Knitting/crochet/tatting

edited February 2012 in JoCo Cruise
I imagine there may already be a thread for this, but string folks often like to just have a communal string fest and chat.  no pressure, no sweaters (too big and too hot) so can we meet up for string therapy?
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  • Oh, this is for the cruise.  sorry, technology challenged.








  • I moved this discussion into the Cruise category. (:

    Last year I know there were knitting/crochet meetups, though I didn't attend any of them. Are you in the Facebook group? I know a lot of crafters have been posting there lately, but I'm not sure how many of them are on the forums.
  • What is the specific facebook site.  am on the JC main page, but nothing like that is showing.  At worst, I bring some knitting and sit down and gather fellow stringers.
  • Sorry, I didn't have the link to hand before! Join us!

    You're right that you'll collect fellow string-users just by a display of public knitting, but all the better if you know a few names ahead of time!
  • I haven't decided what project to bring with me to keep my hands occupied, but it's almost certain I'll bring something.  I don't do the whole air travel thing much, so I do have one question: How rabid is the TSA being lately about needles and scissors and such?
  • TSA allows you to bring up to a 4-inch blade now, so tiny scissors are fine (I've flown quite a few times with knitting). If you're worried though, nail clippers will usually work in a pinch for severing yarn. 

    I'll definitely be bringing my knitting with me (how else am I supposed to keep myself occupied on the plane?). I suspect I'll mostly be doing socks, as they're small and can easily be stuffed into a purse. 
  • Ah yes, 'If I'm sitting I'm Knitting'. I am a wool widower, My fiancee is massively into the stick art. I've dabbled myself with a hat and some socks and so far 8/10ths of a glove. Doesn't light my  fire.

    Check out Nerd Wars on Ravelry if you haven't already been there, m'Lady runs a team over there. Basically you pick your nerdom and knit things associated with it in various challenges, there's quite a bit of JoCo support over there as well.
  • My wife went to the knitting groups on JCCC1. They were in the piano bar before each concert (which was extremely convenient because the piano bar is just outside the theater). I'm sure something similar will be planned this time as well. 
  • I came in here & thought to myself, "what does knitting have to do with tattooing? Ohhh..."

    :)
  • I'll probably have a knitting project on me, but as this is my first cruise I don't have any illusions about sitting still long enough to work on it anywhere...
  • Last time, I saw people knitting while watching JoCo karaoke, and while watching the JoCo/TMBG jam session. Sitting still long enough to knit does not mean missing out on the fun.
  • One can knit anywhere, any time and for any amount of time.  Anyone familiar with Stephanie McPhee (the Yarn Harlot)?  I think she can knit socks in her sleep.  Knitting by the piano bar certainly sounds like fun (no lace work though, counting is rough enough as it is).  I'm bringing a couple of small projects (doing one all week is boring). Looking forward to meeting other string fiends.
  • Yeah!!  I'm excited to see there will be fellow knitters on board.  DH and I have been on a few cruises and I'm the only one I ever see knitting.  I usually bring socks...and I'm always afraid I'm going to run out of things to knit so I bring enough sock yarn for a small army. 
  • Note that when we were in the piano bar before the evening JoCo show the bar was empty but for seamonkeys. No piano player either. I think they only use it for its intended purpose during/after dinner.
  • Like @origamislayer said, the Piano Bar was an excellent spot for knitters to meet up on the last cruise both because of its location and because it was mostly empty during the day. (One day a bunch of Sea Monkey musicians got together in there for a jam session and we knitters had fun watching and singing along.) I will definitely be bringing along a project, though not sure what yet since my current one is just about done...

    Looking forward to crafting with you all!
  • I am about ready to move up from knitting scarfs and hats. I'd love to tackle socks, but they look so scary. If any of the knitters feel like doing a little teaching or answering questions - I'd love to look you all up.
  • @sgrandys, I'm always happy to help. Not sure how to tell you to get in touch, though, since we're still in cabin zero. But I suspect I'll be spending a fair amount of time in the Piano Bar during the day unless the crafters choose a different spot this cruise...anyway, my real name is Tina, and either my husband (@origamislayer) or I will try to get a photo posted to the thread where people are posting their pictures sometime in the next day or so.
  • @sgrandys I'm about to out myself as a man knitter here (that is I am a man who knits, not someone who knits men) do no worry about how hard you think it is. The fiance got really upset with me as I picked up some sticks and knitted about 20 rows of straight stuff and then did a Jayne Cobb hat in the round. My next project was a pair of socks which ended up too small for me due to incorrect measuring so the lady wears them. Now I am most of the way through a glove.

