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Knitting basics. And I mean basics!!

Wed 17-Oct-12
10:01 am

Ruthdigs

Devon

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Help please!! Some basic questions...

I got 2 50g balls of yarn from the charity shop. (Something called 'Floating Soul' by Four seasons Grundl.) On the label they have a diagram showing a representation of a 10x10cm square with '14 R' on the vertical side - I presume this means Rows? On the horizontal side it has '8 M' - what does this mean please?

It also has a pic of needles with '8' - I'm hoping this means size 8 that is 4mm as that's what I also got in the charity shop. Does this seem likely?

I want to try this hat. It says to use 'worsted weight' yarn - what's that? Would the above stuff work? It's 5-6mm wide but soft and compactable.

Would anyone with experience be able to look at the pattern (I so nearly wrote recipe then! big_laugh ) and give me an idea of how much yarn you'd need for the hat. Although I don't want so much brim.

I also have a single 100g ball of 'Craft Cotton' with no other info on the label at all. The thread seems to be 3mm wide. Would this be suitable for that hat pattern?

That's it for now... Sorry - it's a bit of a list isn't it? I'm sure I'll have more inane queries soon too! All new to me!! what_the_heck wave

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Wed 17-Oct-12
10:10 am

Hattie

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Hi Ruth, how are you doing? Sorry I am not much use on the yarn front but Googled UK knitting terms & came up with this site.....which might be useful until a real knitting expert comes on to answer your questions.

Good luck & big_hug big_hug

"The beautiful is as useful as the useful...perhaps more so."

from Les Miserables

Wed 17-Oct-12
11:38 am

Toffeeapple

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Ruth, Worsted weight is between Double Knitting yarn and Aran weight. The abbreviation M will be for stitch - a tension square measuring 10 x 10cms uses rows and stitches to make the square. Do make one, that is the way to get things to fit.

Is this the yarn that you have? It has only 41 metres to each 50grm ball and I wonder if that will be enough to complete the hat. I think that the needles size would be 8mm which seem to be right for that thickness of yarn, which looks like a chunky to me, 4mm needles would be right for a finer yarn.

Why not join Ravelry, you have a whole host of ways to find a hat to suit your yarn. No need to be scared of signing up - Jean and I are both members and nothing has ever gone wrong.

Good luck and I hope that you are healing nicely?

I'll try that again!

Wed 17-Oct-12
12:03 pm

Ruthdigs

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Toffeeapple said:

Ruth, Worsted weight is between Double Knitting yarn and Aran weight.

Hi TA. Thank you for your answers.

That is the yarn I have, but in grey. I have the wrong needles then - damn! I did wonder but there seems to be at least 3 sizing conventions commonly used so for a beginner like me it's a minefield! doh I'll have to go back to the shop - slowly! Healing but it's taking a while so still hobbling 3x as slow as normal. aargh

Re the quote - er - how to put this - so what's Double Knitting and Aran weight like then??! big_laugh Think I'd better look up the site Hattie found - Hattie, what was the link?

Thanks both. big_hug

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Wed 17-Oct-12
12:16 pm

Toffeeapple

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Oh dear, you did make me giggle Ruth, you need to go to a yarn shop and ask them about different yarn weight and metres of said yarn in each ball. Handle the yarns, get used to the weight of them. If you try to always work in metric measures, things become clear more easily. Also check out if the yarn is hand-wash only or if it can be washed in a machine. I take it that you know how to cast on and off and can knit and purl? If not, ask at the yarn shop, they might even have a group that you can join where people will give you all the help that you need. I wish I were closer - we could start our own group, I need to start knitting again.

I'll try that again!

Wed 17-Oct-12
12:18 pm

Toffeeapple

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Jean is more of an expert than I am and still knits regularly, so I expect she will be able to give you even more advice when she arrives.

I'll try that again!

Wed 17-Oct-12
12:25 pm

Hattie

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sorry Ruth, that is the 2nd time lately that I have forgotten to add the link........ doh

Here it is.

"The beautiful is as useful as the useful...perhaps more so."

from Les Miserables

Wed 17-Oct-12
12:28 pm

Toffeeapple

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Thanks Hattie!

Ruth, you will see Bind Off on that site - read Cast Off, at least that is what I was taught to call it when I learned to knit in 1950!

I'll try that again!

Wed 17-Oct-12
12:35 pm

Ruthdigs

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Toffeeapple said:

I take it that you know how to cast on and off and can knit and purl?

Er - 1 of the 4.... big_laugh Hence that hat being the basic garter stitch. Which I actually prefer the look of tbh as well as it being all I know how to do - so far!! Hmm - perhaps I should start with a scarf instead...except I don't need one of those. roll_eyes

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Wed 17-Oct-12
12:43 pm

Toffeeapple

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Another place to find help is on YouTube and possibly VideoJug. I should think that the hat will be within your capabilities, try it!

I'll try that again!

Wed 17-Oct-12
1:26 pm

Hattie

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Here's a page of how to knit videos on Videojug.....even I might be able to follow these (I can crochet but haven't knitted for years).

"The beautiful is as useful as the useful...perhaps more so."

from Les Miserables

Wed 17-Oct-12
1:54 pm

Toffeeapple

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Ah, thank goodness, Jean is here!

I'll try that again!

Wed 17-Oct-12
2:21 pm

Gottaknit

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First of all, don't try to knit the hat with the craft cotton. I mean it! It is a swine to knit with since it has no spring in it. People use it to knit dishcloths with. I reckon life is too short and there are so many nicer things to knit with. Since you are a beginner, it could put you off for life.

I 'm not entirely confident about your chances of getting the hat out of that yarn - that kind of chunky yarn doesn't go very far, but if you were to join Ravelry, you might be able to find a pattern for the yarn you have got. As TA said, Worsted is an American thickness, and between our DK and Aran and the needles you have are suitable for either Worsted or DK. So you will either have to change the needle size or the wool.

After a bit of searching:

Here is a free downloadable pattern on Ravelry, for a hat in similar thickness of yarn - and you would have enough for it. Sorry, it has some purl stitches in it - but not at the very beginning, so you could work towards learning that as you go along - sort of like Key Stage 2 ! You will have to get larger needles if you want to use that yarn. Don't worry too much about the "gauge" numbers (tension square, or that pretty little diagram with squares) - with hats, the fit is nowhere near so critical as in neat little jumpers. Basically, if you can pull it onto your head, and it doesn't blow off, it fits.

I'd second the suggestions for finding demonstrations of techniques - I've got loads of books, but that is not a lot of help to you!

Good luck, and get ra wave velling!

Shut up, I'm counting

http://jeanfromcornwall.blogspot.co.uk/

Wed 17-Oct-12
2:29 pm

Gottaknit

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Few more thoughts:

If you see a European language, everything is liable to be in mm and that includes the needle sizes. (As on the information TA tracked down.)

American needle sizes and yarn thicknesses equate to nothing this side of the Atlantic.

Most needles available in charity shops are likely to be numbered in the UK sizes, or as they are otherwise know, the Old Lady Scale. You should be able to find a conversion chart on Ravelry.

wave

Shut up, I'm counting

http://jeanfromcornwall.blogspot.co.uk/

Wed 17-Oct-12
2:42 pm

Toffeeapple

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Thanks for your advice Jean. Ruth, here is a needle size comparison chart for you.

I'll try that again!

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