Any knitters here?

[taffy19 Gold Contributor Find all posts View Profile Close taffy19]

My mother was an art and crafts type of person and had many hobbies. She painted and did pottery, stained glass and knitting, crocheting and needle work but what I admired most was her pine-needle work. It looks so delicate when it is finished. Here is a picture of 2 pieces that I treasure and will keep forever. The image is large so that you can see the detail of this art.

I had never heard of this craft and here is a link where you can see how it is done in case you are interested. It is very hard on the fingers, she told me.

[wackymother Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close wackymother]

Whoa! Those are pretty amazing. It's incredible what people have forgotten how to do, isn't it?

[falmouth3 Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close falmouth3]

I used to knit all the time. I made ski sweaters, a sweet sweater for my nephew with a road that had cars and trucks on it. But I have really done any knitting in years.

I also did a lot of other needle work, including a cross stitch table cloth for my mother.

Now that I have a computer, I barely even read books, but I do read my newspapers and magazines. I listen to my books while commuting.

[Glitter Brunello Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close Glitter Brunello]

It does seem to have the opposite effect on me, too, Stressy - as Wacky experienced, it's making me crazy! But my friend who taught me (well, some basics, anyway) makes the most gorgeous things. I, otoh, am in the middle of creating an unwieldy mess...

Irene, I can imagine it would be hard to do left handed unless you could find a left-handed teacher - I am having a hard time in one direction but not the other as it is.

I will find a yarn store when I have a chance. Library is a good idea, too.

I guess here most people already has a hobby (timesharing .

Emmy, I have never heard of pine needle crafts - they look beautiful but I can imagine it must really hurt to work with pine needles - ouch!

Pat, if you can't picture me knitting, try picturing me knitting while having cocktails outside at a trendy place in Montauk (not sure I'll be allowed back, can't be good for their image).

[shaggy Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close shaggy]

Those baskets are gorgeous Emmy. They do a similar craft with palm fronds in Charleston. Very beautiful!! shaggy

[bevvy5 Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close bevvy5]

Crocheting is way easier, only one hook instead of two needles.

But I don't do any of that stuff anymore - I truly don't have time.

[Ann-Marie Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Ann-Marie]

I love to do embroidery, crewel, needlepoint, counted cross stitch and sew clothes. I recently crocheted a baby sweater by going online and teaching myself from tutorials. It came out great. So I did the same with knitting. It's OK, but I much prefer crochet. However, my knitted sweater is all in pieces and I can not figure out for the life of me how the sleeves get sown in. Now I need help!

[wackymother Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close wackymother]

I've worked on knitting books and other crafts books (mainly on writing copy for them), and Glitter is like the fantasy ideal of the target market for those--urban, sophisticated, taking her knitting to Montauk and knitting away while having chic cocktails with friends....

[Glitter Brunello Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close Glitter Brunello]

I've worked on knitting books and other crafts books (mainly on writing copy for them), and Glitter is like the fantasy ideal of the target market for those--urban, sophisticated, taking her knitting to Montauk and knitting away while having chic cocktails with friends....

Urban maybe, sophisticated.. .not so sure.... BUT I can tell you that I don't think the chic cocktail places are target-marketing to knitters

Seriously, there seems to have been a boost in popularity of knitting and based on what I've seen in yarn stores and online it is on its way to trendy, at least in some places.

[wackymother Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close wackymother]

Urban maybe, sophisticated.. .not so sure.... BUT I can tell you that I don't think the chic cocktail places are target-marketing to knitters

Seriously, there seems to have been a boost in popularity of knitting and based on what I've seen in yarn stores and online it is on its way to trendy, at least in some places.

I do have a friend whose sister was one of the owners of a knitting store/coffee shop in the Midwest that got a lot of press about ten or twelve years ago. She doesn't own it anymore, but I think it's still around. I just looked...here it is!

The Sow's Ear :: Home Page

[Hobbitess Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Hobbitess]

But I learned from my grandmother, and it turns out I don't knit in the "newer" way.

