Muna wa Wanjiru asked:


Traditionally knitting work is done with the help of the needles, but nowadays looms are widely used for knitting purpose. These looms are nothing but the machines which are used for weaving treads or yarn to make textiles.
Looms range from large automatic machines to small handy frames. There are some looms that are automatic and work with wire assembly. They are called wiring looms.

A loom will hold and wrap the threads beneath strain, which will allow interweaving of the weft threads which are horizontal threads in the weaving. Though there are different sizes of looms the basic functionality of these does not change.

Historically looms, also called Amish loom or knitting boards, are used for different weaving patterns. They are generally made of either from plastic or wood. These knitting looms are recently popularized in the area of crafting by Knifty knitter system, descendants of frame loom in grooved pegs spaced along a central frame.

While knitting you have to wrap all these pegs with yarn in different ways. After wrapping these pegs by the yarn you have to use a hook with the angle so as to pull this wrapped yarn from the top of the pegs. This will be woven into fabric which like knitted fabric.

While wrapping these pegs by yarn you will come across different combinations. Using these different combinations you will be able to make several intricate patterns. This process is simple but the variety, shape and size will give you different patterns.

With looms, it’s fairly easy to make a variety of different things such as scarves, sweaters and more. You will be able to create different gift items using these knitting looms as well. In fact you can even create larger fabrics (like for clothing pieces or coats) by using large knitting machines or looms.

If you want fabric on a regularly basis (like for business projects), then you may choose to make use of handy loom frames that are also easy to handle. Choose from manual knitting looms and automatic machines that are electrical, assembled with wire systems to work on their own.

Note that automatic knitting looms give you the same quality as manual ones as well as the same quality that you are getting from the knitting needles or that you get from handy knitting looms.

Many people prefer a knitting loom over knitting. It may seem difficult at first, but it is actually very easy to handle plus you get are maintenance free equipment and enhanced variety of patterns by combinations of the weaving abilities.



BRYON

Sherry Frewerd asked:


Knitting, it’s said, is a very relaxing and satisfying craft. Knitting is a hobby that you can learn and then do while enjoying other past-times like watching television and at the same time create wonderful knitted items for yourself and others.

Multi-taskers will find that knitting works well for them. Throughout time, groups of women have been known to sit and knit while chatting with friends and family. You can watch your kids and knit at the same time as well, making knitting a great hobby for busy moms and dads.

Many people find the idea of learning to knit to be daunting. When you’re just starting out the needles feel foreign in your hands, making the process awkward and frustrating at times. Keep in mind though, that the initial awkwardness goes away and you’re left with a great sense of satisfaction and accomplishment. Creating something with your own hands is one of the best feelings to have. Knitting can leave you with this feeling. Having the patience and correct supplies will help you achieve your goal of learning to knit.

If you’re ready to learn the simple basics of knitting, the following easy steps can help you get going.

Getting the Right Knitting Supplies

Although it may seem complicated, all that you need to start knitting are a pair of knitting needles and some yarn. Some folks start out with a pattern, so if that’s your plan you’ll need an easy knitting pattern to follow too.

Your Knitting Needles
There are many different types of knitting needles to choose from, and not all are created equal. Most knitters will agree that the easiest needles to start out with are wooden needles. The yarn seems to stay on wooden needles better, allowing you to knit easier. Plastic or metal knitting needles cause the yarn to slip off easily if you’re not advanced and know how to handle them properly. So, newbie knitters should stick with wooden knitting needles.

Start out with large wooden needles so that you can easily see your mistakes and complete your project quicker. If you drop a stitch you want to be able to see it quickly and fix the mistake easily.

Getting Your Yarn

Beginner knitters should start their first project using natural yarn such as cotton or wool. Natural fiber yarn will stay on the knitting needles better than a synthetic yarn will. Do not be lured by the fancy yarn you see in the stores. You will find working with them to be far too challenging and cause frustration at first. Start out with simple natural yarns and then go from there.

Learning Knitting Jargon

Just like almost any craft, knitting too has its own language or jargon. When you’re starting out, you’ll need to learn the jargon that goes along with knitting. Yes, at first it can seem overwhelming, but you’ll get the hang of the lingo quickly. Crafting books, knitting dictionaries and online sources will help you learn what you need to know to get started. Here are a few basics to help you out.

K = Knit, KB = Knit-in-Back, BO = Bind-Off, P = Purl, EOR = knit every other row

Knitting - Get Going!

With anything that’s worth doing, the first step is to just do it. Get your supplies, patterns, instruction books and start learning to knit. Don’t go overboard with buying supplies, because you may find that once you’ve given it a go, knitting may not be your cup of tea after all.

