So many that I see are lace. I’m not ready for lace. Something with a needle size of 6-8 would be great. I just have no idea what to do. Everything I see calls for yarn I don’t have or don’t know what to substitute for it. I’m feel so inept at this that I’m tempted to buy a kit so I don’t have to wonder if I’m using appropriate yarn, etc.
Pointers would be so appreciated.
Laura
Many shawls are lacy which is why they use lace or fingering weight yarns. You can use any yarn to do the lacy ones, but the end product will come out larger unless you adjust the stitch count. Plus they won’t look quite as lacy.
I did find one free worsted weight one and I’m sure someone else knows of some.
http://sisterknitter.typepad.com/knittingsister/garter-ridge-shawl-by-iso.html
Here’s one with no lace http://www.cosmicpluto.com/blog/?p=443 and you can use any weight yarn with it. It has YOs but you could subsititute another increase st.
I don’t care for lacy lace one, like the `chunky’ lace ones better. I made one in worsted on size 7.5 mm from this pattern http://elann.com/ShowFreePattern.asp?Id=107024 and am doing another worsted in this pattern http://elann.com/ShowFreePattern.asp?Id=237024 Of course I also do shawls in thinner yarn too, usually 2 strands of lace or lace and fingering together.
http://www.cosmicpluto.com/blog/?p=443
When it says to mark the 5th stitch as the center, (this is probably a really dumb question), can I use a stitch marker? The thing is, on one side of the marker, I have 5 st and on the other side, I have 4.
Does this make sense? I have some yarn I can make that one from (without thinking I should be using a different yarn but just wondering…if I put the st. marker just after the 5th st, … ???
Sorry, I’ve been better at understanding patterns, but just wondering about how to mark this…
CO 5 sts, then next row: k1, yo, k1, yo, k1 (mark this st as centre st), yo, k1, yo, k1. You should have 9 sts. You can put the marker before the st, so you’d have 4 before it and 5 after it. When you get to the marker again on the RS rows, you know the next one is the center st.
I put a stitch marker (a flexible rubbery one) before and after the center stitch, so as to flag me when I get there from both sides. I have the tendency not to pay attention, and the markers definitely make me stop and think.
That’s a good idea when you’re just starting out using them…
Oh, I like that! Plus I have the symmetry thing with one on each side! I’m sooooo inattentive!
Must do this! 