Ditto. I knit scarves and the like when I was a kid with grandma -- I'd just do the garter stitch and she'd finish it off and stuff -- then when I was in my twenties I thought I'd get a book to take it up again and freaked out because the initial instructions were all wrong for me. I finally found one that had two approaches, which I think they called English and German -- IIRC, the English was the one all the other books had and the German was the one Grandma used.

I made serious progress on an afghan prior to having first child. Packed it away because it was clear I wasn't going to get very far with it while I had little ones running around -- youngest child tracked it down and chopped holes in it. Keep thinking I should take it up again. I did counted cross stitch more than knit, but my eyes are so wonky anymore knitting is probably the way to go.

It does seem to have the opposite effect on me, too, Stressy - as Wacky experienced, it's making me crazy!

For me, it depends on what you're making. If I'm doing the same stitch for ten or twenty stitches or more at a shot, that's relaxing, because I use markers (they sell them specially made but I just use little hairbands) to remind me when to change over, so I pretty much just go. Although I then obsessively count back when I hit a marker, which some wouldn't find relaxing I suppose. Afghans are commonly garter for one row and pearl for the next for great sections, or at least you can pick patterns that do that, so doing afghans is how I got to the point of pearling being comfortable.

I love the look of cabled knitting but have never done it because it looks like such a pain (and if you get very into it at all, requires special tools), but I suppose might tackle that stuff should I get all the kids moved out before I go blind. Going on my past crafty experience, I'd do it once and then never again.

It is very hard on the fingers, she told me.

I've always thought that must be the case with what many Woodland Indians did before the Europeans showed up and they started using beads -- quilling. Which is to say, making keen designs with porcupine quills.

Native American Indian Porcupine Quillwork, How to Do Porky Quillwork

I would have switched to beads ASAP myself. But I wonder if quillwork explains why there are loom bead patterns that "feel" woven; the patterns are based on the earlier quill work.

[Glitter Brunello Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close Glitter Brunello]

Yep, even the names of the yarn stores are cool. And there's one in trendy Montauk, called "Purl by the Sea."

Hobbitess - the purling is driving me nuts, but I know you're right in that if I would just force myself to do one garter, one purl (I believe that's what is actually called "knitting??) the purling will get more comfortable. But I want to get a lesson before doing too much, since I'm sure I'm doing in the most uncomfortable way possible (at least I hope there's a more comfortable way!)

I can't imagine knitting an Afghan. I am already sick of the dumb scarf I'm trying to make. Garter stitch can be relaxing for me in terms of monotony, but boredom sets in at some point. My friend likes making small projects with cabling, etc, to keep her interested - lots of mitten and small purses. But she has been knitting for five years.

[wackymother Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close wackymother]

The way my grandmother taught me involves wrapping the feeder yarn around your left pointy finger. That makes it much easier (to me, anyway) to put the feeder yarn in front of the left needle for a purl. The newer way seems to call for physically moving the feeder strand each time, flicking it over or pulling it back.

[Glitter Brunello Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close Glitter Brunello]

The way my grandmother taught me involves wrapping the feeder yarn around your left pointy finger. That makes it much easier (to me, anyway) to put the feeder yarn in front of the left needle for a purl. The newer way seems to call for physically moving the feeder strand each time, flicking it over or pulling it back.

ok, I am doing the wrapping but if my index finger is in front of the needle, I can't hold the needle properly. Prob should try the other way. I hear there are videos/instructions online - haven't had time to look, but will check.

[wackymother Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close wackymother]

ok, I am doing the wrapping but if my index finger is in front of the needle, I can't hold the needle properly. Prob should try the other way. I hear there are videos/instructions online - haven't had time to look, but will check.

No, you just bring the feeder yarn over the left needle, then you return your index finger to its usual behind-the-needle position. Then you use your right needle to pick up the two strands.

This is seriously straining my muscle memory.