #2 needles. I do not knit with anything smaller than #2; the one pair that I did on British 1.5's was nearly a disaster as the needles were so thin that they kept breaking.

[twistedchick]

Also -- check www.knitty.com, latest edition, as its creator has written a book on knitting without wool, and she is very good. It's reviewed there (by someone else) and you might want to look for it next time at Borders or wherever.

[twistedchick]

Also -- who says you need sock yarn to make socks? Just figure out how many yards you need, go buy cotton yarn and make socks. A little nylon for reinforcing, if you want. It works. I used the 1825 (I think that's the name) cotton for socks for Steve last year; it stretches a bit but is very comfortable.

[steviesun.livejournal.com]

Well if you find that you enjoy making socks then I know a bloke who'll buy what he can when you're next in the UK. Personally Mansfield Park is destracting me from starting the scarf (my first project) for my sister. And after that I'm going to try and knit myself a hat. And then try and knit my nephew one. The knitting magazine I get might be expensive but it's got loads of patterns for things I want to make. And lots of advice, more importantly.

[neadods.livejournal.com]

There's a scarf I was supposed to be working on constantly when I was over there, but somehow I kept getting distracted... :>

Let me make a sock worth the buying, and we'll talk.

[steviesun.livejournal.com]

As long as it functions as a sock, the hound will only try eating it anyway. Generally when Dave's trying to get said sock on his foot.