I wish I could have seen my great-grandmother tatting. I'll have to make do with online tutorials when I get some time and am in the proper mindset to learn something new. I believe I have a tatting shuttle, but I have no idea where it is. Here's a site that gives some information about tatting, and she also has some tutorials: http://www.tattedtreasures.com/what-is-tatting/
I looked at the tatting page, and the articles they picture are truly beautiful, @Diane Lane . I don't think i am going to try lerning to tat at this point in my life though. Even crocheting with fine threads is hard for me, or even the fingering yarn. I just much prefer working with the larger 4-ply yarn. I can see it better, for one thing. And it is just easier for me to work with. Right now, I am at the time of year when I want to be outside as much as possible, and usually reading about something or watching tutorial videos in the evenings; so I seldom find time or inclination for handiwork. Once we are into the really hot part of summer, I will be doing anything that needs to be done outside as early in the morning as possible, or when it starts cooling off in the evening; so I will be inside more during the heat of the day, and working on projects. Wintertime is my traditional time for crafts though. No gardening or yardwork to speak of then, so I am in the house all of the time, and have lots of time for knitting and crocheting. What size of yarn did you use for your socks, @Julie Stewart ? Those are beautiful socks, by the way ! ! I can relate to discovering the difference in size at first. Once you are used to 4-needle knitting, then it should be consistent; but I remember having socks or gloves coming out a different size at first, too. And even worse when I learned to crochet. All of my stitches were loose, and the slipper would have fit a Bigfoot ! !
Knitting socks is my winter pass time. I confess I don't use needles, I actually use a loom so the results are more consistent and I can stop and start as I want. I don't count rows even though I have a nifty counter notion that would be helpful, usually with a loom you can easily see that the socks are about the same size within a row or two. Contrary to what people might think you can do many different type of stitches, there are a ton of easy to follow youtube video on the subject. I can usually finish a pair of simple socks in a weekend without to much effort/ I am the same way I like to do handwork while sitting by the fir or watching TV,
Oh, my gosh, @Joe Riley ! ! That picture just totally reminds me of my very first pair of knitted socks. I am doing much better now though, and here is what @Ina I. Wonder 's next pair will look like. I may try to add in a few more colors as I go because she said she wanted mis-matched bright colors that she can wear around the house.
@Yvonne Smith , you are so funny, but you'll not discourage me. I have always liked crazy quits, and the oddly beautiful way they come together.. I know you think me a bit nuts, because I don't want my knitted sock to be matching, but I like the idea of scrap yarns making crazy designs in my socks. And, also I one gets lost or destroyed, all the rest still will go together. You never know,I might be starting a new fashion. I'm really not trying to drive Yvonne up a wall, but a different challenge can be fun, and maybe profitable.
I admire your learning to knit. Several years ago I tried to learn to crochet from a fellow teacher. Unfortunately, the edge of my coaster was uneven as I kept loosing count of my stitches. I became discouraged and haven't had the guts to try again. I just keep remember how those women's fingers would fly as they crocheted. Sigh.
That's a great site @Diane Lane it brought back memories of my grandma used to do. She'd laugh at the opening paragraph though : "Tatting is an ancient form of lace making, traditionally frequented by upper class ladies due to the enormous time involved. Notably, Queen Victoria of England and Archduchess Maria Theresa of Austria enjoyed tatting." Because she was a working class mill girl until she was 70 and didn't have any spare time. I remember more now - she made antimacassars to protect her sofa and chairs from hair products such as lacquer and the Brylcream that my grandad, dad nad uncles used to use in the 1960s. I remember my grandad used to say "I'm leaving Aunty Macassar at home and going to Uncle Mylocal" - (ie: the pub). He though it was funny ..... every single time .....
@Yvonne Smith - I used "sock wool" - honestly, that's what it was called. And it is self-striping! I loved it. Wool in France; the UK and the US all have different names for their uses/weight. What is called "fingering" in the US is called 2-ply in the UK. Here in France they simply go by needle size. All wool has a label with which size of needle to use and the patterns are designed around needle size - so you just go off to the shop and pick the yarns you like, then check if they are suitable for the needle size of the pattern. Once I finished those socks I then bought wool for the size of needles I had used - and made my daughter a plain grey pair.
A sock loom sounds cool - quicker than needles. I read about "second sock syndrome" - I didn't have it until I knew it existed! So I researched the possibility of knitting the two socks of a pair at the same time. I stumbled across something called "magic loop" and got very scared. I might look up sock loom next!
Trying to learn to knit was one of my unhappy girlhood memories. My mother is pretty good with handicrafts, and tried to teach me all she knew including knitting. However, I am hopeless with my hands..and it was an exercise in frustration for both of us. I know I ended up bursting into tears at one point. So, I think the knitting lessons ceased. It is a nice skill to have though...I just have unpleasant memories of my brief experience as a knitter.
I think that learning to knit is about like learning to drive a car, or ride a bicycle, for that matter. It is always the hardest when you are first trying to learn something. I distinctly remember having a terrible time when I first started learning to knit, also, @K E Gordon . I would forget how to insert the needles correctly, or drop stitches, and even got turned around once or trice and knitted part of a row, and then then back over the part I had just knitted, instead of finishing the row, which naturally made the pattern go off-kilter. Fixing mistakes was even harder, because then I had to take off the incorrect stitches and do it over again the right way, and try not to drop any stitches as I repaired my mistakes. Once you get past the learning part, things get better, and knitting actually becomes enjoyable. I once had a friend that would knit as she was driving her truck down the highway, and never miss a stitch ! While I never wanted to try doing that myself, I have to admit that her proficiency amazed me. I think that if you still want to learn, and just start with a simple project such as slippers, you would do fine, once you practice it a little bit.
@K E Gordon and @Yvonne Smith - I can relate to what both of you said. My grandma taught me to knit and I remember the frustration, my hot hands, my tight stitches that wouldn't slide off the needle. Dropped stitches were a mystery - how? when? why? I was so careful - or so I thought. I took it up again when my daughter wanted to learn a couple of years ago so she could join a "Knitting and Wine" group. It was easier to teach it than to be taught!
I would think wine, would make it more difficult to knit, lol. However, maybe the opposite happens, and you can stay calm while dropping your stitches! Maybe I would try it again sometime if I could get some yarn and needles for free. The cost of yarn these days is really expensive. I would not waste my time or money if I would stop and get frustrated again. I can do latch hook rugs..but a monkey could do those! lol.