furball Posted March 28, 2006 Share Posted March 28, 2006 Hi i am starting knitting again after 10 years, do you get a neater edge by casting on all the stitches and then knitting into the back of them. Or is it better to knit into the back of them as you cast them on. Thanks in advance Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popcorn Posted March 28, 2006 Share Posted March 28, 2006 well Furball, I find by knitting into the back of the stitch as you cast on gives a tighter edge. Mine always come out loopy though What you knitting Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
furball Posted March 28, 2006 Author Share Posted March 28, 2006 A poncho for my 1 yr old daughter. Bought some fab wool about 6 months ago and decided i am going to have to do something to pass time before eglu gets here. Its the loopy edge i am trying to avoid Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popcorn Posted March 28, 2006 Share Posted March 28, 2006 Yes, you are best to cast on in the back of the stitch then to avoid the loops. I'm left handed and find it more difficult, but I';m sure yours will be fine. Trish is your best bet for knitting advice - she's the expert round these parts and what she doesn't know isn't worth knowing A poncho sounds good. You'll have to post some pics when you've finished. I started a cardigan ages ago, got annoyed with the cable stitches, threw it in the corner for about 5 months, and I've just picked it back up again and can do it now without getting frustrated Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
furball Posted March 28, 2006 Author Share Posted March 28, 2006 Tried a very simple cable years ago and found it quite easy, mind you there was only one central panel of cable . Once knitted a wibbly pig picture jumper for older daughter. Never Ever again Try to stick to textured wool now instead of colours Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cate in NZ Posted March 28, 2006 Share Posted March 28, 2006 I used to knit but knitted myself into a frenzy when i was pregnant with my son, and quite clearly burnt myself out as I've not knitted a stitch since. He's now 14. But daughter was asking for a chunky jumper a few weeks ago, and we couldn't find anything left in the shops, so I offered to knit her one. Off we trooped to John Lewis..... and my jaw dropped at the cost of the wool. I couldn't find any wool to make a jumper for less than £20, and that was without the cost of the pattern. Several would have cost a lot more It put me right off the idea of knitting it I'm afraid I hadn't realised that wool was so expensive these days. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
furball Posted March 29, 2006 Author Share Posted March 29, 2006 Yes its a lot cheaper to buy the knitted garment. I think thats why so many wool shops have gone out of business, its a shame Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trish Posted March 29, 2006 Share Posted March 29, 2006 It all depends on the cast on method you are using, incidentally I know of 47!. If you are casting on English method, also know as cable method, then do which ever you find easiest to do. If you're using any kind of long tail cast on the I'd knit into the back when you knit the first row as Ithink it's too fiddly to do it sooner. Personally I rarely do either just cast on and knit away. Especially with something like a poncho as the edge isn't holding any shaping as with a sleeve etc. If the edging doesn't look like you when knitted you could always add fringing or a border of some type to neaten it. Hope that makes sense. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popcorn Posted March 29, 2006 Share Posted March 29, 2006 Trish, If I cast on into the back of the stitch, then knitted a row, would it cock up the pattern in I then started a rib, or would I follow the pattern from the 2nd row to keep up with it? Would knitting a row first help to reduce looseness? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
furball Posted March 29, 2006 Author Share Posted March 29, 2006 Thanks chatty chicken you are a goldmine of information. 47 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
motherhen Posted March 29, 2006 Share Posted March 29, 2006 ????47????? I'm speechless Any of the 47 for left handers? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trish Posted March 30, 2006 Share Posted March 30, 2006 Most can be doen left or right handed, I don't think any where specific to left handers though. A knitted row before ribbing etc would tend to curl slightly and can look very pretty. The other way to try is to just knit into the back of the knitted stitches. You can try purling into the back of the purl stitches but I think that's faffy. If loosness is a problem I'd be more inclined to just use a size smaller needle to cast on with then change to the size you want tto knit with for the rest of the garment. Doing hand knitting used to be a way to save money but that was before the days of good quality machine knitting and sweat shops for hand knit stuff. Knitting for me is more of an art/craft and I'm willing to pay for good quality materials as the results are usually worth it. I've done workshops with some big name designers who all feel similarly that as a knitter I knit because I love the process and I regard the finished item as a piece of wearable art, The Mona Lisa would be very different done in cheap wax crayon. That doesn't mean I don't go looking at mill shops for discounted quality yarn etc but I will save and pay top price quality yarn as well. Having said that and sounded a bit pretentious I would never pay too much for yarn for a childs garment, they grow out of them sooo quickly it's heart breaking unless you kow you have a line of children to pass the garment to. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
furball Posted March 30, 2006 Author Share Posted March 30, 2006 I fell for the colours and texture in the yarn i bought regardless of price. Its shimmer wool in rich autumn colours but with bright red mingled in, couldn't resist. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trish Posted March 30, 2006 Share Posted March 30, 2006 I kow what you mean, sometimes a yarn just talks to me and it has to come home with me regardless of the price Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popcorn Posted March 30, 2006 Share Posted March 30, 2006 (edited) Thanks chatty chicken you are a goldmine of information. 47 *Whispers* It's Trish. 'Chatty Chicken' is a name given that corresponds to the number of posts you have made Trish - what usefull advice - using smaller needles to cast on! Can't believe I didn't think of that Edited March 30, 2006 by Guest Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
furball Posted March 30, 2006 Author Share Posted March 30, 2006 Apologies trish, (thanks Gina)xxx Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trish Posted March 30, 2006 Share Posted March 30, 2006 What for? Hope I didn't come over wrong,. it was quite early in the morning for me certainly no offense etc taken here Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
furball Posted March 30, 2006 Author Share Posted March 30, 2006 :DThank goodness. No you came across as wonderfully helpful as always Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trish Posted March 30, 2006 Share Posted March 30, 2006 Glad I didn't make any enemies there . Knitting is such a passion for me that my high horse does get a lot of exercise sometimes I tend to go on a bit anyway Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
furball Posted March 30, 2006 Author Share Posted March 30, 2006 I love to hear about the knitting you do but what is the workshop you keep referring to? It sounds as if it keeps you busy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popcorn Posted March 30, 2006 Share Posted March 30, 2006 What for? That was me interfering Trish. I just whispered to Furball that you are Trish and not Chatty Chicken.....nothing offensive at all.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trish Posted March 30, 2006 Share Posted March 30, 2006 Doh, just caught up The workshop I mentioned was just a two day thing I attended with a friend but I loved it so much I can't stop talking about it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popcorn Posted March 30, 2006 Share Posted March 30, 2006 It's easy to get confused when you are wrapped up in wool Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trish Posted April 1, 2006 Share Posted April 1, 2006 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
