Knitting from a pattern, easiest?

[Wick'n'Wax]

So..........I'm half way through the scarf, and really got the hang of this knitting lark, I really enjoy it.

I can cast on and knit, haven't tried purl yet. So I'm thinking would be great to make something from a pattern, but I've seen some my mum has and they are written in alien, surely, all abbreviations and numbers lol.

Do you have to go on a course or have an 'ology to read one of these things.

What would you suggest would be the simplist thing to try first to knit from a pattern?

[airforcewife]

most of the patterns have a glossery of what all the abreavitions(sp?) mean. but if not i use google when i don't know what a stitch is or means.

[airforcewife]

and for a pattern a hat is easy, scarf, and most handbags are very straight forward

[Late Night]

They do look alien don't they? They usually look harder than they are. Really all you just have to know the name of the stitch and how to do it. For example:

Row 1 K2 P4 K2 P5 K3 P4

Just means to knit the first 2 stitches then Purl the next 4 then knit the next 2 stitches...etc.

Row 2 K2 P4 K2(tog) K across

Means knit the first 2 stitches then Purl the next 4 stitches then knit the next 2 stitches together and knit the rest of the stitches.

I haven't knitted for years and I wasn't very good at it when I did. Oh and I just made up those rows up there! They don't really make anything.

[Wick'n'Wax]

aah, thanks xx

Right, just need to find myself a hat pattern. I want a beanie one for my daughter.

Is it possible to knit things likes flowers to sew onto the hat?

Will have a look in my local shop tomorrow

[Wick'n'Wax]

so...can I just check something please?

Row 2 Knit increasing 10 sts evenly across the row Repeat rows 1 & 2 twice more for a total of 91 sts

Row 7 K1, *P9, K1, * repeat from * to * to end of row

Does that mean

Row 2 I'm unsure how you increase by 10 sts?

Row 7 knit 1 sts, purl 9 stitches, knit 1 stitch, then purl 9 knit 1 until you get to the last stitch?

I found a pattern online lol although think I'd rather have the paper version

[doris]

Row 2, increasing 10 st evenly across row: if you have, for ex 100 st, you would divide 100 by 10 (the # of increase st) and get 10, and then do an increase on the 10th st. You can either knit into the front AND the back loop of the 10th st, or pick up the loop between the 10th & 11th st, put it on your left needle, and knit into the back of that for your increase st. You want to increase evenly across the row, otherwise you will get a bulge if you increase all in one place.

Row 7 - you've got it.

Resources:knittinghelp.com - this has how to videos and all sorts of stuff, as well as a forum.

knittingpatterncentral.com - gazillions of patterns from all over

knitty.com - there's a hat for kids on here called, I think, flower power that's a sort of a beanie with a flower on a stalk over it - really cute.

[Wick'n'Wax]

thanks for the links, just having a look.

I got a pattern today for a hat, lady said it was the easiest she had, and some arm thickness needles mega chunky wool.

Although its for my 6yr old daughter, I can't get hats to fit, so have to do a womans size I think. My dad calls her bullet bonce lol

9-14year old hats are too small for her, mind you in clothes, she in 8-9year old bottoms and 9-10yr old tops, she was 10lb 7oz born, so shes never gonna be little

Nervous but excited about starting a pattern now, need a practice on purl first and to finish the scarf.

[Wick'n'Wax]

I PURLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLED I only went and did it, yee hahhhhhhh lol.

I watched a video and it took me ages lol, just couldn't spot what she was doing. Got it now though, although I'm struggling at the end.

I've done all that scarf in 25 stitches wide, done 3 rows of purl and suddenly got 28 stitches

[doris]

Sometimes people get an extra loop of yarn on the needle, and then they knit into this on the next row, and end up with an extra stitch. Look at each row when you finish it. If the stitiches on the needles look like l l l l l l l you should be fine; if you have this l l l / l l / l l l you have extra yarn loops. they can just be dropped off the needle if you're not too fussy.

I don't crochet for that reason. I never knew where to stick the hook, and ended up with a scarf that varied drastically in width from row to row. Never had that problem with knitting, however...

[Wick'n'Wax]

thanks Doris,

well when I tried to knit the scarf in the feather wool, i ended up with that many extra stitches my mum reckoned it was a sleeve lol.

[Wick'n'Wax]

I'm going wrong somewhere with this purling. I'm getting one extra stitch on each row.

I think its the first stitch I do, I'm fine after the first one, (although the last stitch seems to be more than one joined together!)

I've looked at a site calling knittinghelp that has videos on, but I just can't catch her first stitch.

Anyone know of any other knitting videos of purling where I can clearly see the first and possibly last stitch?

If not, think I'll just keep knitting till I see my mum on monday. I wanted to make up the scarf with several rows of knit and several of purl.

I'm dying to try the pattern and make the hat, but I need to get this purling down first

thanks xx

[doris]

I ALWAYS, regardless of what it is, knit the first stitch. If I'm making a scarf or shawl, I slip the last stitch with yarn in front. (Put the yarn in front of your knitting like you're going to purl, but just slip the stitich instead). This will give you a sort of braid going up the scarf. If I'm knitting something which will be sewn together, like a sweater, I knit the first and last stitch. This will give you little bobbley things on the side, which can then be matched up when you sew. For simplicity's sake, maybe try knitting the first and last stitch, and see if your problem goes away.

[Wick'n'Wax]

ooh thats excellent advice, thanks Doris xx