Category: The Joy Of Knitting

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How To Be A Better Knitter

Knitting has been a popular trend for the future because of the new types of yarns and improvements in the tools used to knit. New patterns and designs are for those wanting to begin up through highly advanced. Whether a hand or a machine knitter, many relaxing hours are available to the person at every level of ability as a knitter and to the wearer of the completed jacket design.

Knit garments have always been a necessary part of my clothing choices, so I really like the weather, which lets me wear my favorite item of clothing. However, during the season changes when air conditioning is turned up inside waiting rooms, sweaters remain an important part of my wardrobe almost year round.

Since there are so many new types of knits, make a list of those that are favorites for your own wardrobe. See if you can find additional new ways to wear that same style of knit jacket. Review specialty magazines, watch for sweaters on your favorite TV programs, go to movies and just observe the people that are around you and how they are wearing their knits.

It will give you great ideas when you make time to knit with new creative ideas that can allow you to enjoy your favorite sweater style just knit in a slightly different way.

There are many types of knitted garments. Sweaters, jackets, coats, shawls and capes are just a few. As a knitwear designer I see many unique garments but they do not fit on the person. There are several things that need to be taken into consideration to achieve a finished knitted item that is properly fitting the person who will wear the item.

You may want to explore the styles and lengths of the sweater designs you are considering to be sure they will look great on you. You can get proportion information for your length and accent details.  Armed with the information about your preferences, go through the steps below for amazing success with your new projects.

1. Before you begin you need to take accurate measurements. For help see the tools in the navigation bar that will assist you.

2. Determine the yarn you will use and the size needles or the machine tension that match the yarn.

3. Knit a swatch to get the feel of the yarn. For machine knitters I suggest a scarf or shawl so you will know your time has not been wasted as re-knitting when machine knits are unraveled changes the look and feel of the yarn so you do not want to use it in a new item.

*NOTE: It is necessary that you put the swatch through all of the processes you will use to care for the final item. Wash and put through the dryer on the temperatures you will use or wash and lay flat to dry. Help with blocking knits.

You may catch a major problem at this part of the process so be on the look out to see if your swatch size changes dramatically or stays close to the same. It may need something as easy as changing the wash water or dryer temperatures.

4. From the swatch, see how much the yarn might shrink.

5. Measure the pattern template you will be matching and cross check the measurements to be sure you will be right at the finished size you want before you go through all of the time of knitting the pieces.

6. With this information you can have more assurance that your finished knit will be worth your energy.

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Knitting for Profit? How Much Should You Charge?

Whether made by hand or with a knitting machine, creating beautiful knitted garments is a skilled craft. Therefore, when it comes to setting a garment price for your customers, never undervalue yourself or your skills.

How to charge for knitted items is a much-discussed topic among dedicated knitters, and there seem to be no hard and fast rules that can be applied.

Certainly, it’s not adequate to use ‘shop’ prices as a guideline since this knitwear is usually mass-produced. Garments which are knitted specifically to a customer’s measurements or requirements are “tailor-made” and, therefore, more exclusive than the mass-produced equivalent found in high street stores.

Probably the fairest way to cost a garment is with a calculation based on time and materials:

1. Decide on your hourly rate. This should be a fair rate for your skill.  By law, the minimum wage rate is approximately $7.25 US. Your hourly rate should never be lower than the legal minimum.

2. Time the amount of work that goes into the creation of a garment. Time spent on knitting and time taken for ‘putting the knit together’ should be kept separate. Often, the final construction time can be reduced by using alternative methods of construction (a linker, a sewing machine instead of hand sewing, for example).

3. The cost of the yarn. If you buy a batch of yarn and only use 75% of it, you still need to include the whole 100% of the cost. You may be able to use the remaining 25% of the yarn at a later date or you may not, but at least your cost has been covered.

