Hi, can ya help a newbie?

[goodie2shoes]

I think I probably answered my own question by reading a few post here.

I taught my self to crochet and now I am teaching myself to knit. I was going to ask the best first projects for newbies. I did dish cloths with crochet til I was comfortable I have made a few dishcloths in knit even a corner to corner, so I was comfortable with increases and decreases. I can knit, purl, decrease, increase, I understand somethings hmmmmm but not others, like why is my cast on edge so ummmmmmmmm inflexible using a long tail cast on? Any hooooooooo where do I go from here???????? Can you tell I am confused!?

[sammimag]

It's probably because you are tightening up when you cast on. Ideally you keep it loose but neat. I don't do that very well so I often cast on needle size higher.

[andiM]

Yep I agree you're a bit too tight. Kinda try to find a happy medium there. Not too tight, not too loosey goosey.

 

Try scarves. This scarf has cables in it, but it is so super super easy. It was the first thing I made with cables. It looks intimidating, but trust me... not hard at all. Just follow the cable note at the very bottom of the pattern. The pattern is in the upper left hand corner of the blog in PDF format. I'm currently making another one of these in Malabrigo. The first one I made was in Vanna's Choice and it turned out wonderful.

 

http://irishhikingknitalong.blogspot.com/

 

 

&/or hats.

 

This hat pattern (below) is so simple, and if you already know how to knit/purl/and decrease... you can do it. You do work the hat on circulars which is not hard at all. You're just knitting in the round by joining. I do recommend doing your hat on a 16" circular (size would depend on what yarn you choose). Do not go any higher than a 16" (length) circular because the longer lengths will be harder to work with on such a "small" project.

 

Here's the hat pattern:

http://www.mindseyeyarns.com/resources/patterns/warm_ribbed_winter_hat.htm

[Adreeyen]

some people cast on over two needles so the co edge won't be too tight. Personally, I like the knit on cast on.

[goodie2shoes]

Yep I agree you're a bit too tight. Kinda try to find a happy medium there. Not too tight, not too loosey goosey.

 

Try scarves. This scarf has cables in it, but it is so super super easy. It was the first thing I made with cables. It looks intimidating, but trust me... not hard at all. Just follow the cable note at the very bottom of the pattern. The pattern is in the upper left hand corner of the blog in PDF format. I'm currently making another one of these in Malabrigo. The first one I made was in Vanna's Choice and it turned out wonderful.

 

http://irishhikingknitalong.blogspot.com/

 

 

&/or hats.

 

This hat pattern (below) is so simple, and if you already know how to knit/purl/and decrease... you can do it. You do work the hat on circulars which is not hard at all. You're just knitting in the round by joining. I do recommend doing your hat on a 16" circular (size would depend on what yarn you choose). Do not go any higher than a 16" (length) circular because the longer lengths will be harder to work with on such a "small" project.

 

Here's the hat pattern:

http://www.mindseyeyarns.com/resources/patterns/warm_ribbed_winter_hat.htm

Have done a similar hat can you point me to a tutorial on cables or maybe I need one on reading knit patterns I get the knits and the purls but don't have a clue what "C6F" means can you point me in the right direction I found a tutorial on cables but it doesn't give a clue to what pattern directions for them look like or mean.

[andiM]

There's a tutorial complete with video on the irish hiking scarf blog. Upper left hand corner.

 

Seriously though what C6F means is: C=cable, 6=stitches used, F=front .

Row 8: Knit 4, Purl 2, then C6F which means to take your cable needle and slip the next 3 stitches onto your cable needle. Hold your cable needle to the front of your scarf. Then go to the next 3 stitches and knit those. Then come back to your cable needle, at the beginning of the 3 stitches, and knit those 3 stitches. As you knit the 3 stitches on your cable needle it will make that "twist". Continue P2, K2, P2, then do C6F again as above. You make the cable 3 times in the scarf pattern. It looks hard but seriously it's not.

 

Sometimes you will see, C6B (as an example), C=cable 6= stitches used, B=back. B meaning you hold your cable needle in the back, knit 3, then come back to the stitches on the cable need and knit those. Makes the twist go the opposite way.

 

So far, front (F) and back (B) are all I know. But definately not as hard as it looks.

 

Hope it helps! Lemme know.

[goodie2shoes]

There's a tutorial complete with video on the irish hiking scarf blog. Upper left hand corner.

 

Seriously though what C6F means is: C=cable, 6=stitches used, F=front .

Row 8: Knit 4, Purl 2, then C6F which means to take your cable needle and slip the next 3 stitches onto your cable needle. Hold your cable needle to the front of your scarf. Then go to the next 3 stitches and knit those. Then come back to your cable needle, at the beginning of the 3 stitches, and knit those 3 stitches. As you knit the 3 stitches on your cable needle it will make that "twist". Continue P2, K2, P2, then do C6F again as above. You make the cable 3 times in the scarf pattern. It looks hard but seriously it's not.

 

Sometimes you will see, C6B (as an example), C=cable 6= stitches used, B=back. B meaning you hold your cable needle in the back, knit 3, then come back to the stitches on the cable need and knit those. Makes the twist go the opposite way.

 

So far, front (F) and back (B) are all I know. But definately not as hard as it looks.

 

Hope it helps! Lemme know.

 

 

Thank you so much, I fiddled with it last nite before I saw your post and duh hadn't read far enough for the explaination!! I got it to work last nite, and yes I was being dense and my knitphobia was showing. It wasn't as hard as I was making it. I didn't have a cable needle so I was using one of my dp's it worked fine. My biggest problem with knitting I make errors aaaaaak crocheting no big deal I just rip til I fix it. Knitting sometimes like stocking knit I can ladder it back to the mistake and use a crochet hook to fix it. But don't know how to do that in other stitches, I have "unknit" stuff but that is really tedious to me. I just have to relax more eeeek. Maybe I need to try other needles I use addi turbo circs I like them and on plain stuff I can pick up a rhythm. I will go look at the website again.

Thanks for putting up with a newbie;)