knitting and crocheting

Ellah · Post by **Ellah** » Sun Mar 27, 2011 3:28 pm

Allright, I wasn't sure where to put this post exactly. But I figured in the family section there's propably alot of moms that could perhaps help me!

I want to learn how to knit and crochet. Any ideas where I could take some short courses on that in Finland (I do live in Lahti, but Helsinki is not a big obsticle). And any advice on how to google courses in this in finnish? I tried asking my boyfriend (who is finnish) but he didnt even know those words in finnish.... (l o l)

With thanks in advance!

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EP · Post by EP » Sun Mar 27, 2011 4:16 pm

Does your boyfriend have a mother around somewhere? She should know how to knit (neuloa / neulominen) and crochet (virkata / virkkaus). She could teach you at least the elementaries, and it is easy to go on from there by yourself.

Ellah · Post by **Ellah** » Sun Mar 27, 2011 5:22 pm

EP wrote:Does your boyfriend have a mother around somewhere? She should know how to knit (neuloa / neulominen) and crochet (virkata / virkkaus). She could teach you at least the elementaries, and it is easy to go on from there by yourself.

Yes he does. But she is quite young so she doesnt know these too well.

EP · Post by EP » Sun Mar 27, 2011 5:31 pm

How young? Every female over 40 was taught knitting and crocheting at school when they were around 8-9. In my days also boys. And it is like riding a bike, once you learn it it will come back in an instant. All you need to learn is the basics, the rest is easy to learn by yourself. ANY female over 40 should really be able to show you. Just don´t start with fancy, fluffy yarns, choose something where you can see (and correct) the result. Not too thick, not too thin. Something that needs about 4-4,5 mm needles.

You could also search for "neulepiiri". They are usually young women who are real enthusiasts. If you find one they will show you.

EP · Post by EP » Sun Mar 27, 2011 6:06 pm

Check this one out: http://www.yhteishyva.fi/vapaa-aika_per ... ukkakoulu/ (in Finnish but pictures are universal)

Number 1 is knitting "right" (sorry, I don´t know the terms in English), #2 knitting "wrong" and #3 is one "right", one "wrong". The very basics that will get one far.

Crocheting is easier, and that is #4.

Ellah · Post by **Ellah** » Sun Mar 27, 2011 7:12 pm

Yeah well. I actually learnt the basics of both of these things myself when I was at school. I was just really bad at it and SO not interested at the time. So I know the basics. But I want to start doing some real stuff and for that I'd like someone to sit over me and teach me

I guess theres not too many courses available here. I guess I'll have to fly my grandmother over to teach me, stupid me not to make her teach me before I came

But thanks for your replies.

Rosamunda · Post by **Rosamunda** » Sun Mar 27, 2011 9:09 pm

I'm sure there are classes in Lahti, just as there are plenty down here. The local municipality probably has a selection of handicraft classes on offer but most of them will be evening classes. Just go into your local library or municipality office and ask for some help. You might also find a daytime women's group that offers handicraft classes. They are popping up all over the place and are usually aimed at immigrant women - the groups are for socialising and improving language skills and they often teach things like cooking,sewing etc Have you tried this place, it says they have clubs...

http://www.lahti.fi/www/cms.nsf/pages/B ... 2A00464AC9

Knitting was really big down here a few years ago. You'd even see teenage boys knitting hats on the bus or on the metro. It's calmed down a bit recently but my 3 boys all learned to knit at school.

Or try YouTube.... that's where I learned how to prune apple trees! This one has over 2 million views.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3uw-nUvGrBY&feature=fvsr

Ellah · Post by **Ellah** » Sun Mar 27, 2011 10:43 pm

penelope wrote: Have you tried this place, it says they have clubs...

http://www.lahti.fi/www/cms.nsf/pages/B ... 2A00464AC9

Hey this place! Yeah I called it last week to ask about daycare facilities. The phone conversation was like this:

"Maahanmuttajatoimisto päivä"
-Hello, do you speak english?
-"NO ..."
- Ok.....

hahaha, best immigrant office ever!

I got my business there sorted anyway because I can manage quite well with finnish, sometimes when I have urgent things where I want to understand and be understood completely I prefer english.

I actually remembered also this multi culti coffee house. I guess I'll check that place. But the courses dont have to be in english, some old mummo who speaks only finnish can just aswell stand over me and show how it's done

emimi · Post by **emimi** » Wed Mar 30, 2011 2:37 pm

Check out the local Martta associations. http://www.martat.fi/
It's like a home economics advisory union for women and nowadays also men. They have a whole knitting advisory network and a bus that tours the country to teach sock knitting. They also knit and donate woolly socks to all babies born in Finland.

Oh and also a lot younger that over-40 Finns were taught knitting at school! I think it's still a part of the crafts curriculum. I was very lucky that my granny taought me to knit at the age of 6 so at school I was already quite good at it.

butterflychick3 · Post by **butterflychick3** » Wed Mar 30, 2011 6:21 pm

If you know the basics you can also check out http://www.ravelry.com. There are a lot of patterns, and if you search you also find well-explained patterns. My mother-in-law taught me how to knit socks, and now with ravelry I make more advanced socks. Or things with cables and so on.

I also live in Lahti by the way!

Ellah · Post by **Ellah** » Wed Mar 30, 2011 7:14 pm

butterflychick3 wrote:If you know the basics you can also check out http://www.ravelry.com. There are a lot of patterns, and if you search you also find well-explained patterns. My mother-in-law taught me how to knit socks, and now with ravelry I make more advanced socks. Or things with cables and so on.

I also live in Lahti by the way!

Yay!

Wanna teach me to make socks ? hehe

Thanks to everyone again for the information! Now I just have to find the right tools for the job!

butterflychick3 · Post by **butterflychick3** » Wed Mar 30, 2011 8:45 pm

There's great needles in Kärkkäinen, I like the bamboo needles 'cause they are less slippery than those grey ones.

And look on this website: http://www.cometosilver.com/socks/SockClass_Start.htm
It explains how to make socks

Of course if you have questions you can ask them.
Where in Lahti do you live by the way?

ellensmum · Post by **ellensmum** » Tue Apr 26, 2011 10:06 pm

HI, you could look at youtube, there is a great tutorial called crochet by teresa, I am left handed and I tried for months to make a slip stitch, she made it so easy, you could set up a stitch and bitch sessions in your local town, that would be great fun

schneemie · Post by **schneemie** » Tue Apr 26, 2011 10:34 pm

if you go to ravelry.com, you can find knitting groups of finnish knitters in the forum/group section. you can ask them, if there is a knitting group meeting somewhere in lahti. usually there is something like that - even here in joensuu we have aknitting group that meets every second saturday usually in the library cafe. the forum members are usually really helpful.
even if there isn't a group you will most likely find sombody in lahti who can give you some advise or other...

Cynde · Post by **Cynde** » Tue Aug 20, 2013 10:53 pm

I have a group called Morning Kippers who meet a few times a month here and there around Espoo usually (because that's where most of them live) We're on facebook too.
Cynde

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