Problem with Straight needles

#1

Hi, my names jackie and i am from Australia :slight_smile:

I have just started knitting about 3 days ago and have been trying every hard, i have been crocheting from about 9-10 years old and am 21 now. I’m finding knitting very hard :thinking:

I bought some cheap needles $3.99 AU (i know shun shun) from LYS. and there metal but i feel clumsy with them i and trying to learn to knit (coming from a crochet background) and i keep hitting things a they feel very hard to control. :doh:

The needles are very slippery and i cant seem to keep a grip. then they’ll grip really hard on the wool then realise (like they’re taunting me) and i’ll pull the needle right out of the work. :crying: :doh:

Is it that i need to practice more or get some better needles? i thought this would come easily come from a crocheting background. Are needles supposed to be really long, these are like 14 inches? i would love some about half that length its that normal or will the needle control come with time.

:thinking:

#2

14" needles are cumbersome. Straight needles come shorter, BUT for ease of use and versatility, many of us use circular needles for working on flat work as well as work done in the round.

There is always room for stitches, you never hit anything with the end, and you never drop one. You also never get that feeling that the needle with the work on it is getting too heavy.

#3

Welcome Jackie! My oldest DDs name is Jacqueline! As a knitter with an extensive crochet background, I totally feel for you and your problems! Metal needles can be difficult since the yarn tends to slip very easily… which is desirable at times, but easily frustrating {as you’ve discovered!}. My 2¢ {CAN} is this: try plastic or resin needles and some plain acrylic yarn in a suitable needle size. The two will tend to grip at each other a little better, and will work well together as you learn to make your stitches more even and such. Keep in mind that a suitable needle size is often as much as 1 mm smaller than an appropriate crochet hook for the same yarn.

Some other tidbits: Straight knitting needles are usually available in 10" and 14" sizes. You could get a set of 7" dpns and put a rubber point protector on one end to make your own “shortie” needles. Circular needles are a good investment over straights since they are more versatile {they can be used for flat/straight knitting as well as circular/tubular knitting}. Bamboo needles are also good for “gripping” yarn, but I wouldn’t recommend them until you are a bit more used to the differences in tension between knit and crochet. Cotton yarn is very unforgiving and is difficult to get even stitches with. Wool is a good choice if you don’t want to use an acrylic. Smooth yarns work best when you are first learning too. Keep at it and your stitches will look better and more even as you go along. You are training your hands to do something completely foreign to them, even though your mind may be telling you that it can’t be that different.

And the most important advice of all: [size=6]bookmark this site[/size]!!! Between the videos for visual help, and the ability to ask any question at all on the forum, KH is the best place on the web to learn to knit. :thumbsup:

#4

Thanks Ingrid and nicole,
I hoping that i might just get better, i’ll try and pick up some circler needles this pay :slight_smile:

#5

You are very welcome. Keep stitching and you will get better. Personally, I found it extremely frustrating that I couldn’t “get it” right away, considering you can put any crochet pattern in front of me, along with any thread or yarn, and I could {and still can!} do it. Another thing that may help is {if you aren’t already} knitting continental. With that method you hold your yarn in your left hand, and that tends to be easier for those that are used to it from crocheting.

Good luck with the circs! I would suggest getting ones that are 60-80 cm long. You will be able to use them for sweaters in the round, and it’s a good comfortable size for knitting many items flat. If you are planning on doing a lot of scarves in the round for starters, 40 cm circulars are a great size for that.

#6

Thanks again nicole
I’m hoping to get some from another LYS i think might have them,

Problem is in Adelaide in South Australia i dont know if we have a dedicated yarn and knitting store, only those crafty homemaker type stores
eg: http://www.spotlight.com.au/
http://www.lincraft.com.au/
mmm i might research this tonight, try and find one.

On crocheting, i can crochet any pattern infront of me too, i have the trouble of converting them to AU/UK terms too, but its ok -
on my crochet hooks, beenie for a friend :slight_smile:
and a one glove hehe my first try at a glove http://irenecrafts.com/patterns/easy_crocheted_gloves.htm

Edit hoo hoo!
http://www.spotlight.com.au/shopping/vip/page6 down the bottomleft
kids knitting needles 18cm thats like 7ins those would be perfect for me to get to learn on and the snake pattern is cool too.