I tried to make dh a hat and it was ERNORMOUS. But I can’t afford any new needles right now and God help me, I don’t know how anyone finds it fulfilling to make a scarf! I have a really long (29") size 6 needle as well as size 6 dpn’s but I am not sure magic loop would come out well since I am a newbie and my tension isn’t always the best. I have a son that is a size 4 and a son that is almost outgrowing size 12 month, I’d love to make something for them.
And…OMGoodness…I so LOVE to make scarves!! I am smack in the middle of fall/winter accessory knitting madness…knitting the scarf, then other accessories to match!!
Did I send u the hat pattern that I use that u can customize to fit any size head no matter the yarn, needles, etc?! You just have to get your gauge. If I did not…I’m sorry…here it is
Rebecca I have a question. I am trying to do the hat pattern you’ve posted here. I’ve got my cast on stitches on my size 7-32 inch circular, but it seems to be pulling a lot and I’m afraid it won’t join properly. Is that too short a circ for this project? I’ve got 100 stitches cast on.
i am sorry this made me giggle cuz i was imagining that head. unless you are knitting that flat, that would have to be a reeeeeally big head to use the 32 inch circs.
Well I was thinking of magic loop since I just learned that, but it’s not going to work for this. I need either longer (like a mile) or shorter like the 16in. Guess what I’m doing tomorrow. :roflhard:
:roflhard: :roflhard: Well the only reason I hate it at this point is because I want to start it NOW!!! Dammit! And the other reason…is…[size=1]I’m not supposed to buy anything because it’s close to Christmas! Shhhhhh… I’ll hide them! [/size] :devil:
Double circs would work fine. They don’t have to be the same length as each other. In fact the beauty of double circs is that you don’t have to buy two of the same length. Just use the longest ones you have.
Arugula, have you tried looking in any thrift stores for needles? I’ve found quite a few at Goodwill, as well as garage sales. I imagine garage sales are not prevalent this time of year in your area of the country (too cold), but you might luck out in a thrift shop.
Also, if you’re willing to put forth some elbow grease, you can always make your own out of dowel rods (cheap at the hardware store!). Amy has video’s here demonstrating the process. That’s what I did when I couldn’t locate double pointeds locally, and didn’t want to wait to order them to get started.
Most of my needles are goodwill finds! Unfortunately they are not that useful for a beginner:
everything is metal, unless otherwise stated
size 11 straights (good for scarves, lol)
size 10.5 straights (my first needles I bought ages ago)
29" size 6 circular
29" size 8 circular (nylon)
(4) size 6 dpn’s
(3) size 3 VERY LONG dpn’s
And I think 1 size 2 dpn, again very long
I bought 16" size 10 bamboo circular and (5) bamboo size 10 dpn’s
It is stuff I am sure I will be able to use eventually but starting out it is either too long or too small or too big :lol for the patterns I keep eyeing. What I need are dpn’s and circulars in a shorter length that are size 7 since everything calls for that. I guess I could use bigger needles, less stitches and double my yarn. How do I know what increment to decrease stitches by?
The dowel thing is a great idea, I had forgotten about that video, dpn’s are so intimidating but I am willing to try them.
I did start some mittens for my kiddos on the size 6 dpn’s. Wish me luck!
Dpn’s intimidated me, too. I was happy to discover that they are not at all as daunting as they look. :shock: Even if you’re not interested in making socks at this time, you should check out Silver’s Sock Tutorial. It is an excellent source for learning to get started with dpn’s. Her pictures are close up and clear, and her instructions are easy to understand. I always recommend it to anyone I know that is wanting to try dpn’s!
Continually being frustrated in not having the size needles I needed is what prompted me to finally order a set of Denise’s interchangeables. I realize if you’re tight for cash, it may not be an option, though. I bought mine on eBay.
My first set to make out of dowel’s was size 7’s. I made both dpn’s and straights. It seemed that everything I found that I was wanting to make at that time called for size 7’s! :?
I bought ages ago)