4. Oh, those little extras! The cost of trimmings, fastenings, linings – that very exclusive label you sew into the back of the neck – all must be included in your calculations. Add a small sum for contingencies, too. There can always be an unexpected expense – that’s Murphy’s Law!

5. What about incidental costs? These can include telephone calls to the customer, the cost of delivering a garment (gas for your car or postage), packing materials and labels.

6. When you’ve arrived at a total for your time and materials, now is the moment to add a percentage to that figure. This percentage is to reflect your administration costs – time spent on keeping the books, heating, lighting, ‘wear and tear’ on your knitting machine, and promotional costs.

What’s that? Do I hear you say that the final figure is a little on the high side? So be it!

If the garment is well made and fits (and remember, it is exclusive), then you can charge correctly for your services.

However, if you really think your price is too high, the only cost that can sensibly be reduced is your labor rate. If you disregard the other costs, you’ll soon be knitting at a loss.

 

 

 

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Knitting Needles, Looms, and Machines For Beginners

Knitting without needles

Do you want to knit but can’t quit get the hang of working with two needles? I do understand trying to hold two needles and work the yarn at the same time can be a bit confusing and awkward. But don’t give up, there is still a couple of ways you can produce beautiful knitting items with out even picking up a pair of knitting needles.

You don’t have to know a thing about how to knit to begin knitting with either the knitting machines or the knitting looms. Also you can make just about anything on the looms and knitting machines that you can make with the needles.

Round loom knitting

The looms are great for beginners with no experience and a small budget. Also the looms are portable, they fit in a bag and you can knit with them anyplace.

Knitting machines

The machines are more complex and can often be costly to begin with. But not all machines are expensive; so do check into them, if that is what you really are interested in. Machines are great for a small home based business. You can make items up quickly and professionally.

Once you start this hobby or business, you are always looking for knitting yarn and patterns. Yes, even at yard sales, thrift stores or retail stores, if there is yarn you will find it. Patterns for all three types of knitting come in beginner or basic to intricate or very experienced.

Dog sweaters are fun to make and can be as easy or as complex as you want. Why not make a matching hat for yourself or the pet owner? These also make great items for selling. Whether done by hand, on a loom or on a machine, I love it all.

Knitting gifts for special needs

There are beautiful baby sets, blankets, sweaters, booties and hats that are ideal gifts for baby showers. Remember nothing says, I care like a stunning handmade gift.

As the budgets get tight in these days it is wonderful to be able to create gifts for birthdays and Christmas. These are gifts that can be made with the recipients favorite color or any special needs in mind. A hand knitted sweater is perfect gift for people that have unusually long or short arms. They can not buy sweaters that fit in any store; you can make them just right by adding or decreasing rows on the sleeves pattern.

Yes, once you know how to knit you can adjust patterns to fit all your friends and family. Do not just give up on knitting if the two needles seem too confusing. All hope is not gone; you still have the looms and knitting machines to try.

Lets have some fun, creating, learning or sharing these great fiber arts. Whether for personal use, gift giving, charity, or earning some extra income, yes, you can learn to machine knit.

 

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Knitting For Money – Simple, Fun Ways to Start Making Money From Knitting

Most people who participate in any type of arts and crafts do so because they have a true love for the craft. Such is certainly the case with most people who knit. However, one of the best ways to get people (especially children or grandchildren) into the habit of knitting is to show them how they can start making money from knitting. While this can be true of other people who have expressed an interest in knitting, it does seem to work especially well within the family unit to create a true family pastime where the family can share quality family time together.

If you do have children, many of the small knitting machines are ideally suited to making wonderful little trinkets in school colors or just colors that look “neat” or “cool” to the other school children and these can be sold before or after school. Not only is this a great way to get your children or grandchildren into the world of knitting but it is also a great way for them to earn a little added income. Supply the tools for them to start and you may be surprised how quickly they become avid knitters and want to expand their knowledge about knitting.

