# Romy's beginning to knit thread...Yep taking the plunge!



## romysbaskets (Aug 29, 2009)

Ok so after just drooling over all the knitted art here...time to adjust these hands a bit. Yesterday, I decided I would start knitting. I picked up some craft supplies a year ago that had knitting needles in them so I just had to find them...hehehe They were in the large drawer of my desk, there I was going though my yarn bins...LOL. So I have different sizes, some plastic ones, mainly metal and some wood. I also have a double sided huge crochet needle...mmm Well that will come to me, probably for making rugs with very thick yarn. Ok so back to the knitting, found two needles nearly the same size...... I selected a lovely wool yarn to make a wide ear warmer with...a bit wider then I thought....gosh is it warm though! I started it last night and gauging the time it took, I am way faster at crochet. Even still, there will be applications better suited to knitting. For instance, I have some beautiful yarns I have been collecting and they are thick, crocheting them does not give me the affect I am after. By knitting with them, the yarn will layer much smoother....

I was shown at 14 how to cast on, that was about it and I instantly gravitated to crochet instead. Over the years I didn't do much even with Crochet just baby afghans, I just really dove into that about 3 years ago to make doilies, sockies, lace sweaters, scarves, hats, head bands, ear warmers and leg warmers....etc. . So I went on Youtube to make sure I was doing the rows correctly for the knitting project. I will start on patterns next but simple worked for the first time while I get my hands adjusted to the difference. Here is the first thing I have ever knitted, I had to adjust the tension every other row for the slight difference in needle size..wouldn't you know, I found the right mate at the end.....To join this and make it circular, I crocheted the ends together instead of sewing. I started with a plastic circular needle and I broke it...oops. The metal circular needle was too small so I grabbed a handful of the straight needles....then picked out two similar sized. At the bottom of the drawer I found the mate and I have more but they weren't sorted. This fits my head perfectly but got too hot while wearing it today.


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## Pearl B (Sep 27, 2008)

Way to go Romy!!

I can't wait to see what you make with knitting:knitting:


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## Woodpecker (Mar 8, 2007)

Welcome into the knitter's club Romy! I look forward to seeing your knitted work. I am sure it will be just as good as your crochet.:knitting:


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## Kasota (Nov 25, 2013)

Watch out world!!!!


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## Marchwind (May 10, 2002)

Oh well done! Your stitches look nice and even, good tension. You should speed up a bit as you become more experienced.


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## Forerunner (Mar 23, 2007)

Thicker is easier.

Just sayin'.

:whistlin:


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## romysbaskets (Aug 29, 2009)

Pearl B said:


> Way to go Romy!!
> 
> I can't wait to see what you make with knitting:knitting:


So far, a couple of simple projects to get my hands working smoothly with it...but then..I started something I will reveal later...hehehe



Woodpecker said:


> Welcome into the knitter's club Romy! I look forward to seeing your knitted work. I am sure it will be just as good as your crochet.:knitting:


That is going to take some time....I am really fast on crochet compared to knitting speed...



Kasota said:


> Watch out world!!!!


One never knows....



Marchwind said:


> Oh well done! Your stitches look nice and even, good tension. You should speed up a bit as you become more experienced.


Thank you so much, I was wondering even though it looked ok? In a few days I became so much faster..you are right! As far as the tension, stitch dropping etc...I didn't have any issues at all. I also found keeping a darning needle and a crochet hook was handy to maneuver the third project I started..to be revealed at a later date, have a busy work week ahead. 



Forerunner said:


> Thicker is easier.
> 
> Just sayin'.
> 
> :whistlin:


Ok, you are the man when it comes to knitting bulky sweaters...I saw those pics! I do have some bulky yarns that beg to be knit instead of crochet as the really thick bulky yarns just don't seem to knot up the way I would like. So that will be set aside for knitting now. :nanner:


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## Jacki (May 13, 2002)

One thing that might help you is to knit continental rather than English. The yarn is held more like crocheting. Another term is picking rather than throwing. 

The hardest thing about picking is having to translate instructions, but there are several other people here that pick, and could help.

Jacki


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## Marchwind (May 10, 2002)

Jacki I'm curious what needs to be translated if you pick rather than throw? I was under the impression that all the stitches were the same you just had to maneuver them a bit differently.


