I found a pattern that I fancied. It would help lower my yarn mountain.
The item I chose was worked in one piece, using two yarns and two different sizes of double ended needles.
I needed to work out the pattern. My double ended needles are fine and 30 cms long. Remember I am practising this new pattern…
I have my needles, the yarn and the printed pattern with the picture of what I am trying to achieve…. It has no seams, in other words worked in the round.
It begins:
Using double ended needles, cast on six stitches. There is a reminder to keep all the stitches right way up. So that sounds like I should have two stitches on each of three double ended needles, with the fourth waiting to begin working the next row.
Row one: Knit.
Al-right, go ahead and laugh. Long arms. Long needles. Six stitches. I felt like I was back in Primary school learning to knit all over again. I was trying to knit in the round and it was proving ridiculous. The shops were closed, so there was no point in going out to purchase a shorter set.
Feelings of frustration were hovering about, so I decided to down the needles and make a cup of coffee. Having something to nibble on, always helped with the thinking… so I opened the pantry door.
Bingo!
I found an answer, even if only temporary.
A tube of cocktail sticks!
Stop laughing, you will make yourself sick. If my brother taught himself to knit (as I struggled) with two wooden skewers from the butchers, and a ball of twine, then I can do it with cocktail sticks!
I filed down the sharp points when coffee time was over and went back to work. It helped, but as Fagin sang…
I think I’d better thing it out again!
UPDATE 22:50 hrs
Knitting with cocktail sticks. The little red item is a stitch marker, only there to give you an idea of size. At this stage there are 36 stitches in total, spread over three needles
Not perfect, but I know where I am going!