Finished Crochet Ripple Blanket

This project has been a long time in the making!  I dyed my fiber last year using Greener Shades dyes, then spun it into four different 250g skeins of bulky weight 2-ply, and now I’ve finally transformed it all into a finished object.

When I’m stash busting or using up unlabeled yarn, I tend to create my own patterns that are a) extremely basic and b) allow me to change plans mid-stream in order to work around yarn shortages.  For this project, I decided to do a basic crochet ripple afghan – I wanted something soothing that let me really enjoy the texture and colors of my handspun without concentrating on a difficult stitch pattern.  I also planned on creating stripes of varying widths so that I had more options for using up the majority of my yarn.  

Read more »


New IDP Kits

Did you notice something new about our new kits this month?

We now have kits featuring patterns from our favorite IDP designers!  We are so excited to introduce this to you – you get the pattern & the yarn together for a discount and the designer still gets 100% of the pattern sales.  

Read more »


Podcast Episode 180: Springtime Stashbusters

This week, Kelley gets inspired by stashbusting! As Kelley organizes and sorts through her stash, she imagines the possibilities that go beyond one-skein projects and instead, combine several leftover yarns together for a bit of springtime stashbusting. Next, Kelley reviews several patterns that she found while browing around Ravelry by search for “stash” and “stashbusting”. She reviews some of her favorite patterns that she stumbled across, all of which make the most of using up many yarns together in one project for the ultimate stashbusting satisfaction. Finally, Kelley catches you up with her recently finished projects and what she is planning to put on her needles next.
Reviewed Patterns:
Student Bank Account by Brenda BurrellCity Blocks Shawl by Laura AylorColor Affection Shawl by Veera VälimäkiLeftovers Vest by Alison Hansel HanselAdult Surprise Jacket by Elizabeth ZimmermanBaby Surprise Jacket DVD with Meg SwansonJustify by Lynne VogelEasy Square Scrap Blanket by BugzNBean
 
3 easy ways …

Read more »


Charity knitting for babies

A couple of years ago my granddaughter, at the age of 2 weeks, was admitted to the NICU unit at our local hospital, where she spent the next two weeks. She’s now a happy, healthy 2 1/2 year old, but it was really scary back then.  My daughter spent almost all her time by her side. One day, my daughter was given a knitted hat & bootie set for Kalyn. It was a heartwarming experience for her and a comfort during a difficult time.  That’s when I realized a need and that I would like to pay it forward for someone else.

I’ve been using left over cotton & acrylic yarns to create the baby items. I don’t remember which yarn was used with this set, but it is so darling.

green booties

Read more »


Tilde Cloche

I was looking for a quick but not mindless project to work on while I
wait for the oodles of yarn to arrive in the mail for my next BIG
project. I sat down to page through my knitting books for inspiration
when My Grandmother’s Knitting popped open to Jared Flood’s Tilden Baby Hat.
I loved the colors and simple but beautiful pattern. I definitely
wanted to knit this for myself, but the pattern was for a toddler sized
noggin.

Read more »


Three Color Stranding

One of my favorite parts about working with other knitters and crocheters is how much there is to learn! It seems that everyone has their own repetoire of tips and tricks that they have gathered from years of experience. That being said, this is exactly how this week’s technique of the week came together! Kerin is always working on something, whether it be charity hats, pullovers, or complex colorwork sweaters. While knitting on a hat she had been making up, the converstion turned to the techniques of stranded colorwork, which led (obviously) to how one handles stranding three colors across the row at once! As usual, Kerin was nice enough to indulge my excitement and we created a video tutorial to share this technique with other colorwork obsessed knitters!

Read more »


2012 Reader’s Choice Awards

Surely the Oscars made you hungry for more beauty and competition? Well, we’re pleased to announce that Knit Picks was nominated for “Best Needles” in the 2012 Reader’s Choice Awards on About.com! To become a finalist, we were ranked in the top five by dedicated About.com staffers, sifting through hundreds of nominations.

Harmony_Wood

Read more »


A sweater to dye for

I finally got some decent pictures of my Swish Bulky sweater! This is not only to show that I did make said sweater, but to immortalize its temporary whiteness.

You see, I’m really, really good at turning white clothes pink. I
don’t really have problems with any other color of clothing, but white
things just don’t stay white. So, in order to prevent my inevitable
disappointment, I’m planning on dyeing my sweater. But I can’t figure
out what color to dye it – or what dye to use.

Read more »