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culpepper

Joined: 16 Dec 2004
Posts: 638
Location: Kent

Posted: Tue Jan 04, 05 9:02 am Post subject:
wow hwh your socks are beautiful ! Ive got to get my knitting books out again!

Mrs Fiddlesticks

Joined: 02 Nov 2004
Posts: 10460

Posted: Tue Jan 04, 05 9:09 am Post subject:
doesn't socks involve 4 needles at once - my mum says she was learning to knit them at junior school in the sensible days when you learn't to knit at school! Actually Fiddlesticks Tim's mum knits lots of her stuff on a circular needle then cuts it up to make cardies and so on. Then there is a different diameter for the sleeves. She does some lovely complicated patterns that way.

hardworkinghippy

Joined: 01 Jan 2005
Posts: 1110
Location: Bourrou South West France

Posted: Tue Jan 04, 05 10:53 am Post subject:

I'm not really a handknitter, I used to always think knitting was for old ladies. It's a real shame because by mum has a lot to teach me on that front and I just blocked it out.

I knit our own wool on simple machines. I'm making socks right now (well I was

) I'll take pics as I go along. They take me about an hour to do if I don't get interrupted.

I made up the pattern for us to these specifications. Warm, tough, don't creep down in wellies and are easy to take off and on. You can also wear them for three or four days and they stay warm and comfortable. (Well some people can!

)

I could also post how to do socks with 4 needles if nobody else can do that. The patterns are fine, but they don't tell you where to put your fingers and thumbs!

HWH

culpepper

Joined: 16 Dec 2004
Posts: 638
Location: Kent

Posted: Tue Jan 04, 05 2:37 pm Post subject:
you can knit socks on 2 needles too but you have to sew them up afterwards. What sort of machine do you use for your socks HWH?

hardworkinghippy

Joined: 01 Jan 2005
Posts: 1110
Location: Bourrou South West France

Posted: Tue Jan 04, 05 2:48 pm Post subject:

Just a simple flat bed that I bought here for £40, I think they are £100 new, but they're asy to find second-hand because people always buy them and never learn to use them.

He! he!

Here's how I make mine.

Hardworkinghippy's pattern for a size 5 (3

pair of socks made on a Singer Chunky machine.

Knit 60 sts in rib
Put 36 onto a chunky machine (fold the rest over as in pic)

Tension 5 knit enough rows to cover a foot and an ankle
Tension 6 add reinforcing wool
Knit two rows
*Push outside needle out on each side
Knit back and forth
Repeat until there are six outside needles
One by one, start pushing the needles back in again

Knit 38 rows
Then repeat* for five needles

Then turn your tension to 2 knit two rows
Turn your tension up again each two rows until it’s back at 6
Knit enough to match the rest of the rib
Turn the work round (for a really professional finish)
Put the rest of the rib on

Do one row at tension 12 then cast off.

Knit up socks by hand.

I hope you can use this.

HWH

Sarah D

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 2584

Posted: Tue Jan 04, 05 3:14 pm Post subject:

Knitting socks is my absolute favourite - a good chance to try out complicated patterns and designs, and use up odds and ends in small projects - you can take your knitting to the pub and in the car when you are working on socks. I'm definitely a Luddite when it comes to knitting, and would no more use a machine than fly through the air. A friend of mine has an industrial sock knitting machine for hire on our LETS scheme - I might have a go one day just out of interest. Let's see if I can get a pic of some of mine up.

Sarah D

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 2584

Posted: Tue Jan 04, 05 3:15 pm Post subject:
Phew, glad that worked. My knitting is better than my computer skills............

wellington womble

Joined: 08 Nov 2004
Posts: 15051
Location: East Midlands

Posted: Tue Jan 04, 05 5:23 pm Post subject:

I think I'm going to knit a whole load of squares, and sew them up to make a patchwork quilt for my cousins baby. That way I get to practise lots of casting on (which seems like the dosi-doe with sticks to me!) and still produce somthing usefull. I'd love to progress to socks and mittens, but I don't think I'm up to them yet!

I went to the library today and found a project for knitting a shopping bag out of carrier bags. I wonder if it would work? (probably not if I did it!)

Sarah D

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 2584

Posted: Tue Jan 04, 05 5:38 pm Post subject:

It does work; I've never done it myself, but it is imminent for me to try for another major project I'm working on. It's a good way of recycling bags, if you get landed with them in the first place. It would be nice to make the patter obsolete, but until then, it gives an extremely hard wearing and strong bag. Might have a go tonight - I found some carrier bags in the alrder; I thought I'd ridded the house of them, but apparently not

I saw an article on it in the magaine of the WI (can't think of the name of the mag at the moment) ; I'm not a member, but a kind friend passes them on for me to read - lots of recipes (usually seasonal) and patterns, and interesting articles on the campaigns they are fighting. By the way......................

tahir

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 45420
Location: Essex

Posted: Tue Jan 04, 05 5:41 pm Post subject:
Always been a fairly radical organisation from what I understand

Sarah D

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 2584

Posted: Tue Jan 04, 05 5:58 pm Post subject:

Quite rightly so. I've always been a huge fan of them - my granny and mother were both members and committee members, so I grew up with them. We had a thriving WRI (Women's Rural Institute, the Scottish version, colloquially known as "The Rural", complete with capital letters...........a formidable group of women).
I'm on the point of joining our local one, as I believe it is vital that organisations like this survive and thrive. They certainly keep abreast of the times and current issues. I think they are wonderful.

hardworkinghippy

Joined: 01 Jan 2005
Posts: 1110
Location: Bourrou South West France

Posted: Tue Jan 04, 05 10:28 pm Post subject:

Your socks are lovely Sarah and I know what you mean about being able to do really creative things. With a machine, but you can make a pair in an hour on a machine and it takes two days by hand!

We're really talking about two different kettles of fish here. Machine is great, but hand is tactile and mobile (and you have to remember what you've done because you make them separately

)

I'm not really a knitter Sarah, not like you. I enjoy doing creative stuff (for us and friends) and making up patterns, and I only learned to knit for profit because I really enjoy keeping Angora goats.

Let's see how you do your socks then!

HWH

Sarah D

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 2584

Posted: Wed Jan 05, 05 8:06 am Post subject:
I'll try and get some pics up today, but will have to start another pair of socks! It'll be a good chance to test out my all new allsinging/dancing camera I got for Christmas as well.............

tahir

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 45420
Location: Essex

Posted: Wed Jan 05, 05 10:24 am Post subject:
This has the makings of a Knitting Basics: Hand vs Machine article, keep posting and then maybe we'll be able to pull out all the important bits and turn it into an article.

hardworkinghippy

Joined: 01 Jan 2005
Posts: 1110
Location: Bourrou South West France

Posted: Wed Jan 05, 05 10:40 am Post subject:
OK Tahir, This is complete your records: The finished sock, brushed to bring out the fuzz of the angora wool on the inside (toe wriggling becomes something approaching heaven ) and on the top above the boots because it looks nice. Sarah, I look forward to your pics. Also to info from anybody else who's doing something knitted or in crochet. HWH

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