You’ll find once you’ve learned to knit that you may start seeking out others who share your passion and enthusiasm for the craft. You’ll be able to make new friends as well as wonderful pieces of art and family heirlooms from your knitting skills. As a beginning knitter, you’ll soon become advanced if you take care to buy the right supplies for your skill level and look for proper knitting instruction. These basic tips will help you reach your goal of learning to knit with ease. Have fun and happy knittin’!



REFUGIO

Maddy Cranley asked:


Knitting is a natural when it comes to creating stripes. A stripe is defined as \”a line or long narrow section differing in color or texture from parts adjoining\”. The needles act as the guardians of the straight line, that crossover point where changes in color or texture can be made. It is up for grabs how to fill in those rows that make up a stripe. The ever-popular  horizontal line and color changes are just a start in choosing how to stripe a sweater.  

It is quite simple to incorporate stripes of color into an uncomplicated knitting pattern. The more difficult choice is what colors to choose. Once yarns that are compatible in gauge and fiber content are assembled, the next step is to see how the chosen colors will relate to one another when placed in a striped pattern. General rules will apply such as dark lines on pure color will have the tendency to deepen the entire look of the garment. Light areas will appear larger than dark areas. Warm colors will pop out to the eye much more than cool colors.   

Woven rugs and fabrics can offer up varied inspiration particularly if they embody a balance of color and stripe thickness to result in an eye-pleasing combination. An hour or two spent flipping through upholstery fabric swatches or wallpaper sample books may result in obtaining a dynamite sequence of striped color.   

Stripes can vary by size from the bold stripes of a rugby shirt, which may have three or four large bands of color, to pinstripes and all sizes between. The stripes need not be uniform in size throughout the garment. Increasing or decreasing the size of the stripe by one or two rows and repeating the same sequence of those smaller and larger stripes will definitely add interest.    

Stripes can also be distinguished by texture. Rows of garter stitch or seed stitch alternating with plain knitting create an understated stripe when only one color of yarn is used. A few rows of bobbles or of simple lace can create a stripe of interesting effect. Paying careful attention so that the gauge is the same for each chosen stitch pattern will avoid creating an unevenness in the finished measurement. Simple stitches to knit for subtle changes can be found in knitting dictionaries and stitch guides.  
The placement of the stripes can also add further appeal. Use vertical or horizontal striping in the ribbing of bands and cuffs. Try a striped collar or pocket to stand alone on a plain-colored background. Begin to work stripes at the start of the garment piece and narrow the stripes to fade into a one-color finish. Stripe one sleeve and leave the other plain. Stripes do not have to remain horizontal. A little trickier to knit, vertical or diagonal stripes add their own flourish. Yarn bobbins will be needed and careful twisting of the yarns at color changeover points will keep your stripes in line.  

  So to earn your knitting stripes, incorporate several rows or more in your next project. Choose a simple pattern that will easily accept a change of stitch pattern and welcome a color change every few rows. It will all make for a very unique sweater, not to mention the release from guilt knowing that those leftover balls of yarn are being put to such good use.   

 

 

 

 



JASON

anonymous asked:


Knitting is a great hobby. Many people enjoy knitting because of its many benefits. Knitting is considered as a form of art. A completed piece of knitted item is in fact the creation of a piece of art. The knitter gets to feel a great sense of pride and accomplishment in completing such an item.

Living in a fast paced society, many people need to do something to distress and relax. One of the great benefits of knitting is that it is a splendid stress reliever. It helps to free the mind and hence, it is regarded as a wonderful outlet for an overworked brain. It is no wonder that some people use the activity as a retreat in stressful situations. The craft can slow down a hectic life and enable a person to unwind after a hard day’s work.

In a world filled with mobile phones, computers, televisions and videos, escaping for an hour to knit something soft and warm can be incredibly rejuvenating. There are people who even believe that knitting can actually fuel the creative process in other areas of their lives. They believe that the craft allows the creative part of the brain to work more effectively and find creative solutions to other areas of their lives.

Another benefit of knitting is that it is very portable and can be carried along to any place. Unlike other hobbies like weaving or cooking, the craft can easily be thrown into a bag and pulled out anytime when it is required. As such, the knitter can bring the craft along and do it during bus or train journeys, air flights or even in traffic jams. In this way, hours of waiting and traveling are not wasted away as they are used to accomplish something useful.

One benefit of knitting is that there are various choices of items to knit such as hats, socks, sweaters, jackets, shawls, scarves and pullovers. There are plenty of projects and designs to choose from to suit all levels of knitting expertise, time and budget. Besides, these pieces can be created to beautify homes or serve as special gifts for loved ones. Knitwear garments are beautiful and attractive, and many people like them. Presenting them as gifts is always well loved and appreciated.

