Need tips on a new project...

[Sly Grin]

Alright, here's my idea.
I want to knit some earmuffs- that look like these:


Obviously not as angular (or as mechanical), but still resembling it. It would be even better if I could slip smaller headphones in and out of it, but that'd be impossible.

The problem is, I don't know how to get started. I'm still a fairly new knitter- I can't do intarsia/fair isle, or dpns (at least, not very well), so I'm going to try to make it on straight needles.

Anyone got any tips?  

[MicroMiniMuffins]

Uhm...well, I would suggest that you get something to stabilize them, like a headband for the band part and like plastic rings (like reeeally tiny embroidery hoops or something) for the ears. Uh...you know how to increase and decrease, right (if not, come and yell at me, I'd be more than happy to help)? Well make a circle (like add one to each end every row until you get the width that you want, then subtract one from each end every row until you end up with the same amount of stitches that you started with).
Uhm...make like one silver circle and then one black circle (double the warmth!), and sew them together, and since you want to slip your earphones in, leave a small hole where you don't sew them together and slip them in there. You might have to turn it up a bit since they won't be fitted over your ears, but they should stay in there pretty snug.
And I know you said that you aren't very good with DPNs, but do you know how to make an eyecord? You just slide the stitches from one end to the other, bringing the yarn along with them so it makes a kind of tube. Maybe you could do that around the headband so that A) It would be padded and wouldn't hurt your head, and B) you wouldn't have to glue it on. Glue + yarn can = some pretty nasty things...<.< Especially hot glue, which I imagine you would have to pretty much use for this.
And switching colors is pretty easy. I just carry the color along behind the work and knit with it when I want to have a color and don't when I don't. I don't know what that's called, though. I'm not that smart...
...
Uhm...
Hope that helped. Some. Maybe a little? Let me know how it turned out!  

[Sly Grin]

MicroMiniMuffins

Uhm...well, I would suggest that you get something to stabilize them, like a headband for the band part and like plastic rings (like reeeally tiny embroidery hoops or something) for the ears. Uh...you know how to increase and decrease, right (if not, come and yell at me, I'd be more than happy to help)? Well make a circle (like add one to each end every row until you get the width that you want, then subtract one from each end every row until you end up with the same amount of stitches that you started with).
Uhm...make like one silver circle and then one black circle (double the warmth!), and sew them together, and since you want to slip your earphones in, leave a small hole where you don't sew them together and slip them in there. You might have to turn it up a bit since they won't be fitted over your ears, but they should stay in there pretty snug.
And I know you said that you aren't very good with DPNs, but do you know how to make an eyecord? You just slide the stitches from one end to the other, bringing the yarn along with them so it makes a kind of tube. Maybe you could do that around the headband so that A) It would be padded and wouldn't hurt your head, and B) you wouldn't have to glue it on. Glue + yarn can = some pretty nasty things...<.< Especially hot glue, which I imagine you would have to pretty much use for this.
And switching colors is pretty easy. I just carry the color along behind the work and knit with it when I want to have a color and don't when I don't. I don't know what that's called, though. I'm not that smart...
...
Uhm...
Hope that helped. Some. Maybe a little? Let me know how it turned out!

Alright, thanks!
I like your idea for the earphones (circular bits)- I'll just have to buy the colors, now. sweatdrop Shoulda prepared.
I don't know how to make an i-cord, but I'm getting more confident with dpns, so it shouldn't be that hard.

Thanks for the color advice, too. I never got that down. sweatdrop  

[MicroMiniMuffins]

Sly Grin

MicroMiniMuffins

Uhm...well, I would suggest that you get something to stabilize them, like a headband for the band part and like plastic rings (like reeeally tiny embroidery hoops or something) for the ears. Uh...you know how to increase and decrease, right (if not, come and yell at me, I'd be more than happy to help)? Well make a circle (like add one to each end every row until you get the width that you want, then subtract one from each end every row until you end up with the same amount of stitches that you started with).
Uhm...make like one silver circle and then one black circle (double the warmth!), and sew them together, and since you want to slip your earphones in, leave a small hole where you don't sew them together and slip them in there. You might have to turn it up a bit since they won't be fitted over your ears, but they should stay in there pretty snug.
And I know you said that you aren't very good with DPNs, but do you know how to make an eyecord? You just slide the stitches from one end to the other, bringing the yarn along with them so it makes a kind of tube. Maybe you could do that around the headband so that A) It would be padded and wouldn't hurt your head, and B) you wouldn't have to glue it on. Glue + yarn can = some pretty nasty things...<.< Especially hot glue, which I imagine you would have to pretty much use for this.
And switching colors is pretty easy. I just carry the color along behind the work and knit with it when I want to have a color and don't when I don't. I don't know what that's called, though. I'm not that smart...
...
Uhm...
Hope that helped. Some. Maybe a little? Let me know how it turned out!

Alright, thanks!
I like your idea for the earphones (circular bits)- I'll just have to buy the colors, now. sweatdrop Shoulda prepared.
I don't know how to make an i-cord, but I'm getting more confident with dpns, so it shouldn't be that hard.

Thanks for the color advice, too. I never got that down. sweatdrop

Eyecords are easy. (Well, for me at least).
You just use two double pointed needles. Knit a row. Slide it to the other end of the needle, bring the yarn from the other side and knit another row. You should have a strap like thing around the back from where you brought the yarn around. If you make them with enough stitches then you can like put them around stuff (like headbands, like I suggested for the band part of the headphones).
And if you want to make them with the headphones inside, then you can make a hole in the middle of the black circle and pull the headphone through. I just thought of that this morning after my cat jumped on me at 5:30 in the morning...<.<
Yeah...hope that helped a little.  

[Sly Grin]

MicroMiniMuffins

Eyecords are easy. (Well, for me at least).
You just use two double pointed needles. Knit a row. Slide it to the other end of the needle, bring the yarn from the other side and knit another row. You should have a strap like thing around the back from where you brought the yarn around. If you make them with enough stitches then you can like put them around stuff (like headbands, like I suggested for the band part of the headphones).
And if you want to make them with the headphones inside, then you can make a hole in the middle of the black circle and pull the headphone through. I just thought of that this morning after my cat jumped on me at 5:30 in the morning...<.<
Yeah...hope that helped a little.

Alright, your explanation helped a lot; It'll probably be easier to do once I have my dpns with me. sweatdrop
Thanks a lot! biggrin