First Meeting of the Forest Hill Knitters and Crocheters

I had a great time yesterday knitting in Forest Hill Library with new and old friends.



There was a real range of knitting experience from complete beginners to very experienced. Some people stopped to ask if we were meeting again so we decided to meet again next month.



Next meeting - Saturday 18th July 2009, 12-2pm. Forest Hill Library, SE23

Free Knitting Pattern Sites

I have trawled the world wide web and below is a list of the best sites I have found for free knitting patterns, please, if you know of any more let me know.

For groovy modern patterns try Magnits and Knitty, both are magazine style sites that email monthly newsletters.

For patterns of everything from jumpers to intestines there is Knitting Pattern Central and Lion Brand also have loads of patterns and also how to knit instructions.

I have just come across The Thrifty Knitter who has all sorts cool patterns including ones for one ball knits. I got the pattern for this shrug from the Thrifty Knitter site and it's lovely.

Scarves

So, you have your needles, wool, instructions. What do you do next?
Knit Scarves.
That's this years Christmas presents sorted.
Scarves are great.
All you need is 2 or 3 balls, the band on the wool tells you what size needles you need.
Cast on 20 stitches and off you go.
Knit each each row (that's called garter stitch).
If you knit one row then purl the next (that's stocking stitch) your scalf will curl up.
I like knitting with chunky wool and 7mm or bigger needles because it's a lot quicker, I get bored and want to get onto the next lovely wool I have brought.

Next........

Ok, you want to knit.
You need some things, again ask around.
Really all you need are a pair of needles and some wool, but scissors and a bag to keep it all in are handy.
Instructions are also good. People teaching you are great but when you are on your own and it's a bit late to ring and ask 'which is the right side? the flat side or the bobberly side?'
If you are reading this then you must know one end of a computer from another and there are millions of sites to find help and intrustions.
The best site I have found for clear printable instructions is the National Knitting Week site.
Another great place are knitting magazines, some of the patterns look a bit scary and you might not want to knit anything thats in then but they usually contain instructions, wool reviews and lot's of ads for patterns, yarn and websites. My favorite magazine is Simply Knitting, I can be found hovering in the newsagents when it's due out. I am also slightly ashamed to admit that I have also brought a back copy on ebay because I missed one and there was a pattern in it I wanted.

In the beginning

The best way to learn how to knit is to find someone to teach you. Ask around, it's amazing how many people can knit and most are all willing to help.

I learnt, like a lot of people, when I was small, we had a sponsored knit at school so my mum taught me. I wasn't very good, what was meant to be a square turned into a very lopsided dish cloth looking thing.

So I gave up and didn't try again for about 20 years.

Again my mum showed me how, I had to get her to cast on and again it was very lopsided, I lost and gained stitches. It was also very boring so I gave up again.
Until Novemeber 2005............

A friend at work showed me this wool that she had just brought from Dianne's Knitting Yarns and it was the start of my obsession.



(Sirdar - New Fizz in Garnet)