Knit or Crochet or Cross Stitch or... ~ FSU's Crafting Circle

[cruisin]

The instructions didn't call for interfacing the sleeve facings but I think they should have, because they just won't stay put. Luckily I have extra fabric, so I'm just going to start the facings again from scratch. *grumble, grumble*

Ooo! Sewing. That, I'm good at. But, there are virtually no fabric stores around here anymore. And the stores that carry some fabrics, carry crap. I used to make all of my daughter's party and holiday dresses, halloween costumes for both kids. But, now I wouldn't even know where to look for the materials. Just finding a place to buy thread is a pain.

crusin, have you ever checked out Interweave Crochet magazine? They have fantastic sweater patterns and also there's great ones over at Bev's Country Cottage. Not to mention great free patterns in just about anything and everything both crocheting and knitting over there.

I had a little trouble finding sweaters on that site, last night. But, I will try again, now that I'm rested .

I've done some jewelry making, too. I love bead magazines. I like doing peyote stitch beading. And loom beading.

[Holley Calmes]

I've become a needlepoint fanatic. I could not learn to knit to save my life, and I've tried many times. I think I have ADD. But needlepoint is like painting with thread, kind of. There's a picture or pattern I can see more easily.

I'm working on a canvas right now that's a portion of a Gustave Klimt painting. It's very swirley and Art Nouveau. Ehrman Tapestries has a whole line of Klimt designs. They're beautiful! I already have my eye on the next one....

Here's a finished look at what I'm working on now. Only one more color left to do!

http://www.ehrmantapestry.com/Produc...Jade__GKL.aspx

[cruisin]

Beautiful, Holley!

[emason]

I've become a needlepoint fanatic. I could not learn to knit to save my life, and I've tried many times. I think I have ADD. But needlepoint is like painting with thread, kind of. There's a picture or pattern I can see more easily.

I'm working on a canvas right now that's a portion of a Gustave Klimt painting. It's very swirley and Art Nouveau. Ehrman Tapestries has a whole line of Klimt designs. They're beautiful! I already have my eye on the next one....

Here's a finished look at what I'm working on now. Only one more color left to do!

http://www.ehrmantapestry.com/Produc...Jade__GKL.aspx

I love the Ehrman site - so much eye candy.

[Holley Calmes]

I want ALL of them!!!!

[skatesindreams]

Holley, the pillow is gorgeous!

I've tried all kinds of needlecrafts.
The only one I'm really good at is knitting.
I particularly love lace patterns.

[Holley Calmes]

Holley, the pillow is gorgeous!

I've tried all kinds of needlecrafts.
The only one I'm really good at is knitting.
I particularly love lace patterns.

I envy you being able to knit! I'm helpless.

Do you make those adorable long scarves that look like many lace doilies interlocked? I hope that describes them enough. I have a friend who makes them and they are really pretty-I have several.

[cruisin]

I envy you being able to knit! I'm helpless.

Do you make those adorable long scarves that look like many lace doilies interlocked? I hope that describes them enough. I have a friend who makes them and they are really pretty-I have several.

Can you crochet? You can make lacy looking scarves in crochet.

[Holley Calmes]

Nobody's ever tried to teach me to crochet.....my grandmother used to do it, but I guess teaching me was never a priority. I'd be willing to try. But I'm warning ya....if I can't knit, I doubt I'd pick up crochet either. Are they alike?

[skatefan]

Next will probably be my wedding

That's beautiful Anita, I'm going to show it to my future daughter in law as I'm sure she would love it.

The Baby Set I'm knitting right now came from over there. Speaking of that pattern... Baby Set to fit 4-5 lb Baby

Aw, that is so cute, I love knitting tiny matinee coats and bootees

Here's a finished look at what I'm working on now. Only one more color left to do!
http://www.ehrmantapestry.com/Produc...Jade__GKL.aspx

What a wonderful design.
I wish I hadn't seen it though as it's something I would love to make but must not give in to temptation

[Anita18]

Nobody's ever tried to teach me to crochet.....my grandmother used to do it, but I guess teaching me was never a priority. I'd be willing to try. But I'm warning ya....if I can't knit, I doubt I'd pick up crochet either. Are they alike?

Not really. Crochet is more flexible since you're only working with one loop at a time. Knitting has a lot of active loops, and requires good planning ahead, as well as keeping track of the loops so they don't slip off the needles. Crocheting uses a hook, so it's harder to lose your one loop.

I know a bunch of people who can crochet but haven't learned to knit. I learned crochet first but now prefer knitting. At the very least, crocheting is easier to learn because you only have one loop and all.

[kwanfan1818]

Here's a finished look at what I'm working on now. Only one more color left to do!

http://www.ehrmantapestry.com/Produc...Jade__GKL.aspx

Gorgeous!

Nobody's ever tried to teach me to crochet.....my grandmother used to do it, but I guess teaching me was never a priority. I'd be willing to try. But I'm warning ya....if I can't knit, I doubt I'd pick up crochet either. Are they alike?

My grandmother used to crochet little things using a small needle and un-dyed cotton yarn as a nervous habit, but she didn't (couldn't, really) teach me either.

I find the two very different. I think knitting is easier for me, because while there are places where stitches are picked up from the edge -- entrelac uses this all a lot -- much like in crocheting, they are relatively rare, and although you can "make" (increase) a stitch from in between stitches you've already knitted, most of the increases and decreases are done on the needle and are easy to follow. I can never track where I'm supposed to pick up stitches in crocheting, and my rare attempts end up with silly shapes.

There are so many instructional videos on YouTube that if I want to see something demonstrated, I just poke around until I find one. I learned to do brioche knitting from a woman from Germany (her English versions) via YouTube.

