ok, I am just learnign how to knit..i haven't goten more than three rows done yet because i keep having to take everything apart and start over sigh..but I was wondering what exactly do you do if the thing you are making, like a big sweater or a blanket, is bigger than your needles? I'm sure i will find this out as i go along in my lessons but i wanted to ask anyway..since i can't get back to my knitting until ds goes to sleep. lol thanks ladies

oh and where would I get, non commercial wool yarn that is not yet dyed?

I dont' want to buy from big corporate places because am leary of farms that are ran as big buisnesses..i know there is one mama on here who is a sheep..rancher? what is her screen name? and anyone know of other places to get good "home grown" wool?

thanks again ladies

Re the needles - I assume you mean that the number of stitches is large enough that they wouldn't all fit on the needles you currently have?

You get longer needles! They come in different lengths as well as the different sizes. If you look at a yarn site that sells needles you'll probably notice this in their product listings.

You can also use circular needles for back-and-forth knitting. I do this so that I don't have to worry about having different length straight needles, but not everybody likes circular needles.

Karen

The Thread Peddler in Springfield sells Manos de Uruguay if I'm not mistaken. It's produced by a rural women's cooperative, but I'm not sure about the conditions of the animals or actual wool production.

Local rovings are fairly easy to come by, but I'm not sure about yarn. I don't recall seeing any yarns at the local Fiber Faire in May. There is a spinning/weaving guild that meets in Marshfield. Perhaps there's a local spinner who would sell you handspun?

I usually use circ. needles for larger products. The straights are hard to handle if they are to long, kwim?

I'll keep an eye out about the yarn :D

I use 36 or 40" circular needles :D Actually, I knit everything on circular needles b/c I don't like straigt needles, I have little hands and they just seem huge.

I carry 2 types of yarn in my store. The merino yarn I carry is produced on small family run farms and processed at a family run mill in Canada :thumbsup: it's, so far, my favorite yarn of all I've used.

uhhh...so if i learn on straight needles..than i guess circular will be a whole nother learning process huh? I sense that this is a hobby that can get very expensive...lol. thanks for everything ladies:heart:


oh and i just ordered some of your yarn... I am so excited to get it since all i have here is some cheapo acrylic.

Using circulars really isn't any more difficult than straight needles. :D

Selissa,
I was able to get used to the circulars very quickly. Then when I went to finish a project I had on straights, I felt awkard again!!

well looks like one more thing i am definatly gonna have to get huih? lol..and this was supposed to be cheaper then jsut buying the doakers aout right..yeah right...maybe if i was simple about it...lol

Originally posted by Selissa
well looks like one more thing i am definatly gonna have to get huih? lol..and this was supposed to be cheaper then jsut buying the doakers aout right..yeah right...maybe if i was simple about it...lol

LOL, ya it sometimes get's expensive in the beginning, but it is definatly cheaper in the long run! :p

Unless you develop a yarn addiction :muaha:

I started knitting in february because I wanted to make soakers (and didn't want to spend so much money on them) and I've easily spent $500 on knitting. That's yarn, needles, books, patterns, etc. But I have thoroughly enjoyed it. In fact, I'm about to curl up with my new "Vogue Knitting: The Ultimate Knitting Book," that I got in the mail today. Woo hoo! :D