Gift Knitting
Holiday knitting. Love it or hate it?
Every year I think I’m going to start my holiday knitting in July. Ha ha ha ha! Pfffff. Never happens.
Right now there are only a few more Saturdays until Christmas.
I haven’t started. Can you tell by the look on my face?
Have you started?
Yarn
Ever knit something only to discover that the balls or skeins of yarn you bought are different shades? It was all labeled the same color, but something went wrong. It’s extremely frustrating whether you are knitting a sweater or a shawl that requires 2 or more skeins of yarn and then you see. An unintended change of color in your knitting that looks terrible. Well, you’re going to love this tip on how to avoid and deal with the dreaded yarn shade issue.
Read more “How to Buy Yarns and Get the Same Color”
Knitting Inspiration
The Ocean Home Shawl is worked from the top down beginning with a garter tab cast-on. The instructions for this cast-on result in a shawl with a nice straight edge that’s a breeze to block without the dreaded garter hump!
The top portion is worked in easy going garter stitch that resembles a rocky texture. Rows of “bubbles” are made with simple yarn overs and decreases. The craggy surface combined with the bubbles creates a pleasing texture as well as a rhythmic and calming experience.
Read more “A Lacy Ocean Themed Shawl”
Knitting Inspiration
We used to go to the beach almost every summer. The entire family. Grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, everyone went. A big caravan of us piled into as few cars as possible. Because the ocean was so far away (2 hours), we always left by dawn to spend the whole day there.
Early morning fog would just begin to burn off and the only sounds were the waves and sea birds talking to me. Standing there before the intense crashing waves was invigorating, yet calming. Eyes closed, I’d feel the sparkly sea spray and salty air settling on my skin. Deep breath. And another. Ah, I I’m home. Being on the beach was magical and it felt good.
Read more “Ocean Home Shawl”
Designer Life
Don’t Hate me but . . .
So many folks out there are telling others that knitting relieves stress and anxiety. It keeps you sane and can heal you. A good friend of mine found salvation in knitting during her close relative’s cancer diagnosis and harsh treatments. When I told her I needed chemo she immediately knit 10 hats in every color for me. Knitting is her safe place for healing. She’s amazing. Knitting can have an almost magical effect on some knitters, but not me.
Read more “Stress Relief Without Knitting”
Designer Life
Your favorite knitwear designer is looking for test knitters. Cool. But what the heck is a test knitter? Last time I told you about tech editors who are paid to check knitting patterns for all kinds of errors, but some issues can only be found by knitting the pattern. That’s what we (designers) need test knitters to do.
Read more “Test Knitters”
Knitting Tips & Tricks
If you are new to a technique like brioche, you really should consider starting out simple. Look for a pattern that makes it easier learn. If jumping into the deep end is your preference, go for it. That’s okay. My first time with knitting brioche I jumped in over my head and it sucked. If you’ve tried brioche before and gave up or are new to it, here are 5 tips on what to look for in a pattern that will make learning so much easier.
Read more “5 TIPS TO PICKING YOUR 1ST BRIOCHE PATTERN”
Designer Life
Ever notice this on pattern page “this pattern was tech edited and test knit.” Have you ever wondered what that was all about? Should you care? In Part I we’ll talk about tech editors; and Part II is about test knitting and what this can mean for knitters looking for a great pattern.
Read more “What’s a Tech Editor”
Knitting Tips & Tricks
I was talking with someone recently about their knitting. She was trying to figure out why her sweater was not turning out to size. We talked about gauge and the many gauge related tips and tricks. One of the most basic things you can do is to swatch and measure that swatch. But you’ve got to use the right ruler for the job. I knit for 10 years before I found out that I was not measuring my swatch or knitting correctly and that it affected my gauge.
Read more “Does It Measure Up”
Knitting Tips & Tricks
Last time we talked about using your pre-blocked gauge to keep your knitting on track. If you missed that article you can find it here.
We tend to encounter this when knitting cuff down socks, sleeve cuffs, or the bottom of a sweater when working bottom up, and when binding off. The edges tend to be too tight. This one is easy to solve and the way I learned to do it won’t require anything but your project needles. Since long tail cast on is my go to all purpose method, these tips relate to that technique.
Read more “Gauge: Cast On & Bind Off”