Tuesday 23 April 2013

Making my first knitting mistake grrr!

Well I've made my first beginner knitting mistake...well actually make that my second beginner knitting mistake.  It turns out that my knitting too tightly earlier made my squares smaller if you compare them to what my not so  tightly knitted yellow ones look like now. So i have 8 white small squares and 5 yellow mediium squares - and now i feel like pulling my hair out.  So I guess blocking would be of use here, wouldn't' it? Well that or I unravel the whites and start over again. Oh i feel like such a ninny.




I did find a blog post which sort of helps me when it comes to blocking these squares so its a great tip on Blocking Acrylic Yarn. Hope it works!

Wish me luck lol!

Wednesday 17 April 2013

Been on the learning curve this weekend

So this weekend I got bored of knitting the squares.  I found it too repetitve in a way that I was getting really bored with it all, and I should be enjoying my knitting not hating it. So, i opened up my copy of Knitty Gritty: The Absolute Beginner and there is this project bag I've wanted to knit since I bought the book. so i started on it and I learnt how to do the cable stitch for the first time.



 The first few rows




A few rows more



I am quite pleased how its going, although I feel I've made a bit of a mess with regards to knitting CB4...(see left hand side). To me it looks like the cable pattern is looking a bit odd..but perhaps its just me?  The yarn I am using for this bag is Debbie Bliss Cashmerino Aran. I have to say, i do love the feel of this yarn.   I had this yarn in my current project bag because initially i was going to knit a jumper with it..but i don't feel ready for a jumper just yet, and the pattern said i should use Aran yarn so i thought hey i have some, so why not just use it?

Apart from that, I also learnt how to do the Thumb Cast on and the Long Tail Cast on. I have been using the Knit Cast On  method since I learnt how to knit, but I find that too time consuming so i wanted to learn a faster way of casting on. I'm so glad Youtube exists. Its great there are some video tutorials there to show you how to do what.

Wednesday 10 April 2013

Blog title change I think

OK my blog seemed to have turned into more of a diary than a knitting blog although its still about knitting my posts seem to feel generally as if I'm writing a diary rather than writing about my knitting. So I'm thinking of changing the title of this blog.  Ideas, readers? Do leave feedback.

On the knitting front I am going to stop trying to knit this blanket until further notice. Still getting finger pain and i even tried knitting continental and that hasn't helped either, if anything the finger pain has gone from my right hand to my left. ARGH! So I'm going to ask someone at home to lock my knitting in a cupboard until I receive advice from anyone in the medical field. I only hope I quit for another year like i did the last time and something can soon be sorted out.

Monday 8 April 2013

Advice please all knitters - any tips gratefully appreciated

OK so over the weekend after a week or so of resting my hands I thought OK let me try again. I thought maybe the reason for the pain in my hands or fingers was the way I was holding the needles and yarn and I think my theory was right. So I went and found this Youtube video and when I saw the way she was knitting I was like "aaah thats whats going wrong?" So I followed her method on Sunday and knitted for a little while, and  had no problems - until this morning when i could feel the tingly pain in my fingers and my left wrist was a little achy too - arrgggh!  Maybe I'm not meant to be a knitter?   Or maybe its the needles? Should I try knitting with bamboo again?  Or should I try knitting flat with circulars? I have tried the continental method but as easy as it looks, I don't actually find it very easy.

In other news though with regards to my blanket I've knitted a total of 8 white squares and 1 yellow square lol! At least with any luck this blanket will be ready for May when the baby is due.