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by Kelley on April 30, 2012
The very first photo in Knitting With the Color Guys takes me back to when I was learning to spin and knit. In the late 1980s, Glorious Knitting revolutionized the way knitters approached design and color. In the new photo, Kaffe has a project in progress draped over his knees with a basket on the floor overflowing with a variety of yarns. It makes me smile! |
Category Archives: Fun
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by Knit Picks Staff on April 27, 2012
Why, three bags full in fact! Actually, I have so much more than that! But I did get those at the Columbia Gorge Fiber Festival last weekend! I can't really pass up a deal like that - it's scraps and seconds, but $6 for 8 oz of fiber is just too good. Unfortunately I must come across deals like that too often, because I have so, so, so much spinning fiber that I'm quickly running out of places to put it. So, obviously knitting is not my only pastime. Spinning is certainly one of them, and although I wouldn't consider myself to be a great spinner, I love the process of watching a big ball of fluff turn into something wonderful and useable. |
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by Knit Picks Staff on April 20, 2012
Sleeves... check. Body.... check. Front to shoulders... check. Back? working on it! (Sorry about the grey-on-grey - I didn't pick the color of the blocking board, unfortunately!) All I have left to knit on hubby's sweater is the upper back! I'm already about two inches into it. But, because of the sheer beastly size of this sweater, progress has been slowed. It's just so hard to carry the darn thing around at this point that I've actually been working on a couple of other, smaller projects as well. |
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by Jenny K on April 17, 2012
At the beginning of the new year, instead of setting resolutions for myself that I knew would be lost after a month or two - I instead tried to come up with a list of crafting goals for myself in 2012. And wouldn't you know it, I have been slowly been tackling new projects and checking off my goals! One of the things I knew I really wanted to try this year was spinning. And aside from the fact that you get to make your own yarn, I just loved the zen-like calm that spinners have about them as they sit at their spinning wheel. Combined with the fact that I had a wealth of information all around me since so many others here at the KP office know how to spin, I finally faced with the fact that it might be time to learn. I had a good chunk of Wool of the Andes Roving in Tidepool Heather that I started on with a drop spindle, and that is where my spinning adventure started! L: Full Circle Roving, R: Full Circle and Wool of the Andes Roving |
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by Jenny K on April 10, 2012
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! |
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by Knit Picks Podcast on March 15, 2012
With spring just around the corner, there are lots of new yarns popping up here at Knit Picks! First, Alison chats with Jenny about all of the fun that was had while developing the fifteen new colors of Chroma Fingering and Chroma Worsted. Hear all about the colors that almost didn’t make the cut, how they were saved and which shades are quickly becoming staff favorites. Next up on the list of new yarns is Aloft! Jenny and Stacey chat about why they just can’t make up their minds and choose a favorite of Aloft’s five new colors, in addition to giving tips and tricks to working with Aloft and of course, there is also plently of pattern inspiration for this lovely yarn. Finally, Alison introduces Hannah, our catalog designer for Knit Picks! In addition to dreaming up fun cover shoots and making the catalog beautiful, Hannah also gets to ... |
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by Knit Picks Podcast on February 22, 2012
Love the look of lace but intimidated by the techniques? Let Kelley guide you through the process of knitting lace as she goes over the quirks of lace knitting, in addition to tips and tricks for successful lace projects. Next, Kelley chats about one of her favorite things to do while knitting or spinning – listening to audiobooks! Kelley gives an overview of audible (an audiobook service) as well as several reviews of recently completed audiobooks she has enjoyed listening to while crafting. Finally, Kelley catches you up with projects that are on (and ones that have recently come off) the needles. In keeping with the topic of lace knitting, Kelley talks about her Elizabeth Zimmerman Anniversary Pi Shawl that was recently completed. Kelley also chats about all of the lace projects she was dreaming of while blocking her newly finished Pi Shawl, as well as a few socks that are still in progress. And for even more ... |
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by Jenny K on February 22, 2012
This week's technique of the week is all about silk hankies! Also known as mawata, each silk hankie is made of silk from cocoons that are stretched and dried over a square loom that can then be pulled apart, drafted and worked into yarn. Best part of all is that you don't need any special tools and you don't even need to know how to spin in order to enjoy these lovely silk hankies. Simply peel off a light-as-air layer of silk and slowly pull it apart by beginning in the center, and you'll be ready to knit or crochet with it. These stunning Silk Hankies from Hanks in the Hood are available in so many beautiful colors, choosing your favorite just might be the hardest part! Another advantage for those unfamiliar to spinning techniques is that silk has very long fibers, which makes it easy to draft without accidentally pulling it completely apart. Although the process of turning your silk hankies into yarn is rather simple, it can be a bit intimidating at first and feel somewhat like you are venturing into unknown waters. And if you are anything like me, a little visual reference can go a long way when I am learning new techniques. Which is why we put together a video tutorial all about how to work with silk hankies. You'll learn all about seperating and drafting each layer by layer, how to start working with your drafted fiber, along with other tips and trick for working with these beauties! |
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by Knit Picks Staff on February 20, 2012
Begins with a single slip knot! The yarn for hubby's sweater is here! I think he was even more excited than I was when I first opened the box on our couch. He grabbed it and took a deep whif of its woolly goodness. I've trained him well! Now for the fun part - designing the sweater! |
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by Jenny K on February 20, 2012
As we talked about in the last color theory blog post, inspiration for color is all around us. In addition to seeing amazing combinations of colors in nature, we can even look back through works of art to find patterns of color combinations that have stayed true for hundreds of years. Continuing along with our theme of warming up the winter blues, we will take a closer look at different shade of blue along with colors that are often paired with blues – including paintings from centuries ago to present day fashion. When I think of exceptionally lovely uses of the color blue, I can’t help but think of the 17th century Dutch painter, Johannes Vermeer. Known best for his domestic scenes of middle class life, Vermeer was also particularly fond of bright, vibrant shades of blues which were often paired with bold colors such as yellows, oranges, and reds. |
