Knitting - things you never knew you never knew.

OK. Starting with the easy stuff.

Yarn weight
If you're looking online for knitting help, you will quickly be confused by the different names for the different weights of yarn. Starting with the smallest:

UK 4-ply is known as Sportweight, and is usually used in baby garments. UK Double knitting is US Worsted weight and is a general purpose size, used for pretty much anything from baby clothes, knitted toys and loads of others. UK Aran can be known as Fisherman or Medium weight, it's heavier than double knitting and knits up quicker. It's generally used for adult sweaters. UK Chunky is US Bulky and is usually used for blankets or specific patterns. For the most part as new knitters, you'll use double knitting.

Ball band translation
On your ball band, there will be a cross with some letters and numbers around it. On the ball I have beside me, it says:

4mm/8UK/US 6

This is telling you what size knitting needle to use to get the recommended gauge. In this case, I need to use a 4mm which is the metric equivalent to the old UK size 8 needle.
Beside this, there will be a grid - this tells you what the gauge should be if you are following the manufacturers instructions. Mine says:

10x10cms/28 rows/22sts/4x4in

This is telling you that to knit a square 10cmx10cm (or 4inx4in) you need to cast on 22 stitches and knit 28 rows in stocking stitch (knit odd rows, purl even rows).
The other information to make note of is the weight and length of your ball of yarn and compare it to the pattern requirements. Mine is a 50g ball which measures approximately 191yards/175metres.

Before you start
If you are following a pattern, make sure that the yarn you have bought is all the same shade and lot number. This information is usually found near the barcode, and if it's all the same number, this means your yarn was all dyed from the one batch and you shouldn't have a colour difference problem.

I'll add more to this tomorrow, but if anyone has any specific questions batter in and I'll answer tomorrow.

[endemoniada]

Thanks Vonnie, I had actually forgotten how to knit- although I was expert until I left school.
I see a knitting tangent ahead.........

Originally Posted by endemoniada

Thanks Vonnie, I had actually forgotten how to knit- although I was expert until I left school.
I see a knitting tangent ahead.........

I will add more to it later with links to tutorials and so on, but bed's calling just now.

Also - Clicky

[_displaced_]

My friend is obsessed with knittting just now, I want her to make me one of these:-


http://sentencesforsale.com/index.php?p=28

[.Katie.]

Originally Posted by Vonnie

Before you start
If you are following a pattern, make sure that the yarn you have bought is all the same shade and lot number. This information is usually found near the barcode, and if it's all the same number, this means your yarn was all dyed from the one batch and you shouldn't have a colour difference problem.

aye, don't be a muppet like me and realise once you are finished that the bottom 4 inches of your jumper are a totally different colour.

[cupotea]

so stocking stitch is just 'knit, purl, knit, purl'?

Is 1 st st = 1 row knitted and 1 row purled or

1 st st = 1 row knitted
next st st = 1 row purled??

does that make any sense?

[cupotea]

also what does:

row 5 *K4, inc 1 rep from * to end (48 sts)

mean?

[Skybaby]

Knit 4 stitches, increase one and then keep on repeating till the end of the row.

Originally Posted by cupotea

so stocking stitch is just 'knit, purl, knit, purl'?

Is 1 st st = 1 row knitted and 1 row purled or

1 st st = 1 row knitted
next st st = 1 row purled??

does that make any sense?

Stocking stitch is knit one row, purl the next so your odd rows will be knit, and even rows will be purl.

I don't understand the instructions you've put there, can you give me the whole row?

Originally Posted by cupotea

also what does:

row 5 *K4, inc 1 rep from * to end (48 sts)

mean?

It means that you knit 4 stitches and increase in stitch number 5 and you keep doing that to the end of the row. How many stitches are you supposed to have at the start of that row?

[cupotea]

Originally Posted by Vonnie

Stocking stitch is knit one row, purl the next so your odd rows will be knit, and even rows will be purl.

I don't understand the instructions you've put there, can you give me the whole row?

sorry all I meant was:
1 stocking stitch = 1 row knitted AND 1 row purled
so 4 rows of stocking stitch would equal 8 rows all in
OR
1 stocking stitch = 1 row knitted
NEXT stocking stitch = 1 row purled
so 4 rows stocking stitch would equal 4 rows

Originally Posted by Vonnie

It means that you knit 4 stitches and increase one in the last stitch of the 4 (I think...) and you keep doing that to the end of the row. How many stitches are you supposed to have at the start of that row?

right I dont know how to 'increase'

and it starts off with 40 stitches and should end up with 48

[cupotea]

right its okay - all I need to know now is how to do an increase. Someone on an LJ community explained the stocking stitch part

Right second time - 4 rows stocking stitch means 4 rows altogether so it'll be knit, purl, knit, purl.

The row 5 part I got wrong, you knit 4 stitches then increase in the 5th stitch. Give me a second and I'll link you to a tutorial on increasing. It's not easy to explain but easy to do.

Here you go. I'd recommend the first one (knitting into the front and back of a stitch)

[cupotea]

Originally Posted by Vonnie

Here you go. I'd recommend the first one (knitting into the front and back of a stitch)

I have no idea if I did it right or not but I now have 48 stitches so that'll do me just nicely

Well done you!