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by Jenny K on May 10, 2012
Have you seen our new selection of tonal yarns yet? There are so many reasons to love adding the subtle shifts of color found in tonal yarns into your projects. Tonal yarns are a wonderful way to add the subtle variations of a color to your project without fearing that it will distract from textured stitches, cables, or even lace patterns. Each of our tonal yarns are made up of seven different shades of your favorite colors, which combine together to create complex, monochromatic colorways. Not only do tonal yarns add lots of visual interest when worked up with simple stitches, but they also beautifully highlight intricate stitch patterns. |
Category Archives: Tutorials
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by Jenny K on May 8, 2012
It seems that every other project of mine lately seems to be yet another baby project! I've had everything from baby blankets to tiny sweaters and hats on my needles over the last few months and I find myself constantly on the look out for quick projects that I can whip up. So, it was to my delight when I came across these super-adorable Starting Points Baby Booties! These faux suede booties are not only lined with a super soft sherpa fleece to keep your little one's feet toasty warm, but the cuff on the inside of the booties holds a mesh tape that can be directly knit or crocheted into - simply brilliant! If you haven't seen these before, they are truly the go-to solution for last-minute gifts (especially for all of the baby showers that I have been attending lately). And to show you just how easy-peasy these baby booties are to work up, we've create a step-by-step tutorial that shows you how to attach the cuffs into the mesh lining and voila, you've got a super-cute gift that looks fancy and impressive! |
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by Jenny K on May 1, 2012
Buttonholes seem like the simplest of closures but you will want to take careful consideration of the size of your buttons relative to the size of your garment as well as the function of the button (is it decorative or utilitarian?). To help make this potentially tricky process a bit easier, we have created a guide to three different buttonhole styles - including the one row buttonhole, two row buttonhole, as well as a buttonhole for ribbing. Usually shank buttons are best for knitted garments since the button shank gives more vertical clearance for the thickness of the knit fabric. If you are using a flat button, you may want to create a shank by wrapping thread or yarn around the stitches that attach the button to the fabric. Wrap the stitches between the button and the fabric, then secure the thread or yarn with a knot at the back side of the fabric. |
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by Jenny K on April 24, 2012
The cable cast on is a great cast on method to have in your arsenal of knitting tricks, and yet oddly enough, it actually doesn't have a lot to do with cables at all! The Cable Cast On is a way of casting on your stitches in a way that creates a strong, yet flexible foundation row that works well for edges that you don't want to stretch out. This method also leaves you with a neat appearance on both the right and wrong sides of your work. Additionally, because it produces a firm and strong cast on edge, the cable cast on is one of my favorite ways to cast on stitches in the middle or end of a row and it also works particularly well on top of a section of bound of stitches, like a buttonhole. And if you are anything like me, instructions can sometimes tend to turn into a jumbled mess when I am trying to learn a new technique on my own. However, watching the fluid motion of a technique is all it takes for things to click and make sense - which is why we have a video tutorial to help you through your first cable cast on! Like all new techniques, this cast on can seem a bit tricky at first but it is a great cast on to know as every method has its unique advantages. |
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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 Jenny K on April 3, 2012
During the very first sock summit (which was almost three years ago, back in 2009!), I got overtaken by all of the fiber fumes and came home with a drop spindle. I hadn't the faintest clue as to what I was going to do with said drop spindle, but I knew I needed one everytime I walked past someone drop spindling as they were standing around, waiting in line, or just hanging out. After I recovered from the fiber festivities, I tucked my drop spindle away in one of my craft containers. Finally a year or so later, I dusted off my drop spindle after a visit to an alpaca farm where I couldn't resist buying some fiber. From then on out, every few weeks I would break out my spindle to spin up a bit of fiber. It took a while to get the feel for drafting, but every time it got easier and more natural. If you have ever been intrigued by making your own yarn or spinning with a drop spindle, we have an entire 6-part series video class to help you get started! Kelley's Drop Spindling Class covers everything from terminology to drafting, finishing, and even plying your yarn. It really is so much fun and a great way to play with fiber! |
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by Jenny K on March 20, 2012
A dropped stitch is something that probably most knitters have had to face at one point or another. It can be quite the frightening sight to see a stitch just hanging out somewhere in your knitting, far away from the needle where it should be nicely nestled on top of. Knowing how to pick up your stitches can help save a project just when you think all is lost and also prevent rows and rows of stitches from being ripped back. And to help you conquer those dropped stitches, we put together this handy video tutorial that will guide you through each step as you work your stitch back up to your needle. Not only do we show you how to pick up a dropped stitch on both the knit and purl side of stockinette stitch, but also on garter stitch fabric. So grab a crochet hook, and get ready to pick up some stitches! |
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by Jenny K on March 13, 2012
I have to admit that putting the finishing touches on any project is not my strong suit - mainly because as soon as I bind off my last stitch, my brain automatically categorizes the project as done. And most of the time, there is still a lot to do until it reaches the official status of finished object! Whether it be seaming, grafting, or weaving in ends, I usually take a break from my project before I muster up the enthusiasm for tidying up any loose ends and finishing everything up. However - when I do get into the finishing zone, I usually take a whole day to wrap up any projects I have laying around that need those finishing touches. And since motivation for a finishing spree doesn't happen too often, I do take advantage of it when it strikes and I end up feeling a huge sense of accomplishment (and relief). Although I do tend to put off the finishing aspect of my projects, knowing which techniques to use and how they work is a huge help! Mattress stitch is one of the more common techniques you might come across and it allows you to stitch together two pieces of stockinette stitch fabric, side by side. This method is nearly seamless and it is hard to tell where the seam lies from the right side. On the wrong side, you'll find the first stitch of either side tucked away. And for those of you who might be putting off seaming up those sleeves or stitching together parts of your sweater, we've made a Mattress Stitch video tutorial to help guide you along, step-by-step! |
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by Knit Picks Staff on March 9, 2012
I'm now three weeks into the knitting of hubby's new sweater. That's about the longest I can usually pay attention to a project - but I'm only through the sleeves! I think this proves a couple of rules of knitting for other people. 1: Don't underestimate how long things take to knit, and 2: If you let the recipient pick the pattern, be prepared to face the consequences! I did some pre-searching through all of my pattern books and found several all-over cable designs that were nice and rhythmic and easy to memorize. I presented these to my hubby, and his reaction was pretty dry. So I let him look through my books, and he picked quite possibly the most difficult cable pattern he could have! It's the Baroque Cable from Barbara Walker's third treasury. |
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by Jenny K on March 8, 2012
The long tail cast on is probably my favorite go-to cast on. I love the rhythm of it, how quickly my stitches appear on the needles, and how it has a bit of stretch to it while still being sturdy. I also find that when I use the long tail cast on, my next row is always very easy to knit. It is also the cast on I primarily use for most of my projects, unless the pattern specifically states otherwise (and even then, there have been times I turned to my trusty friend - the long tail cast on). Having had such a good relationship with the long tail cast on, I was shocked when I learned that it wasn't always the go-to choice for other knitters. Some mentioned it was too finicky, that it looked confusing, or just that it seemed like too many steps for a simple cast on. And being such a big supporter of the long tail cast on, I couldn't resist making this video tutorial all about the long tail cast on - filled with step-by-step instructions as well as a few tips and tricks. |
