Knitting Question

[kaybee]

I want to make a shawl that will be 24-27 inches wide and have only been able to find straight needles that are 14 inches long. Instead of using circular needles, can I just use the straight needles and scrunch the work up on the needles as I knit? Will that affect the quality/appearance of my knitting? I bought a pair of circular needles, but the nylon between the needles is coiled very tightly and the needles, which are bamboo, are catching on my thread. I've read that they will get smoother as they are used, but I'm not sure I have the patience or skill to work with this!

KB

[margo49]

Of course you can!
Your tension is stitch by stitch so it should not affect the finished product. Personally I knit like I write - a bit uneven and tense. Mum knitted Dad a cricket jersey on regular needles and it even had all-over cables.
Remember knitting is like breadmaking - whatever you end up with you can use. (Eat or wear). You just might do it better next time
And (as the Mother Superior and the Mistress of Novices agreed in The sound of Music ) the wool of the black sheep is just as warm as the wool of the white
....but don't let me get started on that particular "kink" of mine

[kaybee]

Thanks Margo! I suspected I could, but I'm teaching myself this as I go along, and have "confidence issues." I don't want to waste precision time and yarn and end up with something that I don't want to wear. Of course, if it's not perfect, I could just say that the "imperfections" are part of the design! ;)

KB

[margo49]

I grew up in a time and space where *all* girls were taught to knit as a matter of necessity. Knitting has now become a craft and an art. Mind you so has sewing and to some extent cooking...

[Bikingmomof3]

KB,
Yes straight needles would indeed work fine. My preference is circs. I knit everything with circs, but not bamboo. The only circs I use are Addi Turbo.

Have fun with the shawl. :)

[SadieKate]

Addi or Inox circs only for me!!!

Circs will let you support more of the weight of the shawl on your lap rather than on the needles. Supporting the growing weight on long straight needles can really affect fatigue and lack of skill. Not to mention, you can't ever sit in a chair with arms while you knit because the needles hit them. Scrunching the stitches on a straight needle too much means a stitch can pop of when you least expect it - not a happy event in any kind of fancy pattern.

The coils - the nylon will relax with the shawl's growing weight or a dunking in warmish water or simply hung from something with some weight attached. The nylon stays coiled from being stored in the packaging.

Secondly, different fibers react completely differently on different needle materials. Addis and nickel or teflon-coated (and less expensive) Inox are very slippery. Wool has a lot of little scales (like human hair) that will catch on wood. If you knit tightly (says the voice of experience), bamboo won't let the wool slide at all. If you knit loosely, bamboo can be wonderful. I use wood and bamboos needles only as a last resort because, well, when you have someone like Nancy Bush pick up your work and say she's never known anyone to knit that tightly, well, um, you don't use wood. I had the same thing happen to me in a pine needle basket course. I don't know why I'm wired that way.:rolleyes:

Any way, you need to match the material type and your personal knitting tension to the needle material. For instance, if you knit with slippery synthetic ribbon, bamboo can be great.

Do you know about the knitting forum over at www.knitty.com? Those folks are a source for tons of anwers to any question you can think of, plus lots of great patterns.

[kaybee]

Thanks, SK. Looks like it's back to the craft store. I do knit tightly, so that's probably part of my problem with the bamboo needles. I will definitely check out knitty.com. Thanks again!

KB

[wannaduacentury]

I prefer the non bamboo circulars( I love bamboo straight needles though). I have a pair and they drove me crazy. Had the same problem, too crinkly-twisty wire, hard to shift yarn, said the heck w/ it and bought metal/aluminum Boye /Susan Bates etc ones, much better. You can use 14" needles, your work will be crowded that's all. I did a shawl last yr on circulars, ended up w/ 143 stitches across( a triangle shawl w/ fringe) turned out great.

http://cache.lionbrand.com/patterns/khs-triangleShawl.html

Jennifer

[KnottedYet]

I use all bamboo needles. (Clover brand) I've never had one catch on my yarn. Can you use an emery board to smooth out your needle?

Oh, but I had a pair of lovely turned black walnut needles, those were my non-bamboo needles.

I've never use circulars, I always use straight needles. And I use the arms of my rocking chair to help when I knit, but I knit left-handed Norweigan style, so I'm weird anyway.

(actually, I lost custody of my knitting bag and knitting chest with all my needles and snips and cable needles and stitching needles and yarns and other goodies in an ugly "divorce". I am somewhat despondent over the loss, but I have a good yarn shop near me, and I've bought one new pair of Clovers already.)

Yes, you can jam all your stitches up on a straight needle, no fear.

[salsabike]

When I get a new pair of circular needles (metal) I get out the big baking pan, put the needles in, and pour very hot to boiling water in there, let them soak for 5-10 minutes. Uncoils them pretty quickly. Your knitting will not stick on metal circulars, either. I use metal if I want it to move quickly. If the yarn itself is very slippery, I'll use wood or bamboo. And I'm pretty converted to circular vs. straight now.

