Back on the Knitting scene!

How are you knitters?

Iv been super busy graduating University and working for a radio station in Nottingham! It's been lots of fun, but I miss Knitting!

So, I'm backkkk!

I have made my baby clothes!!!

Finally finished my baby clothes, thanks to the help of a dear friend of mine!

Take a look and tell me what you think!

The first picture is the pattern I had to follow, it was actually pretty easy, and lots of fun to make! 

Now I just need a cute baby to model them for me....

Laterz!Charlotte x

Facebook Knitting Fanatics!

I have recently gained a few fans from joining knitting groups on facebook!

Check them out and join these great groups!

Heres one

And another

And one more!

Laterz!Charlotte x

Miniature range

Oh deary dearly me! This miniature thing was A LOT harder than expected! The lady who made the tiny knitting clothes must be a god or something!

So far I have done 4 knit row and 4 purl rows.... Its getting very hard and fiddly! I'll give it a go next week I think, I really want to master it!

This is what i got so far!

Laterz!Charlotte x

Knitting comes in small packages!

After watching that delightful video below, i felt so inspired! So, I decided to make a small scarf for one of my teddies... Her name is Alison!

Let me know what you think!







Laterz!Charlotte x

The possibilities of knitting are endless!

This is the cutest most loveliest video about a woman who knits with very small needles and creates clothes! Check it out! All together now... "Awwwwwww!"

Laterz!Charlotte x

This month's competition!

Competition time again my fellow knitters! 

This month's competition is create something 'different' and 'special' through knitting! So this could be making  something using a pattern, or making a cute scarf out of lots of differnt wool colour! Its completly up to you!! 

Competition closes on the 28th of April! If you need some help with ideas and stuff, i'm going to be posting inspiring knitting videos each week to help ignite your creating juices! 

Oooo! I'm excited to see you guys enterees! 

Right, Get knitting! 

Laterz!Charlotte x

Started this month's something amazing!

Let me know what you guys think!

Laterz!Charlotte x

Knitting websites

Okay, we all know the best place for all your knitting needs is right her at memyselfandknitting.blogspot.com, don't we? Hehee! But it thought I would list some other helpful knitting sites.

This is a great website that teaches patterns and the basics of knitting!

This is a website and a popular magazine, with great tips

For knitting help! Even, i need it sometimes...

For all your pattern needs!

The vogue of the knitting scene!

Okay, well these are my favorites they are great help and very straight forward sites! Just don't stop coming here right?! Hehe! 

Laterz!Charlotte x

Knitting Needles!

There are many different knitting equipment you will need in your process of knitting!

Lets say you decide to make a jumper... Like I want to this month

You cant just use 'Normal' needles, You need some other special needles to get a certain type of effect.

There are three basic types of knitting needles

Normal needles - They come in various sizes ranging from 2 mm to 25 mm.

Double-pointed needles - Double-pointed needles are tapered at both ends, which allows them to be knit from either end. They are typically used for circular knitting

Circular needles - Cable needles are a special case of double pointed needle, although they usually are not straight, but dimpled in the middle, they are used to hold stitches temporarily while others are being knitted.

Thats pretty much the basics of knitting needles, in a few weeks time ill list the basics of wool and other equipment! 

Laterz!Charlotte x

Competition winner!

The winner of the competition is.... Dominique Roch!

She watched and studied my videos and has now learned how to cast on!

Well done Dominique! Well deserved!

Thank so much to everyone that entered! they were all lovely!

But, if you sadly missed out on this competition, but would still like to know how to cast on click here!

To learn how to make a stitch row click here!

To learn how to make a purl row click here!

And how to cast off click here!

Laterz!Charlotte x

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

Now you are ready to knit!

You have now casted on all your stitches its now time to start knitting!

The next process you will do in knitting is called making the 'Knit' stitch, this very similar to the first step, its simply just making your knitting longer.
To do this you must....

