Men Who Knit Promoting and inspiring the art of knitting amongst men.

Weekly Topic #4

Tell us about your stick(s)! What type of needles do you prefer and why? Metal, wood, bamboo, etc. Also, thoughts on how to keep them organized! My DPN's are everywhere!!!!

Happy New Year too all!

Hey all,

 Out of necessity and lack of money, when I got interested in knitting back in 2001 I started making my own knitting equipment.  Also because I'm a cheap bastard and don't believe in investing a lot into something I might not like. If I can do it, so can you.

 First I started with coat hangers, the kind that always seems to collect at the bottom of the closet. Cut to length with pliers and  the ends filed to shape, most turn out to be nice US#1 DPN's. The larger diameter plastic ones seem to have a lot of air bubbles inside, so they can be a little frustrating if you want the point exactly in the center like "store-bought" needles.

Hey guys,

Hope everyone is having a great holiday season. My best Christmas gift aside from 9 (yes, 9) knitting books were two skeins of buffalo. Has anyone used this fiber yet??? From what I have seen it is amazing...you knit the garment and then felt it much like wool. However when it is felted it is even softer than cashmere! It is produced here in Oklahoma and the stuff is expensive...$52 per skein! I haven't decided what I will be making but I will post it when I do. So let me know if any have used it?!

Warm thoughts,

OK be honest, how busy were you for the Holidays?
How many gifts did you knit & what were they?

My circular needles are getting out of hand. I have the Boye's interchangables, (awesome things) but I still have Addis and Susan Bates, and keeping them bound together with a twist tie in a box with other knitting paraphernalia is neither charming nor neat. How does everyone store their circulars?

Danny

Hi,

I am in need of some guidance with socks.  I've been an avid sock knitter for two years and am tired of having to patch the holes where the heel meets the instep.  I have this problem whether doing a short row or heel flap-type heel.  Any suggestions?

thanks

I'm knitting the sleeves to my sweater. Frankly they have been driving me a bit crazy since this is the 1st sweater I'm knitting that is not in the round. I've ripped more times than I care to admit.

The pattern calls for a M1 increase at each edge starting on the RS then every following 7th row. The "Following 7th row" instruction is a bit vague to me. Which option is correct?

Option 1
Row 0 (RS): Increase
* row 1 (WS): P
row 2 (RS): K
row 3 (WS): P
row 4 (RS): K
row 5 (WS): P
row 6 (RS): K
row 7 (WS): Increase *

or

Option 2
Row 1 (RS): Increase
* row 2 (WS): P
row 3 (RS): K

 Hi Guys & ladylurkers

Who taught you how to knit & how old were you?

What is the difference between imitation and inspiration? I wonder this as I am currently working on a scarf that I have "designed" in that I took a stitch found in Nicky Epstein’s Knitting on the Edge and put it in a scarf. It is hardly a leap of imagination. Regardless, when I wear this scarf into my LYS and the nice ladies there ask me where I got the pattern, can I say I designed it, or should I say I got it from a Nicky Epstein book?

On a broader level, I have--as I’m sure many of us have--altered a design to better suit my tastes. At what point an altered design become its own design? If I knit a Kathy Zimmerman sweater in green Cascade 220 instead of Classic Elite, have I "designed" a sweater? What if I add an embellishment, or maybe do a garter rib in K4, P2 instead of K2, P2? When does the sweater stop being Kathy Zimmerman’s design?