For ideas, the Ravelry site is a great one. You can browse or search patterns for knitting and crocheting, and advanced search will filter them by whether they are free, knit vs. crochet, type, photo, size, yarn weight, etc.

Lace knitting, which is I think what you're thinking of, looks intimidating, but most of it is actually easy. The great thing about knitting and crocheting is that it's so slow, one stitch at a time, unlike sewing, where you can step on the pedal and suddenly a sleeve is attached to a dress hem. Here are some examples:
http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/libr...n-lace-scarf-2
http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/lace-scarf-7
http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/libr...on-lana-grossa

This is a very simple scarf that doesn't quite look like lace, but uses lace techniques:
http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/libr...stitch-scarf-2

The "holes" are made by yarn-overs (YO), which is just wrapping the yarn around the working/right needle once, and then dropping it off the needle on the way back.

The trick to knitting lace is to follow the pattern. It's easy to look up anything that you'd find in a pattern on the internet, and chances are 99.99% you'll find at least a handful of videos to demonstrate.

[skatesindreams]

I envy you being able to knit! I'm helpless.

Do you make those adorable long scarves that look like many lace doilies interlocked? I hope that describes them enough..

This is my "bible" for lace patterns:
http://www.amazon.com/Knitting-Scrib...ef=pd_sxp_f_pt

I use them as inspiration for making shawls, sweaters, afghans, etc.
Ms, Walker started a renewed interest in/craze for knitting in the 1960's and 1970's when she modernized many techniques for doing complex patterns in all types of knitting.

[kwanfan1818]

This is my "bible" for lace patterns:
http://www.amazon.com/Knitting-Scrib...ef=pd_sxp_f_pt

Thank you so much for this!

I've used this book not only for socks, but for lace knitting in general:
http://www.amazon.com/Knitted-Socks-...ocks+east+west

and right now amazon.com is selling it for under $10, a real bargain.

[skatesindreams]

Does anyone have any experience with the designs in this book:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00...o_cart_title_1

[AragornElessar]

I had a little trouble finding sweaters on that site, last night. But, I will try again, now that I'm rested .

Check out the Winter section of Bev's site. That's where the non Baby Sweater patterns are.

I've become a needlepoint fanatic. I could not learn to knit to save my life, and I've tried many times. I think I have ADD. But needlepoint is like painting with thread, kind of. There's a picture or pattern I can see more easily.

I'm working on a canvas right now that's a portion of a Gustave Klimt painting. It's very swirley and Art Nouveau. Ehrman Tapestries has a whole line of Klimt designs. They're beautiful! I already have my eye on the next one....

Here's a finished look at what I'm working on now. Only one more color left to do!

http://www.ehrmantapestry.com/Produc...Jade__GKL.aspx

You know what FSU needs? A jaw dropping smilie for times just like this. That is *gorgeous*!!

I envy you being able to knit! I'm helpless.

Do you make those adorable long scarves that look like many lace doilies interlocked? I hope that describes them enough. I have a friend who makes them and they are really pretty-I have several.

I made some of those for Christmas presents last year. They look so hard, but are really incredably easy to do. You're actually knitting or crocheting w/a skein of lace, not yarn and you make your stitches in the spaces of the "ladder" border of the top of the lace. That's what creates that ruffled look to the scarfs.

I actually found those easier to make than the scarves I made w/Red Heart's Pom Pom yarn. Once I got the hang of it, I was fine, but getting the blasted things started?

Aw, that is so cute, I love knitting tiny matinee coats and bootees

Thanks and I finished the knitting of the sweater last night. Now I have to sew up the sleeves and then sew them to the armholes, darn in the various tails and then sew on the buttons and the sweater's done!! I did start the hat last night and have two more go rounds of the pattern before I start knitting the crown of it. After that comes the booties.

It really is such a pretty pattern and I really like how it's turned out so far.

[kwanfan1818]

I made some of those for Christmas presents last year. They look so hard, but are really incredably easy to do. You're actually knitting or crocheting w/a skein of lace, not yarn and you make your stitches in the spaces of the "ladder" border of the top of the lace. That's what creates that ruffled look to the scarfs.

Now I know what you and Holley are talking about! On my way to Ottawa after GPF last year, I sat next to a woman who was knitting one of those. I looked at the skein of yarn, and thought, , but then I watched her at it not only looked easy to make, but it was beautiful.

[Anita18]

Oh, I forgot my first pair of socks! I don't foresee myself making a whole lot of socks in the future, since they usually take a beating, but this pair we sent over to France to my friend battling cancer. My bf put it on to test the size, since he has the same size feet. and he LOVED how the yarn felt, so I might be making one more pair with the same kind of yarn for him.

[kwanfan1818]

Oh, cozy!

[Anita18]

Oh yes, another note about knitting - the size of your project directly correlates to the length of your needles, because they have to hold the entire active row. Knitting an adult-size blanket is quite a feat, unless you have several sets of interchangeable circular needles and have connected all of the cords together. You also have to hold the weight of the project either in your hands (straight needles) or on your lap (circular needles). Which is probably why you see mostly crocheted afghans instead of knitted ones.

I decided not to burden myself without making sure I had the right size of circular needles for a project - I splurged on Denise Interchangeable Needles and never looked back. It's really great being able to switch cord lengths in the middle of a project and not curse about having circular needles that turned out to be too short. (For one, I couldn't have done this crazy baby blanket project with anything else! 19" and 12" cords connected!)

I even knit straight patterns with it, since the circular setup means you aren't holding the weight of the project on your wrists. I think I still prefer knitting because there's more to hold on to. The beginning of a crochet project makes my hands sore because there's barely anything to hold, whereas in knitting you always have the two needles at the very least.

Just adding another thing to the crochet vs knitting debate.