fire_my_spirit: (Craft: It's pretty much everywhere)
[personal profile] fire_my_spirit
I heard recently about blocking acrylic yarns with an iron, and found instructions for it here (you'll have to scroll down a ways) that sound rather promising. I was just wondering if anyone had tried anything like this, and had tips or horror stories?

I ask because I am allergic to animal fibers and don't really have the budget for them anyway, so I am generally happy to stick with acrylics, and have thus never bothered to learn to knit lace. But I just found a really pretty shawl pattern that I'd love to make if only I knew it would come out looking like it's supposed to -- but if not, well, I don't want to get my hopes up.

Thanks much in advance!
pebblerocker: A worried orange dragon, holding an umbrella, gazes at the sky. (Default)
[personal profile] pebblerocker
I've just re-learnt how to knit, having made nothing since the ghastly scarflike object I made at age 8 and then bootees for three newborn relatives at wide intervals over the next couple of decades. I'd bought some hand-knitted socks and I love them so much I want to make myself some more, so in the last week I've been learning the magic loop method and making a pair of toe-up heelless spiral ribbed socks which I'm extremely excited about. Yay me!

Having used up that wool, though, I'm keen to keep knitting. I'm staying with my mother-in-law for a week and she no longer knits, so she gave me her leftover wool to do what I like with. However everything she had was acrylic and I'm somewhat rabid about only wearing natural fibres, especially on my feet, so socks are out. Can anyone point me to some patterns for non-wearable items I can make out of the acrylic? Maybe tea cosies or, I don't know, ipod cosies and things? Something fast and fun.

I don't know much about wool weights (DK, 8-ply, worsted... it's all Greek to me) and there are no labels on the balls, but it looks fairly thick. My only available needle is a 3.5mm circular so I hope it'll work for what I have to knit with. And I'm at pretty basic skill level: I can knit, purl, increase, decrease, and look up stitches on Youtube. What things can I make while I'm staying here?

ETA: [personal profile] vampirefan suggested toys -- I have a half-grown cat who will bite and fight my fluffy scarf any chance he gets, so I'll try making him a cat toy or two! Even I should be able to make something up without a pattern: magic loop method, little ring, increase, decrease, stuff and add tassels. He'll love it.

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