/diy/ - Do It Yourself

[Anonymous No.319161]

Can we have a knitting + crochet thread! I have just recently been teaching myself how to knit and only know very basic things.


>knitting and crochet goes in diy right

pic related a google search of what i'm hoping i'm able to make soon

[Anonymous No.319166]

>please respond

[Anonymous No.319189]

/diy/ is a slow board, compared to what you might be used to.

Give it some time... And if you're crocheting, start with something fairly simple, to get your hands used to the motions. Like, drink coaster simple.

Then progress to a hat. If you love the hat, keep moving up! If not, keep making hats until you're happy.

[Anonymous No.319196]

Crochet person reporting in. Will monitor thread and answer questions and such. OP's picture is crochet, not knitted just fyi.

Is using felt for details considered cheating (like the flame seen on that Charmander)? Discuss.

Personally I take the purist approach and crochet everything. I haven't encountered anything yet that I can't make from yarn.

[Anonymous No.319201]

I crochet but also on my phone so I can't upload anything till later (it days Upload Disabled, not sure if I can change it or not).

It's a pretty fun craft, I like to crochet little plushies. Only recently that I started to do larger ones that sits on my two hands or accessories like cup cozies.

Later I'll upload a stumpy Charizard I made for my friend's birthday and a freaky monster I made up.

[Anonymous No.319218]

[Anonymous No.319223]

>>319196
I wish I can do all yarn and no felt but sometimes I don't have the right color of yarn, and conveniently I have a bin full of all sorts of felt. I need to practice more on the color change like in OP's picture..

[Anonymous No.319243]

>>319189
Thanks, i've only ever done basic knits but I'm hoping to progress to advanced projects, I've never tried crocheting before so I'll probably just google some basic projects first

[Anonymous No.319253]

>>319196
I used to make felt plushies so I have a lot of materials left over. I find that felt works better for little details like eyes and and other accessory parts for me because it's smoother-looking than crochet. Sometimes I use beads and sequins too.

[Anonymous No.319257]

>>319223
>>319253

I agree it makes a lot of sense if you have the materials already. And it's difficult to make eyes look right as you said, often I've made them too blugy looking using yarn.

I just happen to have a lot of yarn and no felt so I work with what is available. Instead of always making full on crochet details, embroidering them on works well too.

[Anonymous No.319452]

>>319201
>>319223
Back to upload the Charizard. I honestly started crocheting the body part without the intention of it becoming a stubby Charizard. And I used felt for the underbelly and wings. I love crocheting because it seems pretty flexible, and bit by bit I'm figuring out how to do certain parts (ie. the wings I had to make up) and make up my own awkward patterns. I'm considering about adding little white claws but felt is too flimsy and I`m not sure about using yarn yet.

[Anonymous No.319456]

>>319452
Darn, the colors seem a bit off from the real one. The belly is a bit more creamy and not as white looking in the photo.

[Anonymous No.319458]

>>319456
It was fun making the flame on the tail, just brushed some yarn and sewed them together.

[Anonymous No.319461]

>>319458
And this is it.

I come to realize that this is the second Charizard gift in a row for the same friend. Last year was a flat felt plushie on a zipper pull...

[Anonymous No.319492]

I both crochet and knit, but I like crochet better. Just finished little stubby ravens (Hugin and Munin) for some friends today.

I love using felt for certain details on plushies. It makes it look cleaner, I think.

What do you guys think about embroidery on top of crochet/knitting?

[Anonymous No.319496]

I've knit a few scarves that I thought turned out pretty well. A Ravenclaw house scarf for a friend and then just a generic scarf out of some nice sock yarn for another friend. I tried to learn crochet but had some problems with it but I also tried learning the technique with a very thin crochet thread. Is this something easier learned with regular yarn??

[Anonymous No.319498]

>>319496
Definitely. Use a big crochet hook, normal yarn (not too light or too dark of a color) and keep the tension loose. You'll pick it up in now time.

[Anonymous No.319512]

>>319498
Alright, thanks! I'll have to give it a try again sometime with some leftover yarn.

[Anonymous No.319535]

>>319452
>>319456
>>319458
>>319461

That is just too cute

[Anonymous No.319550]

bumping with norwegian knitting

[Anonymous No.319650]

>>319535
Thank you!

And I'm back to post a couple of quick photos of a weird monster I made. I named him Guy the Gluttony. Guy pronounced as "ghee" after a past English teacher, but this monster isn't meant to symbolize him at all. I just like the name, haha.

His belly mouth has a tiny inner pocket to hold very small objects like coins. I regret not doing a white sclera for his eyes, it just seems to be lacking something. I did use felt for the mouth and iris.

