Calling all knitters!

[Ataradrac]

So there's a thread (haha!) for crochet, there ought to be one for knitting.

What do you knit? How long have you been knitting? Do you have any good links to free patterns? (Please don't post copyrighted patterns here kthx! ) What are you currently working on?

I've been knitting on and off for about two years. Most of my finished objects have been stuffed animals, like this Clydesdale. I'm also working on a huge, complicated afghan done in mosiac stitch. (It's a 12 block afghan, and a picture of the first block is here.) Should be nice and warm when it's done, but - man - it's taking forever!

I am planning on knitting my first sweater this fall (Top Secret from Knitty a few years ago), finish up the pair of socks I started last winter (whoa), and maybe knit a bit more on the Dr. Who scarf I'm making for my husband.

So. How about you?

 

[HappyMomof4]

I've been knitting for 4 years. I've made a baby outfit, a scarf, and 2 sweaters. I think knitting is so soothing and relaxing. And it feels great to see someone wear what I made!

I can sympathize with your block afghan (very pretty - so detailed). The one I crocheted took me 9 years to finish! But I'm (finally) proud of it.

Stuffed animals sounds pretty cool. Did you do circular knitting using the double-pointed needles? I did that once and found it frustrating. Clydesdale is so cute!

 

[Ataradrac]

I'm knitting the second in a pair of socks using double-pointed needles. It was VERY frustrating at first - I almost poked myself in the eye a few times! It was like trying to hold an angry hedgehog. Eventually I got the hang of it. I also made a hat that was knitting in the round. That gave me the confidence to try the socks.

The animals I knit are actually knit flat and then sewn together, though. For instance, here is the Clydesdale before I assembled it. Four legs, two body panels, one head, and two little ears. ^.^

 

[HappyMomof4]

Maybe I'll try something small like the stuffed horse you did. I'm cleaning out the basement and found a huge box of yarn, but I'm just not interested in doing a huge project.

Socks might be good...I tried that once and they were coming out so thick they looked like leg warmers!

I haven't found a lot of good free patterns (the socks were a freebie online) but the library here has lots of books full of all different types of things.

 

[pimorton]

I am a man and I have been knitting since February, 1976. I had seen a sweater pattern that I knew my sister would love, so I asked my mother to teach me how to knit so I could make it for her.We were watching the winter Olympics at the time, and while Franz Klamer of Austria was winning the downhill skiing gold medal, my mother was teaching em how to knit.
She ended up making the sweater for my sister, but I have knit my share of sweaters myself. The first Christmas gift I ever gave the woman who would become my wife was a very heavy sweater that she continues to wear when it gets very cold out. At about that same time I had a sweater she really liked, so I copied it for her (simple brown sweater with two horizontal white stripes, so it was easy for a relative beginner).
Later she liked wearing sweater vests, but she couldn't find any she liked in the stores. I asked her what she was looking for. She described and I designed a vest with a front panel that had cables on either side of a field of seed stitch. She could not convince the women at work it was not from a high end department store until she showed them the hand-embroidered label ("Sew Domestic/ Made with 100% love". She was always saying to me, "You're so domestic.")
In high school I knit myself a green sweater I could wear on St. Patrick's Day. I've knit several other sweaters for my wife, a baby layette set for my brother's son, a couple of pairs of mittens, hats and scarves for teddy bears we use to decorate for Christmas, and finger beanies in orange and brown when the Cleveland Browns were going to the playoffs every year and losing to the Denver Broncos.
Sadly, my oldest son is 13 and my youngest, a daughter, is four, and I have never knit anything for any of my four children. In fact, that layette set (pants, sweater, hat, and booties) is probably the last time I've picked up the needles. About October every year I think about picking them up again, but I just can't find anything I want to knit at that time. Maybe this year.

 

[caednkat]

I actualy taught myself to knit about 2 years ago.
So far I have made a ton of scarves and 3 baby blankets.
I am working on some fuzzy scarves to sell at my Aunt's store in AL right now. (Alabama and Auburn scarves, ie blue/orange and red/white). I am also knitting a poncho for my daughter.
I plan on trying my hand a sweater soon.

Mandi

 

[Ataradrac]

I'm working on a poncho right now, too. Once I get a little further I'll post some photos of it.

 

[whatseekye]

We were watching the winter Olympics at the time, and while Franz Klamer of Austria was winning the downhill skiing gold medal, my mother was teaching em how to knit.

Wow! What a great story! I am totally impressed with your being open to learning the wonderful craft of knitting. I just started learning last year from my grandmother. It's so good to learn from a loved one. The neat thing is that if you were to start knitting again, perhaps one of your children might take an interest in it and then you could continue the intergenerational knitting in your family. Ponchos and shawls are very fashionable right now. Perhaps you could make one for one of your daughters or your wife. Let me know if I can do anything to help reanimate your urge to knit. I am constantly finding great patterns on the internet. Also, since you are a seasoned knitter somewhat, perhaps you could get a kick out of visiting a small knitting shop and buy some of the wonderful new yarns that are out. There are some wonderful yarns like manos del uruguay and noro kureyon. The variegateds these days are incredible!

 

[whatseekye]

It was like trying to hold an angry hedgehog.

That is so funny! I was frustrated at first too but I forced myself to stick with it and learn to knit in the round using double pointed needles. I was having trouble finding a 16" circular needle, so I just focused on learning how to handle myself with double pointed needles. The good thing is that you can knit tiny circular things this way, such as itsy bitsy socks for babies or tiny cuffs for a baby sweater.