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by Knit Picks Staff on April 6, 2011
Your questions are answered! Tomorrow afternoon I'll be posting the videos for Demystifying Lace, class 2. This class will be all about how to prepare and handle the yarn, and it'll be in three segments. It's a long one this time! Before then, I wanted to go over some questions that have been in the comments. This class has had such a great response that I've been answering the questions in emails - if you asked a question on the last class post, check your email! I get pretty confused trying to read through a thread of comments that long to find answers, and I don't expect you to wade through either :) But, for the benefit of everyone here, these are some of the questions I recieved in the comments and my answers to them! Elenor asked:Q: I have a question about blocking. When you block an object and then wash it for the first time, do you have to block it on the blocking boards again or just spread it out to dry like normal? |
Category Archives: Knit Picks Designers
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by Knit Picks Staff on April 6, 2011
When I was a kid, I always had to either read a story, have my mom read to me, or listen to stories on tape before going to sleep. My favorites were always those that contained either a really solid moral, or DRAGONS! (better if there's both, but well, what can you do.) In fact, there was one tape that was something along the lines of 'Medieval Tales' that I loved so much I wore out the tape itself. I really, really didn't like the stereotypical characters in it, but it had DRAGONS. I mean, like, DRAGONS! Lots of them! And they roared! But, at the end of the stories, the fearless knight would always do away with the dragon. So not fair, because dragons are awesome! I tend to root for the underdog, so I developed a bit of a kinship with that dragon. I felt like he deserved to be left alone to live a long, scaly life! Anyway, that's a really long way of saying that when Nina and I were charged with the honorable duty of coming up with Hobby-Horse-like toys, I HAD to do a Dragon! |
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by Knit Picks Staff on April 6, 2011
As promised, here is your second installment of the Demystifying Lace class! It's in 3 short segments so you get a breather in there. ;-) Enjoy! |
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by Knit Picks Staff on April 6, 2011
So, it's no secret that I love cold weather. There's just something about bundling up in my winter woollens that I really look forward to. Not all knits are created equal, though - and for warm woollens, just about the warmest you can get is by thrumming. Thrumming is a process whereby tufts of roving are knitted into the fabric. It's really easy and fun, and the result is just amazingly warm and soft. If you've ever wanted to try it but weren't sure where to start, try our Toboggan Thrummed Hat and Mitts kit! |
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by Knit Picks Staff on April 4, 2011
I have a lot on my plate craft-wise right now-- or should I say, a lot on my needles and hooks? In addition to my regular job of designing patterns, I have sweaters on the needles, a new sweater class to teach here on the blog, I've learned to double crochet, and finished a few squares for my project (which I'll be sharing next week!), and I've dyed about 900g of yarn in the last month! Whew! And with all this fun stuff going on, it can be pretty hard to remember the dozen unfinished projects I have laying around my house! So last weekend, I picked up one of my oldest and most adorable UFO's and finally finished her up: |
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by Knit Picks Staff on March 4, 2011
Progress is delicious! OK, admit it. It's the beginning of March - you've probably forgotten what your knitting resolutions even were for this year. I mean, isn't that the point of resolutions? You're supposed to forget aaaaaallll about them till about December 15. Well, unless you're me and you're completely out of your mind. Why do I say that? Because not only do I have lofty goals for this year, but I have all of them. Pretty much. Ok, let me explain. |
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by Knit Picks Staff on February 28, 2011
It's hard to believe that spring officially starts in just over three weeks. This has been a pretty crazy winter, and at this point, cabin fever is bound to be running rampant. So, to cure those late-winter doldrums, wrap yourself in a warm, colorful blanket! We have two new blanket kits, each with two colorways. While they are aesthetically different, they are both examples of the cool stuff you can do with plain, simple garter stitch! The Flare Blanket comes in Red/Brown and Blue/Grey. This blanket is knit in sixteen squares, all with the same patterning but a selection of four different color sequences. Each square is knit in the round from the outside in - meaning it gets faster as you knit each square. Talk about instant gratification! And once the squares are sewn up - that's it. No fuss, no border, just soft, woolly warmth. |
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by Knit Picks Staff on February 9, 2011
Funny Alisha mentioned hats and charity in her last post - those two things are near and dear to me! In fact, at the end of January, I shipped off 25 little baby hats to a local medical charity. All of these hats are made out of Swish Worsted (except for three - one in Stroll and two in Comfy). They are super simple, quick and cute, and use only a little yarn. All of the yarn for these was scraps from other projects that would have been destined for the garbage or a long, lonely wait in some random scrap bin. But, I saw other potential in the yarn. Even a few grams would be enough for a stripe in a hat this small! Over the last few years, I've slowly amassed a pretty good collection of these scraps, and have found that charity knitting is the perfect use for them. Got scraps? Keep reading for a free baby hat pattern! |
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by Knit Picks Staff on January 28, 2011
I was walzing through a yarn shop a few months ago, and I called my mom to ask if there was anything I hadn't knit for her yet. She reminded me of the tams we used to wear all the time (I say 'we' but I really mean 'they were hers and I destroyed them') and how she wished she had one again. It had been a looooong time since she'd seen one in a store. So, I said, "I'll see what I can do." I picked up some yarn and got to thinking. My mom's favorite garden flowers are impatiens. So, I figured an impatien-like design would be nice. Leaves make a pretty good crown - yeah, that'll work. And a few days later, I brought the result into the office: Immediately, I was descended upon by Chroma-bearing coworkers saying "THIS MUST BE A PATTERN!" |
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by Knit Picks Staff on January 13, 2011
What I love about Fair Isle sweaters is that they are just so classic. When it was time to design a new colorwork sweater, I took a lot of inspiration from those traditional patterns. But, with modern fashion being a little more sensitive to fit and shape, I added some details that really brought it up to date. The result is the Dogwood Blossoms sweater. |
