I FINALLY finished the sweater!!! Getting sick helped me out greatly as I had all the time in the world to do nothing but knit. Here's what it looks like:

close up of the collar:

Only, before you judge too harshly allow me to say this is my first knitting project...ever! The last time I held a pair of knitting needles in my hands was when I was 10 and that ended very catastrophic My sister asked me to knit a sweater for my nephew and I (like an idiot) told her I'd do it (I mean seriously, how hard could it be). So I went online, and after some search I found a video on youtube showing how to make an icelandic sweater, and I loved the sweater on the video and got it into my head to make it. I found some tutorials on how to do a knit stich and a purl stitch and jumped into making the sweater. The first thing that I had to do was rib knitting I clumsily got through it, took it apart, did it again, took it apart and finally got the hang of it Also, the pattern was meant for a 4 year old and my nephew is 1 and 1/2, so I thought I would have to derease but as it turned out, because I had a thinner type of wool, I ended up having to increase to make it fit him, so that was a little tricky when it came to the designs But at the end of this whole project, I learned how to rib knit, how to do the knit and purl stitch, how to cast off how to do the Kitchener stitch and I also learned to read a pattern off a chart. So it all turned out very educational and best of all, it fit my nephew (though I could have made the circumference of the arm a little smaller )
And though the one of the tutorial looks a LOT better, I'm thinking this one came out not so bad for a first timer

I haven't finished the shawl yet, I left it at work and with me getting sick, it stayed there waiting for me to get better and finish it

wrose, that sweater is beautiful! So neatly done. Bravo! *loves Icelandic sweaters* I hope your nephew gets many cozy hours of enjoyment out of wearing it. And the pony you posted about at the top of the page is adorable! Raelly cheery.

Mel, I do love that scarf!

Bella, the birds and moose are lovely. I remember that it was quite exciting to see what only look like a bunch of stitches and rows at first grow into something very recognizable and lovely . Good job!

As always, I am really interested to see the ongoing projects here, including yours, st and Lady Haleth. Way to go, everyone! Such talent.

Well, Mel, now that I've done it, I can see why it was a challenge; it was pretty difficult to get it to lay flat and then twist it only once, so...

wild rose, that's a gorgeous sweater! I can't believe that's only your first knitting project. *tries not to give up and despair on her knitting* How's the shawl coming? Have you had more of a chance to work on it?

I finished my circular scarf; there are a couple of holes where stitches jumped off the needles and I then didn't put them back on properly (I didn't have access to a book to read how to do it, so I just guessed, and figured out I did it wrong but decided to just keep working), but I think it turned out pretty well otherwise. It's warm at least.
I'm still working on my fingerless gloves, but have been looking at other projects too, and am toying with a hat. So, umm, are there any tips on how to work double pointed needles? Also, how do you properly join in round knitting? I fluffed it on the scarf, but I'm pretty sure I did it wrong...

Thank-you, Wrose, Mel, Valia, and Jo, for your comments on the bags!! Valia, yeah... now that you mention it, I think the moose would look more proportionate if the antlers were thicker. They look a little awkwardly chopped off.

Wrose, ... that... was....your...first...knitting...project? :O Wow! I'm speechless. Or typeless. You used more than one color in one row on your first knitting?! That sweater is beautiful! I bet your nephew loves it.
I was wondering, what kind of knitting wool do you get in Russia? Over here, the most accessible type of yarn is general acrylic yarn. Cotton, wool, or anything real is often either inaccessible or very expensive, but it's so beautiful to work with. Are the craft shops there independently owned or small? We have a lot of big retail craft shops, which are nice in their own way, but the few independent, small craft shops here are real gems to find, because they often have merchandise that feels so authentic.

