Learning to knit?!?!?!
 

So last night I made the jump from crocheting to attempting to knit. I figured out how to cast on then I figured out the knit stitch but the pattern I'm working wants me to purl in a new color and I think I might kill myself.

any advice? LOL

Try a simpler pattern :p

I taught myself via lionbrand.com and their tutorials. SUPER easy to follow with all the pictures. Purl is the knit stitch, only in front of the left needle instead of behind it.

ETA: Are you starting a new section in a new color of yarn? And are you in the middle of a row, or at the beginning of a new one?

I *get* the purl stitch it's just working in the new color I don't get..it won't stay?

It's a double sided scarf so every stitch has a knit than a purl... lol

It's this argyle scarf on the cover...I think maybe I should start smaller..LOL

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2120/...e99267029a.jpg

I think you have to knot the new color in at the beginning of the row so it will stay. I haven't done something like that, so I don't really know for sure. I do love that scarf though, LOL!

If you scroll down there's a video about knitting with 2 colors for a reversible pattern like that one.
http://www.knittinghelp.com/videos/advanced-techniques

Another one:
http://techknitting.blogspot.com/200...lors-part.html

Traci - teach me how to crochet?!

My grandmother crocheted beautifully. She made huge table clothes and all sorts of things. When she was able and wanting to teach me, I had no interest. When I finally had interest...she couldn't do it any longer. I'm so sad that I didn't try to learn from her.

That scarf looks fab!

I don't know how to knit, but I LOVE to crochet. I'm currently working on five afghans. LOL

You know Darcy, it's really very easy!! just open up a pattern and then google the stitch they're asking for and you'll get a billion resources! :D

Yeah, that argyle pattern looks pretty complicated if you're just starting out, but if you are determined, you can do it! My advice for joining a new color is to just "do" it, the first stitch is gonna be loose but once you have a few rows done, you can just pull on the tail to tighten it up, and then, of course you just sew the tail in when you are done. HTH!

I would do up a simple striped scarf first to get the hang of changing colors.

-Diana

I think I would try a bit smaller on the pattern scale initially, like something all one colour. I've been knitting for years, but that's what I did, start small and work up! Have fun!

wow this scarf looks sooo fab! I love to knit and would love to help you, but I need to see the "knitting-explanation" because having such a scarf is not that easy, because you have to use both colors at the same time and as its a scarf there can't be yaw string looking outside the knitting!

Thanks for your advice ladies! I figured it out!! woot! I am a determined person...hahaha

How'd you do it? LOL!

lol well once it was tied on like in that tut it was pretty easy..I've restarted about 5 times but I'm just practicing :)

Cool! You'll have to show us when you finish it :)

OMG
I love yarn.
We should have like...a yarn hag thread once a month.
I have been crocheting since I was like 8 and just started an afghan the other night.
I am a self taught knitter but the only thing I've been able to accomplish is a pair of wonky mittens and a dishrag.
Speaking of...I should make more....:D

Well learning to knit is something i have always wanted to do, I wish you the best of luck. You are a brave girl. I am jealous! :)

Mandy, I'm ASHAMED of my yarn stash. It's insane. I have a gorgeous cable knit scarf with amazing yarn my friend got me for my birthday last year - half finished.
A ball of superwash black yarn I wanted to make a newsboy cap with, but got discouraged at the really difficult pattern.
A ball of gorgeous coral colored fingering weight cashmere blend (I think it's cashmere blend) to make THIS scarf, also for myself, cuz I love to wear scarves in winter. (The pattern scares me on that one too).
About 12 balls of soft yarn for a baby blanket I was knitting about a year and a half ago. I got a little ways into, traveled with it, dropped like 15378453 stitches, and torn it apart and never started again.
Plus a random assortment of "this is pretty" yarn. I can't help myself!

I have a huge cable knit throw project I'm working on right now for one of Jordan's sisters. I DEF bit off more than I could chew with that one.
Plus at least 3 other afghans I want to make for ppl. Thankfully those are like 6 hour ones, so they shouldn't be THAT bad. Fingers crossed.

ROFL!
I don't have any expensive yarn but you should see my Etsy favorites - I covet the yarn shoppes.
I just am so emmersed in Digi that I'm afraid to buy any expensive yarn for fear that I won't use it ever.

I made these when I started knitting (sorry for the large size)
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2318/...b6016b7c14.jpg

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2284/...49287d0d6f.jpg

And then I made these mittens for my DD last year to match her coat. They were a bit mismatched as far as size went because I have issues with gauge but she loved them so I guess that's all that mattered.:
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2238/...31ed0255f6.jpg

I also made the Knitty Calorimetry LOL:
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2410/...988bd2c1f9.jpg

I'm very impressed, Traci, Mandy & Col! My Grandmother knitted beautifully. She tried to teach me, but I just never could get the hang of it. She taught the mentally handicapped sister of my uncle's best friend (trying saying that 5 times fast :D) to knit, but she couldn't teach her poor, uncoordinated granddaughter lmao!

I can crochet. I crocheted afghans for both my boys when they were born. I've also made one of the Apple Annie Victorian dresses for a Barbie doll. But man...I just don't get knitting LOL!

Cute Mandy!!
I don't even have pictures of the stuff I HAVE knit, cuz I always give it away as a present! LOL! I've made at least 6 scarves as presents. Last year Jordan's mom and 2 sisters each got one. The same scarf in different colors cuz it was a super quick knit.

