Posted by stella on 2008-03-19 03:18:05
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it sounds like you might want a longer and heavier spindle.
spindles for fine yarns are designed for yarns that are more like 15-20 wraps per inch. people who spin hundreds of yards in one spindle-full are probably spinning very fine yarns. if your yarn is 1/8-1/16 inch wide, it is probably more like 8-12 wraps per inch, which is a bulky yarn. this website has some info on measuring handspun: http://www.spinderellas.com/patterns/yarnchart.html
7 inches is also pretty short for a spindle, and shorter spindles tend to wobble more. if your problem is that the spindle starts to wobble as it fills, i would suspect that the problem isn't the hook, but that you might want to invest in a longer spindle.
as for joining yarn... you never need knots.untwist the ends you want to join a little so that the singles yarn is fluffy and open, overlap them, and twist them back together. you can put a little water or spit on your palms and rub the join between them to make it stronger. this join isn't strong enough for warp yarn, though.
Posted by goddesshanna on 2006-12-27 16:09:48
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cables show up best on yarn with good stitch definition. generally a good smooth wool yarn shows them off best. don't worry about using a bulky yarn, it'll look just as good but big. you definitely want to consider your yarn when you get a cable needle since they come in all sorts of materials (and shapes) and metal might be too slippery and fall out.
Posted by anthrogirl on 2006-11-26 18:31:12
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There are many yarns like that. Sometimes it's marketed as 'bulky' yarn. Some yarn has actual slubs (little fluffy pieces) in it. I'm afraid that unless you're more specific (color? brand?) it would be hard to identify it.
Posted by peppermint on 2004-07-30 20:37:05
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The pattern found in Stich 'n' Bitch is my favorite of all the ones I've seen. Plus it's designed to be knitted with bulky yarn, so it shouldn't take long to make.
Posted by Nancy Flynn on 2005-01-12 13:21:18
Post Subject: newborn baby hat sizing
So, I'm making some "one hour baby booties" for a shower I'm going to, and want to make a hat to match them, with the same bulky yarn. I'm comfortable just winging it with my dpns, but wondered if anyone had guidence about the circumfrence and depth of a newborn baby's head (so i know how many to cast on, and when to start decreasing!). any advice would be appreciated!
Posted by craftytricks on 2005-01-19 11:34:59
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I can't find any references to back this up, but I would guess it has something to do with the combination of knitting mills and fishing towns in Connecticut back in colonial times. Stockings used to be knitted with bulky yarn, so perhaps a resemblance to fishnets earned them their name.
Posted by RobertaN on 2006-08-18 23:18:31
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I don't have problem with purling either. I learned to knit in October last year and everybody said I am natural knitter. My first project, a scarf, was in garter stitch and came out perfect. Then I made one scarf in stockinet stitch and another one in rib stitch, just to practice different stiches, and they look grate. Since then I have made few more scarfs, couple of hats, sweater for my son, sweater for my dog, summer top for me. Right now I am knitting another summer top for me.
I made beautiful scarf for my husband in very interesting stitch. It is very easy to knit. Maybe someone wants to try it. It would be grate present for Christmas.
Cast on 21 sts. Work in pattern st as follows:
Row 1: (WS) *K1, p1; repeat from * to last st, end k1.
Row 2: Knit.
Repeat these 2 rows until there is just enough yarn left for binding off (about 1 yard , ending with Row 1. Bind off all sts loosely as if to knit. Weave in ends.
The scarf should be 7" by 50". Knitting needles size 11. The pattern calls for cashmere yarn, but you know how expencive cashmere yarns are, so I just used soft bulky yarn.
I knit with aluminium needles. My first pair was size 10 aluminium needles, and for every project I would buy whatever size the pattern calls for. It is true that the stitches can slide off sometimes. I own one pair of plastic needles and I like them better, but it would be too costly now to replace all the aluminium needles that I already have. I have never tried knitting with wooden needles but I have heard that the bamboo needles are the best.
Posted by yardenxanthe on 2005-09-14 18:19:29
Post Subject: Something useful to knit/crochet with bulky yarn
I got some nice really bulky yarn for $3 a skein (I have 2 skeins each of 2 different colors) at JoAnn and I would like to make something, but I don't really want to make scarves or hats.
Ideally, the project I choose will be a gift for someone (or someones) at the holidays. Nobody on my gift list needs scarves or hats (they're fun, but nobody lives in cold enough weather to actually use them).
So do you have any suggestions? I can knit and crochet, but I think I'd prefer crochet.
The yarn is about as thick as a skinny dreadlock, so I was thinking it would be fun to make some yarn dreadlock falls, but honestly I don't think anyone on my list would use those.
Posted by sarabell on 2005-09-18 12:13:32
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A couple of questions, first, how big do you make the squares on the checkerboard pattern?
Also, If you do a ribbed scarf, how do you do the edges?
the square size doesn't matter - make them however big or small as you like. you might want a lot of little squares or a a few big ones - it really depends on your yarn. if you're using a heavily textured or bulky yarn, bigger squares tend to have a nicer effect. a fine yarn makes for nice small squares.
you can do this with any number of stitches depending on the desired size of the square. let's say 4 stitches wide. do a swatch to see how many rows will equal the width of 4 stitches (it's usually more rows.) do that many rows tall. let's say it is 6 rows and the total width of the scarf is 32 stitches. so the pattern would be as follows:
please note that this is off the top of my head and may or may not work size-wise for your yarn, or an actual scarf. do that swatch to determine how wide you want the scarf & how big you want your squares!
cast on 32 sts (with needles 1 or 2 sizes smaller than needles you will be working with.)
row 1: knit 4, purl 4, repeat to end of row
row 2: purl 4, knit 4, repeat to end of row
repeat to row 6
row 7: purl 4, knit 4, repeat to end of row
row 8: knit 4, purl 4, repeat to end of row
repeat to row 12
alternate every other 6 rows. (or however many you choose!)
let me know if this doesn't make sense!
when i do a ribbed scarf with wide rows, i haven't had much problem with curling. with skinny ones, i kind of liked the curled effect. if you want it flatter, try doing a seed stitch along the edges. (k1,p1,k1, next row k1,p1,k1. don't alternate like you would a rib use more or less stitches as desired. just do a test swatch.....)
ditto if that doesn't make sense, either..... and feel free to send me a PM if you get stuck anywhere.