Monthly Archives: August 2012

Back to school, and back to fall knitting!

Well, as if the shortening days weren’t enough to tell us that summer
is nearing its end, school is beginning again! Before you know it,
there will be a chill in the morning air. Better get started on your
super warm fall accessories now!

If you really want to chase the chill away, why not try the Burdock Hat and Scarf kit?

This is a super-soft, machine washable, totally reversible set. The
pattern is inspired by the Burdock plant, a Scandinavian thistle, and
Fana stripes.

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Podcast Episode 195: Technology and Apps for Knitting Organization

Always on the lookout for new and interesting ways to use technology to organize her fiber life, Kelley shares her enthusiasm for a handful of knitting apps! Kelley reviews three apps for android users that help you stay on track throughout your knitting project and keep you connected to your Ravelry account – no matter where you might find yourself knitting! Kelley first reviews Ravulous, a handy app that links to your Ravelry account so you can manage your stash, search through patterns, and update your projects. Next, Kelley talks about the Ravelry Photo Uploader app that lets you snap a photo of your WIP and upload it to your Ravelry project page directly from your phone! That way you can be sure to keep your projects organized and up to date, no matter if you are at your local knit night or on the road. Both of the Ravelry …

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Get Acquainted With Alpaca

Alpacas are known for their cuteness, but they do have a few other tricks up their woolly sleeves! Hailing from South America, Alpacas belong to the camelid family (which also includes camels and llamas) and are known for its fleece that spins into luxurious yarns. In centuries past, the Alpaca was an incredibly valuable animal, even more so than precious gems – although if you ask a knitter or crocheter today, they still might be inclined to agree with that sentiment.

So in honor of Reverie, our newest Alpaca blend yarn, let’s explore the properties of Alpaca and just what exactly makes it so wonderful for us fiber fanatics!

Our newest addition, Reverie!

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Wedding Gifts

These are the big secret I’ve been keeping the last couple of months. Bob’s youngest son, Jon, married Mara on August 18th in Stowe, Vermont. They will be living in Connecticut and have a particular affinity for owls. When I think of Vermont, Connecticut or the rest of the northeast, I think of cold winters and simple living. A perfect lifestyle for hot water bottles! When I found the Hoot Water Bottle Cozy pattern by Robyn Wade, it seemed like fate! I used Wool of the Andes Tweed in Marine and North Pole. I used little bits of Palette for the owl outlines and the branches. Notice how I have the owls’ eyes open for the night (Marine) and closed for the day (North Pole).

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The first hints of fall

Even though it’s still August, the first whispers of fall are in the
air. It was downright chilly this morning, and the sun isn’t really much
help when I get up for work. Colder weather is on its way – perfect
time to start planning your fall knitting projects!

Just right for fall is the new Viticetum Coat.
This duster-length coat has a pattern of swirling vines over a shifting
background. In fact, just as an Arboretum is a collection of trees, a
Viticetum is a collection of vines – just what you’ll find in this coat!

Smaller vine patterns appear in the edgings, and the coat is finished with elegant clasps.

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Henry’s Rabbit

I discovered a stray ball of Brava Sport under my desk (oh, fancy that!) in Camel Heather just about the same time that I stumbled upon the Henry’s Rabbit
pattern on Ravelry. Well, I just couldn’t say no to that delightful
combination and in a thrice I had a plump little football-shaped body
ready for some ears, eyes, nose and arms!

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The Provisional Cast On

The provisional cast on is a technique where a piece of scrap or waste yarn is used to create a cast on that can be easily undone later on to expose live stitches. These stitches are then picked up and allow you to seamlessly knit in the opposite direction. It also allows you to easily graft the new live stitches onto another knitted piece. And I have to admit that for the longest time, the provisional cast on was the most elusive cast on method to me. No matter how many times I practiced this only to rip it out and try again, I never quite got mine to work quite right. Instead of easily pulling back my waste yarn to neatly unzip my stitches from the cast on, my attempts always ended up taking quite a bit of time as I calmly tried to sort through the mess I made of my stitches.

Yet no matter how hard I tried, the universe was dead set on keeping this technique in my knitting. Project after project, the provisional cast on kept showing up in patterns I was working on. I loved what this temporary cast on allowed me to do; I just didn’t love the process so much.

So in my quest to find a provisional cast on that even I could master, I turned to Kerin. Of course she had just the thing I was looking for, so we put together a video tutorial to help you master the crocheted provisional cast on as well! In addition to your yarn and needles, you’ll just need a piece of waste yarn and a crochet hook to get started.

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Exclusive Collections – Twentieth Century Graphic

Ann Weaver has long been a favorite at Knit Picks – from her Knitty work to her Weaverknits designs and her IDP patterns. In recent years, she has published several eBooks and we’re so excited to release her newest collection – Twentieth Century Graphic!

This collection features 6 striking designs influenced by modern art and architecture.

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