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

I knit pretty snugly too, and when I use bamboo needles it is too annoying to always have to push the knitting along on them. I like plastic or metal needles for that reason- the stiches just slide along nicely by themselves.
I do shawls on circular needles. Make sure the connecting length is long enough. I like Addi Turbo metal circulars- my knitting zooms along on them and they can hold a huge shawl if necessary. They ARE slippery at first in the hands, but after an hour or two you get used to them and then no more problems keeping them held properly.

I used to feel self concious about my "snug" knitting, even though I didn't feel it was tight or too tense. But then a girlfriend who has worked in several museums dealing with ethnic antiques and old textiles told me that my knitted socks reminded her of the nice firm knitting she's seen in traditional european old knitting examples, and how she wish her knitting wasn't so "American and loose". :rolleyes: After that I liked my own knitting more! :)

[Kano]

I've never use circulars, I always use straight needles. And I use the arms of my rocking chair to help when I knit, but I knit left-handed Norweigan style, so I'm weird anyway.


Norwegian style?

Nothing weird in the left-handed part, but what's "Norwegian Style" knitting???

Karen in Boise

[Duck on Wheels]

In Norwegian style knitting you hold the yarn (sometimes several strands of different colors) stretched over an outstretched index finger on the "from"-needle hand (left for me, but I guess if you're knitting left-handed it might be the right). With the "to"-needle you kind of crochet each stitch by hooking the needle around the the yarn from the front or back (depending on whether you're doing a k or p stitch) and pulling through. I've never really mastered this and knit the way I learned in the States just 2 sweaters before my first visit to Norway -- i.e. holding the yarn in my "to"-needle hand, steadying the needles together with the "from"-needle hand mid-stitch, then wrapping the yarn around the needle with the "to"-needle hand before pulling it through the stitch. People who have mastered the Norwegian style are much faster than even masters of the US style. There's also a French style, I've observed, where the "from" needle is kind of planted under your arm. French knitters are super fast at that.

But back to the original question -- go ahead and scrunch the stitches together. And it doesn't matter whether you tend to knit tight or loose. Just be sure to knit up a test patch and check how many stitches and rows you're getter per 4x4-inch block, or however they state the gauge in the pattern (stitches per 10 cm, stitches per inch, inches per x number of stitches, or whatever). If your stitches are smaller than the pattern is based on, then try a larger needle until you get the right gauge. If they're bigger, then try a smaller needle. That way your knitted product comes out in the size and tightness of weave the pattern illustration has led you to expect. :)

[Offthegrid]

I triple the vote for the Addi Turbos. Once you knit with these, you will never want to use another needle again.

[kaybee]

Ladies, thanks so much for all the great advice. I went to another craft store last night and bought metal, circular needles. Didn't even have time to take them out of the package last night, but will experiment over the long weekend. I will be sure to try the baking-pan-and-hot-water method suggested by SK to uncoil the nylon. I feel much more confident now! Thanks again.

KB

[Kano]

Kaybee, I think you'll love the circulars, especially as your project gets heavier and heavier! I've gotten very fond of them over the years -- got rid of most of my straight needles long ago, when I stopped knitting for a while, and haven't bought any of that kind now that I'm getting back into it all again.

My newest circular needle experiment -- socks done with what's called the "magic loop" method, where you use a very long circular needle. I like it LOTS, especially for the socks I've been making for my two month old grandson!

Karen in Boise

[margo49]

Yeah, Lisa that tight British and colonial knitting is particularly obvious in the fishing jerseys and guernseys. The wool had to have a wind-breaking effect as well as being warm in the North Sea, the Irish Sea and the Roaring Forties . None of this arty farty loose knitting on big needles that gets you finished quicker. Even the yarn was thin (4 ply at most). I can remember my grandmother thinking my mother was being lazy using Double-knitting (8 Ply) on our jerseys (sweaters) as children.
Oh, Duck-ie ; I have seen that round-your-finger thing. It is soooo inelegant.

Arrgh... this is making my fingers itchy

[Bikingmomof3]

Margo,
My largest size needle is a 4,0mm. Mainly I knit my sweaters on 3,0mm and 3,5mm. The majority of my knitting is sweaters, mainly Norwegian patterns or guernseys. I only use Addi Turbo circs, except mittens and socks (1,75mm-2,0mm), where I use short dpn Addis. I cannot imagine knitting with a needle larger than a 4,0mm.

My friend decided to knit and her smallest needle is a 15. :eek:

[Haudlady]

Hello all you knitters! I've got a question for you... I have been a weaver for many years, and am just now getting into spinning too (ha! I mean spinning yarn here, not spinning bikes! :D ).