Crafts go through phases. Many crafts are built more for speed and fad than for longevity. One benefit of knitting is that it can create long lasting items. Home accessories that are hand-knit with love and care often become heirlooms and family treasures. They are always a source of pride and joy. Besides, these invaluable items are inexpensive to make.

What is knitting? It is simply the process of forming a fabric by making interlocking loops from a continuous strand of yarn using two or more needles. Knitting is an easy craft to learn. Besides, it only requires simple materials, which are two knitting needles, some string or yarn, and a little instruction. For certain items, there are some accessories needed. For example, if you are knitting a sweater, then you will need some buttons. The choice of buttons has a great impact to a sweater. They can make the difference between an attractive garment and a stunning one.

Knitting is a popular craft among the young and old. In fact, the pool of knitting enthusiasts keeps growing. Despite the machine age eliminating the need for hand-stitched items, the popularity of knitting still continues. It is evident that many people have experienced its benefits and recognized its worth to want to continue using this craft to enhance their lives.

If you are interested to start knitting as a beginner, there are many resources available with step-by-step knitting instructions to enable you to learn doing simple projects. When you have learned the simple projects, you can proceed to do the more complicated ones. After some time, you can try to create more pieces using your own ideas. Instead of following closely to the selected knitting pattern, you can add something of your own to make the design unique.

Happy knitting!



DARRYL

Graham williams asked:


For a light weight, trouble free knitting experience you need to use bamboo knitting needles. These needles are made after extensive research was done, to make your knitting experience as smooth as possible. They are manufactured using a high technological processes. The companies that manufacturer these needles maintain, high quality, smooth finish and a perfect needle points. The high quality and standard of these needles will make your knitting, an experience you will not forget.

By using bamboo knitting needles, you will minimize any possibility of splitting yarns, these needles also maintain a smooth flow of yarn over them, because of the smooth surface they have. This all helps to make your knitting trouble free. As these needles are of such a light weight your hands will not tire even after long hours of knitting.

The smooth wooden finish of the needles makes them glide over each other in perfect unison, hence minimizing the noise created by other needles such as aluminum ones. The amazing thing about these bamboo needles is that they become even smoother, the more you use them. Thus, knitting with these smooth bamboo needles all helps to make a comfortable experience, unlike the plastic and aluminum needles that are often used.

The bamboo knitting needles are made only out of the finest quality natural bamboo, that is grown in parts of Japan. The manufactures make a great effort to prepare bamboo needles of the highest standard. The strict quality control that is applied, assures that the bamboo needles prepared last longer and produce some of the most exquisite knitting patterns you can see.

The bamboos used to produce bamboo knitting needles are harvested during the cold winter months. The bamboo that is from these cold climates is far more resilient, and hard. During the winter the water contained in the bamboo is at a minimum. Thus, this avoids any staining, or mold.

During the winter months the woody fibers of the bamboo become tighter, hence these bamboo shoots are used to produce needles that are of strong density. The use of a fully matured bamboo shoot means, that the needles produced are strong and long lasting.

These bamboo needles are available in a variety of different shapes and sizes. The tapered point of the needle, ensures that every loop is even, which leads to a beautiful stitch. Thus, these needles are perfect for the beginner and the people who like the feel of a smooth warm bamboo passing between their fingers.

These needles are recommended to be used by beginners as they are not as slick as the plastic or metal ones. Thus, the possibility of the loops sliding from your needles becomes much less likely to happen. Professional knitters prefer bamboo knitting needles as they are able to knit quickly without any mistakes.

The flexibility, strength and comfort provided by these needles are second to none. Knitters can get a good quality bamboo needle at an affordable price. Unlike the bamboo needles the wooden needles are much more expensive, and if they are homemade then it will cost you a lot to own a set of them.

Bamboo knitting needles are available in a wide range of varieties, such as double points, single point and circular types. The size of every needle is so accurate that you can use various same sized needles and still get a high quality uniform stitch. You can also purchase bamboo needles with paperweight tops.

The needles come with a bulb of glass containing beautiful flowers, or other patterns. These needles are often collected for their beauty and elegant look. The beautiful glass design adds an exquisite touch to your knitting experience.

Even though bamboo knitting needles are long lasting, if you are using them for long periods of time it would be beneficial to you, to sand their tips, doing so will keep them smooth. This also stops the needles from splitting yarns, and of course them breaking. Apart from this the bamboo needles virtually maintenance free.



AMOS

Jason asked:


Knitting is technique to turn thread or yarn into a piece of cloth. Knitted fabric consists of horizontal parallel courses of yarn which is different from woven cloth. The courses of threads or yarn are joined to each other by interlocking loops in which a short loop of one course of yarn or thread is wrapped over the bight of another course.

