dear fiber artists, I have decided that I need some kind of project to occupy my free time this summer, and I have similarly decided that it would be cool if this project were knitting or crocheting. this is probably dumb given that I have a perfectly good guitar sitting in my room waiting for me to learn how to play it, but I have long since given up on focusing on what I would like to focus on. also I have found a very nice podcast, and you cannot listen to podcasts and play the guitar at the same time. so! do you recommend that I pursue knitting or crocheting if I am primarily interested in amateurish scarf-like things? secondly, what are some good resources for learning how to knit or crochet? thirdly, what supplies will I need and where should I get them? keep in mind that this, like many of my interests, will probably be transient (unless it becomes annoyingly permanent), and also that I am relatively strapped for cash, and thus I do not want to spend a terrible lot on it. thanks!
@esotericPrognosticator OH OH OH OH honestly I'm a fan of knitting for scarf-y things, mainly because it goes SO much faster for me that way? I will say this, though, crochet tends to be easier to "pause" for me--mainly because you've only got the one loop (usually!) going and you can just do an easy-undo knot with your yarn! Uhhhhh lessee if you go the knitting route: http://www.vogueknitting.com/pattern_help/how-to/techniques_abbreviations/basic_knitting_stitches This was like, my LIFEBLOOD, when I was first learning to knit! Most of the time, though, if there's something that makes my head spin, I hit up YouTube. TON of good info things. Supplies, uhhhhh. Honestly if it's knitting, you can literally knit with anything, up to and including: chopsticks, pencils, pens, your ARMS (do not recommend save for SUPER CHUNKY arm knitting yarn). You can find p cheap knitting/crochet-ish stuff online (and maybe at local shops?) I usually go for super cheap bulk yarn, but if it's a boring color it bores me p quick. I think my mom's found cheap (and GOOD) yarn at thrift shops! Best of luck!!!
sits alone in the cheep asshole corner with a lacemaking pillow made of old sweatpants and bobbins made of bamboo skewers
Whoa, cool. Could you post a picture/explicative diagram? I wanted to learn to tat lace when I was a kid, but couldn't afford the bobbins. And I just realised that apparently I've been assuming they're prohibitively expensive ever since without actually investigating at all, lol.
okay first of all TAT LACE IS A DIFFERENT THING I KNOW NOTHING ABOUT IT. But proper bobbins ARE really expensive, god, I'd like to get some of the English style (the kind you put spangles on) so that I can turn around and FUCKING RESELL THEM WITH SOME CHEAP BEADS ON EM. But okay so for bobbin lace you need four things, aside from... you know, the string: -> Pins. You need so many pins. Oh my god. Someone please give me more pins. The ones with the tiny metal heads are the best because you can put them really close together which is ideal for lace, but standard sewing pins will work okay for beginning. Just. You need a lot of them. Trust me I am always looking for more of the fuckers. -> A pillow! I use the flat "cookie" style, but it's not perfect for longer lace and I need to put together a round one (which is basically like a wheel that you rotate for an endless Lace Producing Surface). Ideally the stuffing is good polyfoam or wool, but any scrap clothing will do! Looser weaves are better for being easier to shove pins into. You want at least three inches of thickness or so, so you'll probably go through multiple Junk Garments. If you're using cloth stuffing, lay it flat and build layers up. You also want a COVER of some dark (but non-black) smooth material - mine (as you can see in the linked pictures on my personal thread) is dark greens sweatpant. -> Bobbins! These are always in pairs. Pro bobbins are fancy but basically if you can loop a string around it it'll work for a bobbin. I used some slightly fancy bamboo skewers chopped in half - they're the kind with a wide end, so I have distinct "left" and "right" bobbins in each pair, which REALLY helps me in keeping track of which is which. You need at MINIMUM twelve pairs to start doing much of anything interesting; two dozen pairs is even better. I have a pattern in my book that requires thirty pairs... Ha that's never gonna happen. -> Pricking card! This is what you put your patterns on; you pin it to the pillow, it has markings to tell you where the pins go, you put pins there as you go and they hold the string in place. Size 30 crochet cotton is my rec for starting; it replaces 40/2 linen which is what ~professionals~ use for lace at that size, slash what books will tell you to use. Get a book! Your local library probably has some! They will likely be old but that does not matter, lacemaking is not a craft that changes much. EDIT I FORGOT you will want some kind of hard backing for your pillow. I use a toilet seat lid.
I sew some and have knit a scarf or two in my time, but I dont have any pic of those atm. What I DO have is a little patch I made for my friend last week! Ive always wanted to get more into patchmaking, and I think this was a good start Spoiler It's just cheap walmart felt and embroidery thread
*BUSTS DOWN DOOR* HELLO I HEARD YOU WERE TALKING ABOUT FIBER ARTS DO YOU HAVE TIME TO HEAR ABOUT MY WEIRD CRAFTS?! So I do normal fiber arts like knitting, crocheting, embroidery, sewing, that kinda stuff. BUT WAIT THERE'S MORE, I also do more fringey stuff, like weaving, tatting (lace making), dyeing, dye making with natural materials, and I have dabbled in felting. Spoiler: PICTURES! A roxy scarf I am knitting to be ridiculously long A piece of canvas I dyed with mullberries from my backyard A scarf I crocheted (the 2nd thing I ever crocheted!) Tatting lace I am making in zen lace pattern
i'm making something just for meeeeeeeee a good way to break in my new needles I got for my birthday from the lovely @Anomal(eee)
Which cast on do you use? I used to use mostly the thumb/single cast on, and it annoyed me because I would always accidentally pull some of the loops too loose and some too tight when I knit into them. Now I mostly use the knit-on cast on, which I like better. (I haven't quite come to terms with the fact that different projects suggest different cast ons. :P) HOWEVER, I'm still inexplicably bad at counting and, yeah, hate casting on large amounts of stitches because I lose track every five seconds and have to go back and re-count.
I use long tail, which is annoying when you get the tail the wrong length and blah blaghlgaklsgh; . My current project is a scarf that is knit the short way (???) so I had to cast on 200 stitches to start and I hated my life and the entire universe.
I nearly always use this cast on. It's very quick and looks unobtrusive. The downside is that I find it hard to knit the first row, because the cast-on stitches tighten up a lot. At least they do on metal needles.
i love long tail, i just VWOOP long-ass tail, it's usually too long but who cares? you waste half a meter out of a 300 meter skein, eh, shrug. if it's gonna be a super long cast-on like for a sweater or blanket, i use both ends of the yarn cake. doesn't work with round balls, but everyone should have a ball winder anyway because it will save you hours and hours and hours.
this is why I love crocheting: no casting on. that said, it's still rly easy for me to make the base chain too tight to work w, since I have a habit of pulling my stitches too tight 3B|
not sure if this is right place to ask but does anyone have a pattern for a ikea tullsta slipcover? This: Me and @meowtini on the rocks snagged on being thrown out but with two cats white is not optimal.
I got 2 needlefelting kits today because aaaaaaaa needlefelt is so cuuuuute i got a hedgehog one and a penguin one and the hedgehog looks cute already :3 im about to start step... 4, making his leggies! eeee eta: this kit
Starting to feel in a knitty mood lately, I need to find a project and local yarn store! Think I want to make a lightweight hat for summertime wear when I don't have energy/time for a shower and my hair is terrible. This is so cute, I'm in love! ETA: @Allenna, there's this on Etsy which may suit your needs? Tullsta Chair cover