If you are part of a knitting circle, you may enjoy this past time with a number of friends. If this is the case, you have a truly marvelous opportunity to use your knitting skills to make money. When one person is knitting for money, it can take quite a while to get even a single item finished. To complete enough knitting projects to fill even a small store shelf may take longer than some people are willing to wait. With a knitting circle, you can combine your efforts, trade secrets about knitting and even combine your finished goods to have enough knitted products to fill up a large shelf or even a small booth at the fair or other shows.

When you have a group of knitting friends, you can actually combine not only your work but the sales as well. Not everybody is going to be available to go to every show even if they want to. However, being involved with other avid knitters means that you can share the workload when it comes to selling your knitted products in addition to sharing the knitting experience itself. If each of the knitters working individually or in smaller groups work all of the different craft shows, no individual is forced to attend every single show in hopes of simply making their money back from their knitted products.

Even more beneficial for the knitting groups is the ability to combine fees, share knitting products and get everybody’s knitted products out in front of substantially more people than they would ever be able to accomplish alone. Imagine being able to have at least a sampling of your knitted items at any show that your knitting friends attended and even more, being able to get your contact information out to those people that already had an interest in knitting.

Selling your knitted products can and should be nearly as fun as knitting is in the first place and a lot more profitable. Like your knitting work, your sales efforts should be creative if you want to be truly successful to supplement your income or even as a full time “job”.

 

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Creating a Schedule For Your Knitting

Whether you’ve been knitting for a long time now or you’re completely new to knitting, one thing that can really help focus your efforts and make things less stressful is to create a basic schedule. This way, you know what you’ll be knitting ahead of time, or at least have a basic idea.

Many knitters create their schedule by days of the week, Monday Mindbenders, Tuesday Teasers, etcetera. You get the idea. We’re going to create a sample schedule for knitting. Let’s start our week on Monday and go from there.

Monday Machine Knitting: On this day, you could write about the differences between machine knitting versus hand knitting, pros, cons, patterns, and so forth. Some great tutorial topics would be how to convert a hand-knitting pattern into a machine-knitting pattern and how to work in rounds on a knitting machine. There are also a lot of one-day projects out there for machine knitting, like making a sweater in one day. You could review different machine knitting patterns, projects, and accessories.

Tuesday Twos: Get it? Knit one, purl two? Okay, so maybe I’m not as witty as I think I am, but you get the idea. You’re looking for a daily project that you can easily knit. This could be patterns, whatever comes up when you’re knitting.

Wednesday WIPs: If you’re wondering WIP stands for work(s) in progress. So, sticking with our knitting example this would be whatever projects you are currently working on. Share pictures, talk about mistakes you might have made while going through the pattern, share a tip about the project.

Thursday Threads: Product reviews could go on this day. Talk about that awesome luxurious new wool you just bought, or the shiny new needles.

Friday Free Patterns: Here is another opportunity to talk about products that you’re using and the free patterns that you’ve found on the internet. The nice thing about free patterns is that they free us up to splurge a little more on the supplies.

Even better if you create your own patterns and share them with your readers. You’ll find yourself with a following of fans in no time at all.

Saturday Scarves and Socks: Everyone always seems to be knitting one or the other at any given moment.

Sunday Wild Cards: I like to leave Sunday as a wild card day where I might or might not knit.

 

 

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Choosing Appropriate Knitwear

There are many styles of cardigans to chose from such as those made with a V-neck, the sleeveless vest and the zip up styles among others. This knitwear comes in different forms of fabric and colors. The type of knit used also differs for you can find some made from polyester, others from cotton or polyester. These types of knitwear appear clean and the cardigans made from this type of knit are thin. It is also possible to find knitwear made from wool and cotton and this type of knitwear is heavy, warm and comfortable.

