Crafters Challenge September 28th---October 5th, 2019

Join our amazing community
Share what you know, learn something new!
register

FrostyShimmer

Well-Known Member
Premiere Member
Nov 4, 2007
2,330
747
113
I'm about half way through knitting DD6's little sleeveless ballet shrug thing. After seeing how my ballet shoes bags turned out. I think I'll buy some fabric and take the pattern for the sewn shrug to my mother. With practice maybe I can make one for her that looks presentable by next year.

luludou - what kind of socks are you making? Do they have a complicated stitch pattern?
 

DahliaDoll

Well-Known Member
Premiere Member
Oct 15, 2007
2,493
2,861
113
I've made it through the heels of both socks, so just knitting up the legs to go.
 
  • Like
Reactions: luludou

luludou

Well-Known Member
Premiere Member
Dec 28, 2007
26,295
9,187
113
58
Québec - Canada
FS - simple socks with heels that are doubled. there is a tutorial on YouTube but I can't put the link here from work. will try to remember to put it here tonight. There is a pdf pattern too (used to be free but now charging for it) and it's too big to upload here.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Ahorsesoul

FrostyShimmer

Well-Known Member
Premiere Member
Nov 4, 2007
2,330
747
113
Not sure what you mean by heels that are doubled....like where you slip a stitch after every stitch to make them thick?

I have my grandmother's old pattern books from the war and they have lots for socks with replaceable heels so that when you wore out your heel you just snipped it off and knit a new heel to put in. I wonder if that's when the trend of a different coloured heel started.
 

DahliaDoll

Well-Known Member
Premiere Member
Oct 15, 2007
2,493
2,861
113
Lucie and Frosty ~ Interesting about sock knitting! The ones I knit have an Eye of Partridge stitch on the heels. It's an alternating slip 1, knit 1 pattern and apparently draws the fabric in a little, helping the socks hug the heel snugly and also creates a thicker fabric at a point in the sock that gets hard wear. It looks pretty, too!
 

FrostyShimmer

Well-Known Member
Premiere Member
Nov 4, 2007
2,330
747
113
Lucie and Frosty ~ Interesting about sock knitting! The ones I knit have an Eye of Partridge stitch on the heels. It's an alternating slip 1, knit 1 pattern and apparently draws the fabric in a little, helping the socks hug the heel snugly and also creates a thicker fabric at a point in the sock that gets hard wear. It looks pretty, too!

Yes, that's how the heels are made on the socks I make too. I didn't know it was called Eye of Partridge I've never tried the replaceable heel ones.
 

sweetpumkinpye

Well-Known Member
Premiere Member
Apr 23, 2008
16,880
20,636
113
59
Canberra, Australia
Interesting to read all about the socks. I think any pattern books from the war would be interesting. The housewives back then were very creative about getting the most out of anything. Amazing women.
 
  • Like
Reactions: luludou

GrammaDeb

Well-Known Member
Premiere Member
Jan 4, 2014
2,440
3,413
113
70
Nevada
My very first knitting project was socks. In 1980 my non-English-speaking left-handed (I'm right-handed) German neighbor (I don't know a word of German) brought me a pattern and wanted me to teach her how to make socks. No such thing as youtube - or computers either. Somehow with a book I learned to knit socks and, facing me, she learned to knit socks. My second project was a beautiful pullover sweater. I couldn't get it over my head. It went straight in the trash, along with my knitting needles. I'll crochet, thank you. I admire those of you who can knit.
 

DahliaDoll

Well-Known Member
Premiere Member
Oct 15, 2007
2,493
2,861
113
GrammaDeb ~ Too funny! I hope you don't mind, I shared your story with DH. We both laughed! Crocheting is beautiful!
 

luludou

Well-Known Member
Premiere Member
Dec 28, 2007
26,295
9,187
113
58
Québec - Canada
GrammaDeb - I too am much better with crochet but I want to learn to knit and if 1 day those tunisian crochet get delivered I'd like to learn that too (crochet but looks like knit). 2nd time I order a set and they just Don't deliver them :(
 
  • Like
Reactions: GrammaDeb

FrostyShimmer

Well-Known Member
Premiere Member
Nov 4, 2007
2,330
747
113
I love old patterns. I pick up vintage knitting pattern books whenever I can find them. I was searching through them the other night to try to find something different to make for a friend having a baby and found one patterns advertised as "very flattering to baby's figure". lol. I'm not sure why but that seemed so funny to me. Another ad advertised that a yarn let through more essential health-producing UV rays than any other yarn.

My grandmother told me when she was a little girl they didn't let you start school until you were capable of knitting your own stockings. I can only imagine a five year old kid with those tiny needles and that fine fingering yarn knitting a full pair of stockings! I suppose it was necessity back then.

I started by making a headband and then a pair of slippers. I still have the pattern for the slippers, and I and hope DD8 will make them as her first project.

Knitting isn't really that hard. I'm the opposite - I find crochet harder to do! I only crochet for car trips because I'm always worried I'll get impaled with my knitting needles in an accident. It's always something VERY easy.

luludou - I haven't heard of that before. The Dollarama has a kit with somethingmcalled a knook which I think is supposed to be for teaching people to crochet in a way that looks like knitting.

