Archive for Downsizer For an ethical approach to consumption
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chickenlady
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What's on your needles?I've become a compulsive knitter - yes I know it's a darn hard habit to break 
It started small...just a teeny tiny mouse for the Cat's Protection...then that wasn't enough..it progressed into a knitted doggy coat for Waggy Tails. Now I find myself knitting a fluffy chick and a couple of owls to follow. I am amassing a huge amount of wool and knitting needles. So much that it's taken over a corner of the room where the cat usually sleeps. (He's not happy about that!).
Is this normal? Will my life ever be the same again I ask myself. Why oh why oh why did I ever start 
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gardening-girl
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If I can`t think of anything else,I knit socks.
I need to have something to knit,its like an addiction.
Feels wrong not to have knitting on the go.
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madcat
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Socks for me. Squares for a blanket. I like to have some knitting and my wool stash is substantial. Then I started spinning so that means fleece. I might disappear under a mountain of fluff.
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gil
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A cowl.
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Mistress Rose
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You might reduce your addiction to manageable proportions Chickenlady. I bought some wool for a jumper over Christmas as I really felt I wanted to knit again. I need to do something with my hands if I watch TV, or sometimes while reading. Have just realised I need to reknit the feet of a pair of socks too, so two projects now on the go.
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Finsky
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| Quote: | So much that it's taken over a corner of the room where the cat usually sleeps. (He's not happy about that!).
Is this normal? Will my life ever be the same again I ask myself. Why oh why oh why did I ever start |
Yes..all that is 'normal' .....for a knitter that is...
 That lovely fluffiness in corner is called STASH...and although essential and usually found in every knitters home, be warned!..it has tendency to GROW and multiply...
I have something on needles all the time and I alternate between spinning wheel and needles depending how I feel each 'crafty' moment.
I'm just doing myself a socks...and then I have plan for little darning before doing another pair of thick 'house' socks.
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oldish chris
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I'm doing a pullover for my son's partner. Its a pattern I've made up, inspired by a quick look at a pattern book in John Lewis's.
It's being made with Aran weight BFL from WYS (30 years in IT means I only speak in TLAs!).
One of the Downsizer wool fanatics put me on to it. (Only Alpaca/Merino blends are better).
This pullover can only be worn when walking their dog in sub-zero temperatures!
I'm slowed down by occasional muscle spasms in the right hand.
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chickenlady
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Oooh...socks - now that's what I called Advanced Knitting. I'm very impressed with anyone who can knit socks .
I'm hoping I might, in time, advance my skills beyond fluffy chicks and squeaky mice.
I do sometimes find that the instructions on some patterns are unnecessarily confusing (to a beginner).
I'm not too keen on the "assembling" bit though. Need a bit of practice on sewing. Used to be scared my sewing teacher at school so I'm blaming her for my lack of finesse in that area.
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Finsky
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| Quote: | | Oooh...socks - now that's what I called Advanced Knitting. I'm very impressed with anyone who can knit socks |
Oh no!...you'll be surprised how easy they actually are 
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mochyn
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Currently a lace scarf for my daughter's partner's mum. There is also an on-going blanket of crocheted hexagons and a cot quilt being sewn...
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oldish chris
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Oooh...socks - now that's what I called Advanced Knitting. I'm very impressed with anyone who can knit socks .
I'm hoping I might, in time, advance my skills beyond fluffy chicks and squeaky mice.
I do sometimes find that the instructions on some patterns are unnecessarily confusing (to a beginner).
I'm not too keen on the "assembling" bit though. Need a bit of practice on sewing. Used to be scared my sewing teacher at school so I'm blaming her for my lack of finesse in that area. | A lot of people are impressed by my knitting, I think "how little you know". My skill set consists of knit, purl, cast on, cast off, increase and decrease. Even limited to only that, I can manage Guernseys and Arans. I would have thought that anyone who can manage fluffy mice and squeaky chicks must be easily skillful enough for a pullover. I largely avoid the sewing bit by knitting "in the round".
The simplest woolly that I have come across is the gansey or Guernsey, here is a possible start point: http://www.ganseys.com/
. I can do it, even though I'm handicapped with a Y chromosome 
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Nicky cigreen
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I've got :
a mohair jumper
left over sock yarn blankie
facecloths from colour change cotton yarn
a mitre block blankie for my son
and socks
actively on the go at the mo - some projects also hybernating.
plus I'm constantly knitting chicken egg cosies for my shop
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BahamaMama
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Cable pattern jumper for himself (Bergere de France pattern - the translation adds some interesting twists....)
