Using Several Needles

Once before I tried using several needles at once and got them completely confused. This time I worked with five needles for most of the afghan and was doing well.

Here's the trick: The first needle you use goes closest to the place you are working on. The second needle goes above that by a few strands. The third is always in the third place, etc. 

When you advance to the next section, you take the needle closest to you and use that one first. Then the next needle and so on until you reach the opposite end. 

As long as you figure out a system that works for you every time, you can use as many needles as you are comfortable with. 

Five needles gave me about half an inch after each pass. Ten needles gave me just over one inch at a time. It also took longer. I spent about 25 minutes working ten needles from one end to the other. But it made the empty mesh so much smaller each time and I didn't have to shove the material back and forth as often.

Choose whatever works best for you. If you are happy working one strand at a time, God bless you. If you like to see more progress at once, try several needles. Set up a working pattern and you should be easily able to make a go of it.

Thanks for visiting with me,

Kathi

More Than One Needle

I've woven most of this afghan with one needle. I tried using two at a time and it worked pretty well. So I dug deep and found, not one, not three, but eight needles. Using them all at once would finish a whole inch in one pass across the afghan.

I've done this weaving before, but I'm doing some experimenting this time around. Let me tell you that this particular experiment was less than a glowing success!

I had trouble moving each needle from one side to the other of the table without dropping one or more other needles off the edge.  The yarn was not cooperative as you will see shortly.

 

 

I discovered that it is much easier to make a mistake than it would be with a single strand at a time.

 

 

Which I pulled out and rewove working between the other strands already in place.

I did figure out an easy way to keep the needles organized. You stick the point into the fabric in the correct order.  Then you know which one to use next as you work across and they don't fall off the edge of the table.

 

 



I think I will stick to using fewer needles from now on.

Thanks for visiting with me,

Kathi Linz

P.S. Three needles is do-able. After that, you have to be very careful.