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AlanaMarie
New Pal
USA
10 Posts |
 Posted - 07/22/2006 : 3:11:18 PM
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i have been a knitter for over 2 years now, normally working three sometimes four things at once, i have become a master at scarves, thats really all i do, rarely patterns just knit one row, purl the next. i still am at a beginner level, i have made two beanie caps one turned out perfect, one (still unfinished, and about to be un raveled for the second time) is a complete disaster. i love knitting an have taught myself a few things, but i am ready to chalange myself. i want to try a sweater. but i am afraid of how long it will take. if anyone has a pattern or idea. or even advice for bridging that gap between beginner knitter to intermediate knitter.
[IMG]http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y29/alanamarie26/blinkies%20and%20stuff/americangirl_1.gif[/IMG]
[IMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v630/alanabanana/USMC/Sweetheart.gif[/IMG] |
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RoseByAny
Permanent Resident
USA
12598 Posts |
Posted - 07/22/2006 : 3:22:14 PM
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Get Elizabeth Zimmerman's book Knitting Without Tears.
"Choose your friends by their character and your socks by their color. Choosing your socks by their character makes no sense, and choosing your friends by their color is unthinkable."
http://RoseByAny.BlogSpot.Com |
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Mama Cat
Permanent Resident
1223 Posts |
Posted - 07/22/2006 : 3:52:49 PM
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I agree about Zimmerman's book.
Pick out a simple stockinette pullover pattern with a crew neck and dropped shoulders. The only real shaping you'll need to do is a little bit at the neck. Get a pattern using a bulky or heavy worsted weight yarn, and you won't even have much of that.
New skills you will acquire above what you already have:
1) decreasing (which is a pretty simple extension of what you're doing)
2) Seaming
3) picking up stitches (for the neckline) - this is the part that I think would be the trickiest. If you have any trouble with it, I'd recommend a visit to your frinedly local yarn shop for help.
Also become very friendly with http://knittinghelp.com. Even though I've been knitting for many years and have made almost every kind of project there is (except those gorgeous lace shawls - still haven't worked up the nerve for that!), I still find much to learn there. Or do better.
Most patterns also have a rib at the bottom, cuff, and neck, but that's just knit-purl, knit-purl all the way across. You can do that! |
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abt1950
Permanent Resident
3019 Posts |
Posted - 07/22/2006 : 4:52:30 PM
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Yeah, Zimmerman's a good resource. she'll make you feel confident.
If you're afraid of a large project, try doing a child's sweater. They're faster & use the same techniques.
Another idea for confidence-boosting, is to just play around swatching different kinds of stitches--cables, seed stitch, ribs, stuff that involves yarn overs, increases & decreases. Swatching won't teach you actual shaping techniques for a sweater, but figuring out stitch patterns will teach you lots of other stuff. It's also a low-risk form of knitting.
Anne
Knit long and prosper |
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abt1950
Permanent Resident
3019 Posts |
Posted - 07/22/2006 : 4:53:25 PM
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BTW, I meant to add--knitting sweaters isn't rocket science, it just seems like it until you've done one.
Anne
Knit long and prosper |
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yarnmama
Seriously Hooked
880 Posts |
Posted - 07/22/2006 : 6:10:49 PM
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Yeah really, why be scared? It's just knitting. Try something, anything , that you will like and if you make mistakes just rip it and reknit. Easy. It's not so scarey once you step out a little and learn a few new skills.
Catherine Harrison
owner of Knitting Notions:Kettle Dyed yarns, Hardwood yarn swifts and more
http://www.knittingnotionsonline.com |
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grouchywif
Chatty Knitter
243 Posts |
Posted - 07/22/2006 : 6:24:58 PM
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I went from a scarf (only one) straight into a backpack purse and then socks. I had seen a friend knitting socks and was intrigued. The backpack was great. I figured any mistakes would be hidden by the felting, but I didn't make any mistakes, so it worked out fine. It was also a purse....so I wasn't risking screwing up anything majorly time consuming.
