Gotta Have Its

The other day someone asked me.... "what exactly do I need to start knitting?"
I of course laughed and told her, "oh.. about a million dollars!" Really I did. If I took the time and really thought about *which I don't really want too...* I have probably spent close to that already and really I'm still a beginner. I did think about it a little bit though... see the smoke? Yeah...
What do you need to start knitting? What are the true 'gotta haves'? Just the basics of course.  There's lots of extras that I think I gotta have, but really the basic things to start are pretty few!
Where should we start?
How about at the beginning...... WHY do you want to knit? Are you knitting for a reason? For a gift or to make something specific? Are you doing it because it looks like fun and you really want to try? Uh oh... we're getting into grey areas here! Because... if you think it looks like fun and you just want to try..... that means an entirely different set of 'gotta haves'! IF you have a specific purpose in mind, say for example, a baby blanket for your new baby, that changes things. Much easier to pick out those 'gotta haves'.
Let's start there.... we want to make something specific. Let's say a scarf for Grandma for Christmas. Easy peasy. First thing that you gotta have has been accomplished. A desire. A reason. A purpose! Now....
Yarn.
 Sigh....... this is where the whole process for me goes wrong. Seriously wrong. AND it's where the million dollars come in! Don't worry! This is also the very best part of knitting... oh wait... that's supposed to be the part where you give the gift you made and the recipient loves you forever.... yeah... I'm goin' with the yarn!
Go to the yarn store (or craft store) and look at the yarn. There's a lot there isn't there. Start by picking your favorite color (or Grandma's ~to score points!) and then start feeling those yummy little things skeins right up! Found one in a color and texture you like? Yay!! Pick it up and read the label (that will be another post!) Find where it says 'gauge'... see it? It should say something like so many stitches per inch, using.. #something. Needles! If your yarn label shows #9 , head over to the knitting needles and look at all those needles hanging there.  Uh oh... more choices!
I probably should have prefaced this list of things you need with a more specific requirement for the whole process.... someone to teach you the ropes!! Enlist the help of your knitter friends, or in my case, my favorite Aunt G!
As you're standing there looking at all the needles and gadgets & gizmo's... you're probably a little overwhelmed right? Yeah. Me too.
I've only been knitting for about 5 years now and although I probably have (probably?) most yarn gadgets available, the following picture shows you those that I use the most AND those that I really think are the most important.... after the yarn of course!

From the left... stitch markers. Different shapes & sizes. As you expand your knitting you'll see why you need different types. For now. Either the locking or just the little circular kind will do.  Needles... These are dpn's (double pointed needles) and the funky thing with a cable is a circular needle. I used to think you had to have those long pointy sticks that clicked and clacked, but.. now I usually go with either of these type. A measuring tape! Gotta have! It's a must! If your pattern says, knit for x amount of stitches; how you gonna know when you get there? Scissors. Yep. Also a must. Sometimes even my superhero strength can't break yarn.   Stitch holders. Once again it's a necessary thing when you've moved beyond the basics. A crochet hook. A what? Crochet hook. Really. It's how I pick up dropped stitches & fix stuff! Laugh if you want to, but I can't knit without it!  Last but not least, the bottom left corner is my favorite kind of darning needle. It's for sewing in those loose ends and finishing everything up! Definitely you'll want one of those!

I think that's it for the basics. My 'gotta have its'. Then of course comes the extras.... the bag(s) to put it all in. A project bag(s) for each project. Fancy schmancy needles and a case for each type. Special scissors. Fancy and sometimes adorable stitch markers. The list goes on and on (and on...)

Oh! I forgot another very important thing to your 'gotta haves' for knitting....

A GROUP OF FRIENDS TO KNIT WITH!!

Check out your local facebook pages for a knitting group near you! You can also ask around at coffee shops and the library! Or better yet... ask the people in your favorite yarn store!

 

 

How does your Hubby spell Knitting?