    With all things new, most people are afraid of failure, and this fear puts up mental blocks. I tend not to suffer from this so just go into it blithely and what do you know I can do most things I turn my hand to well enough for my needs.

    You have nothing to fear except fear itself, and spiders.
  • Just so you are aware of the ambiance, here is some video of the jam session/knitting in the piano bar.
  • @stitchinthyme - I'll try to find you, and I'll check the piano bar. I don't think I have time to pick out a pattern and yarn, but maybe I'll bring some practice yarn to be shown how to do a few things. Thanks!

    @St_Trousers - they're scary because I cant read the pattern! I've never had any formal training, and some of the abbreviations are incomprehensible. And hard to pick up from a 2D book Sometime having someone show you makes a big difference.
  • @sgrandys - if you want to learn crochet I can help. Learning how to read patterns was actually the hardest part for me, but I'm really glad I did - now I can read patterns and charts and I make a lot of stuffed animals. From what I've seen knitting patterns are sort of similar to crochet, just with different abbreviations.
  • edited February 2012
    @sgrandys Knitters do seem to speak in tongues it has to be said, I'm not one for patterns, I get the lady to tell me how much I should do! Or I wing it. To be fair I only intend to do socks so all I needed was to learn how to knit a tube. The lady knits all sorts. She is a wool freak extraordinaire, seriously as I sit here typing she is sat not ten feet away spinning some yarn from something that looks like a small mammal. 

    When did I last see the cat?

    Also stay away from crochet, the best I can make out it appears to be some kind of witchcraft...

  • I can help with knitting or crocheting, and I'm extremely adventuresome -- some would say insane. My very first finished knitted item (aside from practice swatches) was a sweater. It wasn't perfect, but I still wear it.

    @St_Trousers - don't knock crocheting; you can do some really cool things with it. (All links are to my own projects on Ravelry or Flickr.) Much as I like knitting, crocheting is way more versatile.


  • sgrandys: head immediately to a yarn store and ask them for a basic sock pattern, yarn, and the right needles. that will be enough for folks to help you get started.

  • @stitchinthyme I am mostly joking, however the way items of knitwear just appear in the soon to be mother in laws hands whilst she is crocheting does make me think there were some cross road-esque shenanigans somewhere. She really flies through it far faster than one little needle ought to be possible.
    And I thought continental was fast.

    On a serious aside, my fiancee is involved with a charity in London called Breakspear Baby Blankets for Centrepoint. Basically she and anyone she can coerce into making things knit baby and some bigger stuff for single mums and babies who are in the shelter. They put quite a christmas box together last year. 

    Any knitters out there who are interested (and for cheapness of posting probably no further away than Europe) ping me a message and I'll give you contact details. If you are in America or else where on Rock 3 and want to get involved with something there are plenty of places around that do similar stuff. They are great little stash busting projects.

    Good deed ends.
  • I can't wait to do some pool-side knitting.  In the SUN!!!!  I think I'm finally going to tackle these socks: http://www.knitty.com/ISSUEwinter09/PATTskew.php.  See you all in 5 days!
  • @RNgirlknits, hah, I will likely do that too (enough sock yarn for an army). The beauty (or problem, whichever way you look at it) of sock yarn is that it is small and easy to squish into all the little empty spaces in a suitcase.

    @sgrandys don't worry! Sounds like there'll be quite a few of us, so we can definitely help you tackle your first pair of socks. You'll want to pick out some yarn (I'd recommend a lighter color to start with, if you're not used to working with such teeny stitches), and some needles (socks are usually done on US size 0 - 3, depending on how tight you knit, etc.). Socks are a lot of fun (and a wee bit addictive). 

    I'll look for fellow knitters at the piano bar! I'm trying to decide if I want to bring only self-patterning yarn and just do plain vanilla socks, or if I want to <a href="http://www.eunnyjang.com/knit/2006/09/bayerische.html">play with cables</a> (a lot depends on how far I can get on the plane flight, so that I no longer have to be obsessively reading a chart). Choices, choices...
  • I tried to look up a beginning sock pattern and got overwhelmed. Double pointed needles? 2 circular needles? Toe up? Top down? I think I'm going to wimp out on the socks. I work right up until I leave early Saturday, and don't think I'll make it to a yarn store in time to figure all this out!
  • If I were to bring my drop spindle and some roving, would there be anyone kind enough to teach me how to spin? I've tried to learn from the interwebs, but I think I need a real person to show me things like drafting.
  • @JadeSnake - OMG awesome! I learned spinning from my friend and have only made two skeins so far but I can bring my drop spindle and roving and we can make horribly lumpy skeins together!
  • @sgrandys The hardest part about knitting in the round is joining the initial cast on stiches together, after that if you use a basic sock pattern it is just plain knitting after that. There is a really simple pattern where you knit in an 'afterthought' toe and heel that even I could follow.

