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by Knit Picks Staff on July 8, 2010
Knitters in our Sweater Class are doing some wonderful work! I was really excited to see all the progess and resources that were shared over the last week. Many of us are discovering that sweater knitting can be easier than we though, and even those of us who are not ready to knit a sweater have been able to follow along, ask questions, and bookmark the lessons for future reference! Follow the link above to view the whole class archive. This week, while we're finishing the body and sleeves of our sweaters, I have some reader-submitttedmaterial to share--some progress pictures, some sweater knitting tools, and some design resources! The first is a progress shot from Linda (poodlechick on Ravelery.) She's making a brilliant red seweater with a seed-stitch hem and swatched, cast on, and knit through the waist decreases all in one weekend! Linda is using Comfy in Serrano and I love the way this is knitting up! Next up are progress pictures of the TWO sweaters that Cellogirl is working along with the class. I have to say, she is a knitting overaceiver in the best way! Read on to see what she's done... |
Category Archives: Knit Picks Designers
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by Knit Picks Staff on July 1, 2010
I raced through the body of my sweater in order to stay ahead of the class, but even if you haven't finished that sections, you can always start on a sleeve! Knitting sleeeves can be a welcome break from working the torso of a sweater--they are more portable, and smaller, so each round goes much faster and the length gows perceptibly, for a real feeling of accomplishment! In this lesson, we'll go over the math behind sleeve shaping, and discuss some potential modifications that allow you to get custom sleeves! Click the link below for the handout: Lesson 4: Sleeves And check out our videos, where I (somewhat tiredly--apologies! I should maybe not shoot these lessons on Monday!) walk you through the math and show how the formulas in the handout gave me the sleeve I want! |
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by Knit Picks Staff on June 30, 2010
Ok, are we all ready to start swatching? Last week we discussed yarn choices and design dreaming, and this week we are going to solidify our yarn choices (if you haven't already!) and find the right needle to get the fabric that your design requires! I've done some extensive swatching (the results of which I share in the videos below) and have settled on knitting my Swish Worsted on US 6 Zephyr needles. Swatching can seem boring when you're itching to cast on a project, but it is one of the most essential parts of the design process, so it deserves a lot of time and attention! In this lesson, I'll be giving tips on how to swatch for the fabric your design needs, and then covering the measuring of gauge from your swatch, and the measurements needed for a succesful knit. All this information ins contained in the pdf linked below, which also has diagrams and blanks for you to fill in with your personal gauge and measurments. Don't worry if you're math-phobic; I've done my nest to keep it simple and to walk you through all the claculations step-by-step! Lesson 1: Swatching and Measuring Read on for more info and Videos... |
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by Knit Picks Staff on June 30, 2010
Hello, everyone! This week in the Design a Sweater Class, we'll be discussing hem treatments, calculating your cast-on, and begin knitting our sweaters! This is a fun step for me becuase I really feel like my project is underway now! Here's the ribbing pattern I chose for my hem: |
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by Knit Picks Staff on June 30, 2010
Hi there! As you'll see in this week's video, my sweater is coming along swimmingly! Now that I am deep in the process of working the waist shaping, I am remembering why my row counter is my best friend! This week, we'll be discussing how to calculate the increases and decreases that will shape the torso of your sweater to the finished dimensions you desire. It may be helpful for you to look over and print out this week's handout so that you can follow along with the video lesson, in which I'll be walking you through all the math required in this step. I promise, it's not terribly hard :) Click the link below to get the handout: Lesson 3 - Shaping the Torso And check out the videos below! |
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by Knit Picks Staff on June 29, 2010
I love lace projects, for several reasons. 1. Lace can be big and dramatic and ornate in a way that is hard to pull of in regular garments. 2. Lace accessories can be colorful without overwhelming the wearer. 3. You can wear the same lace scarf every day for a whole season without your coworkers wondering why you never do laundry. 4. Lace shawls make great gifts and you don't need to know a person's exact measurements to make them one. 5. Lace is super fun and engaging to knit! 6. Lace yarn is delicate and beautiful and you get a whole lotta yards in just one little ball. All of these are reasons I love lace, and all of these reasons inspired these two new lace kits, which I spent almost a year thinking about before actually writing the pattern! The Seasons Shawls, one for Spring and Summer and one for Fall and Winter: |
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by Knit Picks Staff on May 27, 2010
I've been talking about overdyeing a lot for the last weeek, but today I want to share the results of a dye project I did on Bare yarn. I've been admiring Kristen Rengren's Zora Cardigan ever since the design was published last winter, and really want to make one this summer. I love the effect of the hand-dyed yarn in the original, too, and didn't have anything like that in my stash in the right quantity, but I also have too much stash (and not enough in the budget!) to justify buying so much yarn for a new sweater! I did, however, have 5 skeins of our Bare Merino/silk yarn just waiting to be dye projects. That's what it looked like after the FIRST round of dyeing. I had to go through two more to get what I wanted! Read on to find out more... |
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by Knit Picks Staff on May 25, 2010
In my last post on overdyeing, I mentioned that blyue dye over a green yarn could be lucky, and all day those words haunted me. At home, I have 6 skeins of Gloss Lace in Malachite, a recently discontinued color that is a little cooler (bluer) than the current green, Peapod, offered in that line: Again, this is a yarn that I bought last year with a specific purpose in mind, which no longer inspires me! I wanted to knit a preppy pink-and green striped sweater, but then realized that I am SO not preppy and the colors I chose were just too subdued for me. So this yarn sat in my stash for a year. Until last weekend: |
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by Knit Picks Staff on May 21, 2010
Well, my acid-dyed experiments are dry and vinegar-smell-free (much to the relief of my hubby)! I wanted to wait till they were good and dry before sharing the results, because after the steam bath, some of them looked a little questionable! But, I am pleased to say that they're lookin' pretty good now! The first one I tried to dye to match my favorite mug. |
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by Knit Picks Staff on May 19, 2010
So many people around the office have jumped into dyeing this month as members of our Dye-Along, which makes me so glad! Dyeing is one of the most relaxing, creative, and fun hobbies I have, and I love that we're all sharing the cool tricks and ideas we're discovering. Knit Picks offers a variety of natural-colored yarn bases that are perfect for dyeing; the creamy colored wool takes all kinds of dyes wonderfully and gives you, the dyer, amazing control over the range and depth of colors in your finished yarn. I love dyeing natural colored yarns, too. But sometimes, I just have to shake things up. |
