Ask QueerJoe Anything
Do you have a question about knitting or crochet or spinning?
Do you need LGBTQ information?
Need information about QueerJoe himself?
You can ask QueerJoe anything here. Leave a comment with your question or request and I’ll reply in comments.
If you’d like to ask confidentially/anonymously, use the Contact QueerJoe page and I’ll post a comment here with your question and my answer.
The inaugural question comes from the person whose idea it was to create this page.
“My wife has this beautiful sweater her brother made her but lately one of the buttons keeps unbuttoning because the button hole has gotten a bit stretched. What would be the best way to fix the situation?”
My first suggestion would be to have her shitty-knitter brother fix the mess he made.
But if you’d like to fix it yourself, it’s pretty simple with sewing thread and needle.
Using a thread that’s close enough in color, anchor the thread into the sweater fabric near the buttonhole and whip stitch the end of the buttonhole closed. Here’s a pictorial to help walk you through it:
https://queerjoe.com/stretched-buttonhole-fix/
How did you end up with such a great sister?
As my two sisters (who are both quite amazing) will tell you, they get it from our mom.
I’m a 48 gay man, living in Saratoga Springs, NY. I have always enjoyed making things by hand and I’m thinking about giving knitting a try. Where do you suggest I start? Is there a “beginners kit” you can suggest or a list of tools, materials and a pattern to get started with?
It may be a long winter due to COVID, so I’m thinking it will be a good time to start this hobby.
You have loads of good options in your area…so it’s easy to answer this one!
First of all, a beginner’s kit. Back in 2013, I posted a blog entry about what should be in a beginner’s knitter kit: https://queerjoe.com/2013/02/26/knit-kit-for-knewbie-knitter/
But first, decide on what type of person you are. Do you jump into something and then quickly lose interest? Or do you make up your mind and pursue a new hobby for the long-haul?
If you’re the first type, start out with something inexpensive and disposable: https://amzn.to/36gpAco (paid advertising link)
If you’re the second type, I would pick a project you like and purchase decent materials to make it.
Find a pattern on Ravelry (https://www.ravelry.com/patterns) that you like. Order the yarn it calls for and decent “circular cabled needles” in the size the pattern calls for – I prefer Addi Turbos (https://amzn.to/3pbuiAy).
If you prefer to learn on your own, there are a TON of YouTube tutorials on how to cast-on. How to knit, purl, bind-off, etc. Facebook has a bunch of great forums…Guys Who Knit is one of my faves.
Hopefully, you’ll consider attending the May, Men’s Spring Knitting Retreat near Troy, NY at Easton Mountain. It’s a fantastic community of guys with a passion for all-things-yarn. (https://mensknittingretreat.com/)
There is also a daily Zoom meet-up of guys who play with yarn (12:30 PM to 3:30 PM Eastern U.S. time) – https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82922746698?pwd=SDduOFIyRzh1YU9HeGt1dSt3d1RnUT09
I’m sure you’re overwhelmed, so I’ll stop. But feel free to ask any additional questions if I didn’t answer something you need to know.
Hi Joe! Less of a question, more of a statement. Your blog has been a LIFESAVER when it comes to weird questions I have whether it be about tackling a new project or attempting a new stitch. Thanks so much for this treasure trove of info! As a gay man during this pandemic, knitting has become a safe haven for me to unwind. Cheers! Xx