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by Stacey on February 13, 2012
Wow - we had over 1500 entries! I hope you had fun picking your favorite blue yarn and the ideas you listed were great! I just added a bunch of patterns to my queue from them. We can only have one winner though. So congratulations to Jackie! This was her comment: Shadow lace in Opal Heather is beautiful! It’s evocative of a painting by Monet… <3 It would make an amazing Featherweight cardigan =) I love blue and gray together and you get an added bonus with all the subtle hues of rose and lemon too. I quite agree - I love Opal Heather! |
Category Archives: Inspiration
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by Knit Picks Staff on February 10, 2012
It's no secret that I have a ridiculous stash. I've been fighting the dreaded SABLE (Stash Accumulation Beyond Life Expectancy) for some time now, and the only weapon I have is youth! But, barring medical advances that would have me able to knit productively till about 120 years old, I need to do something about my stash. What really spurred me on was the stash swap party we had last week. I had to go through my stash and get rid of stuff, and I was also determined to bring home less than I brought. But, I have to say that dumping out a comforter-bags' worth of stash all over my dining table was a bit of an eye-opener! |
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by Knit Picks Staff on February 3, 2012
So, thanks to all your suggestions, I was able to narrow down the potential colors for my Hubby's new sweater, and he chose... Down Heather! It was between that and Flagstone Heather for him, but since the last sweater I knit for him was roughly that same shade of grey, we went for something lighter. That's good for me, too, since I'll be able to see the cables well! He generally wears pretty dark colors, so it'll be nice to see him in something light for a change. I swatched, calculated, and drew up a basic plan for the sweater based on the fishy one I knit for him. I've got the yarn ordered - 24 skeins! - and it should be here in a week or so. This weekend I'm hoping to get some time to sketch out some cable patterns so I can jump right in as soon as it arrives... |
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by Alison on February 2, 2012
With Valentine’s Day just around the corner, the Knit Picks team felt that it was a good time to spread the love. For the month of February, we are offering a special promotion where you can get express 2-day Fed Ex shipping to addresses in the contiguous US for a flat rate of just $10! If you weren’t keeping track, that is at least a $7 savings from our normal expedited rates. Whether you are rushing to finish up that last-minute Valentine’s Day project or you’re just itching to get started on a new project, we are pleased to have the opportunity to offer you this special rate. As with all shipping offers, some restrictions apply. To get more details on this promotion, please click here. |
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by Kelley on January 26, 2012
The little girls' scarves are finished! I'm quite pleased with them - I like the length of both. I used Jared Flood's Noro Striped Scarf pattern both the short way and the lengthwise way. The yarns are Palette and Stroll Handpaint. The scarves worked out perfectly as projects over the holidays with so many visitors. Easy to knit so I could enjoy conversations and football games. |
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by Hannah on January 20, 2012
Back in August I bought a cross stitch cell phone case (you can purchase them at Connect Design). I stitched my first pattern using embroidery thread and was thrilled at how easy it was to work with. Fast forward a few months and it's time for a new design! This time I found myself reaching for a lace weight hank of Shadow Tonal in Springtime and it worked like a charm! |
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by Knit Picks Podcast on January 19, 2012
Kelley talks about one of her favorite things – sock knitting! Listen along as Kelley shares all of the reasons why socks make the perfect travel companion. Kelley also offers words of advice and encouragement for those new to sock knitting. Next, Kelley follows up her chat on socks with three wonderful book reviews – The Knitter’s Book of Socks by Clara Parkes, Sock Knitting Master Class by Ann Budd, and Socks a la Carte Colorwork by Jonelle Raffino and Katherine Cade. Finally, Kelley catches you up on how her works in progress are coming along. Books Reviewed: The Knitter’s Book of Socks by Clara ParkesSock Knitting Master Class by Ann BuddSocks a la Carte Colorwork by Jonelle Raffino & Katherine Cade 3 easy ways to listen… |
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by Knit Picks Staff on January 18, 2012
Wow, the response to the Viola Afghan was much bigger than I expected! Some of you have been asking about washable yarn substitutions for it, and I've been working on that for a few days to get the colors right. One benefit to our good ol' workhorse Wool of the Andes is that, since it's really a 'staple' yarn, we can have an enormous breadth of color. That makes it so versatile for designing - but not machine washable! Finding a suitable substitute for Viola has proved to be quite a challenge. The palette of Swish has waxed and waned to a balanced, tight family, and Brava is too new to have the expanded color range that it likely will see in the future. The best option came in the wide range of purples in Shine. So, along with washability, Viola has had a drastic hue shift in this version! Since the yardage on Shine is a little less than that of Wool of the Andes, you'll need a little more of each color, and each substituted color is used in place of the original in every instance. So, here is a Shine-y, purple Viola! |
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by Kelley on January 18, 2012
If you are familiar with Elizabeth Zimmermann (EZ), and you definitely should know about her, you know that besides being an absolute genius knitter, she was a talented story teller. |
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by Jenny K on January 18, 2012
Anytime you are involved in a creative or visual craft, having a good understanding of color relationships is a foundation that you will appreciate over and over again. Color is all around us. It has the ability to affect our mood, it can make us feel energized, it can make us sleepy, it can make us hungry, and yes, it can even effect our knitting and crocheting. The study of color is complex and can sometimes feel overwhelming, but getting comfortable with the basics will empower you to create stunning sweaters, hats, mittens, and so much more. As we embark on another year filled with fiber fun, we will be crafting through the seasons! During the next few months of cooler climates and dreary weather, we will be warming up our winter blues with projects, ideas, and inspiration that focus on shades of blue. Here is a basic color wheel that includes the primary colors – yellow, blue, and red – along with secondary and tertiary colors. Although only twelve colors are show, it can go a long way in translating color relationships. More advanced color wheels also include a large range of these basic colors in different hues and shades. |
