It's a Tension thing..... (Knitting)

Member Name: Sally3

Product:	Knitting
Date:	18/04/04 (738 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Anyone can do it, Relieves stress, Cheap

Disadvantages: Can be addictive!

It’s official – knitting is now the cool thing to be doing, and as an experienced and enthusiastic hand knitter, I am chuffed to bits to see the resurgence of interest in this traditional craft.

There have been several news reports in recent months highlighting the growing cult. It’s especially popular amongst students (both women and men), and many groups meet up nationwide in pubs, coffee bars and even on public transport, to share their enthusiasm. Even celebrities are getting in on the act (which I guess helps the “cool” factor!) – David Arquette and Julia Roberts are just two examples.

I thought I’d try and share my own passion about knitting with you, and if you’ve never tried it before I hope to encourage you to give it a go, and join us trend-setters! If you’re more experienced, why not share your skills with others and teach them how to knit too? You could also develop your own skills and experiment with designing – maybe with the help of some knitting software.

Later, I’ll talk a bit about the basic materials for hand knitting and how to get started if you’re a beginner. I’ll also point you towards some useful books and web sites to check out.


My Knitting
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I learnt from my mum when I was about 5 and sporadically produced rather misshapen scarves and doll’s clothes until my late teens. Then I discovered a “How To…” book in a charity shop. After reading that book, I realised why all my stuff had not quite fitted right, had shrunk in the wash or had just looked plain naff. I learnt a few basic techniques and from then on was hooked. I produced jumpers, jackets, hats, scarves and toys for family, friends and later, my own children.

About 10 years ago, I wa
s looking for a way to earn a bit of extra dosh and realised I could turn my hobby into a commodity. I found myself designing and knitting up garments on commission – all my work was from word-of-mouth. It’s a very labour intensive way to earn a few pounds, but I loved the satisfaction of producing unique garments. I haven’t done any paid work for a few years as I just don’t have the time anymore. Now, it’s purely for fun!

For me, knitting is the ultimate in creativity. There are so many yarns, fabrics, colours and stitch patterns to work with, and it’s wonderful to let my imagination loose on them all. I get a real kick out of touching and working with the yarns – it’s somehow therapeutic, and I adore going into wool shops and looking at the vast arrays of colours available.


Yarn
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Yarn is the stuff that’s turned into knitted fabric by using a pair of knitting needles to make stitches. It comes in a massive range of fibres, thickness, styles and colours. Anything that can be made into a strand of yarn can be knitted. Prices vary hugely too. You can get very basic wool from Poundstretcher for a few pence or you can try the designer yarns which can cost over £5 for a ball. Charity shops are a good source of cheap yarn.

Yarn always carries a ball band. This is a wrapping which gives important information to make sure you buy the correct yarn for your garment:

 The fibre composition – eg. pure wool, cotton, silk, linen, acrylic, mohair, alpaca. Washing instructions are also given.

 Thickness (or weight) –fine yarns are called 3-ply or 4-ply, average weights are Double Knit (DK) and heavier yarns are Arran/Chunky.

 Colour – a dye number is given which relates to the basic col
our. If you’re buying several balls, you should make sure that they all the carry the same “lot” number too – this means they have been dyed with exactly the same strength of dye in the factory or mill. If you buy different lot numbers you could have slightly odd shades all over your garment!

 Tension – this tells you how many stitches and how many rows will produce a square of 10cm with that particular yarn. Needle size is suggested on the ball band, but you may need to go up or down a size to get it spot on. Getting this right before you start your garment is the absolute *crucial* thing that means the difference between success and failure! Get your tension right and you’ll save yourself a hell of a lot of…well, tension!


Needles
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These are the long pins that you use to work your yarn into fabric. In the UK, these are measured in mm diameter. Generally, the thinner the needle, the thinner the yarn you should be using. Usually, needles are straight, but more experienced knitters will frequently use circular or double-pointed needles.

Needles come in a range of materials – bamboo, wood, plastic, steel and alloy. They all work fine and I have no particular preference.


Patterns
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To turn your yarn into an item of beauty, you’ll need to follow a pattern. These can be quite daunting to a beginner – the abbreviations are like another language, eg. K2tog, yf, KB1, yf, sl1, K1, psso, [K1, P1] 3 times….etc etc. But honestly, they are very straightforward, and every pattern will explain abbreviations.


Other Materials
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You’ll also need other things to hand, like scissors, a tape measure, a wool needle for sewing up, and pins with large plastic heads for pinning
out your work prior to pressing it. You may need buttons or elastic or ribbon to complete garments - again, your pattern will explain any materials you might need.


Instructions for Beginners
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For a couple of quid, you can have a go at knitting to see if you think it’ll appeal to you:

Get a pair of 4mm needles and some Double Knit (DK) yarn – a charity shop might sell these for a few pence. Make sure the yarn is wool, acrylic or a mix of the two, as it holds its shape well when you’re learning.

Go to www.vogueknitting.com and click on the Tech page. There you’ll see some clear pictures of the basic stitches and how to work them. Following the diagrams, do the following:

Cast on 20 stitches.
Knit about 30 rows, or until the work looks square.
Cast (bind) off.

Now make another square:

Cast on 20 stitches.
Knit 1 row.
Purl 1 row.
Carry on in this pattern for about 24 rows or until the work looks square.
Cast (bind) off.

Make several of these squares to practice, and you’ll soon develop an even look to your knitting.

Happy with that?

OK – now you can shell out a bit more and buy a “How To…” book for beginners. There are tons around – check out amazon or ebay. Most popular at the moment (though not the cheapest) are “Stitch ‘n’ Bitch” (USA), and the Debbie Bliss “Step-by-Step…” guides.

Have a look at the following web sites for information, inspiration, tips, knitting circles, yarns and so-on:

www.knitting.about.com
www.knitting-and-crochet-guild.org.uk (Through this site you can buy a Learn To Knit pack with all y
ou need to start, for £2.50.)
www.ukhandknitting.com

For the more experienced knitters, have a look at the Rowan site. If you’ve never worked with these gorgeous (but expensive!) yarns before, you’re in for a treat. You can find them at www.knitrowan.com

And finally, if you want to have a go at designing your own patterns, there are various software applications you can use to help you. The “knitting.about” site I mentioned above has a list of the most popular, and reviews them too.

Go on …..Give it a Go!!
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So, what are you waiting for? Knitting is good for you! It relieves stress, reduces boredom and satisfies your creative urge. It can be very useful as a distraction if you’re trying to give up smoking or lose weight too! And it’s portable, cheap and an ice-breaker on trains!

But most of all, it’s just a lot of fun!

Happy Knitting!!

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