Hearts Forever!
by on October 17, 2012

A certain little lady has requested a heart scarf in pink or purple for
the holidays. After much hemming and hawing over yarn I finally settled
on Dolly in Stroll Hand Painted and White in Stroll Sport.
I wanted to makes sure it would still be pretty easy to wash
(especially after I imagined it getting dunked in a sloppy puddle or
dragging on the ground behind her as she runs for the school bus) and
both Strolls are machine washable, perfect for what I had in mind.

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Tags: Works in Progress


Embroidery: How to do the Crochet Chain Stitch
by on October 17, 2012

Keeping in the theme of embroidery, this week’s technique highlights the crochet chain stitch! This embroidery technique allows you to easily create
outlines for shapes and motifs with a stitch that actually resembles the shape of
a knit stitch. Whether you outline an intarsia pattern or you create freeform shapes across a pillow or blanket, the possibility for using this stitch to introduce fun pops of color into your next project are endless. The beauty of this particular stitch is that you can really create curves and shapes, making it up as you go right on top of the surface of your knitted fabric.

And to help you embellish your knits, watch Kerin’s video tutorial on the crochet chain to get started!

 

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Tags: Technique of the Week, Tutorials, video


Make do and Mend
by on October 17, 2012

It’s that time of year again: time to put away the sandals and dig
through my collection of warm, comforting handknit socks. The only
problem is that my sock drawer is empty – all of my socks are in the
darning pile!

I’ve often heard folks say, “Darning? That’s when I say “darn!” as I
toss them out!” I, however, prefer the old wartime motto: ‘Use it up,
wear it out, make it do or do without.’

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Tags: Inspiration, Tutorials, video


Teaching an old dog new tricks
by on October 16, 2012

Here at Knit Picks headquarters, there are a lot of talented folks.
Between us, Connecting Threads (our quilting division) and Artist’s Club
(our painting division), there are lots of different skills
represented. Recently we started having some lunchtime classes to share
these skills, and over the past two weeks I’ve been learning to crochet!

Now, this isn’t the first time I’ve learned to crochet. I believe
this is actually the fourth. Each time I try to learn, I inevitably do
something really wonky, and give up the failed attempt. But this time,
I’m determined to make it stick.

I grabbed one of our Harmony Crochet Hooks and some Brava Bulky, and set to making quite a mess of things. But after two lessons and a lot of “no, no, through that loop,” and “you’re going the wrong way!” from Jenny K and Kim, I managed to make my first granny squares!

They’re not stellar, but it is the first time I’ve ever crocheted something that looked like the thing it was supposed to be…

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Tags: crochet, Knit Picks Designers


Book Review of Indie Socks
by on October 16, 2012

How many times have you fallen in love with sock yarn skeins that have been hand-dyed by a talented independent artist know as an “Indie-Dyer”. Oftentimes, I am drawn to more than just a couple of skeins. I find myself wanting nearly everything that particular artist makes. I call it the “sensibility” of an artist.

Attending the two Sock Summits that have taken place here in Portland highlighted the concept of sensibility. Think of it as walking through a huge museum of Indie Dyers. Each booth full of yarn and fiber had a definite sense of color and style.

 

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Tags: Books, Independent Designer Partnership, socks


Podcast Episode 199: Interview with Anna Dalvi
by on October 11, 2012

Not ready to let go of your summer knitting just yet? Keep your lace projects inspired with this week’s podcast as Kelley chats with designer Anna Dalvi, author of the books Shaping Shawls and Ancient Egyptian Lace & Color. Hear all about Anna’s love of shawls and her design process for her book Shaping Shawls, which focuses on construction techniques for shawls. In her newest book, Ancient Egyptian Lace & Color, Anna uses her lace knitting expertise to explore the stories, symbolism, and mythologies of Egypt as reinterpreted through her lace designs. Anna also shares a few of her favorite mythological stories with Kelley and how they have inspired her designs.

Ancient Egyptian Lace & Color.
And don’t forget to check out Anna’s first book, Shaping Shawls!
3 easy ways to listen…
Subscribe in iTunes Episode 199: Interview with ... </p data-src= Read more »

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Tags: Books, eBooks, Inspiration, lace, Podcast


Afternoon Knits
by on October 10, 2012

 

 

I’m in serious stashbusting mode these days. As I’m packing up boxes of
books, bags of clothes and wrapping my dishes in paper in preparation
to move to a brand new apartment, I’ve had plenty of time to size up my
rather ponderous stash of yarn. I’ve gotten rid of several paper bags
full of yarn that I hadn’t even thought of using for at least a
year (I’d even moved some of it three times!) but I still feel a little
bit embarrassed at just how many balls of Palette and Wool of the Andes Worsted
I have kicking around in baskets and tucked under my futon. I just
can’t bring myself to part with even one more skein! So, between packing
and cleaning I’ve been busily trying all sorts of new patterns, just to
convert those balls of yarn into potential presents.

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Tags: Books, Finished Objects


Spooky Winners
by on October 10, 2012

Thanks everyone for entering our Spooky contest!  I fired up the ol random number generator & came up with 6 winners!

Winners of the Wonderfully Horrific Crochet:

  • Kim E. (who loves witches & zombies)
  • Rosalie R. (who loves witches & gouls)
  • Charlene M. (who loves monsters & zombies)

 

And the winners of Super Scary Mochimochi

  • Peggy K. (who celebrates Halloween all year)
  • Andi (who loves bats)
  • Amy B. (who loves the mummy kitty)

 

I’ve contacted all the winners so check your email!

Thanks everyone for playing – I hope we see some new knitted & crochet creatures popping up soon!

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Tags: Contest


Wearwithall – Knits for Your Life
by on October 9, 2012

The five knitters who came together to create Wearwithall wanted to offer a knitwear collection with enough variety to make their book the one you come back to again and again.

With only 13 patterns, the designers have been completely successful. The breadth of the patterns gives you plenty to knit. But, each pattern can also lead to several more projects simply by making a few small changes.

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Tags: Inspiration


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