my grandmother used to knit
she died years ago, last week i was going thru the barn and found a hundred or more balls of nylon
she used to knit rugs and pot holders etc
sence i got the balls of nylon yarn
how do you knit? is it hard? can a big ole burley man do it? or.. burn barrel

Frodo, yes, men CAN knit and it's wonderful to read that a "big ole burley man" is interested in trying! Wasn't there a football player who did needlepoint or something? Rosey Grier? Joe Namath?

First issue though is whether or not the nylon has deteriorated, especially if it's been in a barn, which I assume is not climate controlled. Is the nylon from nylon stockings with elastic, or is it fabric that's been rolled up in a ball?

If the latter, gently unroll it and see if any of the fabric crumbles or tears. If so, it's probably too weak to be used. If not, test machine wash a piece to see how it holds up. Some fabric looks stable but will degrade if machine washed. That's an indication that it's too unstable to use.

There are sites with photos which demonstrate how to knit, but it's easier to find someone who already knows how. You'll probably be better off learning a European (a/k/a English, Continental or German) style of knitting.

Check your listings of adult noncredit courses for local communities. Knitting isn't taught very much any more (when I last taught it in the late 90's there weren't more than a handful of women who took the class.)

You can also check yarn stores and places like Michaels and Jo-Ann Fabrics. But there might be a better chance of finding a knitting class at a store which sells yarn.

Think about what you would like to make, then search online for patterns. The pattern you choose will determine what size knitting needles to use. They range from very small diameters to large diameter needles as well as circular needles for knitting in the round, for sweaters, hats, etc.

Avoid making anything like stockings for now; the patterns are a bit more complicated than a beginner would want to tackle.

Basically, knitting isn't that much different from man type projects - you use tools (needles) and materials (the nylon, or yarn), and follow a pattern, as you would with woodworking. The yarn can be manipulated through a variety of stiches to create plain to complicated patterns.

If you're familiar with intarsia or marquetry, the analogy is the same - tools, patterns and raw materials. The difference is the type of tools, the patterns and the materials.

Here's one site that offers some knitting basics, but I think there are better videos and will look for some if the nylon survives the stability test.

http://www.knittinghelp.com/videos/learn-to-knit

Here's a site with some beautiful and fairly complicated patterns (Aran Isle knits):

http://www.clanarans.com/

I would say that these are at the high end of knitting complexity and beauty. But they're an example of different styles of knits. I've made a few Aran sweaters and loved working on them; the patterns are varied and I never got bored, as is possible with plain knitting.

Let me know how the fabric holds up under the tests I've suggested and what you think you'd like to make and I'll help with some beginner's patterns.

the fabric is good, i pulled on it
it did ok
i have hundred of 4 in balls of this stuff,
its a fabric/nylon strips
she made rugs and pot holders never saw clothes
i'll ck out a store for some needles and a little talk
thanks, i'll post back later

found out the balls of fabric are for making braided
rugs or place mats..etc
braid 3 pcs of material together, then roll up and sew together. sounds easy,
http://i1357.photobucket.com/a...nternet/PC130136.jpg

http://i1357.photobucket.com/a...nternet/PC130135.jpg

i braided a few ft' and rolled it up. this stuff was all over my grand mas house. i remember tieing up my sister,the dog. i think i put a leash on a frog one time lol

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Frodo,

btt

Frodo, it looks as if all the material has already been formatted for braiding, as the edges are turned over (or under). There's a gadget that braiders use to turn the rough unseamed edges for braiding strips, and I'm guessing that's what your grandmother used, as turning the edges manually is a very, very tedious task.

You're right that sewing together the braided strips is not all that easy, especially when they're nylon.

You might try using a ball point needle - I've used them on fabrics like silkessence (a polyester fabric I used for jacket linings) and nylon because the ball points avoid puncturing sheer and delicate fabrics (unlike the sharps, which are standard needles used for sewing), which then cause them to run. (Think women's nylons - one poke with something sharp and the run typically ruins the whole stocking.)

You can get ball points at any fabric store and probably general grocery stores with a nominal fabric/sewing section.

I don't recall the sizing recommendations offhand but I'll check and post back. I'm thinking you could probably use a size 10 needle; you definitely wouldn't want anything like a 16 or 18 as those are for heavy fabrics like denim.

Also, there are websites with good instructions for sewing together the braids. If you haven't found any, I'll look them up.

wife bought me a small loom, and laughed at me
so i made her some pot holders..
and ...yes..real men eat quiche i like mine with spinach and bacon