Category Archives: Inspiration

Aloft Pairings

Aloft, our beloved Kid Mohair and Silk yarn, creates a beautiful, sheer fabric when knit solo, but Aloft is also known for playing well with others! Pairing up Aloft with another denser yarn creates an opaque fabric with a Mohair halo and the strength of silk. It looks so good with so many other yarns, that it can be challenging to choose one, so we’ve put together six swatches with Aloft and other styles of yarn to show just how versatile it can be! Don’t recognize all of the colors? New shades of Aloft are coming on March 27th, 2024!

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Artful graphic illustraion of a person knitting a scarf
Our 2024 Craft Goals

Happy New Year! We’re busy planning our crafts for 2024 and have some ambitious goals! Many of us are aspiring to get our number of WIPs under control, but there are also plans for developing new skills and trying new things. I once again resolve to finish some of the sweaters I have on the needles, and also my first crochet sweater that I started in December, and to start new projects with yarn I ALREADY HAVE, and ...

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Options Needle Binders Explained

What’s the best way to store interchangeable needles along with all your knitting notions? Our Options Needle Binders are our favorite way to stay organized! Each binder comes with the following insert pages, with additional pages available individually. Here’s what each page is used for. Interchangeable Needle Tip Page This double-sided insert holds two complete sets of Knit Picks Options Interchangeable needles in the standard sizes. The needle slots are sized to correspond with the US 4-11 sized tips, much like the vinyl package they come in. We think they’re ...

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Knitting & Reading at the Same Time

Summer is the best time of year for reading, but that doesn’t mean you need to put your knitting aside! We asked two Knit Picks team members who love to knit and read at the same time to share how they manage both and to share their best tips. Reading and knitting at the same time might sound a little unusual, but once you find your favorite method to keep your text visible and the right project to knit without looking at too much, it’s easier than you might imagine!

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An Ice Fire KAL Update

We’re grooving along on our Ice Fire Wrap KAL projects! The KAL is coming on an end on July 31st, and some of the team have their eyes on the finish line, some are already finished, and a few decided to put their projects into hibernation. Jen has a long ways to go one her Ice Fire Wrap, but she’s determined to have it finished by the end of the KAL. She’s using Chroma Worsted for her main color and Swish Worsted as the solid contrast.

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What We’re Getting at the Summer Yarn Sale

The Summer Yarn Sale is in full swing, and even we can’t resists picking up yarn at a great price! Here’s what some of our team members are adding to their stashes. I am stocking up on Summer Yarn Sale deals for my holiday gifting. I grabbed some Dishie Twist Kenai and Conch to make some dish towels. I always make new hats for my nephews too so I grabbed Estuary Heather in Swish Bulky and Lake Front in Chroma Twist Bulky. I have a few baby blankets in my queue too, so I stocked up on all of the colors of Brava Speckle, you can’t beat that price!  — Hillary

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What Does Positive Ease Look Like?

Ease is the difference between the wearer’s measurement and the garment’s measurement, but knowing that doesn’t always help when it comes to choosing a size to knit if you struggle with visualizing that difference! There are three types of ease you’ll hear discussed with regard to knitting patterns, and they’re all based on a simple math equation: garment’s chest circumference – wearer’s chest circumference = ease. Negative ease is created when the garment is smaller than the person wearing it, which makes a tight fit thanks to knitting’s natural stretch. Zero ease is created when the garment and wearer have the same chest ...

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We’re donating to Outside In!

We’re delighted to share our latest pattern collection Coloring Outside the Lines, with 5 rainbow-striped patterns, and for this collection, we’re doing something new that’s very close to our hearts. For every eBook purchase for the first two years, we’re donating 50% of the sale to Outside In, a nonprofit providing healthcare and social services, including LGBTQIA+ services, for unhoused youth in Portland, Oregon.  “Since 1968, Outside In has transformed thousands of lives by helping to break the cycles of chronic homelessness, poverty, and poor health. Our health clinic and young adult ...

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Episode 358 – Back from Winter Break with New Patterns

Our Winter Break started earlier than we planned, but we’re back in the recording studio with the latest episode of the Knit Picks Podcast! Our hosts Stacey and Lee talk about their personal knitting projects they worked on over the break as well as all of the gorgeous pattern collections that came out since our last episode.  Plus, Stacey and Lee talk about the new Upcycle we brought in for the Big Sale, Fall 2022 Felici, and new yarn colors. Then we give some hints on what’s coming in 2023! 00:03 Welcome to the Knit Picks Podcast 00:25 November’s Big Sale started our Winter Break earlier than planned, but we’re back! 02:47 Lee and Stacey have been knitting up a storm and discuss their recent ...

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Best Free Knit Patterns

Our best free knitting patterns are a nice mix of socks, sweaters, hats, cowls, and blankets, and there are toys and more accessories too! These free patterns feature brioche, texture, lace, and cables and include beginner-friendly patterns as well as more challenging handknits. We regularly release new free knitting patterns, so the most popular free pattern on Knit Picks is constantly changing. Strata Cowl by Megan Gonzalez, knit in Swish DKHistory can be traced through layer upon layer of geological strata, and these layered stripes of sedimentary rock ...

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