When looking for a cardigan to buy, the first thing you should consider is how well it will match with your body type. If you are plump, then you should go for those that will not make you look so much overweight. Try to get those that will keep your body looking in shape. So seek to buy those that are thinner as opposed to the heavy ones. You may also think of getting the sleeveless vest. If you are a short person, the zip up style of cardigan is a good choice for it will make you look taller. However, if you are looking for a knitwear cardigan to keep you warm without considering other factors, the heavy ones will be a good choice. Comfort is also another issue to look out for when buying cardigans. Those cardigans that have an inner lining are the best to look out for, for comfort.

Other forms of knitwear include scarves and jumpers that are essential when the cold season starts. Choosing the scarves to wear will depend on the clothes you are wearing that day. The color of the scarves should not crush with that of your clothes. Leggings are also another type of knitwear and should be comfortable to wear while not color crashing with the clothes one is wearing. This type of knitwear is best when it is lightweight and able to guard the wearer from wind. There are also hats made of knitwear to keep your head warm during cold weather. You should follow the characteristics mentioned above when selecting knitwear hats. The other form of knitwear to select is gloves, which will keep your hands warm during the cold season.

When getting these, make sure that they are well fitting and that they have extra insulation for the very cold seasons such as winter. You may also consider carrying an extra pair of gloves in case the one you have gets wet from moisture. Designer knitwear is also available which means that it is a fashion statement. One of these designs is in jumpers, which are now very fashionable to wear and come in different styles and colors and offer an alternative to the common hooded jumpers.

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Knitting Stitches: 5 Most Popular Knitting Stitch Types

Welcome to the wonderful world of knitting! Even if you’ve been here for a while, there is always something new about this most fascinating craft!

Let me start by introducing you to the five stitch types that I believe are at the very heart of knitting!

Learning to knit, you know, is nothing more than learning different knitting stitch types.

Wherever I roam on the Web, many of the same questions arise. Over and over again, I come across forums and discussions with the same types of concerns.

In this article, I will attempt to explain some of the basic knitting stitches and everything they encompass.

I will talk about ‘the knit stitch’, ‘the purl stitch’, ‘knit 2 together’, ‘yarn-over’, and the ‘stockinette stitch’.

These five stitches, I believe, form the very foundation of knitting. Learn, and perfect, each one of these, and you will be well on your way to becoming an expert in knitting!

All other patterns emerge from these few stitches. So, let’s begin!

‘The Knit Stitch’. Have you ever looked at something knitted? I mean, really looked? If you have, you will see one side of the knitting looks different from the other.

Knitting follows structures. The knit stitch is formed by making loops which interweave with one another; one after another.

The knit stitch will resemble little “v” patterns when viewed from the knit side of a pattern.

To form a “knit stitch” you use one needle to pull a loop of yarn through the existing stitch on the other needle. (You can knit with more than two needles, but that’s a discussion for another day.)

Holding both needles in your hands, insert the right needle, from “front to back” into the first stitch on the left needle. Keeping the yarn at the back, bring it “over” the tip of the needle, counterclockwise. Pull the yarn down, and catch it with the right needle.

Slip the “old” stitch off the left needle and you have a new stitch on the right needle! A knit stitch!

Many times you will be told the knit stitch is the “right side” or RS of your work. But, once in a while, it will be the “wrong side” or WS.

Either way, it’s good to know those two abbreviations.

‘The Purl Stitch’. The purl stitch will resemble what looks like “brick-face” when viewed from the purl side of a pattern.

Unlike the knit stitch, with the purl stitch, you hold the yarn to the “front” of your knitting.

Insert the right needle from “back to front” into the first stitch on the left needle. With your right index finger, wrap yarn counterclockwise around and down the right needle.

Draw the right needle and yarn backwards through the “old” stitch. Slip off the old stitch. A new stitch forms. A purl stitch!

‘Knit 2 Together.’ Now, this is easy! Just knit two together! Insert the right needle into the second stitch from the tip of the left needle, making sure to “catch” the first stitch with it.