    When you get back from the cruise if you can find time I seriously suggest you check out Ravelry if you haven't already. There are loads of people there to ask who can tell you how to do things or point you in the right direction. Also check out Knit Witch (useful vidoes) and Knitty. The lady can't recommend them enough, I have used knitty from time to time mainly for learning Kitchener which does seem to be sorcery!

    Also the Lady insists on pictures of the boat spinning please!

    She is spinning vicariously through others. 

  • Ooooh I am excited about fellow knitting/yarnish people on the cruise :-D

    And please can someone teach me to crochet?? I have tried but seem to have a mental block about it :-s I can't promise to be terribly useful in return as I'm still kind of a newb at knitting. But I can teach people in the round magic-loop style. Which I imagine would be good for socks.... (I might be trying to knit my first socks on the cruise too, @sgrandys. Everyone is welcome to come and chuckle. They will not be skew, but I will probably be drooling over @tanguera79's pair.) 
  • Oh...I hadn't even thought about bringing my drop spindle.  I'm not an expert but I'm happy to help.

    I'm also happy to help anyone who needs some help knitting socks. I'll try to remember to throw in some extra needles and yarn is someone wants to learn.

    Hmm...more stuff to pack. Maybe I can wear the same pair of capris all week.

     

  • @jadedragon I will see if I can fit my drop spindle and some roving in one of my bags, but no promises.  I am woefully out of practice spinning.

    I'm thinking of starting a new knitting project for the cruise.  It depends on if I can get to the yarn store between now and Friday night.  I want to make this for my neice in Hogwarts colors.  We'll see what happens.  There is way to much mundane crap to take of and I don't have enough time to work on the fun stuff!
  • sgrandys: I will bring basic sock stuff.  am not the sock expert, and if we decide you want to do something simpler knittingwise, we can manage.  My real name is Lesley Fitzpatrick and we will meet up.  and I am not a super knitter, so we will have fun.
  • @Arian - how wonderful! I will look for you.
  • I was hoping there would be crafty people I could meet up with. Yay!

    Looking forward to finding you all :)
  • I'm brining a scarf project with me. It's simple enough that I don't have to concentrate on the knitting too closely, so I will still be able to socialize with everyone. :)

    @frithuswith - magic loop is how I was taught to knit socks to begin with. It's pretty fun!

  • I have a ribbon pullover top as my current project, but I'm just hoping I can actually go on the cruise, as I unexpectedly had to have surgery today. The doctor said to see how I feel on Saturday and decide then...this really sucks. Here's hoping for a very rapid recovery.

    @frithuswith (and anyone else interested in learning) - I'll be happy to teach you how to crochet if I'm able to make it; I'll make sure to bring some hooks and extra yarn.
  • @stitchinthyme Oh NOES!!!  I hope you are feeling well enough to come.  I was really looking forward to seeing what your next awesome project is!!  My heartfelt wishes for a speedy recovery.

  • @stitchinthyme noooooooo! get well soon! *sends many healing thoughts*

    @mothoc are you not also a crocheter?? *plots* I have spare yarn and a couple of crochet hooks so I have the tools, just not the talent ;-)
  • @stitchinthyme I'm so sorry!!  Get better soon.  Last year my husband had his appendix removed 2 days before we left for a cruise. He was definitely sore, but I carried his bags and he did really well. As he said, "relaxing on a boat seems like a great way to recover".  I'll keep my fingers crossed that you're able to recover as quickly!
  • On a european cruise I did two years ago, I had broken both of my left forearm bones just 9 days before the cruise.  Five days before the cruise, I underwent surgery (inserting a plate, stitching up the other one as best possible), and had to wait until the day of my flight to decide if I could even carry my luggage.  I did, and I went.  One of my best cruises ever.
  • These stories are encouraging, and I am feeling better today. I am cautiously optimistic. Will take it very easy today and tomorrow and hopefully see you all on Sunday!
  • Late to the party, but rather surprised no one informed @Uisce Beatha that this is the thread for making designs with needles.

    @stitchinthyme, hope you get better soon!
  • I did not mean to sound negative above, and I'm excited to have had multiple people respond and tell me that I will be able to fit knitting into the cruising!  Can we make a crafter's group on the Twitarr?
  • There is already a group called Yarrrrn. Join it once you are on the boat!
  • Well, as of now we are go for cruising. I'm still afraid of needing medical care while I'm away, but dammit, after these last couple of weeks, I deserve a good time! So, recovery at sea...
  • Yay @stitchinthyme.  I think there are also a few physicians among the sea monkeys, too. :)
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