• With the yarn at the back of the work, insert the right hand needle from left to right through the front of the first stitch on the left hand needle.
• Wind the yarn over the right hand needle
• Pull through a loop
• Slip the original stitch off the left hand needle
• ...Then repeat until all the stitches have been transferred from the left to the right hand needle.

Easy pweasy!... Hmmmm! don't worry if you don't get it straight away... I didn't! Just keep practicing and when you do finally get it... You'll feel amazing!

Laterz!Charlotte x

My "Something Amazing."

My "something amazing" that I'm planning to make this month is a knitted hair band. I'll start it on the 28th...... and I'll show you my final outcome and my progress every few days. Also I will be holding a competition to see who is the best at casting on, and the winners prize will be the beautifully knitted hair band. OOoooOOooO you lucky people, you!

Laterz!Charlotte x

Casting on stitches!

Lets... Continue to cast on!
The casting on method i like to use is called 'Knitted cast on', And this will be the one I will be teaching you guys! I hope this isn't to confussing I tried to make it as simple as I could, I also have a video to help you guys!
I have also added another casting on method, called 'Thumb cast on' The video is below!

Anyway! Casting on...

• Start with needle that your slip knot is on in your left hand, and the other needle in your right.

• Slide the right hand needle into the loop on the left-hand needle from front to back, then loop the yarn that is attached to the ball over the point of the right-hand needle, going counter clockwise
• (Here's the only tricky part!!) Then, You will need to slide the right-hand needle back out from behind the left-hand needle, while keeping the loop you just made on the right-hand needle and the slip knot on the left-hand needle.
• Keep holding onto the yarn with your right hand so it doesn't get away from you. Slowly slide the right-hand needle down so the loop gets close to the tip of the needle, but does not slide off. At the same time the right-hand needle will be coming out from behind the left-hand needle.
• When the right-hand needle just comes out from behind the left-hand needle, give the right needle a little push with your left index finger to push the needle in front of the left needle.
• Now all you have to do is slide the loop that's on the right-hand needle onto the left-hand needle, above the slip knot loop.

Now you have two stitches!!! This isn't the way you finish a knit stitch though, but all the other steps are the same, so once you get your cast on finished, you'll be ready to roll with the knit stitch.

To cast on the desired number of stitches, just keep repeating these steps until you have the required number of stitches on your needle.

Thumb cast on Video

Long-Tail cast on Video.

Laterz!Charlotte x

Come knit with me, lets knit, lets knit away!

Lets.... Cast on...

Casting on is simply the way that you get stitches onto the needle so that you can start knitting. First of all you will need to make a loop to knit on. To do this you will need to make a Slip-knot on one of your needles.

Making a slip-knot
To do this you will need;

1. Wool [yarn ball]
2. Two needles [The size of the needle depends on the size of your wool - should say on the wrapper]

Okie dokie, the slip-knot...

• To make a slip knot, hold the yarn so that the tail of the yarn ball is hanging in front of your hand.
• Wrap the yarn loosely behind your first two fingers of your left hand. The yarn should loop all the way around your fingers clockwise.
• Take the part of the yarn that's attached to the ball and slip it back under the loop behind your fingers
• Then slide this off your fingers, pull to tighten slightly, and slip it over the needle.

....or see video below, cause that description is pretty confusing!

Laterz! Charlotte x

Knit your way through the credit crunch...

Hello fellow Knitters!

I'm Charlotte McKenzie I'm 19 and I love knitting!
I have only been doing it for a short time - but already I'm addicted.
My main aim in this blog is to make something amazing - Im not sure yet - but when I have decided you'll be the first to know!!
I have only made scarfs so far.... But! Im hoping to learn something new to make each month, and ill show you my progress on here.I will also teach anyone who is willing to learn the basics of knitting. I'll teach how to cast on/off and how to make simple patterns. Also, if you have any suggestions or comment feel free to share them with me!

Laterz! Charlotte x