So I haven't quite made a sweater yet, but...

and a half-circle shawl(snip)

WOW. You HAVE been busy. Wish I had accomplished half as much!!! Go ahead and try a sweater, but you might want to do the first one out of chunky yarn so it doesn't take quite so long to get there. Really, it's just a case of following the pattern - adapted to your measurements if necessary - and keeping track.

Olwyn Mary in New Orleans.

Yeah. That's why I am trying to master this tessellated fish first. When I can do a small non-brain-dead pattern (read: constant increases and decreases so you have to stay on your toes) then I will feel like I can try tackling a bigger project that requires concentration to remember things like what row I am on.

Then there's the whole paralyzing getting it to fit right issue. I am pretty confident about altering sewing patterns to fit, although it can take a few tries to get it right, and I am not especially anxious to go through a similar learning curve to get to that point in knitting.

I like the neck down type sweater patterns, and to keep track of what row I am on I have a big spiral [top bound] notebook that I write the numbers starting at one running down the pages and then cross em out as I go......when I pass on to wherever we go after death my lovedones will wonder what the heck is all this I have finished 3 Baby Surprise Jackets but like you have not made one for me.....so I finally started the Adult version and I get discouraged at how slow it's going [started with CO of 324 stitches] so I alternate between that and baby hats for the Guild Charity. I chose a wonderful yarn IMO and my current fave di.ve' Teseo [Cascade Yarns] the label says it's made in Italy, in blues and purples colorways which keeps my interest as to how the stripes are going to come out. I came across this yarn at a LYS and bought 6 skeins in 2 different colors for hats and after making one fell in love ;-) so mailorderd what I think will be enough for the sweater.

Donna

Well done Melinda. You have done so well to learn as much as you have in a short time. Making those fish will have taken patience because of the shaping on them and so will the shawls because of the length of time they take. You should feel very proud of yourself. (I especially love the triangular shawl) :-)

Olwyn Mary wrote in news:47229328$0$4647$ snipped-for-privacy@free.teranews.com:

another trick, if it's the right type of sweater pattern, is to knit the sleeves first. sleeves can be really boring after getting the body done. that's why i only do big things with stitch variations or color work (even a varigated yarn helps)... i get bored. lee

Melinda Meahan - take out TRASH to reply wrote in news:4722c366$0$79867$ snipped-for-privacy@news.sonic.net:

row counters or a notebook. i like to use a notebook. or a card deck. with a card deck you write out each row on an index card & put a binder ring in one corner. then flip the page at the end of each row. these are good for things you are going to make more than once (like a basic sock or sweater pattern)

do you have a paper/cloth sloper for a basic top? you can use that to measure your knitting against. lee

Hey Melinda, You have been awfully busy!!!!!!! WOWWWWWWW!!! My hat's off to you!

I too have TERRIBLE trouble remembering where I am in a pattern. I finally took a little cylindrical plastic stitch counter that is made to slip onto the needles and put a string through it and wear it around my neck. That way, I can keep track of rows very easily by ticking up one more number on the little thingy without losing track of TWO things---what row I'm currently on AND "where the heck did I put my row counter???" HAHAHA!

Wendy A Knitting Fool in CT

Wow! I'm very impressed at how much you've accomplished. Congratulations! Also... thank you for sharing the links to the patterns. :o)

I put a short piece of yarn through one of those stitch counters and then attach it what I'm knitting with a coilless pin.

You're welcome. I figure that since I didn't have pics, the links would give you folks a good idea of what I was doing. Those patterns were all easy and didn't require me to keep terribly close track of what line I was on, because it was just keep on going doing the same thing until you are done.

Melinda, who is wearing her half-circle shawl, which was actually more like a 3/5-circle shawl by the time she was done with it (which helps it naturally stay on better without pulling off her shoulders), as she types

Well, seeing as though I am fitting this into the little moments of spare time I get through the day or when I'm waiting on something or someone, getting bored isn't exactly too much of a problem and is actually better for me anyway than having to rip somethign out 20 times because I keep getting it wrong.

Is there a tutorial anywhere on how to neatly rip stitches in bulk without having to do them one stitch at a time? I can never get them back on the needle if I pull it off and pull stitches out.

I actually am still working on my first fish and never seem to get past about the halfway point without making an irreparable mistake. :( :( :( Anyway, that is my present challenge.

Rip out the stitches to about the row before you need to start again, take a smaller needle and put the sts on it as you pull out the stitches one by one back to where you need be. You may not get them all on the correct way, but the most important thing is to get them on a needle first. You can re-seat them correctly as you knit across the row.

I don't really think it will. Initially, people will spend a lot of time there because there's so much information, but the people on the boards I read will still keep coming to them too.

sue

Melinda Meahan - take out TRASH to reply wrote in news:47237190$0$79928$ snipped-for-privacy@news.sonic.net:

lifelines! every few rows put in a line of string/cotton yarn (preferably undyed & a tight twist so you don't get off color fluffies) here's a photo tutorial on lifelines:

not really for me. i much prefer Usenet to message boards as far as 'community' online. i like ravelry for finding patterns & someplace to post pictures (they made me set up a flikr account, which i've been procrastinating about ;) ) lee

I think you have accomplished a lot! Just work on something fun for a bit...maybe a big needle project that will give you some immediate gratification. That is what I do when I am not sure what direction to head in. karen in MI

Nah...... I'm here everyday, and on Ravelry everyday. Once you've put in the time on Ravelry to set up parts of your notebook, I don't find it to be a really bad time eater. One thing I haven't done yet and intend to do, is put all of my needles in their database. It will be incredibly handy for me to be able to see what I have a glance instead of rifling through the little bag I have them in now.

Don't feel badly about your digital camera. If you're not into it, well that's the way it is. If you feel like it sometime, there's probably a course at the local high school or ??? where you could learn in one evening how to master the beast. I'm still helping DH to use my old one, and how to do e-mails. He's getting there. All it really is, is doing the things over and over until it's old hat, and you're used to it. ;>)

Shelagh

(hugging, offering chocolate, etc., etc., etc.)

Snap. I don't think Ravelry is undermining other online communities. RCTY is my first calling of the day for knitting related reading. I read knitting blogs too (which I'm sure many of us do) and I wouldn't criticise them for siphoning traffic from newsgroups either. It's just another resource for knitters and I for one want to encourage resources designed for us knitters.

Knitting is also still a female dominated sport, while I encourage every man whose interested to give it a try (and would love them to be equally represented) the fact is many more women knit than men. The consequence of this is many of the online resources for knitting are created, at least in part, by women - this to me is a really great thing because it boosts women's presence in the tech community and encourages others to join. I work in the Computer Science world - it is ridiculously dominated by men and anything that sees women participate and embrace computer technology is to be encouraged.

My 2 cents. VP