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Knit & Crochet

19K views 208 replies 31 participants last post by  lovely_chooks 
#1 ·
Do you knit or Crochet?

I learned to crochet at a very early age ... 6 or maybe 7 years old. It was what my cousin and I did "down on the farm". She was a few years older than I was but it worked out. :p I remember the nights sitting around the one tv that only picked up 1 station ... lol

(now) I'm rather new to knitting, about 5 years now ... youtube ... :D
 
#2 ·
Guilty!

I learned to knit from my Grandmother when I was very young, maybe 7 or 8. I could never grasp reading the old style directions, but my Grandmother would tell me the number of stitches in a pattern, show me the pattern and I could turn it into many things. I also learned straight, single crochet from an Aunt, but I never learned anymore than back and forth single crochet. I made many afghans with just that, pillows too.

In college a friend taught me the ripple pattern for afghans and double/triple etc. I still never followed directions, I just looked at something and either I could figure it out or not. I also knit all my friends scarves etc. I took classes in clothes construction (I knew the sewing machine, but learned more about the actual repair and creation of clothes patterns), antique embroidery, crewel, teneriffe embroidery, quilt making and weaving. It was a great option since Art appreciation type classes didn't interest me at the time.

After college I really didn't do much, marriage and kids brought me back to quilting and embroidery etc. But I only crocheted the occasional blanket. After my kids were older I decided to finally learn to follow directions and I set out to re teach myself knitting and crochet and I added rug making to that several years ago. My daughter has taken up knitting, mostly scarves, she shows me photos of hats and I try to replicate it.

I can't just do one "thing", I knit when I feel like knitting, I quilt mostly in the winter, I crochet when I want. I'm working on several projects, making yet another hat for the daughter, several scarves for other people, rugs for the stairs because the dog has trouble on the wood. I'm about to finally make curtains for the dining room. I FINALLY found a fabric that I like, it just took 4 years.

I may come back to weaving eventually. I have an idea for a frame for quilting, rug making and weaving in a primitive style. Getting the husband to build it is another story. I may end up taking up wood working next!! :D
 
#6 ·
my mum knits, she's very good at it as well, always amazes me how she can sit there hold a conversation, watch t.v and knit at the same time.
My Grams was like that. :D

(and) I do pretty well at it also ... unless I'm making socks. :p lol

Mamachickof14, my mom does the quilting in our family ... She can turn out some awesome quilts. I on the other hand have made one :eek:.
 
#7 ·
Crocheting has helped with my arthritic hands- being an artist, i can't let my hands get stiff- crocheting helps- when i was little i begged my grandma to teach me, she stalled for a long time- said she couldn't read directions cause she crocheted 'german style' not sure what that is, she finally relented- and no i can't figure out directions either..:eek:

So i am currently doing hats for the grandkids for next Christmas- any other simple projects i might add to that? My daughter has specifically stressed no afghans, so am trying to do simple quick projects
 
#8 ·
I'm working on a afghan for hubby ... Which is now on its second year.

Wool from our sheep ... which I work, spin then crochet. (single basic ;))

I also have some small (quick) project that Im working on.
 
#10 ·
Funny how life gets complicated ... My afghan is a basic single stitch afghan. Not fancy but just a plain jane afghan... other than it was from our sheep. :)
 
#12 ·
i love knitting, i do crochet some but find knitting easier and faster..also LOVE cross stitching..been knitting for about 10 years and still feel like a newbie at it, lol..i want to knit a sweater one day, but the patterns scare me, LOL... what kind of things do ya knit/crochet the most? Myself, its been prayer shawls. i love it, a forum for all the things i love doing, my outdoor hobby and indoor hobbies, yes i believe i will stay here, but first have to figure out how to get notifications from spam to the inbox....
 
#13 ·
I crochet :) I taught myself by watching videos online and getting free magazines from the library. I havnt made a whole lot, just some head bands, winter hat set, a blanket for my oldest DD, some doll clothes for the yonger DD, and a couple animagrumis. Oh and some fash wash clothes. I would like to made an afgan to match my living room but I have been busy with 4-H and havnt gotten the yarn. I also quilt, well I'm a beginner but would like to do more.
 
#14 ·
they have come out with studies that crocheting and knitting can have healthy benefits- besides helping arthritic hands - thats amazing me, i am an artist, and was having issues, started crocheting again and cleared up lot of the stiffness-
Knitting, crochet and other needlework have been found to be an effective way for people to manage stress and depression, and have been especially useful for those in long-term pain management. Pain specialist Monica Baird explains that the action of knitting actually changes brain chemistry, decreasing stress hormones and increasing feel-good serotonin and dopamine.
i thought that was really a nice proof!