[Anonymous No.319651]

>>319650
No pattern of particular was used, and this was the most awkward shape I've ever worked with.

I did cheat by sewing the teeth on separately instead of crocheting it in. I like it this way though.

[Anonymous No.319652]

>>319650
(ugh I forgot the picture so I deleted the post)

No pattern of particular was used, and this was the most awkward shape I've ever worked with.

I did cheat by sewing the teeth on separately instead of crocheting it in. I like it this way though.

[Anonymous No.319676]

>>319652
man that's cool.

[Anonymous No.319680]

>>319652
lol wut?

[Anonymous No.319681]

>>319680
... Oh wow, I see it now.

[Anonymous No.319686]

[Anonymous No.319993]

Bump with a knit sweater. Not mine but I saved it from here, thought it was pretty cool.

[Anonymous No.320018]

>>319993
dat totoro pelt

[Anonymous No.320051]

>>319652

the fuck....

Dude do you have a scar running down your left pinky?

[Anonymous No.320081]

>>320051
I've never looked at my left pinky so intently till now.

I don't have a scar there, I'm not sure what you saw to say that but I do see the blue-ish vein that runs down the pinky, and the skin is pinker in some areas than others.

On a slightly random note, the only scar I have on my pinky is the right one and back side. Years ago I accidentally sanded a tiny bit of the finger while on the disc sander, leaving a little bump after it healed.

[Anonymous No.320090]

>>320051
>>320081
looks like light shine in the pic making it look like a scar to me

[Anonymous No.320101]

>>320090
Ahh I see, thankfully it's not. I don't know what sort of crazy accident would cause a scar there. I usually have the yarn wrapped around that pinky and then over the index finger while I crochet, so it would suck if something were to happen. Though I guess I have other fingers I can use instead but this way is easier.

Posting more crochet content! These are pretty cute.

[Anonymous No.320205]

bump

[Anonymous No.320560]

bumping with norwegian knitting i wish i knew how to knit

[TractorFag !4WlaY51Wd2 No.320643]

The only thing i've ever done is made this scarf for cosplay, 24FT long and exact same pattern as original. In case you don't know it's Tom Baker.

[Anonymous No.320691]

The sock pictured here is finished now--it's a lot more orange than the picture shows, and the other colors are brighter, too. At the moment I'm working on a basic sweater, and then I think I'll get back into making socks.

[Anonymous No.321359]

Bump

[Anonymous No.321674]

>>320205
How cute! I would put that on my friends' children.

[Anonymous No.321708]

I wish I had the patience to crochet. I keep seeing all this adorable stuff but when I try to even get a chain going I get confused and frustrated and give up. makes me sad.

[Anonymous No.321762]

Seems like forever since I've made something... Went on vacation for two weeks... then moved as soon as we got back, focused on moving in the past three weeks, Just got a kitten last Friday, and now my normally not-enough-hours part-time job has gotten super busy... I have a half finished baby blanket on the needles and I need to make a hat for myself that doesn't stick out like a sore thumb with everything I wear.
I also miss teaching crochet lessons :(

[Anonymous No.321882]

>>321762

Any tips on teaching crochet? My friend was really interested in learning but I failed fantastically at helping them out. I was basically demonstrating it and helping them identify where to put the hook and how to yarn over etc. Is there more to it?

[Anonymous No.321960]

>>319161
Go here for a bunch of free patterns:
http://greatamigurumi.blogspot.ca/

I use their patterns all the time.

[Anonymous No.322103]

Other crochetfag monitoring thread.

Pic related, it's my new project. Yarn being too expensive/hard to find in large quantities for big projects where I live, I bought the smallest crochet I could find and use sewing thread from the flea market. Being short-sighted makes it super fun.

On an unrelated note, anyone knows about frivolité?

[Anonymous No.322129]

>>322103
That looks lovely, how big are you intending on it being?

[Anonymous No.322273]

beginner knitter here, just learnt how to cast on/off (e.g, really begginer.)

I got into it because I wanted to make socks, but came across a lot of cool hats, gloves and other such things.

So, what's the fastest way from 0 to Hat?

