(¯`*•. Yarn Crafters Chat June 29 - July 5, 2008 ¸.•*´¯)

Thought I would go ahead and open the room for  morning.  Today (Sat.) I finishd sewing up the burp clothes and blanket for my grandson's shower. I will be going there tomorrow with my 11 year old granddaughter... I don't like to drive... so pray for me!!!  lol... 

Anyway,,I finished up the blanket.  Held my new granddaughter for a couple of hours!  lol.. DGD and I went out to dinner and split a salad... then home to watch Snow Buddies and have a root beer float! :)  DH is on a bike run and will be home late tomorrow....I am waiting for my clothes to finish washing... late thinking here... so I can hang them to dry and wear tomorrow...

Ok.... off to hang them up and to bed.... 

Nighters! 

Marcia, go to bed, young lady   :)   Wait, I'm on the east coast, so I should be in bed too   :)    Fell asleep on the couch watching Tim play a video game and thought I'd check out the board before I went to bed    :)     Will send you good thoughts tomorrow on your drive, enjoy the shower!


I'm 99% done a cute baby cardigan, but I'm frustrated because I can't figure out how to "pick up and knit".     The instructions are as clear as mud, and I can't leave the sweater with the unfinished edge because it's not attractive  :(  

This is the pattern:

http://www.lionbrand.com/patterns/70301AD.html

I'm on the last step under finishing...  Pick up and knit, blah blah, then pick up and knit, blah blah...   LOL

Anyone have a good site that shows clearly how to do this?  I really appreciate any help! 

Jolene - I might be really wrong about this, but if I was doing those instructions - I think I would just go along the end and pull up the correct number of stitches.  Just slip the needle through or under the loop of yarn for that stitch.  I'll check back later - off to our search and rescue practice exercise.

Betty

Thanks for the advice Betty!   I just don't get the visual of it....   Where they want you to knit is up one side, across the back, then down the other side...   Do I put ALL the stitches on the needle at once, then knit them?    That would seem to stretch the sweater all out of shape.   But if I pick them up in the increments they give, then I'm facing the wrong direction to pick up the next set, aren't I?       Boy, I feel silly that I can't figure this out, my mom is no help (she only crochets) and the person who taught me to knit (my Gram) is gone   :(

Good luck on your exercise, sounds very interesting!

JMartinelli13:

 I just don't get the visual of it....   Where they want you to knit is up one side, across the back, then down the other side...   Do I put ALL the stitches on the needle at once, then knit them?  

Jolene ... try this website.. hopefully it will hel..

knit tutorial 

When you pick up stitches, you are adding knit stitches to an existing work in order to expand the work.

Why would you pick up stitches?  A few good reasons:

• To lengthen or add embellishment to a knitted piece that has been completed
• To add sleeves at an armhole
• To add a neckband
• To add a button hole
• To add edging or knitting to non-knitted items
• To work in a "mosaic knitting" technique

One thing you should consider when picking up stitches - especially when following pattern instructions.  There is a difference between the instructions "Pick up stitches" and "Pick up and knit stitches".

• Picking up Stitches:  Place existing loops onto your needle.  You will treat them as knit stitches and follow knitting instructions to work them in a following row.  These loops can be existing knitting stitches, crochet stitches, hairpin lace loops - any loop that can fit on your knitting needle.
• Picking up and Knitting Stitches:  Bring a loop of yarn through a hole as if to knit and place it on your needle so that you can knit or purl it later.  This hole can be an existing stitch somewhere within your knitted work, at the bound-off edge of your work or along the side of your knitted work.  You are not limited to picking up stitches in knitting:  If you can pass a loop through it, you can pick up a stitch in it.

To pick up and knit stitches along cast on / bind off edge of work:

	Step 1:  Examine the structure of the fabric.  By picking up stitches, you will be extending the structure of the stitches that are already there.  This means, you are looking for the V's to identify adjacent stitches, since when you create a stitch, the bottom of the stitch is "V" in shape with the top being round.
	Step 2:  Stitches are typically picked up from the RS (Right Side) of the work.  Hold your yarn to the back of the knitted fabric, insert your needle through the opening of the "V" of the stitch in the row just below the bound-off or cast on edge, wrap your yarn around the needle as if to knit and pull a loop through onto your needle.
	Appearance of a completed row of picked up stitches along the cast on/bound off edge of knitted work.