My husband thinks that knitting is spelled like this... K n i t t i n g S t o r e.  Or maybe he thinks it is spelled like this... m o n e y.  Poor guy really does know how to spell but every time I start a new project it usually involves running off to some knitting store.
Today was no exception! I've been working on the sweater vest for Wild Thing the last few days and am so ready to start the finishing, but.... darnitall!  My stitch marker box has been AWOL (absent without leave) for about a week.  I can't use regular old yarn stitch markers, I have to have the locking kind! That meant it was off to the knitting store for Big & Schi-Schu today!!  Go me!!
 I really didn't want to spend our 'date' day at the yarn store and honestly, I didn't think I could talk him in to it either, so I casually suggested that we stop at Joann's as we were driving by.  It wasn't out of the way or anything!  Joke really was on Big though because I 'let' him talk me into stopping at Ikea! Which is really funny but that's what he chose to do!   I did try to play nice and do one of those "it's okay Honey. Really. You don't have to go in with me, I will just zip in, pick up what I need and be back out in like 5 minutes."  I don't think he believed me because he went in with me!  Probably just to make sure that none of the yarn grabbed me and made me stay more than those promised five minutes!  It was  one of the fastest trips in and out of Joann's in my recorded history, but.... I did manage to grab a skein of yarn (shh) as well as my stitch markers!  Gee... you gonna give me a hard time about one measly skein of yarn too?  It's not even for me!  It's for my friend G!  She wants to make a ruffly scarf and I've never seen this particular kind of yarn for less than $10 so of course I had to grab her some!
Anyway... back on track.....
Why do you need more locking stitch markers asks my hubby? To finish this vest for Wild Thing of course!  I thought you were almost done with that and besides his birthday isn't until October... yeah. I shut him down pretty fast on that one..... well... we did go to Ikea after all!  LOL  He doesn't really mind going to the knitting store, he just likes to give me a hard time!
In case you are wondering why I needed more stitch markers.....
I've decided to once again try something new! A little pre-planning for picking up stitches along the arm edges and the neck facing! Just to make sure that it all comes out even (AND I don't have to do it 12 times!)
I'm supposed to pick up 72 stitches along each arm edge, starting at the middle of the bottom. Thinking that this should all be sort of even (it may look better!) I'm taking the stitch markers and placing them at regular(ish) intervals all along where I'm supposed to pick up those 72 stitches.

See? Evenly spaced out (sorta)!  I'm hoping that this way I can evenly space the stitches out and not have big gaps.  I hate gaps.  I always rip them out and start over and I've been known to do it multiple times!  The plan this time is to just avoid it!  So keep your fingers crossed and stay tuned! I will let you know how my plan goes!~

Meet My Yarn Condo.....

The Yarn Condo was an organizing project that started a couple of years ago when 2 silly yarn friends went to Ikea. They went with a purpose (of course) and ended up with oh so much more!
I think (I think!) they went to purchase a table for crafts, some bookshelves, and something to store yarn, but what ended up in their carts was this........

!Yarn Condo!

Four stackable ANTONIOUS frames (hey! They aren't that expensive!) some ANTONIOUS

wire baskets, some nifty ANTONIOUS plastic bins and wa-la! The Yarn Condo was born!!!

Totally out of necessity.... of course......

The silly girls put together the frames and the wire baskets...... oh no! Some of the small stuff falls through! Silly girl! Can't have that! Now another trip to that IKEA store near Seattle was required!  It was only (only) an hour drive.........but some buckets were needed! Let's get some fabric baskets and maybe some nifty little organizer thingys to put inside those buckets and baskets! How about a couple of tops! Yes! Lids were definitely needed!

Phew! Disaster averted! Storage complete!!!

The 'yarn condo' holds a plethera of supplies! Ribbon & fabric, paint and glue .......

Ribbon - held in place with a small bin inside the bigger one!

By adding a storage bin inside the wire basket... nothing falls through!

Ooooh fabric... just another nasty habit of mine!

Sock yarn basking in their bin!

and ........ Yarn!!!! 
Remember? This all started out as a storage system for yarn ...............yeah...........
Right now the baskets and frames are stacked 2x2 (two on top of the other two!).   The configuration can be changed - yarn on top, fabric on bottom........ all four frames beside each other and not stacked... three stacked and one beside...... the possibilities are endless!  Believe me! I've tried a bunch!

The condo can even be easily packed up by movers (who aren't always so diligent in how they pack) and transported to the next place! The bins & buckets don't even have to be unloaded - they just get wrapped with paper (things still inside), placed in a box, one on top of the other.... and they make it all in one piece!! Move and mover proof!

The 'yarn condo' makes me soooo happy! I can have my yarn sorted by color (if I want), by texture (if I wanted that too!) or by type! I have a bin for wool, one for baby yarn, one for (gasp!) acrylic, and one for cotton! I have almost all of my stuff nearly in one spot! Almost! Nearly!!
I either have too much stuff, or just need more storage!
I really think........... I just need some help!