please advise me on knitting purchases

[lumpofclay]

I bought the "I Taught Myself to Knit" kit a few months ago. Chandler and I both learned to cast on. Um, since then, we haven't been so faithful in adding to our skills. :blush However, I'd like to get her some new knitting needles and yarn for Christmas. I'd like for us to do a project together after the holidays, so it will come with a certificate for mom-daughter time. :grin

Now, I need advice. . . . what needles do I need to add to our stash? We have a long pair of size eight, a shorter pair of size eight, and a shorter pair of size six. We have all the little supplies that came with the kit, but is there any other essential thing I should buy? Also, what projects would be good for us? It doesn't get too cold here, so she could probably use a scarf or hat for only a couple of months, and it would probably take us that long to make it.:giggle

We both love all those fabulous fuzzy soft yarns so ideally I'd like to use those. There seem to be so many different kinds and I'm very lost about the differences.:shrug Any help/information there would be very much appreciated.

Hobby Lobby has a lot of their yarn on sale this week, so I need to make a decision by Saturday.

[kris10s]

I prefer bamboo needles (they last a lot longer and are easier to use!) and I'd get a pair in size 10 and 12 for quicker projects.

As far as yarn goes, I prefer wool. Some of the yarn that feels nice initially from WM looks and feels a lot differently in a few short months. I also find that if you hunt around your local yarn shop, you can often find much nicer yarn for the same price as WM, craft stores, etc. Remember to compare yardage and weight and not just how big the skeins look! You'll also find some incredibly expensive yarn at yarn shops, but you don't have to buy it! I guess I am just a yarn snob, but it makes knitting more pleasant for me if I like the yarn I'm using.

Scarves, hats and little baby blankets for the infant car seat are good beginner projects.

[Punkie]

I'm a bamboo kind of girl too :tu

I think its worth it to buy the slightly pricier yarns. Right now I'm using some Cascade 220 to make a knit diaper cover / soaker, and I love it. I've also used hand painted wool from Hand Painted Yarn (http://handpaintedyarn.com/index.php) and I've enjoyed working with it :)

[cklewis]

You might want to get a few other notions -- stitch markers (I sometimes make my own out of contrasting thread, but the plastic ones sometimes work better too, depending on the yarn), stitch holders, etc.

You know what's so very cool right now? Handbags! You could get some handbag patterns. I see them EVERYWHERE. And those are quick and adaptable for warmer climates. I started one a while ago that was just precious. . . . Should pick that back up again. . . .

C

[Mother of Sons]

I also prefer bamboo needles although they always end up bent! Check out www.littleturtleknits.com She has very easy patterns for beginners and she also sells hand made needles and beautiful stitch markers as well as nice wool yarn.

[crochetmama]

I'm a fan of Inox and Addi Turbo CIRCULARS! :D I also agree with the wool suggestions. :) The handbag would be a great idea. Here's an easy idea:

Get wool yarn, size 10.5 needles, make a LONG rectangle (it will shrink anywhere from 1/2 -1/3 in length), seam it up the sides, make some cords (braided or whathave you). WASH in HOT water in your washer and DRY HOT in your dryer to felt. :) :) It's a great easy project, and it will hide any mistakes. :) Let me know if you want more instructions...

Hugs,
tammy

[Hannah Jo]

I'm not an expert knitter, but I do enjoy it. It might be a good idea to pick out a project and a pattern first before you go on your buying spree. A scarf with thick fluffy wool would need different needles than a doll's blanket with thinner wool. Also, different knitters have different tensions- I tend to pull the wool tight, so I need to use bigger needles. If you are only getting two sets of needles, size 10 and 12 are pretty safe. I often use those when making sweaters.

I would recommend a little row counter that you can stick onto the end of the needle. Those are really helpful.

Also, you might find that knitting is not really all that complicated. If you know how to knit, purl, cast on, cast off, increase and decrease, you can knit pretty much anything! Today a baby blanket, tomorrow the world!