Wait, here is the backpack I did: http://www.swakknit.com/miva/merchant.mv?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=SWAK&Product_Code=108KF-7&Category_Code=1-08-KF
Here is another link to a felted backpack/purse that would be pretty easy, it looks like: http://www.carodanfarm.com/shopsite_sc/store/html/product1040.html
A couple of weeks ago, I picked up a book called "100 more afghan squares to knit" by Debbie Abrahams. I think it will be good for trying out new techniques in a small format. I'm assuming there is an original "100 afghan squares to knit" somewhere, but I haven't seen it.
I used "Stich 'n' B.itch" by Debbie Stoller to learn to knit (a year and a half ago)and I use it as a reference when I need to look up a stitch and I also use the website referred to above.
My advice is to just dive on in.  I started my first sweater this week. It's a pretty ambitious pattern, but so far I've gotten through everything I've knitted by knowing how to knit, purl,and blindly follow directions, LOL! Everything is pretty much a variation on knitting and purling and I've learned to just go with the flow and do what the pattern says.
http://haveyarnwilltravel.blogspot.com/ |
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Pinky Yarn
Permanent Resident
USA
1045 Posts |
Posted - 07/22/2006 : 6:40:46 PM
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Go knit a kid's sweater in bulky yarn in a color that you absolutely adore. Then go knit socks, preferably with cables or lace on the cuff. Then you'll be fearless. As other's have stated, it's only yarn. It isn't like other things in life. In knitting, there IS a backspace key. If it doesn't work out try to see what went wrong and then rip out the yarn. There are only two stitches in knitting, the knit and the purl, everything else is a just a variation of that. Have fun! Go dive in something complex that isn't a scarf!
-Katie
The chief lesson I have learned in a long life is that the only way to make a man trustworthy is to trust him; and the surest way to make him untrustworthy is to distrust him and show your distrust.
Henry L. Stimson (1867 - 1950)
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kpc19011
Chatty Knitter
146 Posts |
Posted - 07/22/2006 : 8:00:36 PM
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Knitting something different can sometimes feel overwhelming, but just remember that it's only Knits and Purls...take some time to just read patterns and get a sense of what it's asking you to do...then what you don't know, look up online, go to your LYS for advice or even post your question here on KR. I just finished my first sweater and honestly it dosnt' take long...expecially if you use thick yarn and big needles:)
Kris
SouthSub-Chicago
Just Let Me Finish This Row |
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BLN3320
Permanent Resident
USA
3808 Posts |
Posted - 07/22/2006 : 11:26:48 PM
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Hi, Alana Marie: I am an old lady who has been knitting since I was a no size kid. Have at it. You will never know until you try and if the first attempt doesn't work as you think it should you can always frog it--you know, ripit ripit ripit. Tee hee. In all seriousness though, go for it. Take care. Beverley [:00]
Bev |
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knittingbuzz
Permanent Resident
USA
1122 Posts |
Posted - 07/23/2006 : 03:45:05 AM
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Go for it! The advice given above are excellent sources for information. The most important part is to read the instructions one step at a time, complete that step and then go on to the next one. If you read the instructions like a novel, you'll become overwelmed.
Good luck and just remember you have everyone here to guide you through too.
Krista
"Whether you think you can or whether you think you can't .... you are right."
-Henry Ford |
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Chemcats
Permanent Resident
3337 Posts |
Posted - 07/23/2006 : 07:23:08 AM
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Go for it! Don't be scared, jump in and do it. Couple of things to keep in mind, find a simple pattern that you really like and want to wear. Because it will take a lot of time so you don't want to get so bored you quit. Another thing, be patient with yourself! This will be something new for you to do, so don't expect speed and perfection. Be kind to yourself.