Bring your yarn over and up, then down, catch your yarn, slip the old stitches off, and you have a new stitch in their place.

You will have only one new stitch from two. Knitting two together is often used to decrease stitches or to create an open-work pattern.

‘Yarn-over’. Adding a yarn-over, or YO, is also used when creating open-work designs. To do a yarn-over after a knit stitch, just bring your yarn across your work from the back to the front. Then, knit the next stitch.

You will see an extra “stitch” on the row. When you come to that stitch in your next row of knitting, it will not look anchored like the others. That’s because you put it there, all of itself.

Knit it like you would knit any stitch. As you go, you will see that yarn-overs create “holes” or openwork designs in your knitting.

‘Stockinette Stitch’. This stitch is knitting’s most common. All it consists of is knitting one row, then purling the next, and so on, and so on.

The stockinette stitch is exactly where every knitter should begin. And stick with it until you know your stitches well!

So there you have it! *5* most popular knitting stitch types!

Get knitting!

Copyright 2006 Alice Seidel

 

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What You Need to Start Knitting

Knitting

Of all the different types of needlework, knitting is one of the most popular. Knitting is a specific type of needlework that is identified by the process of looped stitches pulled through one another. Knitting is commonly used to make clothing and accessories such as hats, scarves, sweaters and gloves, as well as blankets and afghans. Most commercially produced knitted items are made with knitting machines; their high speed is indispensable for meeting the demands of the world economy. Knitting machines have not done away with human knitting, however; far from it, knitting has gone through a recent resurgence in popularity as a craft and hobby.

One of the great things about knitting is that you can make a wide variety of items with the same relatively simple steps. Just select a different type of yarn and a different variation in your stitch, and you can come up with a very different end product.

The origins of knitting

Archaeologists have found evidence of knitting as far back as the first millennium. Obviously, knitting has been around for a long time. Indeed, even the ancient Egyptians are known to have knitted colorful socks and other accessories. It is generally thought that the first peoples to use knitting to make blankets and clothing were the ancient Arabians.

The history of knitting was pretty straightforward until the invention of the knitting machine. The knitting machine completely changed the purpose of knitting. Before the industrialization of knitting, it was an essential task for many families, a means to keep warm and clothed. After the knitting machine, blankets and clothing were mass-produced far more cheaply than any one person making it. For this reason, knitting today is primarily a recreational pursuit. Knitters enjoy gathering together to socialize. People love to knit because it can be an extremely relaxing way to pass the time and ease one’s nerves. The products of their pastimes are often presented as gifts, which can save you some money as well.

The demographics of knitting are changing as well. Knitting used to be the sole preserve of primarily older women. More and more, however, knitting is becoming popular with younger generations. Indeed, some studies show that knitting has risen in popularity among the 25 to 35 age group by as much as 150%.

Different types of knitting

The two main types of straight-needle knitting are weft knitting and warp knitting. Weft knitting requires only one string of yarn at time, but can be more susceptible to snags and runs. Warp knitting, on the other hand, is usually done by machine, so when most people think of knitting, they are usually thinking of weft knitting. Another important type of knitting that is commonly done by hand is circular knitting. This method uses a circular needle, and creates a “tube” of yarn when completed – great for socks and other tubular garments.

What materials do you need to start knitting?

Knitting is an ancient and rudimentary craft. As such, the materials that you need to knit are fairly basic; when it comes down to it, all you need to knit is some needles and some yarn. You should pay close attention to the type of yarn you use, however, as it will have a significant impact on how your final product looks and feels. For instance, certain yarns are appropriate for stretchy materials, while other yarns will produce less stretchy, more solid final results. The width and thickness of the yarn should be taken into account when selecting knitting needles to use. Picking out the yarn can be one of the more pleasant steps in making an item, as knitting yarn comes in a variety of colors and styles and it is always fun to play around with your imagination. Some are solid colors, others have multiple colors for striping, and others include sparkles and other embellishments.