To pick up and knit stitches along side of knitted work...

Note:  When picking up stitches along the side of knitted work, you must keep in mind that the row gauge and the stitch gauge are different:  A stitch is typically wider than it is high.  Because of this, you will typically not pick up a stitch in each row:  You will skip a row every so often.  Unless your pattern specifies a gauge for you to use when picking up stitches along the side, pick up stitches in 3 out of every 4 rows.
	Step 1: With RS of the work facing, insert the needle between 2 purl bars, one stitch from the edge.  If working along a straight edge, take care to pick up stitches in the same line of stitches in order to keep a neat appearance. If picking up stitches along an edge with decreases, such as a V-neck, take care to consistently pick up stitches one stitch from the edge to hide the jagged shaped edge.
	Appearance of a completed row of picked up stitches along the side of knitted work.

To pick up and knit  stitches in hairpin lace:

	Step 1:  With the RS of the hairpin lace work facing (strips do not have a RS or WS, but once joined, the RS will be specified), insert your needle in an untwisted loop.  Hold yarn to back of work. Wrap yarn around needle as if to knit and pull up a loop.
	Step 3:  Appearance of a completed row of picked up stitches in hairpin lace work.

To pick up stitches along a row of knitted work:

	Step 1:  Examine the structure of the fabric.  Identify adjacent stitches by searching for the "V", and then identify the front of the stitch which lies to the right of the "V".
	Step 2:  Moving your needle from right to left, slip the front of the stitch on to your needle.

Marcia, that's an awesome site, thank you!  Shows me exactly how to pick them up!   What I don't get is the mechanics of how they have it written...    Gah, I am not making sense.    Let me see if I can grab that part:

From RS, pick up and k53 sts along Right Front edge, 16 sts across Back neck and 53 sts down Left Front edge - 122 sts.

So at this point I should have 122 stitches on my needle, which is basically the whole sweater contorted into a weird shape, right?     LOL      Then it says

Knit 2 rows. Bind off.       



I know is is probably so simple but if I play with the edge too many times it's going to become a stretched out mess   :(


Thank you again for your help   :)

Hi Everyone

Glad you girls could help with the knitting problem.

Marcia hope you had a good time at the shower today. Glad you got in holding time with your new granddaughter and sounds like you got in some quality time with another granddaughter.

Kathy I hope you saw my post on last weeks about your yarn.

Trying to play catch up with housework today so I goofed off yesterday and went shopping.

Hope everyone is having a great Sunday. Jeanette

Jolene, go to the Lions Brand pattern site you posted; at the bottom beneath the pattern there is a link "Learn to Knit" click on that then go to #26 and it explains with illustrations.  You pick up one stitch at a time with your left needle then knit it with the right as you would normally, then you pick up the next stitch and knit etc.  You'll do that for whatever # of stitches called for in the pattern.  Good luck

Good morning!    Looks like it's going to be a beautiful day here today, we managed to squeeze in some swimming at my parents yesterday in between 2 storms    :)   

Thanks again to Marcia and K8R, I'm going to tackle finishing up that sweater tonight after Jake is in bed    :)   I always make things more complicated than I need to     LOL    :)   

Waving to Jeanette, did you get your housework caught up?    Monday is always my catch up day.     With DH and DS home all weekend, it usually gets messed up right after I clean it, so I tidy, but save the big stuff for weekdays   :)

Wishing everyone a good day!

Good morning all!  I did have a wonderful time at the shoer... Sterling is growing and we are all so blessed...

Here is a scrubbie that Jeanette made.  I have seen directions for these and have not made them.  I am going to have to get on the ball and make them.  This looks GREAT, Jeanette and like it would be tremendously useful!!!!

Hi I am so glad Marcia got to the shower and had a great time.

Yes I did get my housework caught up some. I work all week so weekends is the only chance I have to catch up. And my DH and DGS and DGD turn around and make it a mess again.

