Category Archives: Knit Picks Designers

Coming Full Circle with a free pattern!

Have you seen the awesome sale on Full Circle yarns and fiber? This is your last chance to get it before it’s gone for good! When it first came in, I snagged some Full Circle Bulky. I love the way the colors worked together, and recently I knit up a super warm, super chunky cowl using 7 colors. It only took me about an evening and a half to make the cowl, and it used up little leftover bits of each color – it’s really a great way to use leftover bits of any bulky weight yarn! So, I wrote up the pattern for you, and it’s available free from our site. There are also four-color and two-color versions listed in the pattern, with approximate yardages needed for each color. Bulky yarn is so difficult to stash-bust because there really aren’t too many uses ...

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Slow progress is still progress.

With the swatches for my dad’s sweater blocked and measured, I was finally able to get to the math of the pattern! I sketched out what I wanted it to look like, and got to work on measurements. Casting on after so long was a relief. I feel like I’m actually working towards keeping that promise now! And with an impending trip to see my dad, I’ve got the motivation of a deadline to spur me on. I haven’t done much yet. Just past the sleeve cuffs and into the rhythm of cables and increases. But it’s progress – and now that I’m past the 1×1 ribbing (beautiful, but not as fast as I’d like!), the sleeves are whizzing right along. I’m working both at once, since the only ...

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Cute Chroma Cap-Free pattern!

Recently I whipped up a little striped Chroma hat, and it's quicky become my favorite hat this winter. It didn't take much yarn, just a little of two colors, and the pattern is super easy! It's a quick and cute project for using up yarn leftovers. So, I thought I'd share. You'll need about 30 grams each of two colors of Chroma Worsted (my finished hat weighs 58 grams). I used Windermint and Wildwood... Click through to see the pattern!

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About.com Readers Choice Awards!

This week's marks the opening of the About.com 2013 Readers Choice Awards! From now until February 11th, you can nominate your favorite blogs, designers, books, yarn company, and needle brand for the award! We look forward to this every year so I thought I'd show you some of my suggestions - you can nominate up to 3 for each category!

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When geology meets yarn…

A moraine is a deposit of rocks and debris left by glaciers as they advance and recede. Moraines often add some really interesting terrain to the existing land, resulting in crazy looking hills and land that looks  folded or striated. Glaciers make for some pretty spectacular geologic features - moving bits of the Earth from place to place, bit by bit, blurring the line between 'here' and 'there'. Musing on those glacial effects resulted in the Moraine Pullover! It might be hard to see where to draw a comparison, but in the stitch patterning of Moraine, each 'point' recedes and advances through colors, leaving its mark in the next ripple.

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Podcast Episode 205: Illuminated Lines Pattern Collection Interview with Kerin

Bringing together enchanting colorwork and captivating cables – Illuminated Lines captures the magic of Celtic art and culture with six exquisite designs. Hear all about how Kerin’s interest in Celtic culture inspired this new and exclusive pattern collection. Kerin and Jenny talk through each of the six patterns in Illuminated Lines, starting with the inspiration for each design, how that translated into the concept and ultimately into the knitted pattern in addition to the design details that make each piece a unique combination of traditional and modern. Kerin also shares tips and tricks throughout to help you try a variety of new and intriguing techniques with confidence. Explore and celebrate the wonderful traditions of Celtic history with Illuminated Lines as Kerin shares her design journey with you. Illuminated Lines is available as an eBook and as a printed book here: Illuminated Lines eBook Illuminated Lines printed book And don’t forget – you can ...

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Fun & Fast Fall accessories

If you're looking to take the chill out of a November morning, the Lampwork Hat & Mitts set is a colorful way to do just that! The pattern includes instructions for the beanie-style cap and fingerless mittens. Each piece is also multi-sized and customizeable for a perfect fit. Though the patterning itself is simple, a spicy touch is added...

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Enjoy color with the Hue Shift Afghan!

Now that it's cuddle-up-on-the-couch season, it's just the right time for a new afghan. Add a little splash of color to your decor with the Hue Shift Aghan! This afghan is knit in Garter stitch mitered squares. The squares are picked up and knit off of each other in four large segments, so that the only seam required is to stitch the four segments together. Because of this, it makes an easy travel project, because no one section is very large. The 10 colors in the patterning of the afghan are arranged in such a way that they create a wash of 100 slightly different, shifting shades. This pattern is available in two colorways as a ready-to-knit kit: Rainbow and Decor. But, if you want to create your own colorful masterpiece, get the downloadable version and choose your own palette. With a little imagination, the color possibilities are much greater! For instance, if you wanted a rich, jewel-toned blanket, try these colors...

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Design A Sweater, Lesson 7: Finishing!

Hi Knitters! This final edition of the sweater class is all about finishing. In this week's video and handout, I'll discuss weaving in ends, how to finish your turned hem, closing up the underarms, and working the neckline trim! Whew! Each step goes pretty fast, but make sure to take the time to do these steps right, as a well-finished sweater will look a lot better than one with sloppy finishing. Check out our tutorials on finishing, too--they'll give you a lot of information on how to execute the techniques discussed in this lesson. Finshing Tutorials Another resource I really like and use a lot is Nancie Wiseman's Knitter's Book of Finishing Techniques, which is a wealth of information on every bit of swea=ter finishing you could imagine! And without further ado, here's your handout for this week:

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