Let’s get technical. I don’t want to re-invent the wheel; there is lots of help already out there. I want to pull it together so that you can find the best help through one page. Of course I’ll add in my two cents’ worth, though.
But where to start? One of the first techniques I found baffling was M1, or “make one.” This simple little pattern instruction hides a plethora of solutions. I hope this “menu” helps you find the best version for you & your current project.
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I’ve been wrestling with writing a post about a knitting technique. It’s turned into two posts because the whole process made me climb straight on my knitterly soapbox. As far as I’m concerned, there isn’t a “right” or a “wrong” way to do things in knitting.
You know the usual culprits – making cables, casting on, binding off, holding the yarn, knitting straight or circular. These are the things experienced knitters debate endlessly about the “right” or “best” way to do something. So, what are my general guidelines for tackling these troublemakers (the methods and the knitters)? Continue reading
Wish you could finish projects faster? Stash getting out of control? Solve your problems with the Instant Cowl.
Highly versatile, the Instant Cowl can be made in any weight of yarn you like – from summer cotton to winter wool. Wear it draped singly, or doubled up around your neck to keep chills at bay.
Suitable for any ability, knitters from beginners to advanced will enjoy making this pattern. Although this is a technically a knitting pattern, you will find that it is easily adapted for crochet. In fact, I’m so sure that you could make one in a day that I’m offering the chance to win prizes!
I know a cowl mystery knit-along is rare. This is rarer; it has no casting on and no binding off.
It’s made in rows but ends up all in one piece. There’s no knitting in the round, no sewing, no grafting, no provisional cast-on, no picking up stitches. Promise.
You can make it to your custom size without having to make a tension square. No kidding.
No purling, no knitting. Oh, wait, just joking about that last bit. There is knitting – it’s in garter stitch – with funky stripes and some easy intermediate increasing and decreasing required. It’s an intriguing construction; a real mystery.
I love vintage knitting needles, particularly American aluminium needles in sweet-shop shades. I’ve never been particularly drawn to other knitting paraphenalia – until a recent visit to Ida’s House at Unravel, that is. I fell in love with a Viyella “Needle Gauge and Knitting Recorder”. I promised this tiny treasure a blog post all to itself.
Viyella gauges are unique and hard to find. I didn’t know this when I saw it; I knew the name Viyella as part of our textile heritage and I just thought this was a beautiful thing. I picked it up. Your hand just closes automatically around its round body. It has a lovely, solid weight to it, a lovely feel. But it is useful too.
I liked the skein. I loved the wound ball. I adored the little stocking stitch swatch where the yarn came to life. Both sides looked amazing, but how to show it all off?
Semi-solid and variegated yarns are a challenge because they can make stitch patterns vanish. After more swatching the Fyberspates Vivacious 4ply, twisted stitches became my solution. They just popped off the purl background because of the yarn’s beautiful stitch definition. Textures had reappeared, but now what was I going to do with that fact?
I happened to mention my thoughts to a lovely and equally knit-obsessed friend. She grabbed Maria Erlbacher’s “Twisted Stitch Knitting” book down from her shelf and insisted I took it home. It was late. I was tired. I said yes without barely opening the book: it was about knitting. I was bound to like it.
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24hrs later I think I’m still reeling from the visual assault that was Unravel yesterday. Don’t get me wrong; it was fabulous. I just still can’t quite process it all. Here are my highlights.
