So, I've been taking my knitting classes and becoming quite proficient (and addicted!). I have made a couple of different scarves for myself and christmas presents, but I'm getting bored. Do you have any ideas for my next project? What could I make that wouldn't kill me but I wouldn't finish in two days either? What was/is your favorite project?
I would love to make a sweater, but is that insane???
Check out this adorable sweater made by the owner of the knitting store I go to (for a little girl):
It's so funky! Anyway, I would love to hear your suggestions!
I don't think a sweater is insane. After making a few scarves, I made a sweater for my dog. It took a while and quite a few trips to the knitting store, but it was nice because the pieces were small to knit and I didn't get frustrated. Since then I knitted a baby blanket for a friend. It was the cutest pattern with textured sheep that have these little ears that stick out. It was fun to learn some different stitches. Now I am working on a baby hat for a friend that looks like a bear hat and has little ears. I find pieces for my friends' children are easier because they are smaller plus I have never found an adult sweater pattern I like. There are a few good ones in Rowan, but I guess I haven't looked that hard.
I don't think a sweater is insane either! I'm in the midst of one, but to be honest, it's just 3 rectangles, so it's kinda like making scarves too! This is the one I'm making but without the pocket:
I'm also about to try this hat for my sister for Christmas:
I was exactly where you are & I took a sock class - but I hated it! I really think it's because it was little (on size 5s) and because I have lots of Christmas presents to make & I don't have time to fool with socks right now. But maybe in the summer I'll try to do Christmas stockings, which are big socks, on bigger needles & there will be many months to do them....
I look at yarn sites & knitting blogs all the time - they all have free patterns. Maybe you'll find something that inspires you! Or you can go to the knit section of craftster.org - they have sections of completed projects & lots of inspiration
i absolutely love this book. the projects in it are amazing and inspiring... sort of a "outside of the box" approach to knitting:
right now i'm working on the "woven woolen rug". basically you use a double knit stitch to create long skinny flat "tubes" in random colors (you can use what you have leftover from other projects even). you make 14 of these and at the end you weave them together to make the coziest little rug ever. it's easy and the double knit stitch is fun.
I am so excited that someone posted about knitting. If I could I would knit all day.
You could do a sweater! I'm probably what you would call an intermediate to advanced knitter and I've gotten this far because I've always picked projects that are beyond my ability. Every time I pick a project, I pick something that involves some technique I don't know. I've been able to figure them all out usually by doing a google search or looking in a technique book.
Here are a few projects that I think would be good for moving up from a scarf:
Laken - One of my friends made that kimono sweater as her first sweater and she got through it just fine. It looks so cute on her. I KNOW you could do it.
The Knitter's Book of Finishing Techniques by Nancie Wiseman is my absolute favorite knitting book. Even now, I almost always carry it with me. It goes through all the most common increases and decreases and tells you which one is appropriate in which situation.
www.knittinghelp.com is also a really good resource. They have little videos you can download about techniques.
I don't post on the knitty.com forum, but I've heard that the regulars over their are really helpful too.
It is easy to get panicky when looking at a complicated pattern. Usually if you try to take it line by line, it isn't as bad as it seems. It takes a little patience tho.
I am on the baby blanket knitting rampage...i on my third one...Next I am going to do an adult size afgan...I figure it will keep me busy for the next few months...
my first non-scarf project was this hat, which i knitted up in about a week (i was just knitting in the evenings while watching tv) and i still love and wear four years later -
the pattern is in the Yarn Girls' Guide to Simple Knits book or you can order it from
last year i made an ivory t-neck mini poncho, but i didn't use a pattern, was just kind of winging it using circular needles and add-on stitching - it was also a pretty fast project, took me about 3 weeks of evening knitting
i currently have two projects sitting around unfinished since i haven't had much time in the past 9 months to actually finish them - the left is from the rowan "vintage style" book from last fall/winter, and the right is from the rowan magazine #36 -
and
i really want to find a small pocket of time to knit up a quick cashmere cable hat for this winter, but i don't think i'll have the time before it gets cold! :(
i am also hoping to find time in the future to make these - i love them!
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