 |
by Jenny K on September 19, 2012
Every couple of months, I get the urge to break out of my little knitting bubble to try my hand at some other crafty craft. My latest adventure has been with crochet. I've dabbled in crochet here and there but I've never undertaken more than a small toy (yet at the moment, I am completely obsessed with working on my first-ever crochet blanket!). However, a few months back when I got the itch to try something new with my yarn collection - I fell in love with the world of embroidery! This was a whole new way to explore color and texture, it was almost like drawing (slowly) with yarn. I even bought a shadow box to frame my little embroidery sampler that I was working on as a fun way of meshing my crafty explorations with pretty home decor. So it was no surprise that my interest in embroidery was revived when I saw Kerin's latest design - the Suzani Jacket! This pattern incorporates four different types of embroidery to embelish and beautify this colorful cardigan. If you've had your eye on this pattern but haven't had much experience with these techniques (or maybe you just want more fun and unique ways to use up those odds and ends!), we've created a series of video tutorials that focus on different embroidery techniques. For this week's technique of the week, we're highlighting the versatile back stitch! |
Category Archives: video
|
by Jenny K on September 11, 2012
After investing a great deal of time into knitting a sweater, you want to give it a beautiful finish. This often involves blocking the sweater to the proper dimensions. When you block a sweater, you are setting the stitches and evening out the fabric in addition to preserving the correct sizing. Generally, sweaters can be wet blocked (good for cotton and linen), spray blocked (good for wool and alpaca) or steam blocked (good for wool and alpaca) depending on their fiber content. And to make sure that your first sweater blocking session is a success, we have a handy video tutorial that walks you through all of the steps! The video also shows you what to do for the three different blocking methods (wet, spray and steam). That way you can match a blocking technique that is best suited for the fiber type of your sweater. |
|
by Jenny K on August 22, 2012
The provisional cast on is a technique where a piece of scrap or waste yarn is used to create a cast on that can be easily undone later on to expose live stitches. These stitches are then picked up and allow you to seamlessly knit in the opposite direction. It also allows you to easily graft the new live stitches onto another knitted piece. And I have to admit that for the longest time, the provisional cast on was the most elusive cast on method to me. No matter how many times I practiced this only to rip it out and try again, I never quite got mine to work quite right. Instead of easily pulling back my waste yarn to neatly unzip my stitches from the cast on, my attempts always ended up taking quite a bit of time as I calmly tried to sort through the mess I made of my stitches. Yet no matter how hard I tried, the universe was dead set on keeping this technique in my knitting. Project after project, the provisional cast on kept showing up in patterns I was working on. I loved what this temporary cast on allowed me to do; I just didn't love the process so much. So in my quest to find a provisional cast on that even I could master, I turned to Kerin. Of course she had just the thing I was looking for, so we put together a video tutorial to help you master the crocheted provisional cast on as well! In addition to your yarn and needles, you'll just need a piece of waste yarn and a crochet hook to get started. |
 |
by Jenny K on August 14, 2012
August has really been off to quite the start. With everything from new fall yarns to Sunstruck needles and limited-edition crochet hooks making their appearance, it's hard to know what to gush about first. And since I always seem to bit a bit cold, I have to say that it has been quite difficult to contain my excitement for one of our newest yarn lines - Reverie! This light and fluffy blend of 80% baby alpaca and 20% acrylic is just the thing for that perfect weekend sweater. I already have a picture in my mind of a cozy Reverie sweater that I can wear instead of a light jacket as the weather transitions to the chilly autumn air. The soft halo and lofty quality of Reverie totally embodies comfort to me and is just the thing for a relaxed, weekend sweater or dramatic, billowing cowls and scarves. Just add a cup of hot cider to that scene, and I'm a happy camper! And our in-house designer Kerin was actually one of the first lucky people to try out Reverie - watch her video review to hear more about Reverie! |
|
by Jenny K on July 3, 2012
On my very first lace project, it was inevitable that I would make a mistake somewhere as I was working across with a few hundred stitches. This, of course, led to shedding a few tears before spending the next day ever-so-carefully unknitting several rows of lace. Fastforward a few months, when I stumbled across this amazing trick called a "lifeline." Simply put, a lifeline is a scrap piece of yarn that gets threaded through your live stitches on your needle and serves as a placeholder. If you realize you have made a mistake between your lifeline and the stitches on your needle, you can then happily pull your needle from the stitches and rip back until you hit your lifeline where you will find all of your stitches sitting happily on the scrap piece of yarn. You can then very easily place all of your stitches from your lifeline row back onto your needle, and continue forward! And now,to take this little trick a step further, we've created a video tutorial that shows you how to use your Knit Picks Options Inchangeable Needles for lifelines! The best part? This useful tip shows you how to thread your lifeline scrap yarn through your stitches as you work across the row! |