Valia, yay about your scarf!!
For hats, you can either use circular needles or double-pointed needles. I prefer circular, because they are really, really comfortable to use, and because double pointed needles and I don't get along. What helps me with DPN's is to keep the needles in a orderly system of overlapping. For example, I do not let the right one needle stay on top of the left one for one intersection and then, at another section, have the left one on top of the right one.
For joining around, I use two techniques:
(Speaking from a right-hand-knitting perspective)
One is to cast on all your stitches on the needle that you would end up putting in your left hand. Usually, after casting on, you would then take the right needle and start knitting into the stitches on the left. However, with joining the round, you take the left needle--the one you cast the stitches on-- and put it in your right hand, and start knitting with it into what would have been the right hand needle but is now the left hand needle. (in other words, you'll be knitting the last stitch, or the one you cast on first, depending on how you're looking at it.) This takes the strand of yarn from the ball and connects the two ends of the stitches, thus creating a round. (I hope that made sense.)
The other option is to knit normally all the way around until you reach the last stitch of the row. Then, here at the very end, knit two stitches together--the last stitch of your current round and the first stitch of the next round. You have to cast on an additional stitch for this one.

thank you so much everyone I glad you like the sweater. I really put a lot of work into it

How's the shawl coming? Have you had more of a chance to work on it?

Sadly, I haven't had a chance to get it. It's still at work, and I'm still stuck at home. I hope to get back to work on Monday, so hopefully I'll be able get back to work on it

So, umm, are there any tips on how to work double pointed needles?

Oh, double pointed needles, I nearly poked my eyes out so many times when I had to work with them to make the sleeves of the sweater. (They make a lethal weapon! Carry them around in your purse and you'll feel safe all the time )
I don't have many tips since I only started using them recently. I've found that in starting off is rather tricky, but once you actually get past the first couple rounds it gets easier. Just be sure you have a stitch marker to mark off the beginning of the circle, or else it can get very confusing (sad experiance )

I was wondering, what kind of knitting wool do you get in Russia? Over here, the most accessible type of yarn is general acrylic yarn. Cotton, wool, or anything real is often either inaccessible or very expensive, but it's so beautiful to work with. Are the craft shops there independently owned or small? We have a lot of big retail craft shops, which are nice in their own way, but the few independent, small craft shops here are real gems to find, because they often have merchandise that feels so authentic.

Acrylic yarn is also the most popular here. Cotton and wool are a little harder to find, and wool has a tendency to be rather expensive. Cotton is cheaper and easier to find. Trying to get your hands on linen yarn is SO hard. Personally, I don't like acrylic yarn very much and prefer natural materials (guess that's the reeanctor side in me coming out ). Finding good quality wool for a resonable price was always tricky, but recently I came up with a easy way. I just order the yarn straight from the factory. It's twice as cheap than in the stores and you can order in bulk. I'm still trying to find a good place where I can buy linen yarn.
As for craft shops, there are big shops and there are small ones. A lot of them are independely owned but there are many retail shops as well. My favorite one is a retail called Igolochka (a tender way of saying Igla, the Russian word for needle). They have a very big vareity of just about everything! Yarn, needles, canvas, ribbons, buttons, different arts and crafts kits, you name it The prices there are also pretty reasonable.

I had a lot of time on my hands recently, with my being sick and all and got it into my head to make a back-pack. I have this transparent cloth with designs on it that used to be part of skirts for our bollywood dancing. But my sister wanted the skirts to be knee length so we took the bottom layer off and I thought it would great for future sewing projects. For the base of the bag I used a rough linen to give it some sort of firmness. I didn't use a concrete pattern, but just went along with my imagination All together it took about 5 hours to make and I'm really pleased the outcome. I want to make a purse and maybe another back-pack using the same style
Here are pictures of what it looks like
front
back

I started working on my second bordered chevron friendship bracelet... it's having the same problem as my first in that there are little gaps between the knots... I'm hoping with practice I'll eliminate those... I'll try to get a picture later.

I also taught myself how to make a tassel the other day... hoping to incorporate them into either this bracelet or the next, but I need to learn how to attach them... any help on that?

Also does anyone know any good tutorials about cross stitching? I got a kit at the store the other day, but the instructions are a bit confusing.

wrose, it looks like I haven't commented on your sweater yet. It is amazing! I love the colors and design. I want to make one too!

Also does anyone know any good tutorials about cross stitching?

Not off the top of my head, but since I cross stitch I'm more than willing to take a stab at helping you make sense of the instructions.

My method is to find the middle of the fabric, middle of the pattern, and work all the stitches in that section going one direction, then go back and finish the 'x'. Color what you've done on the pattern with a highlighter, and work in sections until finished...

Bella, thanks so much for the tips about joining and using double-pointed needles! They did make sense and are useful, though I'm afraid my needles aren't overlapping in a very orderly fashion...