And now, I can't work on anything for myself cuz I've got all these christmas presents to make, LOL!

LOL Melissa.

Hey you guys, we should do a CAL after the holidays...or a simple KAL. That would be fun. I usually need something to do when Dh's watching hunting on TV. lol

Oh that would be fun! I could post the pattern I made up (smashed 2 patterns together, lol) for a ribbed ruffle scarf. The ends look like a ruffle and the ribbing gives it a nice texture. And, it's SUPER easy. It's the one I made for Jordan's mom and 2 sisters last year. And if I have time I plan on making ones for my mom and sister for this year, lol.

what's a cal or kal?

Knit/Crochet-a-long. Everyone does the same project at the same time basically.

oooh

when I was learning to crochet I started with the simplest stitches first. I have never really tried to knit mostly because crocheting hurts my hands and wrists so much. They go numb after about 30 minutes. Im guessing when you are knitting you want to learn the stitches first, get really proficient at those by making something simple and then move on to something more complicated. Ive made dozens of crocheted things from dolls to doll clothes to blankets and tablecloths. Also I think it really depends on the yarn you are using. Even though I am really good at crocheting when I switch to a yarn Ive never used it takes a few practice runs to get the hang of using that yarn. So maybe if you tried a different style yarn it might be easier for the project you are working on?

Oh ad as far as yarn stashes go I have about 200 skeins of yarn right now stashed from about five years of started/unfinished projects :-( If I could find a way to make it not hurt my hands/wrists so much Id keep crocheting I really miss it

I've been trying to get back into knitting but I'm just so much more familiar with crochet I get frustrated easily. Plus I learned from my grandmother & it took me the longest time to realize she taught me the Continental (I think that's what it is called) method & all the tutorials I had been using were for the other method so I was confusing myself because they want me to hold the needles the 'wrong' way.

I've got an embarassingly huge yarn stash. :) I've been doing lots of amigurumi figures and items lately. I got bored with scarves & afghans and I suck at clothing patterns.

One of the crochet groups on Raverly.com had a crochet a long for a really nice market bag. I made a couple out of kitchen cotten pretty quickly and they hold a fair amount of groceries

OOOH! I have Ravelry!
Mandy76

I haven't been to my ravelry in like 894032894032 years, lol. All I did was add patterns and lust after yarns, lol.

what is ravelry?

Traci - I bow down to you!
I've been knitting for years and I still don't know how to do that kind of colorwork (I can do striping and mosaic, but that's as far as I get). :unsure: And you learned it in such a short time.
Col - it sounds like you, like me, have a bunch of UFO's (un-finished objects), lol. I have about 6 projects started - 2 afghans, a pair of gloves/mittens (hybrid), a tank top (which I stopped because I gained weight), and I just started on a hat for my mom for Christmas as well as a pair of socks for my DH.
I would love the idea of a C/KAL. I'm already trying to dedicate time at the local yarn store for one of the afghans (once a month they have a mystery afghan and movie night where you can buy a different ball of yarn for your afghan and then you sit, knit and watch an old mystery movie). I need something else to kick my butt in gear, lol.
Years ago, I did a knitting circle journal with other scrapbookers (it was either through CK or 2 Peas). It made me finish a project so that I could share it with the other scrapbookers.

Oh I started socks too, but could NOT figure it out. At all.

I bought a book, then bought needles and hooks and yarn, couldn't figure that out, bought a knitting bag, that didn't help but it was nice, then I bought a kids how to knit/and a kids how to crochet kit and haven't started yet! LOL

What should I try first? Knitting or crochet? Which is easier?

Depends on who you talk to. I can knit, but I can't figure out how to crochet to save my life. The good thing about knitting is that there are really only 2 stitches to learn - knit and purl - and everything else is a combination of the two stitches.

Ravelry is a knit & crochet site. They have patterns & forums and you can share pics of what you have completed and yarn you own. Plus there are people there who design patterns and spin or dye their own yarn for sale. It's awesome!

ravelry.com. I think they are still doing the waiting list to join, but its a short wait

I bought a beginners kit a while back and got too frustrated so gave up....I cannot knit or crochet but I can do needlepoint and cross stitch like a mother!!!!!

should I help you learning it! I do socks all the time! my hubby loves my self made socks :-)

I totally forgot that I had Ravelry! LOL

Thanks Leslie, I just I'll just try both and see which one I like.

Now if only I could scrap and knit at the same time! LOL

I tried doing it on 2 circular needles. I used the needle size I should, I had the right yarn, everything. My friend gave the yarn/needles/book to do it all together as a birthday present last year. Totally. Couldn't. Do it. I've never knit on circular needles to begin with, but the stitches were huuuuuuuuuuuge, not nice and tight like socks should be. I gave it up. I might try again sometime, who knows.

Hey Col,

I always do socks with 5 needles.... on the beginning this is a little difficult but you get used to it....

look here! I think this is a english introduction mainly like I do them
http://www.knitting-socks.com/how-to-knit-socks.html

Yea if I try it again I want to do it with the 5 needles I think. The 2 circular needles was cool, and I understood the whole process, I just could NOT for the life of me get a tight knit out of it.
Thanks for the link though! I'll check it out :)