I have nothing at the moment - what should I buy, what should I follow etc

[Anonymous No.322590]

I love crochet. I don't do much ami stuff, mostly only scarves, blankets, that sort of thing.

is pimping your pinterest bad form? I don't really get anything out of it, so if you have a Pinterest you should totally add my crochet board & post yours!

pinterest dot com slash physha

[Anonymous No.322603]

>>322273
Find a hat pattern, on ravelry or freeknittingpatterns, and follow it. An easy starting point is a flat knit square cap. Which is you knitting a rectangle and then sewing up/joining the top and side. You should get a pair of 8s or 9s, and some worsted weight cheap yarn. Lion Brand, or Red Heart are the first that spring to mind. They're cheap and durable, and some are even nice. Avoid 'fun' yarns for the time being, and alpaca/wool/ and bamboo until you're comfortable that you don't split the yarn. Pretty easy. Get the other stuff as you need it. Or buy the 'starter kit' from Lion Brand. Contains some stitch markers, two pairs of needles, a ruler and a needle gauge and some other small items. Worth it for the 11-14USD it costs.

[Anonymous No.322714]

>>322129
I don't have any set project yet. Mostly because whatever I start will take me 20 years to finish (tiny tiny stitches makes for very very slow work). I also recently emigrated so I want to secure a source of thread near my new home before I start something big.
So right now I'm just making random stuff, trying out motifs and stitches, see what looks best. If I can find some ye olde books on the internet (russian torrent websites have AMAZING collections for some reason) I'd like to try something that looks like old-fashioned lace.

[Anonymous No.322861]

>>322714
Old fashioned-lace is always cool (I've been itching to try out that pattern on the Anticraft for the crocheted roses).

What country are you in?

[Anonymous No.323302]

Is there any commercial/industrial machine (at any level) who can do automatic crochet based on schematics?

[Anonymous No.323312]

>>322861
Was in France, now in the Netherlands.

>>323302
I researched that a while ago. The best "crochet machines" can do is chains I think, or at best filet. So, that'd be mostly a no.

[Anonymous No.323318]

ugh ive been waiting for other crochet/knitting fags. im so happy :') some of my work..

[Anonymous No.323319]

>>323318
dumping

[Anonymous No.323321]

>>323320
completed zombie kitty

[Anonymous No.323320]

>>323319
my zombie kitty that ive posted on this board before, this was before completion.

[Anonymous No.323322]

>>323321
this is one of the current projects that im working on..

[Anonymous No.323486]

>>323322
How are you crocheting that (I can see diagonally, I meant how you're doing the blocks)?

[Anonymous No.323491]

>make row of single crochet with right hand
>make row of single crochet with left hand on same side
>repeat and imitate knitting plain stitch with crochet
>amaze friends and family

Also I found an amazing bedcover at a flea market years ago, it's got a mix of crochet and knitting - including doily-like, round repeated patterns not crocheted but knitted. How hard would that be to make?

[Anonymous No.323497]

>>323486
http://fantaisiesdeflo.canalblog.com/archives/2011/10/13/22328113.html

[Anonymous No.323654]

I want to crochet, but the cost of yarn makes it more expensive to make something than to buy it.... so I feel like I'm wasting my time.

How can walmart sell a yarn shawl for $5 while Michaels sells 1 ball for $3. It takes like 3 just to make a shawl!

[Anonymous No.323656]

>>323654
I hope that's hyperbole

simple economics man

[Anonymous No.324906]

>>323656
Unfortunately, no. Walmart is a master of forcing prices down, as well as providing lower-quality products. It does depend on the type of yarn you're looking for, but a ball of yarn is easily $3, if not more. Sock yarn, for instance, tends to retail for ~$6 a ball, and you need two to make a pair of socks.

That being said, there are things called sales and coupons (or even Goodwill, you can take knit items apart and re-use the yarn). With a good coupon and a sale, I can get yarn for less than $1 a ball.

[Anonymous No.324936]

There are three main reasons for the price differences. One is that the scarf makers are selling MILLIONS of scarfs to Walmart so they can get the economies of scale on their side. The next is that Walmart is pretty brutal when it comes to negotiating prices from their suppliers (some places make less than 1 penny per unit when all is said and done). Finally, yarn is a fairly low selling product so they charge a premium to make up for that lack of volume.

[Anonymous No.325271]

Does anyone here sell knit/crochet items? If you do, is it for a living or a hobby? I think that usually if you are looking to make a living out of it, items are priced seemingly "high" to make up the material costs, time and effort. Otherwise, if you sell as a hobby, you might price the items enough to cover material costs so you make back enough to supply your hobby.

Not my table, just an example. Some of the prices surprise me being "low" but I don't know if the girl crochets fast or doesn't care too much about making a large buck in the long run.

[Anonymous No.325821]

>>325271
Bump.

[Anonymous No.326332]

Anyone got or knows where to find modern designs for shawls or bedcovers and such? Geometric stuff or anything that's not pineapple or heirloom or something my grandma would make?