Knitting resources

The best thing for those serious about knitting is to join a knitting circle. In a knitting circle, members will meet with their yarn and needles at the home of different members or local coffee shop and just knit, share tips, and socialize.

If you are on your own, you can always turn to the Internet for a wealth of knitting resources. Groups, forums, and message boards provide a means of communication and getting together for knitters. Through these avenues, many knitting enthusiasts share tips, techniques, patterns, and tales of successful projects. The Internet is also a great place to order knitting materials and patterns, and can help novice knitters get past some of the challenges that face those new to the craft.

Craft and hobby stores will also carry a robust selection of knitting needles, yarns and patterns. Do not be afraid to ask employees in these stores for help – more often than not, you will be able to find experienced knitters who can offer you some sound advice and tips.

Mary Amos loves arts and crafts and has been knitting for years. See her favorite knit patterns at Knits and Knitting Patterns, and be sure to visit Knitting for more knitting fun!

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Mary_Amos

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Knitting Instructions – Learn the Basics of Knitting and Beyond

I wanted to set out some basic knitting instructions as a refresher so here it is. All knitting instructions use basically two stitches, the knit stitch and the purl stitch. Once you know these two knitting essentials you will be able to follow most knitting instructions which are just combinations or variations of these two stitches.

Knitting Instructions for the Knit Stitch

Once you have cast on, hold the knitting needle with the cast on stitches in your left hand. Push the point of the right knitting needle in between the front of the first and second stitches, pointing the knitting needle to the right to feed the point through the first stitch keeping it under the left needle. The knitting yarn should be at the back of the work. Loop the knitting yarn around the right knitting needle from back to front, letting the knitting yarn rest between the needles. Catch the knitting yarn on the end on the right knitting needle and pull it through the first stitch to the front of the work. Slip the old stitch off the left needle. The new stitch is now on the right needle. Now you are getting the hang of the knitting instructions. It is a good idea to keep the knitting yarn draped over the right forefinger, this keeps it to the back of the work too. Repeat this process until all stitches are on the right knitting needle. Now count the stitches, if they are all there, turn the right knitting needle around and put it in the left hand. This is the first row. The knitting yarn will look like it is at the front and you will now take it to the back and start the second row of transferring stitches to the empty right needle.

Knitting Instructions for the Purl Stitch

The Purl stitch will also be in any knitting instructions. Start with the knitting needle with the cast on stitches in your left hand. Your knitting yarn will be hanging in front. Push point of right knitting needle into the front of the first stitch from right to left. Wrap the knitting yarn around the tip of the right knitting needle, crossing over the two needles and hanging once again in front. Slide the right knitting needle down and back taking the new loop of knitting yarn from front to back, through the old stitch. Slip the old stitch off the left knitting needle. If you have followed the knitting instructions you now have a stitch in purl on the right knitting needle and the yarn is hanging, once again, in the front. Repeat this process until all stitches are on the right knitting needle. Now count the stitches to make sure you haven’t dropped any and turn the work around putting the knitting needle with the stitches on in your left hand to start the next row.

 

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The Joy Of Knitting

Many pleasurable hours can be spent on knitting projects.  I seem to enjoy the cardigans, jackets  and coats the most.  In determining how to knit the items so the yarn is showcased and is the right weight for the project adds to the creativity for me.

I’m launching my video series showing how to start from selecting the yarn, to knitting and on to finishing.  Then when you wear one of these masterpieces you can have the most amazing satisfaction experience. I call it layering satisfaction.

The satisfaction of:

  • selecting yarn you really enjoy and want to work with
  • actually knitting the garment
  • finishing the project
  • assembly of your garment
  • wearing your garment
  • and of course the compliments

There is nothing quite like it in the enjoyment of each area.  OK maybe not the assembly so much but even that has a level of completion that satisfies.

If you are in the Branson, MO area you can take a class in person with me.

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