Follow along and discover your next inspiration as we cast on for projects we love, explore new techniques, and dish about the latest and greatest from Knit Picks.
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As you can tell from my last few blog posts, I’ve caught the crochet bug. I haven’t yet attempted a crochet sweater but I’ve been sorely tempted by a new book – Custom Crochet Sweaters by Dora Ohrenstein
The idea is simple: take an old pin and cover it with a little round
swatch. You can duplicate stitch desgins on them or needle felt a design
with roving like I did today.
You know how much I love lace shawls. But, I also appreciate simple, wear anywhere shawls.
My favorite style is Faroese because it has relatively long “wings”. Women could cross the “wings” across their chests and tie the ends behind their backs. The shawl stayed in place while the women attended to their chores.
As the sugar high of chocolate, jelly beans, and Peeps finally wears off, you might find a box or two of leftover Easter egg dye lying around the kitchen. Instead of tossing them back in the cupboards, grab some of your favorite Bare yarns and start dyeing! You might be surprised to learn that a lot of unconventional dyes, like Easter egg dye and food coloring, are a wonderful way of dyeing protein based fibers like wool, alpaca and silk. In addition to being inexpensive, these are dyes you can easily find at your local grocery store. Another great thing about dyeing with Easter egg dye and food coloring is that these are nontoxic dyes, making them ideal for a fun afternoon crafting project with children. And if you are anything like me, you might already know that right after the holiday is the best time to stock up on Easter egg dye packages for year-round yarn dyeing fun!
Cats & Dogs Satchels, that is!
Knit in Wool of the Andes Sport,
this satchel is messenger-bag style and is big enough for a laptop,
schoolbooks, a knitting project, and of course a bag of treats for your
favorite furry friend. The body of the bag knits up quickly in
stockinette, and there are options to knit the strap and the inside
front pocket plain or in an adorable paw-print pattern.
But the real draw of this bag is the tesselated pattern of adorable Westie dogs and lounging black kitties!
Read more »Have you tried our Full Circle yarn yet? Well, the right now would be the best time to try it out!
For the month of April, we wanted to do something special for Earth Day and for our customers. All three lines of Full Circle (worsted, bulky and the roving) are 10% off for you, with an additional 10% of the proceeds going to The Arbor Day Foundation!
Read more »Does it seem like you never have enough reference books? It feels like that for me! My personal library is fully stocked but I am always looking for more – every book gives a slightly different look at different techniques. Also, books with stitch libraries are a must-have to spur on the imagination! I’m excited to show you several of my favorite new reference books that will be perfect for your library!
The Knitting Encyclopedia by Claire Montgomerie
Breeze through previously difficult techniques with step-by-step instructions, full-color photos and helpful diagrams. Then use the new skills you’ve learned with the simple, intermediate, and advanced projects provided in the book. The projects range from hats and scarves to a Fair Isle sweater or coat. I love the large, easy to read images in the techniques sections.
Read more »This week we bring you an extra special, bonus mini-episode of the Knit Picks Podcast (and make sure to keep checking the KP blog for more bonus interviews in the future)! Alison catches up with designer Joan of Dark (aka Toni Carr), author of the new book Knits for Nerds! Hear all about the process and inspiration behind this collection of knitting patterns that your inner nerd will adore. Joan also reveals a few fun facts behind the book, Knits for Nerds, and shares details behind a few of her favorite designs.
You can find Joan of Dark’s website here:
Joan of Dark
And you can find the book, Knits for Nerds here:
Knits for Nerds
3 easy ways to listen…
It’s been another year and my sister is having another birthday. Every year I find myself plumbing the depths of my Ravelry queue,
pinterest boards and various craft stashes to come up with a gift that
she’ll both like and wear. When my sister was visiting over the holidays, she brought a bunch of
those giant, jersey fabric infinity scarves that seem to be popping up
in stores these days. They keep you warm like regular scarves without
the hassle of keeping track of all those ends. I decided to break out the 32 inch Kromski Harp Loom and weave my own version of her favorite scarf!
During the very first sock summit (which was almost three years ago, back in 2009!), I got overtaken by all of the fiber fumes and came home with a drop spindle. I hadn’t the faintest clue as to what I was going to do with said drop spindle, but I knew I needed one everytime I walked past someone drop spindling as they were standing around, waiting in line, or just hanging out. After I recovered from the fiber festivities, I tucked my drop spindle away in one of my craft containers.
Finally a year or so later, I dusted off my drop spindle after a visit to an alpaca farm where I couldn’t resist buying some fiber. From then on out, every few weeks I would break out my spindle to spin up a bit of fiber. It took a while to get the feel for drafting, but every time it got easier and more natural.
If you have ever been intrigued by making your own yarn or spinning with a drop spindle, we have an entire 6-part series video class to help you get started! Kelley’s Drop Spindling Class covers everything from terminology to drafting, finishing, and even plying your yarn. It really is so much fun and a great way to play with fiber!
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