Need technical help with knitting Mr. Foster?

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Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Joyce on June 5, 2009 at 8:44am

Thanks so much, Cheryl. I'll check out the link to the provisional cast on also and maybe I can make sense of it this time.

Permalink Reply by cherylbwaters on June 5, 2009 at 9:00am

Joyce, I'd struggled with the provisional cast on for YEARS. Always ended up picking out my provisional yarn! But this made it click for me!

Permalink Reply by Joyce on June 5, 2009 at 9:18am

I just looked at it and it does look easy! Will try it on the ears again and see what happens. I have 3 of Lucy Neatby's DVDs and really like them.

Permalink Reply by cherylbwaters on June 5, 2009 at 9:35am

I had her DVDs for intarsia. Thought I didn't need something as basic as her Knitting Essentials. As soon as I saw these two videos on YouTube, these were in the mail to me!

Good luck with his ears!

Permalink Reply by Deb Hendricks on June 6, 2009 at 6:06am

Has anyone used the Emily Ocker's cast on for starting the arms/legs? It is used to start a project in the center, and I figure can start with the 8 needed stitches and then "tighten" up the stitches there. Kelly P does a you tube video on it. I thought might work well? Any one used this before?

Permalink Reply by cherylbwaters on June 6, 2009 at 10:02am

I tried to start another Mr. Foster. I plan to use Emily Ocker's cast on. I started it but stopped. Not because the cast on wasn't working but because I was so excited to try it I didn't wind my ball first! And since I do 2 limbs at once I needed a ball to pull from the center and outside. At least that's the way I like to do it. I think her cast on will be good for this. But I must say the last time, once I got to 24 sts, I turned it inside out and used the tail to whip it closed.

I'll let you know when I get started. Too many projects on my plate right now and all I seem to be doing is posting comments!

Permalink Reply by Joyce on June 6, 2009 at 10:53am

From personal experience, I can say that your posts are very welcome!! Thanks a bunch.

Permalink Reply by bobbiep1447 on June 6, 2009 at 11:19am

I just rec'd Elizabeth's Zimmerman's book this afternoon. I am going to try the cast on for the next monkey I make along with the short row method from utube. It fun I used to get my knitting supplies from Eliz, in the early 70's an 80's still have some of her original patterns. I always wanted to go to her knitting camp. Cheryl I going to try the magic loop too... may have brain melt down all this new things
Barbara

Permalink Reply by Angel on June 6, 2009 at 11:41am

Barbara, I just watched the utube video of emily ocker's cast on, and it seems like a good one tho I haven't tried it. Like you, I might have brain melt-down from all these new techniques. But I want to learn them because I think they will streamline my knitting. I was asking my lady at our LYS about EZ, and she has a few videos of her teaching but they cost $50. She said her techniques are different but she is a very funny lady. Too bad you didn't get to go to her knitting camp. I want to learn magic loop too, but I keep starting new projects and don't take the time to learn because I'm so anxious to get started, I just do the old way. I'm pretty far along on the classic lines cardigan, but sort of regret starting it because it is taking so long.

Permalink Reply by cherylbwaters on June 6, 2009 at 10:54pm

Angel, if you do another Mr. F, why don't you get started with dpns and then switch to magic loop when you get to areas that are plain knitting. That will give you some experience with it. You can always switch back to dps. And start with just one limb at a time. Then later when you feel comfortable with it, you can add doing other sts than st st and eventually to working 2 things at once: socks, arms, etc.

Permalink Reply by Angel on June 7, 2009 at 4:00am

Hi Cheryl, Good Idea! I did start another Mr. F and am just past the bottom so could try the Magic Loop at this point. I was going to try it on socks and do two at a time, but I think it will be much better to just do one first.

Permalink Reply by cherylbwaters on June 7, 2009 at 9:10am

Good luck with it, Angel. It's almost all I use these days. I usually buy circs that are at least 40" though there are times I like to use shorter circs for some of my projects. I guess it just depends on the mood I'm in. I hate it when I loose or break a dpn. This helps solve that problem. I still buy some dpns. In fact, right now I'm lusting after some Signature dpns. Just trying to figure out how to pay for them.