Knitting & crochet,

[tinkerbell23]

1: im rubbish at getting the tension......any tips please before i give up!!

2: crochet...is it easy? Where to start please?

Seen some cracking crochet patterns!!! Mabye one day eh lol xxx

[tinkerbell23]

Good vid on youtube for crochet x

[Rose Maybud]

Getting tension consistent is a matter of practice. So the more you try the better you will get. Oh, yes, you will!!

When my daughter started knitting, the stitches were so tight on the needle it was difficult to move them, and I suggested she relax, because they weren't going to escape wholesale and even if the odd one drops off it's not a disaster and all to be expected during the learning process. Seems to have worked...

If the tension is too loose then make a conscious effort to just tighten the yarn ever so slightly and it will become second nature eventually.

Some knitting is very neat in the middle of rows and tension goes awry at the ends. Quite often just realising what's going on is enough to put it right, but one thing you can do is always slip the first stitch in the row which will pull everything a bit tighter and more even.

Crochet - yes it's easy, but it's very difficult to learn from a book. Best to get someone to show you. I have tried to write instructions but nobody could make head nor tail of them, haha. I find patterns very difficult to decipher but once the penny drops you're well away and after a bit you wonder why you had trouble...

Hope that helps.

[tinkerbell23]

Thanks for the advice!! Brill answer...ill keep trying i promise. Think im going to get better quality wool too xxx

[tinkerbell23]

Ps why dont you get someone to film you, or even just your hands and put it on youtube rose!. Xxxx

[Rose Maybud]

Me on you-tube? Good grief, no! Far too ugly!!

Crochet - forgot to say - that the foundation chain (equivalent to casting on) is quite hard to tackle and to ask your mentor to do that for you initially, so you get to do the stitch itself first. Suggest trebles first, just to get in the swing of it all.
Crochet patterns - be aware that US patterns and UK patterns call the same stitches by different names, which is confusing.

Yarn - I am a yarn-snob and tend to reject yarn which is less than about 50% wool. Most of the famous brands have a range of 100% wool yarns, so lots to choose from. These aren't as hard-wearing as blends and you do have to take care with washing items, but they are much nicer to work with :)

[tinkerbell23]

Film just your hands then!!

People like me need clever folks like you to show us hehehe

I got a hook today so ill try soon!! And nicer wool...double knit 100% whatever...nice baby blue xxx

[shaneystar2]

My Mum taught me to how to do basic crochet tinkerbell and I made pram blankets for the offspring .Never crocheted after that and then a while back I thought I'd have another go. Do you think I could remember how to do it ? No I couldn't for the life of me .And Mother long gone .
I watched countless Youtube stuff and still couldn't get back into it and in the end I bought a book .
http://www.purplelind...nners-3826-9010-p.asp
The diagrams are so easy to follow and I was up and away again and crocheted a baby blanket for my great niece .
Really easy to follow .

[Smowball]

My nan taught me to crochet but I have completely forgotten how,

[chi-chi66]

my aunt showed me the basic crotchet many years ago. I then practised and
the first thing I made was a long coat for myself! start as you mean to go on!! lol

[starone]

I love crochet(ing) It is much easier than knitting once you know how - and you have only one stitch to fall from the needle. I won second prize in a competition once. I crocheted a child's dress. It was so pretty (even though I say so as shouldn't). The winner was a beautiful lacy baby shawl, which I admit was definitely the winner and made by a MAN, would you believe.

[tinkerbell23]

In the wool shop today the lasy behind the desk told me a customer makes crochet blankets with the finest needle and wool.... Sells for £150 on ebay!!

Just wish i could master it...ive unravelled knitting about 10x tonight...too tight, too loose....its peeing me RIGHT off ......xx

[tinkerbell23]

Shaney thank you ive bookmarked that page and if i cant learn from youtube ill defo buy that xxxx

[boxtops]

We've got a knitting group here in Dover, one of the local teashops started it up, they have knitted a mile of bunting for the Olympics. See if you have any knitting groups near you, tinks - it might be all grannies but they will be very experienced at it!

[tinkerbell23]

I just said to my friend i fancied finding one just to learn...

Dont really know anyone who can help me along....my gran was a fab knitter i had the best dressed dolls!! But shes sick now....x

[boxtops]

aunties? gran's friends...?

[chi-chi66]

sometimes you get knitting groups attached to churches, not that I go myself!
try looking in you're library for info..or civic centre..ask in charity shops do
they know of any.

[tinkerbell23]

No aunts who knit! Friends mum but she lives ages away, when i drive ill mabye pop to see her...

If i fail at crochet my gran has a friend who would show me.

I really would like to learn....my grans mum was a wonderfull crocheter apparently...i think my gran would be secretly pleased if i learned haha xxxx

[tinkerbell23]

If i could just get the tension!!,

[chi-chi66]

I know it's a pain, but just practise...it will come. x

[tinkerbell23]

Just crocheted my first straight line LOL getting to the second one isnt easy though :0/

Same with the knitting can cast on till the cows come home.

Practice practice practice xxx

(thnk my crochet needle should be bigger x