The Knit Picks Staff Knitting Blog

by Knit Picks on December 28, 2023

Our Independent Designer Partnership (IDP) program started in 2009 as a way to introduce our customers to independently produced patterns as well as to give independent designers a way to reach new audiences through our website, and we can not understate how great the knitting patterns that were added through the IDP program were this year! From viral colorwork socks inspired by a beloved computer game to approachable, textured fingerless mitts, our most popular IDP patterns from this year span across all skill levels and styles!

Stardew Valley Bundle by Kim Ramirez

Knit all 4 Stardew Valley seasons: Spring (The Valley Comes Alive), Summer (The …

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Tags: Best Of

Best New Knitting Tools

by Knit Picks on December 27, 2023

Having the best tools helps to make for the best knitting experience, and this year we worked to expand our selection of storage, knitting needles, and more! Whether it’s creating the perfect bag for colorwork, expanding our square needle selection, adding new limited edition sets with matching clutches, or perfecting stainless steel knitting needles, we’re always adding new options to make knitting even more fun.

Foursquare Sunstruck Options IC Needle Set

Sunstruck is one of our most popular styles of laminated birch needles, thanks to its light wood stain making it easy to clearly see stitches, and we made …

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Tags: Best Of

Best New Pattern Collections

by Knit Picks on December 26, 2023

This year’s most popular knitting pattern collections were full of bright pops of color and a mix of modern and nature-inspired details. Colorful knits were the unifying factor, with a bit of everything for every color-lover, including socks, lace, and cables. Each collection includes a mixture of skill levels from a variety of designers, with challenging projects to engage your brain as well as sweet and simple knits for relaxation.

Lounge Act: Knits For Kicking Back

Feel laid back and fancy-free in loose, light garments for spring. Lounge Act: Knits for Kicking Back includes five garment patterns with lacy …

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Tags: Best Of

Our Axiom Sweaters

by Andi Satterlund on December 15, 2023

Our Axiom KAL has come to its end! Almost everyone in the office completed their sweater, and each one is unique. Everyone modified the wonderful Axiom Sweater pattern by Claire Slade to suite their personal knitting preferences and wardrobes. Each sweater highlights the versatility of the pattern in creative hands.

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Tags: KAL

Episode 375: A Gift-knitting Roundtable

by Knit Picks Podcast on December 6, 2023

‘Tis the season to knit gifts! Lee and Stacey were joined by our coworkers Jen, Regan, and Alena to discuss gift knitting in a roundtable moderated by Andi. The group discusses their go-to gifts to knit, their best and worst gifts, and more! They provide tons of inspiration for last minute gifts in addition to discussing more elaborate projects.

Vertical background image of podcast recording studio with two chairs, copy space

Plus, Lee and Stacey discuss their current WIPs and future plans for what they’ll knit during the podcast’s holiday break that’s starting now. We’ll be back mid-January with new episodes!

Mentioned in this Episode

Shine yarn

Andean Treasure yarn

Lee’s Andean Treasure cardigan project (Ravelry link)

Swish Pops yarn

Lee’s …

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Free Downloadable December 2023 Calendar

by Regan N on December 1, 2023

Happy December! To celebrate, we have your free monthly calendar wallpapers. Enjoy these December 2023 wallpaper images (free download for you!) — featuring a variety of green yarns with Woodland Tweed Bunchberry Heather, City Tweed DK Toad and Grove, Wool of the Andes Superwash Bulky Bamboo Heather and Aurora Heather, Hawthorne Cattail Kettle, High Desert Worsted Ponderosa, Wonderfluff Mountain Fern Heather, Provincial Tweed Salsa Verde, and Capra DK Forage and Lost Lake Heather.

How to get the Wallpaper:

To get the free downloadable calendar background of your choice (smart phones, tablets, or desktop computers), simply click on the image of your choice to go to the full-size photo. For desktop, right click the image and “Save As”; for smart phones and tablets, tap and hold to “Save Image”.

If you try to save the calendar without opening the full image you will get a WebP file. Please be sure to click on the …

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Tags: Calendar backgrounds, Wallpaper downloads

How to Seam a Sweater

by Andi Satterlund on November 29, 2023

Assembling a seamed sweater is an important step that often is not given much detail in patterns. There are many different seam types to choose from that will get the job done, but they all have their own strengths and drawbacks, and some only work on certain edges. When it comes to seaming vertical-to-vertical, horizontal-to-horizontal, and vertical-to-horizontal edges, we’ve got two favorite seaming stitches that can be used separately or together to finish a sweater: mattress stitch and fake grafting! We chose these two seaming stitches because they’re strong but have some stretch, and they create neat, discreet seams.

Vertical-to-Vertical Edges

3 Comments

Tags: KAL

Episode 374: Get to know designer Yu Ra Kim!

by Knit Picks Podcast on November 22, 2023

In this episode, Lee and Stacey are joined by designer Yu Ra Kim, also known as Knitboop, to discuss her work, including her recent pattern in our collection Déjà Yarn: Single Color Stashbusters. They also chat about her patterns in previous collections, like the Trellis Tee, and her next upcoming design. The conversation then turns to Yu Ra’s online project that consumes much of what could be her knitting time: Craftivity Club. Craftivity Club will be an online community for multicrafters–including knitters and more–that’s being built with accessibility and inclusivity in mind.

Plus, Lee and Stacey share a what they’ve been working on, and Andi joins in to chat with Stacey about the Axiom KAL.

Mentioned in This Episode

Hawthorne DK yarn

Stripes …

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Our Axiom KAL Progress

by Andi Satterlund on November 15, 2023

We’ve got exactly one month left of the Axiom Sweater KAL! Progress varies widely at the Knit Picks office, with some knitters done and some knitters a bit behind, but every sweater is a looking great!

Alena was the first to finish, and her sweater looks beautiful! Her only modification was to knit the sweater seamlessly.

Carlene’s sleeves weren’t here to photograph, but she finished them as well, …

3 Comments

Tags: KAL

Episode 373: The Big Sale with Alexis

by Knit Picks Podcast on November 8, 2023

Our biggest sale of the year is here! To kick things off, Alexis, the Knit Picks Brand Director, joins Lee and Stacey to talk about the history of The Big Sale, daily deals, and shopping tips. We regularly have new yarns come out at the same time of the sale, and Alexis shares some of the development stories behind them, including our new self-striping sock yarn, Felicini.

Plus, Lee and Stacey chat about their personal projects, and Andi joins in to discuss the Axiom KAL. Andi also reveals that she has new patterns …

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