I remember being at grammy's house and crocheting, we had just gotten back from collecting shells at the bay, so there i sit trying to figure out a granny square and look over and there are crabs in those shells walking around the table!LOL! so back we went to the bay to set them free!
 
#15 ·
they have come out with studies that crocheting and knitting can have healthy benefits- besides helping arthritic hands - thats amazing me, i am an artist, and was having issues, started crocheting again and cleared up lot of the stiffness-

i thought that was really a nice proof!

I remember being at grammy's house and crocheting, we had just gotten back from collecting shells at the bay, so there i sit trying to figure out a granny square and look over and there are crabs in those shells walking around the table!LOL! so back we went to the bay to set them free!
That's interesting. I can't just do one "thing", so I knit, crochet, hand sew, hand quilt, make rugs, cross stitch and embroidery, pottery, gardening, candles, soap, cake decorating, bread baking......... you get the picture.

I have staved off carpal tunnel all these years I think because I change up what I'm doing through the year. One winter I will crochet and knit back and forth. I will have a project that I work on upstairs and downstairs. That way I'm not always doing the same motion with my hands and wrists. Cake decorating was my main profession and it is very hard on your hands, wrists and elbows.

Rug making is the hardest on my wrists of everything I do. I make old style hooked rugs with wool yarn and a crochet hook, but I'm going to give the punch hook rug style a try (just got the new tool ). I did a crocheted rug runner that looks like a braided rug, but boy was that a b*tch on my wrists. I bought yarn to start another rug ( I loved the first so much) but my wrists needed some rest and therapy after I was done with it. It is 5 strands of worsted yarn held together and it was tough towards the end because it is heavy!! 50 skeins of yarn total.
 
#17 · (Edited)
That's interesting. I can't just do one "thing", so I knit, crochet, hand sew, hand quilt, make rugs, cross stitch and embroidery, pottery, gardening, candles, soap, cake decorating, bread baking......... you get the picture.

I have staved off carpal tunnel all these years I think because I change up what I'm doing through the year. One winter I will crochet and knit back and forth. I will have a project that I work on upstairs and downstairs. That way I'm not always doing the same motion with my hands and wrists. Cake decorating was my main profession and it is very hard on your hands, wrists and elbows.

Rug making is the hardest on my wrists of everything I do. I make old style hooked rugs with wool yarn and a crochet hook, but I'm going to give the punch hook rug style a try (just got the new tool ). I did a crocheted rug runner that looks like a braided rug, but boy was that a b*tch on my wrists. I bought yarn to start another rug ( I loved the first so much) but my wrists needed some rest and therapy after I was done with it. It is 5 strands of worsted yarn held together and it was tough towards the end because it is heavy!! 50 skeins of yarn total.
Variety is the spice of life! :D

I worked 36 hand dipped candles last week.
 
#19 ·
Variety is the spice of life! :D

I worked 36 hand dipped candles last week.
I love dipping candles! I have the set up, I need hubby to help me with a rotating rack so I can sit on a stool and dip. I have been trying out paraffin and beeswax and I love the beeswax tapers, so I'm going to stick with just natural beeswax for now.

There is something meditative and "zen" about dipping, it's mesmerizing. ;)
 
#20 ·
Just bought some yarn today to start on a new afghan :)
I look forward to hearing how it works up. :D

I love dipping candles! I have the set up, I need hubby to help me with a rotating rack so I can sit on a stool and dip. I have been trying out paraffin and beeswax and I love the beeswax tapers, so I'm going to stick with just natural beeswax for now.

There is something meditative and "zen" about dipping, it's mesmerizing. ;)
It is meditative ... The last batch I dipped two different shades of grey. The light grey was more of a silver but they turned out rather nice and something just a little different.

And I agree beeswax is the best.
 
#21 ·
Speaking of afghans.........I bought some yarn on clearance many years ago. It was the "Vanna" brand that I see at all the craft stores. I decided to make a lap afghan and I started making hexagon grannys. Well, once it was lap size I didn't want to work on it anymore because I had been working on the hexs all through my kidney surgery nightmare and working on those hexs brought back the nightmares (I still have nightmares from that time 4 years ago).