Anyway, the yarns I am spinning (charitably called "novelty" - I don't have even tension yet) are really not suitable for weaving (or at least not for the warp), so I am afraid that I will have to try knitting too!

Does anyone have any recommendations of good books that I could learn from? I can't afford a class right now, so will need to borrow a book from the library. Anybody have a favorite?

Thanks so much... and I apologize if this is too far off topic. :o

[Bikingmomof3]

I took one class, almst 2 decades ago, and it was to knit a gansey. This is my all time favourite book: http://www.amazon.com/Knitting-Ganseys-Beth-Brown-Reinsel/dp/0934026858/sr=8-1/qid=1164130856/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/103-4695875-8749428?ie=UTF8&s=books

[kaybee]

HL, I don't know if you want a book that starts you off with the very basics or something more advanced, but if you do want a very basic, never-knitted-before book, look for "I Can't Believe I'm Knitting," published by Leisure Arts. I picked up a copy at Wal-Mart for about $7, and have seen it in most craft stores. If you don't want or have time to shop, Amazon.com has it. You can also do an internet search for "knitting instructions" and find lots of free instructions.

KB

[Bikingmomof3]

HL,
Here is a free online tutorial that should easily get you started. :)

http://www.knittinghelp.com/knitting/basic_techniques/

[SadieKate]

I posted this last year in another thread. I think the links still work.


Mel, I'd go buy a book or two because you'll want the pictures. You could be downloading and printing out directions forever and ever and ever if you try to do it from the 'net. You can find the info but you have to know what to look for and put it together piecemeal. At least, I would find it frustrating to do it that way.

Here are a few books I'd recommend:

Sally Melville's Knitting Experience Series starting with the Knit Stitch:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1893762130/qid=1138658746/sr=2-1/ref=pd_bbs_b_2_1/002-8364664-3700027?s=books&v=glance&n=283155

Stitch & B**tch has some funky projects
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0761128182/ref=cm_bg_f_2/002-8364664-3700027?v=glance&n=283155

Good basic book by Debbie Bliss with a more traditional theme
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1570761450/sr=1-9/qid=1138658650/ref=pd_bbs_9/002-8364664-3700027?%5Fencoding=UTF8

Of course, a beginner's class at your local shop is great because they'll help you decipher the confusing world of needle size and type, yarn type, gauge, etc., etc., etc.

[KnottedYet]

I had a great book of Bliss's patterns for kids sweaters, and checked out her other books from the library.

[Duck on Wheels]

Yeah, Lisa that tight British and colonial knitting is particularly obvious in the fishing jerseys and guernseys. The wool had to have a wind-breaking effect as well as being warm in the North Sea, the Irish Sea and the Roaring Forties . None of this arty farty loose knitting on big needles that gets you finished quicker. Even the yarn was thin (4 ply at most). I can remember my grandmother thinking my mother was being lazy using Double-knitting (8 Ply) on our jerseys (sweaters) as children.
Oh, Duck-ie ; I have seen that round-your-finger thing. It is soooo inelegant.

Arrgh... this is making my fingers itchy

That wind-breaking effect also comes from getting the garment wet. Wool retains its insulating properties when wet, at least until it's absolutely saturated, and wet wool is denser (i.e. more windproof) than dry. In sports sailing this is used to add weight when you need to counterbalance the boat by leaning out off the gunnels (so long since I've sailed that I've forgotten what that's called). Also, wool that's been repeatedly soaked and then worn wet will also felt, making it denser still (remember that sweater you mistakenly put in the washer or dryer and that came out doll-sized and stiff as a rug?). Or you can knit loose and oversized, then felt the garment down to size. That's what Norwegian fishermen's garments often went through, especially mittens. They're knitted very big and fairly loose, then felted. Multi-colored knitting also makes the fabric denser, since you're running extra yarns along the back between stitches where they're used, and so effectively getting a 2-layered fabric. I have a North-Norway pair of slippers that are bi-color knitted loose, then felted -- very cozy! And then there are the cable and knot patterns that also thicken the fabric -- plus providing an identification key if a drowned body floats ashore. In other words, lots of techniques for staying warm and dry out on the North Sea that are have now become fashion choices because they're also ... dare one say it? ... pretty.

But now it's time to stop dreaming of knitting and get back to work. I have a project proposal deadline looming :eek:

[kaybee]

Thanks for the needle advice, ladies. I've started the shawl using the metal circular needles, and it actually looks like it's supposed to! :eek: I never thought I would be able to do it, but I can. If you're interested, here's a link to the pattern, with a picture:

http://www.pagebypage.com/fiberhug1.php

I'll post a picture of the finished product when it's done (maybe by Christmas).

KB

[Bikingmomof3]

Basketweave is a nice repeat pattern. :) Enjoy the knitting process. It is so relaxing. Please do share a picture when you are finished. I am glad you went with circs. :)