[Anonymous No.326356]

>>325271
My mom does; she has been doing craft shows with various crafts for about 30 years and is now semi-retired and does a lot more knitting/crochet the last 5-10 years. She says there are a lot of older ladies who are retired and knit/crochet as a hobby, and then sell their stuff at ridiculously low prices that are just enough to cover the materials. Which, good for them, but it can make it tough for people who are trying to actually earn something from it. So yes, that is a thing to look out for. It sounds like a person is better off if they come up with a product line that doesn't look like every other yarn craft booth at the show (which can take time, you might need a few months of scouting shows to get a sense of what other people are doing). Hope this helps.

[Anonymous No.326385]

>>326332
my only suggestion for you and to anyone looking for patterns is to sign up for ravelry.com . it's like worldcat but for patterns for both knitting and crochet.

i've been knitting for almost 10 years, and quite frankly, as beautiful as some of these sweaters posted are, i have no desire to fool with intarsia. i can tolerate some fair isle, but i knit to unwind, not to get stressed over a pattern.

[Anonymous No.326392]

stuff I've made not very recently .....
1/3
I love making socks. My sis is getting socks for christmas. She asked for them.

[Anonymous No.326393]

2/3
a little holder for hand warmers.
Pika-pi!

[Anonymous No.326394]

3/3
and Haro of Gundam.
I made two of these, one for my boyfriend (we weren't dating at the time) and my other Gundam friend

[Anonymous No.326402]

Sorry,
make that 4/3 (>.>)
These are the socks I'm making for my sis.
Ravenclaw colors.

[Anonymous No.326404]

thanks for making this thread.
i love cables. just learnt to make 5-strand cables. warm fuzzy feelings.

>>323654
just ask everyone you know if they or there grandmothers have spares. i got 3 shopping bags full in one go like that.

[Anonymous No.326734]

>>323654
I typically ask people (knitting friends, the like) if they have spares I can play with. You'll get some great colors that you'll never find again that way. Also learn about different yarns.
Walmart also sells enormous skeins of yarn for a few dollars, if you're willing to work with fuzzy plastic. it's good for beginner things, and makes decent enough pieces. Also try Joe Ann's discount bins. they try to fob off tons of seasonal yarns quickly and for fairly cheap.

[Anonymous No.326737]

>>326332
You can also sign up for Lion Brand Yarns. it gives you access to free patterns that are added to all the time. There's also a newsletter once a week with shawl and hat designs, as well as pointers and forum links. I like it a lot, of only because everything they post is nice to look at.

[Anonymous No.326744]

>>326385
>>326737
Wow my saved passwords indicate that I already had an account on those two websites. They should keep me busy through my early-onset Alzheimer's.

[Anonymous No.326749]

Anyone have experience selling on Etsy or something similar?

My mom is crazy good at knitting and I thought it might be a decent idea to open up a store for her.

[Anonymous No.326752]

>>326385
None of the sweaters posted were Intarsia... Just plain old Fair Isle. Simple ones at that. Did you just learn that word or something?

[Anonymous No.326768]

>>326749
Yes
So long as her works aren't based on someone else's patterns, GO FOR IT! :)

in seriousness, there is a huge knitting community on Etsy, and I'm sure she'll find a nitch.
Etsy is really easy to use, and really nice about the sales you make. it's very easy to earn a following there, especially if you're good at what you do. they have a flat rate per posting, and are very helpful. If you update and put up new items often enough, she can make a killing off sales. I wish her luck with it!

[Anonymous No.326771]

This thread has inspired me to crochet, thank you guys so much. I'm knitting a bulldog at the moment, I'm just learning how to pick up stitches neatly so I can knit his head then I will be done! Will post a photo if I ever finish.

[Anonymous No.326795]

>>326768
>nitch

...niche?

[Anonymous No.326799]

>>326795
... yes.
nitch isn't even a word. sorry.

[Anonymous No.326806]

I'm currently knitting in the round.

My pattern says to put some stitches on a holder, then work the remaining stitches "in the flat."

What is "in the flat?"

[Anonymous No.326807]

>>326749

I do. Like the other anon said, if she finds her niche (and does it well) then the sales will just happen. Creativity is key. For example this recently featured shop in the Etsy blog:

http://www.etsy.com/blog/en/2012/featured-shop-pomber/

She just didn't make nice gloves, she made them unique and cute and awesome. Quality is also really important, but since you say your mom is really good at knitting this shouldn't be a problem.

[Anonymous No.326808]

>>326806
On two needles/back and forth.

[Anonymous No.328336]

>>321359
Is there a pattern for this fucker here?