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## SvenskaFlicka (Nov 2, 2011)

Same here Marchie. I knit continental and never have to translate anything. :shrug:


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## Forerunner (Mar 23, 2007)

Funny......I seldom if ever have to translate anything, either.

:whistlin:


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## Jacki (May 13, 2002)

Primarily lace knitting. The stitches won't be in the same orientation on the needles. I "translate" by thinking "left leaning", or "right leaning" knit together.

Since I knit lace more than anything else, I was frustrated by wonky stitches until I figured out why it was happening.

Jacki


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## SvenskaFlicka (Nov 2, 2011)

I have knit quite a bit of lace and still never had a problem. Is it possible you are twisting your stitches somehow knitting continental?


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## SvenskaFlicka (Nov 2, 2011)

I mean, shouldn't a SSK, slip-slip-knit be worked the same either way up to getting your new loop through?


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## Forerunner (Mar 23, 2007)

I definitely had stitch twisting issues in my early knitting efforts.

There is, for how I think I was taught (I honestly don't know if I'm doing it right, to this day ) a distinct difference in how the needle is placed into the stitch, for flat, back and forth knitting as compared to in-the-round.


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## calliemoonbeam (Aug 7, 2007)

Very nice tension for a first try! You will get a lot faster as you get more familiar with the motions and more confident in your ability. 

I knit and crochet and think I do both fairly speedily, but crochet projects always seem to go faster than knit for some reason. But knitting produces a smoother, more delicate finished result than crochet, so it just depends on what I'm aiming for. 

I also knit continental, and I've never had to translate anything or change my stitches in any way. :shrug: Maybe I'm missing something. Now I'm curious, lol.


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

y'all are corn-fusion me. 

I knit all KIND of ways - pick, throw, combined and I don't even understand what translating means when it comes to knitting?


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## BlueberryChick (May 12, 2008)

When I first started, I knit continental but knit through the back loop. I think there's an actual knitting technique that does that, but that's not what I meant to do. Anyway, I figured out how to knit through the front loop (unless otherwise directed) and haven't had to translate anything so far.


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## romysbaskets (Aug 29, 2009)

Jacki said:


> Primarily lace knitting. The stitches won't be in the same orientation on the needles. I "translate" by thinking "left leaning", or "right leaning" knit together.
> 
> Since I knit lace more than anything else, I was frustrated by wonky stitches until I figured out why it was happening.
> 
> Jacki


So far I am practicing patterns using some youtube tutorials. First I watch to see how the hands perform the stitches and then, I look at the pattern posted. I rarely use patterns with crochet as I just copy what I see. With knitting that may take some time. 



Forerunner said:


> Funny......I seldom if ever have to translate anything, either.
> 
> The abbrev. seem to be easy to so far to follow, I will holler if I get stuck!
> 
> :whistlin:





SvenskaFlicka said:


> Same here Marchie. I knit continental and never have to translate anything. :shrug:


So far no issues with the patterns but remember I am new. I am sure I will get stuck eventually.



Marchwind said:


> Jacki I'm curious what needs to be translated if you pick rather than throw? I was under the impression that all the stitches were the same you just had to maneuver them a bit differently.


The tutorial I am on is very good, I have to listen to her carefully to do the pattern. Other patterns she really does show row by row. This is a good way to learn. I like seeing, and maneuvering slip stitch knit is easy, back slip stitch knit or pearl is still a little tricky. 



Jacki said:


> One thing that might help you is to knit continental rather than English. The yarn is held more like crocheting. Another term is picking rather than throwing.
> 
> The hardest thing about picking is having to translate instructions, but there are several other people here that pick, and could help.
> 
> Jacki



I am doing fine with holding the yarn and the way I crochet is not with a twist, I do it with a wrap motion which is the same as you use in knitting. I found I can also do the yarn the opposite side and draw it if I wish as well. It is easy to hold the yarn for me. 

So far I am working on speed, I am doing fine on the instructions and what not.


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## romysbaskets (Aug 29, 2009)

SvenskaFlicka said:


> I mean, shouldn't a SSK, slip-slip-knit be worked the same either way up to getting your new loop through?


I had to look up continental to know where this was going...yikes. What I found is that I can do both, my hands are ambidextrous for most things. 