A brief history of knitting

Some of the earliest and definite examples of knitting date from Europe and Egypt in the 14th century. However, some people claim that the knitting technology dates back further into centuries BC. What seems to come forward was this information which states that the first knitting trade guild was started in Paris in 1527, which established the occupation as male-dominated for centuries to come. Soon, knitting became a household occupation with the increase in popularity of knitted stockings. By the end of the 1600s, knitting trade was in demand in European markets. About one to two million pairs of stockings were exported from Britain to other parts of Europe.

Hand Knitting became a very useful but nonessential part of hand craft which was triggered by the invention of knitting machines. Females started to outnumber males as knitting practitioners. Hand knitting has gone been in and out of fashion over centuries, but 21st century marked its revival. In the late 1990s, a 400% increase in the number of knitters under the age of 35. This is the age where the social stigma of knitting being a female job is slowly disappearing and you could see few males in the knitting circle.

For further details visit Knitting Book or visit http://www.knitting-book.net/



ADOLFO

aboutowne asked:


I like knitting scarves to sell. I have some patterns calling for a size 50 knitting needles. All I have been able to find in the stores are Lion Brand and Susan Bates 14 inch plastic. For knitting scarves I prefer the 10 inch knitting. Any one know where I can find a pair of the shorter needles in wood?

ARMAND

Muna wa Wanjiru asked:


During the 17th and 18th century, the Scottish Isles main occupation was knitting. Colorful patterns were made by using Fair Isle technique. The Industrial Revolution brought a major development in the knitting. The British government published a booklet by the name “Make do and mend” that supplied knitting patterns for people to knit sweaters, gloves for the Army and Navy.

Knitting has undergone a vast change. There are lot of magazines and online publications for knitting. Adirafil is an online publication that has free patterns, yarn information etc. This site is accessible in four languages (English, Spanish, Italian and French). It is published four times in a year, and it gives information about guild news, free patterns etc. Creative Design school publication gives knitting lessons and instructions. Family circle Easy knitting & Crochet is published four times a year which can be subscribed online. Heels and Toes Gazette is published quarterly and gives information about sock knitting, sock patterns and knitting tips.

InKnitters is a quarterly magazine published under Machine Knitters source. This magazine is mainly featured on patterns and articles about knitting. Interweave magazine is published by Interweave Press. It is a quarterly magazine. Knit N Style can be subscribed online and it is published six times a year. It deals with free patterns and bulletin boards.

Knit Net is an online knitting magazine, which gives more about retailer information, great patterns and articles. It is published five times in a year and its issues are available on CD ROM. KnitScape Magazine is published two times in a year and under the publishers of Interweave Press. Knitters Review is updated every week because it gives the latest information about yarns, shops and techniques of knitting. Knitting digest features about the latest patterns and designs in the knitting. It is published six times in a year.

Knitting Now, has three issues in a year which gives information about patterns and technical support of knitting. Knitting Universe is a famous magazine that is published four times a year. It also gives information about nice patterns and techniques of knitting. The European Yarn Company publishes Lana Grossa and it is issued seven times in a year. This is an online magazine. Machine Knitters Source is a magazine published 6 times in a year which mainly features on articles about machines.

Machine knitting monthly, is a website, which is updated every month and features about news and reviews, articles, hints and tips. MagKnits, is published with free patterns. Piecework Magazine is also published by Interweave Press, which is published two times in a month. There are projects on knitting, embroidery and crochet, stitch, basket, lace and other craftwork. Rebecca is German knitting magazine that gives information about free patterns and technical support.

Rowan is published twice in a year that gives information about patterns of Rowan yarns. Sandar is a knitting magazine that is published monthly. Spinoff magazine is a quarterly magazine that deals with articles of spinning and knitting.



AUGUST

GtrGirl asked:


I am a beginner and I have never done either. I want to make a blanket. I know thats a stretch to begin out with, but that is what i ultimetly want to make.I know that knitting is better for certain things and vice versa, crochet is better for making certain other things. Also, i know that all yarn is different. What type of yarn is the best to use when making different things? I know that u use different yarn for for like blankets and clothing. COuld someone please clarify it a little for me? I want to start up this hobby, it will give me a way to pass through these summer months. Thanks!!

RAYMUNDO

paperchick2000 asked:


I just started knitting a newborn baby hat for a friend who is having a baby in the fall. I’ve knit adult hats several times without a pattern, so I figured I can do this without a pattern no problem. One baby pattern book suggests the brow width should be about 13.5 inches. But all the pattern books I have say which row to start decrease not inch. Can anyone tell me how many inches I should knit before starting to decrease?
Also I was thinking of adding side flaps. Anybody know where I should place the flaps?
My gauge came out to 72 sets on size 4 circular needles (using Microspun). I’m about 2 inches into the project.

WINFRED