# Knitting newbie



## bryncalyn (Jan 7, 2013)

Ok, finally got around to posting photos of my knitting. I taught myself. Am I doing this right? Is it too tight? 

Thanks!


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## Miz Mary (Feb 15, 2003)

YAY ! Looks great !! If your hands start cramping up, you may be holding the needles too tight ....  Welcome to the fold !


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## hercsmama (Jan 15, 2004)

Well, not knowing what size needles you are working with, it's a bit hard to say.
It does look a bit tight, but it's also an awesome start!:nanner:

Practice, practice, practice, and you'll be amazed at how soon it will all even out.
Excellent beginning!:happy2:


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## Maura (Jun 6, 2004)

Practice using different size needles, and don&#8217;t keep pulling the yarn to make the stitches even. Practice will make the stitches even. Don&#8217;t use the cheapest yarn. Make dishcloths!


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## Kasota (Nov 25, 2013)

Welcome aboard! You are off to a great start!  I look forward to seeing more of your work. Isn't it fun making stuff?


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## Marchwind (May 10, 2002)

Looks good from here . It is hard to tell if it is too tight. The best way to tell is if you try one size larger and one size smaller and then feel the resulting product. If it feels stiff and tight it us too tight. If it feels soft it should be fine. Then again if it feels soft and you can see through it ( there are exceptions to this but...) it may be too loose. Uneven stitches will usually even out with washing and use.

Keep it up and you will be an expert in no time at all.


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## bryncalyn (Jan 7, 2013)

Thanks y'all! I keep meaning to go to the local knitting shop's "knit in" but I haven't made it there since, oh, October. I decided I needed a bit more input than "well, it looks right" from me. I need to find longer circular needles because I don't really like these needles. Goodness, I don't even remember the size (why don't they imprint the size on them??)! 

Guess I just keep knitting knitting knitting. Just keep knitting whoa-ho-ho-ha-ho HOOOOO! (Sorry, Dory from Finding Nemo just got the better of me.)


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## bryncalyn (Jan 7, 2013)

Where do you find to be the best place to purchase yarn for those of us on a budget? The yarn I am using, well, honestly I don't really like the feel of it. I would like yarn to play with but don't want to spend a fortune on it right now while I am learning.


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## Kasota (Nov 25, 2013)

I have not ordered from here (yet) but others here have. 
http://www.mypollywogs.com/pollybsheep.html

Hobby Lobby carries "I Love This Yarn" and it's really nice for acrylic yarn. I am working on my first scarf with this yarn in a dark blue with speckles and it's very forgiving to work with and feels pretty good. Doesn't break the bank at 4.00 for 5 oz. If you have one you can get to that might be a good choice and they do have 40% off coupons.


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## 7thswan (Nov 18, 2008)

bryncalyn said:


> Where do you find to be the best place to purchase yarn for those of us on a budget? The yarn I am using, well, honestly I don't really like the feel of it. I would like yarn to play with but don't want to spend a fortune on it right now while I am learning.


I saw some nice/interesting yarn at wallmarts yesterday a good varity . I'm kida funny with yarns, texture is important. And that way I get to feel it. I also need to make something for a baby gift soon.I was checking out the cotton yarn that is mostly used for dishcloths, for warp to make some thick washable cotton rugs.


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## Marchwind (May 10, 2002)

You can also try KnitPicks the usually have some great prices on nice yarns http://www.knitpicks.com. They also sell needles and all sorts of knitting and fiber arts related stuff.

Most needles do have the size printed on them or on the ends of them. You can also get a needle gauge. They sell them at just about every store you can think of that sells yarns and needles or hooks. If you have a choice of a plastic or metal gauge get the metal it will remain more accurate than the plastic over the years as plastic wears away and can easily break.


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## Taylor R. (Apr 3, 2013)

Definitely find a yarn that you enjoy working with. I dread projects (usually commissioned) where I'll be using yarn I don't care for. Hit up the sale racks (at your LYS or on the big yarn sites like WEBS (www.yarn.com). Go pet some yarn and figure out what flips your switch


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## Belldandy (Feb 16, 2014)

And SOME yarn stores have a 'free' basket. I just made a bag out of some (i'm guessing) sock yarn they were giving away because it was tangled and not a full skein.

If you just want yarn to fiddle with while learning, you can usually get some dirt-cheap at yard sales or thrift stores.