Forerunner said:


> I definitely had stitch twisting issues in my early knitting efforts.
> 
> There is, for how I think I was taught (I honestly don't know if I'm doing it right, to this day ) a distinct difference in how the needle is placed into the stitch, for flat, back and forth knitting as compared to in-the-round.


I was shown how to cast on when I was 14, that is all I was shown so I will just be learning on my own but with the awesome help of some tutorials! I did try knitting in the round and broke the silly plastic thing. I have one metal one and will be scouting out the knitting needles at the thrift store. :umno:



calliemoonbeam said:


> Very nice tension for a first try! You will get a lot faster as you get more familiar with the motions and more confident in your ability.
> 
> I knit and crochet and think I do both fairly speedily, but crochet projects always seem to go faster than knit for some reason. But knitting produces a smoother, more delicate finished result than crochet, so it just depends on what I'm aiming for.
> 
> I also knit continental, and I've never had to translate anything or change my stitches in any way. :shrug: Maybe I'm missing something. Now I'm curious, lol.


Thank you! I don't understand why you would have to change anything? 



Wind in Her Hair said:


> y'all are corn-fusion me.
> 
> I knit all KIND of ways - pick, throw, combined and I don't even understand what translating means when it comes to knitting?


Me either!



BlueberryChick said:


> When I first started, I knit continental but knit through the back loop. I think there's an actual knitting technique that does that, but that's not what I meant to do. Anyway, I figured out how to knit through the front loop (unless otherwise directed) and haven't had to translate anything so far.


I read about them being just two techniques resulting in the same stitch and easy to understand. I think I will work in the American version while I learn although I tried the Continental. I like the American better for now since when I crochet I hold the yarn with my right hand and my work with left, doing the yo with my right hand.


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## MDKatie (Dec 13, 2010)

Forerunner said:


> There is, for how I think I was taught (I honestly don't know if I'm doing it right, to this day ) a distinct difference in how the needle is placed into the stitch, for flat, back and forth knitting as compared to in-the-round.


Now I'm confused! What do you mean there's a difference in how the needle is placed?!!  I think you should show us a video of what you mean.


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## SvenskaFlicka (Nov 2, 2011)

What?!? I never heard of such a difference!


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## Marchwind (May 10, 2002)

Me either. But FR aren't you a lefty? That makes a difference. 

There is no difference between flat and knitting in the round as far as how you enter a stitch.


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## Forerunner (Mar 23, 2007)

*in his best British accent*

Oh, royt......me twisted stitchiz tells anothuh story......

A video ?

Of me ?

Knittin' all lefty thumbs ?

Bloody gud thet'd do ye......

:indif:


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## romysbaskets (Aug 29, 2009)

Forerunner said:


> *in his best British accent*
> 
> Oh, royt......me twisted stitchiz tells anothuh story......
> 
> ...


Do post a video....we can follow your hands?  It does not have to be you but if you use yourself, just go slow...I heard how fast you knit!


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## Forerunner (Mar 23, 2007)

I can knit right handed, and my stitch/needle configuration is consistent.

I don't know if we can do a vid from this phone-a-ma-jig, but it might be fun to try.

Gimme a little time...... Gotta put together an in the round and a flat side by side.....


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## Marchwind (May 10, 2002)

I not going to be holding my breath but I sure and looking forward to seeing this video :bored:


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## Forerunner (Mar 23, 2007)

Would you like for me to narrate in my best British accent, MW ?

:huh:


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## Marchwind (May 10, 2002)

Oh absolutely FR


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## Forerunner (Mar 23, 2007)

Well, just be nice to me, today, and I won't narrate in Russian.


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## Forerunner (Mar 23, 2007)

Tried a few times.

HT's attachment provision wasn't having any.

Photobucket hid the video upon uploading.


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## Marchwind (May 10, 2002)

Can you load it directly into YouTube? That's what I did, directly from my computer. You have to create an account though but if you have Yahoo or Google I think they are one and the same but I can't remember.


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## Forerunner (Mar 23, 2007)

I'll give that a try.....

You know we might be openin' a real can of worms, here........

:huh:


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## Marchwind (May 10, 2002)

I'm hoping so . It will be a series to go along with the sweater sales and trunk shows.


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## romysbaskets (Aug 29, 2009)

Heres whats being made now. Mohair 65% with bamboo 35%


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