This months something amazing!

Drum role please?...

I'm going to make the jumper I said I liked in an earlier post
Also, im going to make some baby clothes too.. This will be a big challenge but i'm having help from my a friend! A very good advanced knitter.. Keep your eyes pilled guys!

Well.... It's going to be tough month... But I'm going to do it...

The jumper pattern was made my Emma Varnam who makes lots of modern clothes for various knitting magazines.

I'm looking at the pattern now... Thinking how confusing it looks! But I'm up for the challenge!! BRING IT ON!

Laterz!Charlotte x

Competition closed!

Okay, so I have finally finished my 'Something amazing' aka my knitted hair band!

And the competition for 'Who can cast on the best' is now closed! I have all the entrees in, and i will make a decision and announce the winner Wednesday afternoon!

Good luck all who have applied!!

And don't think just cause you can cast on, you can knit! You still have a few more basic knitting steps to learn.

Then... you'll be on really hard patterns!

Laterz!Charlotte x

Beautiful things you can knit

There are many beautiful things you can make through knitting!

The first thing I ever made was a scarf, which was so fun to do... I guess it doesn't sound to fun, But believe me it was! I made it out of blue wool, and it was so soft and I wore it all the time!
Scarfs are probably the easiest things to make through knitting! Cause its just simply casting on - stitch row - purl row - repeat first 2nd and 3rd step until long enough - then cast off!

Easy pweasy!

There are more difficult things you can make aswell.. Such as socks... Hats, and cardigans/Jumper
My next mission is to make a Jumper... I have NEVER done this before, It seems kinda hard, I have a really nice pattern for a loose fit jumper.

Laterz!Charlotte x

Patterns

A Pattern is a code you follow to help you knit something.

For example; to knit something like a hat, you might need to follow a pattern to help you complete it, so you know how many stitch row, and purls rows to do etc..

There are some patterns online you can follow, and you can get patterns from knitting shops, societies, magazines and books.

I found a video online that may help you out... Take a look!

So...basically all patterns are written in a code... So to understand it I have written the basics below! I hope you find this useful!

K (or k) Knit

P (or p) Purl

st (s) stitch (es)

ssk slip, slip, knit (Slip 2 consectutive sts then insert left needle back into the front of the 2 sts and k the two slipped sts together)

psso pass slip stitch over

There are many more to learn which I will show you when we move on to making something using a pattern... You excited?! I am! 

Laterz!Charlotte x

Subscribe to a magazine

If by now your really enjoying knitting and you think it may be the thing for you, why not subscribe to a monthly magazine to help you along the way?

I am a monthly subscriber to 'Knitting' Magazine

Its great! its got gorgeous patterns for a younger generation of knitters... Check it out!

Laterz!Charlotte x

Tips and Suggestions

What I have taught you on this blog is just the basics of knitting, there is so much more to knitting than casting on, doing a stitch row/purl row etc. 

You can make some unbalivable things through knitting! And in this blog in time i attend to show you some of the wonders you can make!

Here are some tips for Success!

Yarn

If you are following patterns, and it says buy 4 balls of yarn to make your knitted piece, I suggest getting an extra ball of yarn just incase! 'Cause like me, you may knit very tightly, and its the most annoying thing to nearly finish but not have enough wool! 

Swap yarns

If your friends, mum or even your neighbor knit, why not swap yarns? Just say you have a ball of wool and you have used it several times and you might like to experiment with another colour, why not swap the old for the new?

Sewing up

If you want to make a piece and you need to sew bits of the knitting up, pin the pieces so its all even. Also use the same colour yarn to stitch up

Laterz!Charlotte x

And finally... How to cast of!

Casting off is the final process you will need to learn in knitting.

• Knit two stitches onto your right needle.
  
• With your fingers, take hold of the first stitch that you made and lift it up and over the second stitch and off of the needle completely.
  
• Knit one more stitch onto your right needle so that there are two stitches on the right needle again.
  
• Repeat these steps until you have only one stich left on the right needle.
  
• To finish, slide the last stich off of the needle, cut the end of the yarn about 1 inch from the loop. Then insert the 1 inch end of the yarn through the last loop and pull to tighten. Trim the yarn end as desired.

Laterz!Charlotte x

My beautiful collection of yarn

Here is my small collection of yarn! Which one's your favorite?

Laterz!Charlotte x

Lets do a purl row!

The very next step to knitting after making a knit row, is making a purl row! Once again I have included a video and a tutorial. Good luck guys! 

• Bring the yarn to the front of your knitting, while you still have the needle with your completed stitches in your left hand and the empty needle in your right. If you're not purling an entire row and both needles have stitches, the right should be the side new stitches are moving to.
  
• Insert the right needle into the front of the stitch loop from right to left. This is directly opposite the way you insert the needle for a standard knit stitch.
  
• Wrap the yarn counter-clockwise around the right needle, keeping it at the front of your project. Again, the direction you wrap the yarn is the opposite of how knit stitches are done.
  
• Pull the new loop through onto the right needle, and slide the original stitch off the left needle. You have just completed one purl stitch.
  
• Repeat until all your stitches are off your first needle!

Laterz! Charlotte x

Started my 'Something amazing'

Right, I'm about to start knitting the hair band any minuet now!
I'll show you guys what I have done so far later on in the week!
Its gold and super hot... I think whoever wins this will be extremely lucky.

Oh and to win this lovely creation guys - Don't forget you have to submit a picture/video of you casting on - Entrees close at 28th March, so get knitting kids!

Send them to me at memyselfandknitting@hotmail.com

Thanks!

(oh p.s i made a naughty knitting error in my video below... i said the needle needs to be 5 1/2 cm... its actually 5mm!!)

Laterz! Charlotte x