 I finally got my garden weeded. It was terrible we had all that rain and I havne't been able to be in it for about three weeks.

Jolene Hopefully you have success with your project. It can be frustrating sometimes when you don't understand directions. Been there and done that.

Well just took a short break from work. End of my fiscal year today so busy busy. Have a great evening all. Jeanette

Guess I have been busy  the past 2 days...............finally dried up enough so I could mow the lawn & get trimming & weeding done!

Graduation party Saturday nite..........

Thrift Store  this morning to price toy donations & rag-out maturnity clothes.  We got in some older Fisher Price toy sets.............my kids used to have them.  The School House with all the desks/playground items  & magnetic letters; the Farm with Silo & farm animals, tractor & fence; the Airport with luggage & carts/ snack bar tables & chairs & the large airplane With 4 passengers............bunch of wooden little people that I divided up to each set.   Also lots of wooden blocks............ & an old "pound-a-peg & hammer" !Gosh! memories!!

Janette.............you got TOH e-mail

I did not see the scrubbie...........but did see how to do Jolene's knitting [ lol ]; so glad she got the help she needed!

Marcia: glad you have a great time at the showers & with grandkids.............still haven't seen mine since school got out except walking on the street with her friend BO.....Did talk to her on the phone as I wondered if she had a Precious Moments LION as there is one at the thrift store.............she does have one!

Off to finish  lavender hat; took a break from sweater............also going to check that tincat craft site.

Have a good nite! 

 Howdy Yarn Crafters!

Geez but I hope this goes through! It takes forever for this site to load, then just as I get started on something it decides to start loading all over again. At least it allowed me to get this far this time! LOL

Jeanette, thank you so much for the mitten pattern! What a neat surprise when Daniel came back from th PO and there was an envelope from you! I'm looking forward to giving them a try before the colder weather hits again.

Jolene, the first time I tried picking up and knitting stitches I didn't have a clue what I was doing! First I tried picking them up and putting them all on a needle. That was entertaing to say the least. Let me tell you, those stitches get mighty tight towards the end, then on top of that the pattern said to make several stitches while knitting the first row. Uh-huh! Like that was going to happen! LOL Then I found the site Marcia posted. That worked for me, although it seemed unnatural. The next time I found instructions more like what K8R posted and that works really well for me. I think one or the other is fine, just depends on the individual knitter. Hope you're able to get it all figured out.

Marcia, so glad you're able to spend time with your Grandbabies! Children are such a blessing!

My PC has been acting up big time. I never know for sure when I'll be able to post at any given site, or even if some sites will recognize me from one day to the next, but I will try to get here more often. Fortunately, I rarely have problems with my Blog (although it does happen on occasion) so I am able to post there on a fairly regular basis. One of the benefits of having my own blog is I can have it set up so it's not so graphic intense so I, and others stuck in the same boat as us, on dial-up with no broadband available for the foreseeable future can access it, and it will load relatively quickly. Maybe not quite so pretty as some, but what can I say? LOL Anyway... On to knitting!

I'm almost finished with the front part of Nathan's summer shirt, the one I'm designing myself. I decided at the last minute to add a placket, a new technique for me, as well as the button holes, another new thing for me. The placket has been shaped, as well as the neckline shaping, etc, and it's been bound off. Now I just need to go back and knit the placket in, sew it up the sides, then do the sleeves, finish the neckline, and sew it all up. I'm a bit nervous about the placket but think it'll work out okay, so for the most part I'm just excited about finishing my very first original design. It may be simple but it's all mine! LOL

I'll try to return tomorrow and spend more time going through the posts from the last couple weeks, get all caught up on what's going on with everyone. Hope to be back on a more regular basis. I really miss visiting with you all! 

  Hi everyone!!!!!!!!!!        

Ta da!!   Thanks again to Marcia and K8R for the links that helped me finish this little cardigan.  It's not perfect, and I sure won't make another one, but I didn't want to leave it unfinished   :)   Feel a little lost without a new project lined up, I may go back to the baby hoodie pattern. 

Bad tstorms headed this way this afternoon, shame since we had such a nice morning.   Hope everyone is having a good day!