Stripy Socks using up all the left over bits from other sock projects (they will be a picture, but certainly not a pair)
Some gloves
Some other stuff
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Mistress Rose
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Chris, my husband can knit too, but hasn't for ages. He was knitting himself a jumper when he was an apprentice and one of the other lads was taking the mickey. Well, it was the late 1960s. Hard nut of the class then said "Oh you knit do you. I knit all my own jumpers". Nice squash for other lad, and nobody was going to argue with that.
Currently I am knitting a jumper and spinning an alpaca fleece. When I have done enough to give a ball of yarn to the donor of the fleece, I want to spin enough to make a Shetland lace scarf. Should look good.
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oldish chris
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Currently I am knitting a jumper and spinning an alpaca fleece. When I have done enough to give a ball of yarn to the donor of the fleece, I want to spin enough to make a Shetland lace scarf. Should look good. |
You show me yours!!
Mistress Rose
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Sorry, it is going rather slowly and I don't tend to take pictures of things like that, nor have I got the hang of putting pictures on forums. One day I might learn, but as I say, I am only partially computer literate.
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lettucewoman
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I'm a winter knitter...mostly hats, cowls, scarves, fingerless mitts..I try and learn a new technique each year (dont always remember them though!)..last year it was different types of cabling...this year various yarn over lacey patterns...still very basic mind...I did write a slouchy beret pattern and a booty pattern...
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Chickem
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I'm knitting hats now too!
After a year of non-creativity I have my crafting mojo back 
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madcat
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Socks still. I'm struggling to find a way of closing toes cos I just don't get how to do kitchener stitch even though I've watched you tube and read all the instructions I still lose the plot.
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wellington womble
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Have you tried a three needle bind off? Much less Faff, I find.
I have Meg's hat, along with two others from willows auction (they're coming guys, I'm drowning in real life!) a jumper for me, which is in time out after I cast on 11 times for the sleeve. Jenna's Christmas socks (yes, last Christmas. Stop laughing!) a scarf which is hibernating because it's boring and I don't like it any more. A lace weight shawl, that isn't proper lace because I don't like knitting it, a cardigan that I think is on holiday because I took it somewhere in the caravan. A handspun scarf of unspeakable tastelessness because it was chosen by a three year old. And of course, The Shawl That Must Not Be Named (yes, I still have it. No , I don't knit on it. But I do take it out and look at it sometimes)
I never have nothing to knit. And about three minutes a day to knit in. Must curb my enthusiasm.
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Ginkotree
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I'm knitting hats now too!
After a year of non-creativity I have my crafting mojo back |
happy that you found your creative mojo again...its horrid when it leaves....
it is reassuring to read of the fluff mountains and to hear that it is normal..I try to disguise mine by making it look nice in wicker baskets etc...then it is part of decor.
I crochet blankies for friends all the time, have done for over thirty years,lots of babies born in that time...never without a knitting project either..making up a cardi with own spun and dyed wool has got a bit heavy for my arms though...felting is also a great past time..vary according to mood and body,,, so even if the mojo does leave ..I have plenty to choose from when it comes back
oldish chris
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Sorry, it is going rather slowly and I don't tend to take pictures of things like that, nor have I got the hang of putting pictures on forums. One day I might learn, but as I say, I am only partially computer literate. |
At the end of the year when I might have finished my project, I'll contact you and we'll see what we can do!
madcat
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I solved the sock toe thing for me by getting to almost done and then doing extra decreases on each round. My big toe is shorter than its neighbour on both feet so the shape I end up with works well.
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astra
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I'm doing a cardigan for my d-i-l but I've gone wrong somewhere and at the moment it's sitting sadly on the needles waiting for me to get the mojo to sort it out 
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oldish chris
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I'm doing a cardigan for my d-i-l but I've gone wrong somewhere and at the moment it's sitting sadly on the needles waiting for me to get the mojo to sort it out |
With me, there is a 30% chance that my first attempt will have to be pulled out, the wool straightened and I have to start again! Wet week-end coming up - get on with it!
astra
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That's what I keep telling myself!
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mochyn
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I've just started a beret for Sasha Kagan.
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