Thanks for the advice, wild rose! I'm working with a set of plastic double-pointed needles, but I inherited some metal ones that look like wonderful weapons. Starting off definitely looks tricky---I kind of cheated and knit the first few rows on straight needles and then slipped them onto double-pointed ones; I'll have to go back and stitch a few stitches together then.
Aaah, that backpack is very pretty! How sturdy is it? I'm guessing it's sturdy enough for general purposes, but not the sort of backpack I'd carry on campus (I have a pretty large, heavy-duty one, so...).

wolfloversk, I'm sorry that I don't have any advice on your questions. But I'm glad you asked the cross-stitch question because now I can take note of Mel's (and anyone else's) answer and maybe take it up again.

I finally finished up my fingerless gloves! Happy day, but alas, they're a bit big. But I spent over a year working on them, so oh well. *hugs them*
I am now working on a project with double-pointed needles, and it's going pretty well so far, even though I'm half-making up the pattern. So, I'm waiting for the other shoe to drop and things to start going wrong, of course.

I finally finished up my fingerless gloves! Happy day, but alas, they're a bit big. But I spent over a year working on them, so oh well. *hugs them*

Happy day indeed! Depending on the yarn content, you could get them wet and then squish them to size so that when they dry they're the right size... (I should do that with my first pair, since I've ended up not wearing them as much now that I have a pair that fit snugly. )

Wolf, are there any particular stitches that are especially confusing?

I usually fold or count to find the center and start from the center. I usually start with whichever color is in the center and do that color first. If it can be done without too much trouble, I work a color at a time. It is important to make sure all the Xs look the same (the same cross needs to be on the bottom). When I come across a stitch I'm not sure of I usually do an internet search on it. You should be able find videos showing how to do them.

Wrose, the situation with yarn is very similar here. That's cool that you can order it in bulk! I'm sure there is something like that here, but it's hard to find these things. Some people spin their own yarn, which I would really like to do, but right now I'm forced to buy it from the store.
Oh, that shop sounds really lovely! There are a couple independently-owned knitting shops, and they are beautiful, because they have really nice supplies and a nice feel, overall. Sometimes they have days when people can just come in and knit, which I really like.

Valia, I'm glad that what I wrote made some sense! Ditto, it's always hard for me to keep the needles that way.
I have the metal ones and.... yes. They hurt.
Oohh, I'd love to see pictures of your gloves, if you can post them!!

I'm on spring break now, so that means I hope to have more time to knit. I finished the sweater for my grandmother, and I'm hoping to send it to her soon. I haven't shown her a picture, because I want it to be a surprise. I'll try get one to post here.

Oh, hmm, let me see. Apparently it's an acrylic, Mel, so maybe shrinking wouldn't work? Bother.

*takes mental note of Twig's cross-stitch comments*

Oooh, a sweater, Bella? I look forward to seeing it pictures of it!

Here're my gloves, and here's the scarf I made back in January. Sorry for the blurry pictures; I'm not a good photographer.

Sooooo, based on a friend's recommendation and having heard the name from some of you all, I joined Ravelry today. I can already tell this is a bad idea because I think I've saved about a dozen things to my queue in just a few pages.

PP, I've just never tried it before at all... so I really don't know how it's done or where to start. Does the size of the stitches have to be specific other than being the same? I think the instructions were a bit like Meltintalle described... So I would do half X's up all the way to the edge of the pattern/color then turn around and finish them all the way back? I guess I was confused as to if I do the whole row or only 3 x's at a time (the diagram in the instruction only showed three x's, but didn't detail anything about whether or not it goes on further)... Thanks for the help guys

Yes you can keep going until you get to the end of the row / pattern

1. xxx xxx
2. xxxx
3. xx

So in the above example. I would start with row 1. and do /// /// and then \ \ to get back to where I started. Then I would go to 2. and do //// and then \\ to go back. The same thing for number 3.

Hopefully that makes sense.

Valia, those gloves are really neat! I love the yarn. Did you sew the spaces between the fingers?
Lovely scarf! It looks warm.

Ravelry is like the goodreads of knitting. I joined it, and, due to the extensive library of patterns, I've been able to control the urge to queue everything that looks good, but it's hard. The forum on there is very helpful for craft questions!