GrammaDeb - What a shame you had to thow it away. The same thing happened to my mother. She brought the yarn the wrong way or something so it was knit up so tightly it had no give. Sounds like me with sewing. I can't tell you how many times I've wanted to pitch my machine right through the window!
 

GrammaDeb

Well-Known Member
Premiere Member
Jan 4, 2014
2,440
3,413
113
70
Nevada
That's interesting about little schoolchildren knitting their stockings. When I got married my mil thought I needed to know how to fix holes in DH's and my socks. She gave me a darning egg, darning needle and fine sock yarn, and we spent an afternoon mending socks. After one day I thought "Are you nuts? Socks cost less than a dollar!"
 

FrostyShimmer

Well-Known Member
Premiere Member
Nov 4, 2007
2,330
747
113
That's interesting about little schoolchildren knitting their stockings. When I got married my mil thought I needed to know how to fix holes in DH's and my socks. She gave me a darning egg, darning needle and fine sock yarn, and we spent an afternoon mending socks. After one day I thought "Are you nuts? Socks cost less than a dollar!"

lol. My father had it in his head that I should darn socks when I was a little girl because my mother always refused to do it. I had bright red thread and I'd sew up all the holes in his white sweat socks :) In hindsight I think he did it to annoy her because she hated seeing all those bright red patch jobs, but I was very proud of myself at the time.
 
  • Like
Reactions: GrammaDeb

GrammaDeb

Well-Known Member
Premiere Member
Jan 4, 2014
2,440
3,413
113
70
Nevada
lol. My father had it in his head that I should darn socks when I was a little girl because my mother always refused to do it. I had bright red thread and I'd sew up all the holes in his white sweat socks :) In hindsight I think he did it to annoy her because she hated seeing all those bright red patch jobs, but I was very proud of myself at the time.

Hahahaha. That's great!
 
  • Like
Reactions: Ahorsesoul

DahliaDoll

Well-Known Member
Premiere Member
Oct 15, 2007
2,493
2,861
113
Such funny stories!

TOAD ~ Trashed Object Abandoned in Disgust! So sad!
 

Lana

Well-Known Member
Premiere Member
Oct 13, 2007
16,756
9,121
113
62
Southern Illinois
Last night I made a scarf and I really liked it, so today I went and got 8 yards to make 13 of them. Would only need 6 1/2 for the 12 Days of Christmas swap but thought I would make a few more. Got other fabric too.

I got a sewing machine for Teigan for either Christmas or her birthday (1/2). It is a New Home Janome and fuchis in color with alittle yellow on it. Normally says 119.99 and was 69.99. A smaller size with 10 stitches and reverse. I got it but will look it up with reviews. They have a Brothers full size on sale too thinking 99.99 or 109. so will see. I want one that will be good and easy to work with so she will like it.

Jaymee didn't care for the scarf. it is like 1 and you wrap it around neck and put thru this thing you made and then just one tail hanging. That is what I liked about it and she doesn't like just one.

Got some stuff for a couple checkbook covers ( a Halloween one and Thanksgiving one), some burp rags and wash cloths and few pieces that were on sale!
 
  • Like
Reactions: Ahorsesoul

FrostyShimmer

Well-Known Member
Premiere Member
Nov 4, 2007
2,330
747
113
Last night I made a scarf and I really liked it, so today I went and got 8 yards to make 13 of them. Would only need 6 1/2 for the 12 Days of Christmas swap but thought I would make a few more. Got other fabric too.

I got a sewing machine for Teigan for either Christmas or her birthday (1/2). It is a New Home Janome and fuchis in color with alittle yellow on it. Normally says 119.99 and was 69.99. A smaller size with 10 stitches and reverse. I got it but will look it up with reviews. They have a Brothers full size on sale too thinking 99.99 or 109. so will see. I want one that will be good and easy to work with so she will like it.

Jaymee didn't care for the scarf. it is like 1 and you wrap it around neck and put thru this thing you made and then just one tail hanging. That is what I liked about it and she doesn't like just one.

Got some stuff for a couple checkbook covers ( a Halloween one and Thanksgiving one), some burp rags and wash cloths and few pieces that were on sale!

DD8 has that same machine. As I'm sure I've mentioned, I don't know much about sewing, but my mother bought it for her and before she gave it to her she took it out and tested everything on it and said it's a very good little machine. She had DD8 practicising lines on it and then they made some coasters and such and didn't have any issues with it.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Lana and Ahorsesoul

GrammaDeb

Well-Known Member
Premiere Member
Jan 4, 2014
2,440
3,413
113
70
Nevada
My first sewing machine waaaaay back when I was a little girl was an old (then) treadle machine. Straight stitch with no backstitch. I hated that thing...but what I wouldn't give for it now! My next machine, as a young teen, was a used Kenmore - straight stitch with backstitch. I still had to make buttonholes by hand...but I was so happy to have a backstitch! No zigzag so I had to make French seams, and I made all my clothes & kids' clothes on that thing. I was exuberant to finally get a pfaff which did zigzag so I could make real buttonholes. I love love love my Brother. Modern machines are just magical!
 
  • Like
Reactions: Ahorsesoul