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## Marchwind (May 10, 2002)

I would recommend that you not go with the cheapest yarn you can find, usually the acrylics but not always. The problem I find with the synthetic yarns is that they are unforgiving, can hurt your hands, and the plies will split apart making it difficult to knit with. Are really good yarn that is fairly inexpensive and easy for beginning knitters to use is any of the Brown Sheep company worsted or bulky yarns. They are a single, meaning there it is not many threads spun together, come in a zillion colors, and they are wool or wool and mohair blends. The Waldorf schools use these yarns when they teach children to knit early on. Right now you just want to focus on your stitches and how they are made. This yarn makes it easy to see what you are doing.

On a finer note if you were to use a yarn like this to knit an object you will notice that the resulting fabric has a bit of a slant. It is only because they yarn is a single and not a plied yarn. I have knit many sweaters, hats, mittens and even socks using these yarns and after wear and washing you can't tell the difference.


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## Belldandy (Feb 16, 2014)

Marchwind said:


> I would recommend that you not go with the cheapest yarn you can find, usually the acrylics but not always. The problem I find with the synthetic yarns is that they are unforgiving, can hurt your hands, and the plies will split apart making it difficult to knit with. Are really good yarn that is fairly inexpensive and easy for beginning knitters to use is any of the Brown Sheep company worsted or bulky yarns. They are a single, meaning there it is not many threads spun together, come in a zillion colors, and they are wool or wool and mohair blends. The Waldorf schools use these yarns when they teach children to knit early on. Right now you just want to focus on your stitches and how they are made. This yarn makes it easy to see what you are doing.
> 
> On a finer note if you were to use a yarn like this to knit an object you will notice that the resulting fabric has a bit of a slant. It is only because they yarn is a single and not a plied yarn. I have knit many sweaters, hats, mittens and even socks using these yarns and after wear and washing you can't tell the difference.


And I find the opposite...to each her own, I guess! 

Only after using a few different tyoes of yarns will bryncalin be able to tell what she likes. I guess someone can always swap or sell expensive mistakes.


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## bryncalyn (Jan 7, 2013)

I was wondering what to do with the scarf. I like the pattern but don't like the yarn. 

And then there is the great buy off of eBay where the yarn is (I guess) fingering size - the size of embroidery floss. What can be made out of that?


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## Wind in Her Hair (Jul 18, 2002)

hee hee fingering size is small - but it gets much smaller. Scary small - as in "lace" weight. And needles get smaller - down to 0000 - which is like knitting with sewing needles skinny. 

Then there is what one of our resident man-knitters (Forerunner) knits with - fence posts. 

There will be many many "first knit" stuff that you will end up wondering what to do with. Keep it. Look back on it and remember how much you have learned. Enjoy it. Wear it!

The tiny stuff makes incredibly intricate lace shawls - wedding ring shawls that wrap around you but that are so finely knit they can slide through a wedding ring. :shocked:

And fingering is perfect for knitting socks. And THAT is a _whole 'nuther rabbit hole_.


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## frazzlehead (Aug 23, 2005)

For a super awesome yarn to start out with, I love the Mule Spinner 2 ply yarn from Custom Woolen Mills, here in Canada. It's only $7 per skein (enough for a hat or a pair of mitts, easily, two skeins'll get you awesome boot socks even with bigger feet) but it's 100% wool, soft but hard wearing (softens up really nicely after one washing), and comes in great colours as well as all the natural shades. For seven bucks, it's a good deal! Course for all of you, it's not local so you'd have to add shipping, but it's great stuff.

I like it because it's well spun and plied, so it doesn't go all splitty, it's a decent weight so you aren't trying to deal with super fine laceweight when you are just getting started (and you can get a finished project without knitting forever), and it is just so utterly reasonable in price, you don't feel badly about just 'experimenting' with it. In fact, I often buy it in the 1 lb cones: then you don't have to wind skeins into balls (cones are already wound!) and you have enough to make most of a sweater. Plus, $28 for a POUND of yarn? Oh yeah, count me in.

In fact, I've got two sweaters on the go right now - though I admit they are in the 1 ply, which is much finer, because I wanted a lighter weight sweater. I weave with this stuff, too. Run it through the wash on warm/cold after it's woven or knit and it fulls juuuuust nicely enough to be sturdy and not so much that it's rock solid. Yeah, it's real wool.

Sorry to gush.


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