So, the yarn and the unfinished afghan etc was wrapped up, put in a box and tucked away with my yarn stash. Fast forward to 4 months ago I came across it while digging for something else and I laid it on my bed and thought that I would make more hexs and turn it into a bedspread. I did measuring and the math and started buying yarn to go with the clearance yarn from all those years ago. I bought too much yarn. I wanted to have a selection of colors and ended up with a LOT of yarn. :p

Then I had the bright idea to make a "scrap" afghan from all the various yarn. One problem is I'm not very good at random. Even things that look random to other people have a distinctive pattern and I wanted this one to be random. It's just a good ole' ripple afghan like everyone makes, but I make every color just one row with a "random" selection of colors. I want it long enough so that my 6'5" hubbie can lay under it and it covers head to toe and I only have about 18-inches left. However, it was supposed to be random and I'm pretty sure there isn't a pattern, but again, I wanted the colors to be throughout, so I ended up buying more yarn so the colors were even. And now I'm almost done, and yes, I still have yarn leftover.

I think it's a curse, you want to "use up your scraps", but you end up never having enough scraps for the project you started and you buy more yarn!!!!!

I am sick and tired of the hexs for now, I have all the colors sewn together and have done three skeins of off white to go between them, and I have many more to go. I think that will be my in progress for next winter. I do like the hexs for traveling. All you have to take with you is a small bag, two skeins of yarn, my hook and scissors. No pattern or book, so they can be worked anywhere. That one is going to look like the "Grandmother's Flower Garden" quilt pattern. Colored hexs sew like a flower head with off white between them. I'll probably make some matching pillows too, since I have plenty of "leftovers".

All that from a couple of clearance skeins of pink yarn!!:rolleyes:
 
#23 ·
Speaking of afghans.........I bought some yarn on clearance many years ago. It was the "Vanna" brand that I see at all the craft stores. I decided to make a lap afghan and I started making hexagon grannys. Well, once it was lap size I didn't want to work on it anymore because I had been working on the hexs all through my kidney surgery nightmare and working on those hexs brought back the nightmares (I still have nightmares from that time 4 years ago).

So, the yarn and the unfinished afghan etc was wrapped up, put in a box and tucked away with my yarn stash. Fast forward to 4 months ago I came across it while digging for something else and I laid it on my bed and thought that I would make more hexs and turn it into a bedspread. I did measuring and the math and started buying yarn to go with the clearance yarn from all those years ago. I bought too much yarn. I wanted to have a selection of colors and ended up with a LOT of yarn. :p

Then I had the bright idea to make a "scrap" afghan from all the various yarn. One problem is I'm not very good at random. Even things that look random to other people have a distinctive pattern and I wanted this one to be random. It's just a good ole' ripple afghan like everyone makes, but I make every color just one row with a "random" selection of colors. I want it long enough so that my 6'5" hubbie can lay under it and it covers head to toe and I only have about 18-inches left. However, it was supposed to be random and I'm pretty sure there isn't a pattern, but again, I wanted the colors to be throughout, so I ended up buying more yarn so the colors were even. And now I'm almost done, and yes, I still have yarn leftover.

I think it's a curse, you want to "use up your scraps", but you end up never having enough scraps for the project you started and you buy more yarn!!!!!

I am sick and tired of the hexs for now, I have all the colors sewn together and have done three skeins of off white to go between them, and I have many more to go. I think that will be my in progress for next winter. I do like the hexs for traveling. All you have to take with you is a small bag, two skeins of yarn, my hook and scissors. No pattern or book, so they can be worked anywhere. That one is going to look like the "Grandmother's Flower Garden" quilt pattern. Colored hexs sew like a flower head with off white between them. I'll probably make some matching pillows too, since I have plenty of "leftovers".

All that from a couple of clearance skeins of pink yarn!!:rolleyes:
Oh ... Do I know the feeling. :D
 
#25 ·
i just discovered continental knitting, been on jury duty, and a lady there was doing it, it is so much like crocheting, i have a new passion!LOL! the yarn is held in the left hand, and you pull it through the stitch like crochet- another week of jury duty ahead- i must say though, it is interesting how the system works, i'll pop in when i get a chance
 
#26 ·
Knitting

My favorite thing to do when I'm not out with my chickens aka. Babies is to knit. I love to knit it's my rescue and antidepressant sometimes when it's been a crazy day, and believe me being a Hospice Nurse I need a refuge. My favorite are ruffle scarfs quick and easy.
 
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