Meribeth |
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KL
Permanent Resident
6041 Posts |
Posted - 07/23/2006 : 07:25:47 AM
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| Try on of Diane Soucy's KNTTING PURE AND SIMPLE patterns- she has a great top- down patters for either a child or adult. KL |
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kbshee
Permanent Resident
USA
4130 Posts |
Posted - 07/23/2006 : 07:40:12 AM
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Yes, try a top down pattern or something like 'soleil' from knitty...a sweater knit in one piece with a few seams here and there.
kim in oregon
http://kbshee.blogspot.com |
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dschmidt
Permanent Resident
3920 Posts |
Posted - 07/23/2006 : 11:35:57 AM
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The baby sweater idea is the one I use when I teach friends to knit because you do all the things you'd do for an adult sweater but it is smaller, cheaper, and faster. Also if your gauge ends up being off, it is not discouraging because it will fit some baby somewhere.
Donna in VA |
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laparente@yahoo.com
Chatty Knitter
246 Posts |
Posted - 07/23/2006 : 11:49:59 AM
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| I get scared too. To get over it, I take classes. I made two sweaters before I took a sweater class -- one got frogged, the other is OK, although kinda a funny shape. I took a class, and it really helped my confidance. Plus the sweater I made in that class is quite nice. |
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goldiegirl
Seriously Hooked
611 Posts |
Posted - 07/23/2006 : 4:06:23 PM
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See if your local library has the book "Knitting Simple Sweaters from Luxurious Yarns" - here's a link
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/157990744X/sr=1-1/qid=1153695581/ref=pd_bbs_1/103-0307454-6332653?ie=UTF8&s=books
The first sweater I made was the Ribbon Sweater from this book, but many of the designs have the same formula - rectangles (read: no shaping) for the front and back. The sleeves have some shaping, so you will learn increasing and decreasing, as well as seaming when it is time to put the four pieces together.
I also agree with the Knitting Pure and Simple Patterns, the second sweater I made was the Fitted Cardigan #241, which I love! The directions are slightly more complicated then those in the book I mentioned above, but not much!
Bottom line is, don't be afraid of knitting, enjoy it! If something doesn't work out, get help or if all else fails, rip it out and start again.
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Medea
Chatty Knitter
334 Posts |
Posted - 07/23/2006 : 9:56:40 PM
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I'm still working on my first sweater -- which is this one:
http://knitandtonic.typepad.com/knitandtonic/2005/12/the_somewhat_co.html
I started teaching myself to knit last autumn and learned mostly from books and online, with a little help from my mom when I went home for Christmas vacation. I started with scarves and wristbands and a hat (way too big), but like you I wanted to challenge myself.
To "warm up" for the sweater, I made this:
http://peonyknits.blogspot.com/2005/11/anthropologie-inspired-capelet-fo-and.html
It is really like a shrunken cardigan and was simple but I got to practice some more sweater skills. It gave me courage. I think doing a baby sweater would accomplish the same thing, except I am glad I made something I could keep since I don't have a baby..
It's scary, but try it! I learn more with everything I knit. It's never perfect, but even if I have to frog it all at least I'm learning. I chose a sweater knit top-down with no seaming because I wanted to be able to finish without sewing pieces together this time. And I chose a "written out" pattern because I decided that I didn't want to practice reading a chart on my very first sweater (don't want to give myself any more chance for error than necessary). But pick a pattern that looks good to you and give it a shot.
Good luck!
Jenny
I'm teaching myself to knit. Pictures of my (simple) projects are at http://www.flickr.com/photos/jsphotos |
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knits_for_preemies
Permanent Resident
USA
1957 Posts |
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Scootergirl
Warming Up
85 Posts |
Posted - 07/24/2006 : 04:22:09 AM
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There's a great pattern for a knit "jumper" in Salley Melvilles book The Knit Stitch - really simple construction with a simple knit/purl pattern. I think it's an excellent first sweater as there is very little shaping. And you can even make the childs size first.
Jewelry for your Fiber!
My Shawl Pins and Markers
Http://scottsmountaincrafts.etsy.com |
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knits_for_preemies
Permanent Resident
USA
1957 Posts |
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i'm scared
Barbara