|
by Jenny K on June 14, 2012
A while back, I got to spend the day with Jen, from Hanks in the Hood and learn all about how she makes those goregous spinning batts of hers! Additionally, Jen was kind enough to take some time to share a bit about herself, how she got drawn into the wonderful world of fiber, and her inspiration. And it was awesome! I find it so amazing that so many different people can connect with something as simple as fiber and yarn, in such a lovely and inspiring way. I simply love hearing these stories from everyone I meet. Which is why I was thrilled when Jen asked if I would like to also spend time with Lisa from Dicentra Designs! My answer was a resounding yes, the more - the merrier! I got a chance to sit down with Lisa, an amazing fiber artist, to chat with her about her love of all things color, fiber, spinning and of course dyeing. In addition to dyeing her own yarn line, Dicentra Designs, Lisa also helps Jen, from Hanks in the Hood, with the processing and dyeing of the stunning silk hankies! And with Lisa's love for bright and vibrant colors, it's no wonder that her color sense is a perfect match for working with Jen's fearless color combinations. Just look at all of the amazing colors you'll find in the silk hankies from Hanks in the Hood to see for yourself! To hear more about Lisa's color inspiration, the process for dyeing the silk hankies, and some of Lisa's favorite ways of working with silk hankies - be sure to check out Lisa's video! |
|
by Jenny K on June 12, 2012
My summer knitting ritual consists of finishing up any sweaters that I may have still on the needles in favor of lace. It can be anything from a very large, traditional shawl to a cute, elongated shawlette - if it's got lace, then it has a home on my needles during the warm, summer months. But, in order to fully appreciate all of the time and effort that went into the lace project, I definitely have to set aside a day of blocking for my projects. If you are anything like me, you might even have more than one lace project set aside, just waiting to be blocked out into its full lace glory. It’s okay to admit it - blocking your project takes a bit of time and patience. Unfortunately, it is a necessary evil (in my opinion, anyways!) since your finished lace project will come off of the needles looking akin to an ugly duckling. The lace yarn is so feathery light that it cannot hold its intended shape. And like the duckling, it is awkward and clumsy. But fear not! With a little dedication, blocking will transform your duckling into the beautiful swan it wants to be. And to help you reveal the regal and delicate elegance of your lace project, we've got a wonderful video tutorial to help you block your lace into shape! |
 |
by Jenny K on June 5, 2012
Knitting socks from the toe up has been quickly becoming a favorite technique among knitters. At first, the idea of working socks from the toe up instead of the cuff down boggled my mind- how would you cast on, how would you work the heel, would there even be a heel flap? All of these questions came to mind, but eventually my curiosity grew to the point where I simply had to see how a toe-up sock came together. And I have to say, I'm so glad I gave it a shot! It was a lot easier than I thought it would be and I even found a few advantages to toe-up socks that I really liked.So, if you've been on the fence to trying toe-up socks, this week's technique of the week is here to help you get started! In the Figure Eight Cast On for Toe-Up Socks video tutorial, Kerin shows you a simple and effective way to cast on for your toe-up socks. |
|
by Jenny K on May 24, 2012
There are certain people that you meet in your fiber travels that simply beam with a passion for what they do, and no one embodies this like Jen Anderson, the face behind Hanks in the Hood. It is a quality that is infectious in person and hard to express in words. And since Jen is a local to us here in Portland (she is based out of Gresham, Oregon), I was so excited when I was able to spend a day at her shop (Andersen Fiber Works) and her fiber processing studio for a little video interview! All of us here at the office love Jen and of course, her rovings and batts from Hanks in the Hood. And personally, I am thrilled to be able to share Jen's story in addition to her enthusiasm, drive, and passion for what she does everyday. I hope this little video lets you get to know Jen a little bit better, I am sure you'll love her as much as we all do! |
|
by Jenny K on May 22, 2012
Unlike last year when we had a very late spring/summer, we are getting a taste of summer a bit early here in the Northwest! For the past week, everyone has been absorbing the sunshine and enjoying the nice weather. In addition to changing up the wardrobe with skirts and dresses, warm weather also signals a change in my knitting habits. As soon as there are a few consecutive days of sunshine, it takes a lot more willpower to pick up that sweater I started last month. Instead, my needles long to cast on light and airy shawls. Lace projects are my go-to summer project for so many reasons. I love that the project is small and lightweight, even though it will be large in size when blocked out. And I particularly love that I can squeeze my shawl project into a small bag that I bring with my when I ride my bike. And when I am done, my beautiful lace shawl keeps the chill off my shoulders on cool evenings. In my mind, lace knitting is portable, practical, and just plain fun! However, if you are new to lace knitting, there are many reasons that might make you weary of equating lace knitting with fun. And to help you love lace as much as we do, Kerin and I worked together to create an in-depth video tutorial that goes over all aspects of reading charts for lace knitting! |
