After my last blog entry I recieved several people that wanted to know about how I learned (relearned) to knit. So I thought I would pass on the youtube videos I watched and the workshop I took for the socks.
The first thing to learn is to cast on stitches onto your needles. Here is the link for the youtube video on doing a continental method of casting on.
Then it was on to learning the knit stitch. Here is the link for the youtube video on doing a knit stitch the continental method.
Then the last one I relearned was the purl stitch. Here is the link for the youtube video on doing the purl stitch the continental method.
The workshop I took was from Kathy at Herbal Maid Fiber Farm. She sends out a newsletter once a month and she gives workshops online every month. They are different every month, but all the ones I have taken have been wonderful!! Her directions are very clear and she answers all questions. If you send her an email requesting to be put on her newsletter list you can recieve her newsletter monthly and know what workshops she has coming up. She has two workshops in January. One is how to knit and/or crochet a sweater for baby goats. I took this class last year and was able to make several crocheted ones for my angora kids. They are very easy and fun to make. Would also make great dog sweaters. The second workshop she is having this month is how to knit mittens. This is something I want to learn as well so I will be taking this one. Would love to see familiar faces in the class.
You can email her here.
Good knitting!
Hope to see some of you in 'class'.
If you know anyone interested in any of this, please pass it on.
Thursday, December 30, 2010
Monday, December 27, 2010
Hand knitted wool socks!
I took an online workshop on knitting some simple socks. I really was not sure I would be able to knit them since it has been 20 plus years since I knitted anything.
I ordered my double pointed needles (wondering what double point meant!) And when they arrived in a set of 5 I was at a total loss and thought for sure I had gotten over my head, but I had already paid for the workshop so I thought I better atleast try.
Well the workshop started and she started right away talking about casting on, knit, and purl. That was all that we needed to know to be able to knit these socks. ONLY!! ha! I spent the next couple of days on you-tube trying to refresh my memory of what these terms where again. Thank goodness for you-tube!! For anyone that wants to learn to knit there are some really good videos on youtube. I was able to catch up to the rest of the 'class' fairly quickly.
We started off with just a tube sock and since I was not confident at all about my knitting skills I decided to do them in some cheap acrylic yarn from Wal-mart. I knitted and knitted, around and around for what seemed like forever! Most everyone else was finished with theirs and the teacher was moving onto the heeled socks. Luckily, the needle size was different for the heeled socks and I needed to go buy them.
So as I was getting the needles I went ahead and picked up some wool yarn as well. I was feeling fairly confident about my knitting skills by this time and thought I would risk the extra money on wool yarn. I got started on the heeled sock and I am absolutely in love with wool!! It is so much softer to work with than acrylic! And it made the knitting sooo much easier.
Two weeks later here is the result!!
I think I am hooked on knitting socks!! They are soooo incredible warm and so much softer than wool socks I have ever bought from a store.
Now I just need to practice my spinning so I can spin up my own sock yarns. I am thinking shetland and mohair or icelandic and mohair. Or maybe even straight icelandic wool!
I am currently working on a pair for my husband and then it is onto another pair or two for me. Since I work outdoors year round these would be great at keeping me warm!
I ordered my double pointed needles (wondering what double point meant!) And when they arrived in a set of 5 I was at a total loss and thought for sure I had gotten over my head, but I had already paid for the workshop so I thought I better atleast try.
Well the workshop started and she started right away talking about casting on, knit, and purl. That was all that we needed to know to be able to knit these socks. ONLY!! ha! I spent the next couple of days on you-tube trying to refresh my memory of what these terms where again. Thank goodness for you-tube!! For anyone that wants to learn to knit there are some really good videos on youtube. I was able to catch up to the rest of the 'class' fairly quickly.
We started off with just a tube sock and since I was not confident at all about my knitting skills I decided to do them in some cheap acrylic yarn from Wal-mart. I knitted and knitted, around and around for what seemed like forever! Most everyone else was finished with theirs and the teacher was moving onto the heeled socks. Luckily, the needle size was different for the heeled socks and I needed to go buy them.
So as I was getting the needles I went ahead and picked up some wool yarn as well. I was feeling fairly confident about my knitting skills by this time and thought I would risk the extra money on wool yarn. I got started on the heeled sock and I am absolutely in love with wool!! It is so much softer to work with than acrylic! And it made the knitting sooo much easier.
Two weeks later here is the result!!
I think I am hooked on knitting socks!! They are soooo incredible warm and so much softer than wool socks I have ever bought from a store.
Now I just need to practice my spinning so I can spin up my own sock yarns. I am thinking shetland and mohair or icelandic and mohair. Or maybe even straight icelandic wool!
I am currently working on a pair for my husband and then it is onto another pair or two for me. Since I work outdoors year round these would be great at keeping me warm!
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