Follow along and discover your next inspiration as we cast on for projects we love, explore new techniques, and dish about the latest and greatest from Knit Picks.
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My yarn stash is… well, more along the lines of a squirrel hoarding
acorns against a long winter than a few future projects saved and
waiting to be used. I spent this past weekend trying to impose some sort of
order. While the pile hasn’t gotten any smaller (in fact, it’s gotten a
tad bit bigger after the office stash swap party last week) I do think I’ve found a way to make starting projects easier.
No matter how much I love working with wool for my projects, I know that it is not always the most appropriate choice. Whether I am working my way through yarn options for baby items, afghans and throws, or simply a project request from a wool-sensitive friend, I look towards easy care yarns and other non-wool fibers. Now, when you see easy care – it can be tempting to simply toss your finished objects in the washer with the rest of your clothes. Instead, I like to think of these fibers as easier care yarns. Along with a few tips and tricks, you can ensure a long and happy life for your hand knit and crocheted projects made from easy care yarns such as superwash fibers, cotton and cotton blends as well as acrylic yarns.
Swish Tonal Worsted
Read more »What’s a de-stash party, you ask? It’s a yearly event that we do here at the office. Three years ago a few of us employees here at Knit Picks were complaining about the huge stash of yarn/fabric that we have at home. Since it was the first of the year and clean-up resolutions were on our minds, we came up with a “de-stash” party idea. Both knitters and quilters participated, and we brought in the yarn/fabric we were willing to part with. After weighing the stash we each bought, all the goodies were dumped into a big pile. The person who brought the most was the first to dig in!
So, thanks to all your suggestions, I was able to narrow down the potential colors for my Hubby’s new sweater, and he chose…
It was between that and Flagstone Heather
for him, but since the last sweater I knit for him was roughly that
same shade of grey, we went for something lighter. That’s good for me,
too, since I’ll be able to see the cables well! He generally wears
pretty dark colors, so it’ll be nice to see him in something light for a
change.
I swatched, calculated, and drew up a basic plan for the sweater
based on the fishy one I knit for him. I’ve got the yarn ordered – 24
skeins! – and it should be here in a week or so. This weekend I’m hoping
to get some time to sketch out some cable patterns so I can jump right
in as soon as it arrives…
Thanks to everyone who entered our crochet contest! We had nearly 600 entries! Unfortunately I only have 3 copies of The Best of Interweave Crochet so I randomly choose 3 winners (with the help of random.org).
Cori of Ft Worth TX
Emily of Coon Rapids MN
Anne of Albuquerque, NM
I’ve contacted them all & will be sending out their books on Monday
And stay tuned – we have more blog contests up our sleeves!
Read more »This week’s Freebie Friday pattern is a nice cowl that will work in any weight of yarn!
This is About Face! by Gloria Tracy Designs.
Read more »With Valentine’s Day just around the corner, the Knit Picks team felt that
it was a good time to spread the love. For the month of February, we are
offering a special promotion where you can get express 2-day Fed Ex shipping
to addresses in the contiguous US for a
flat rate of just $10! If you weren’t keeping track, that is at least a $7 savings
from our normal expedited rates. Whether you are rushing to finish up
that last-minute Valentine’s Day project or you’re just itching to get started on a new project, we are pleased to have the opportunity to offer you this special
rate.
As
with all shipping offers, some restrictions apply. To get more details on
this promotion, please click here.
Last weekend Alisha, Stacey, and Jenny attended The National Needlearts Association winter show held in Phoenix, Arizona. This industry trade show is put on several times a year and lets venders, yarn shop owners, and designers connect with each other as well as find new and exciting yarns and accessories. As much as we enjoyed the warm weather and sunshine, we also loved chatting with all of the friends that stopped by our booth! While being around so many wonderful designers, Jenny was able to set aside some time to chat with a few designers that are part of the Knit Picks IDP program including Audrey Knight, Stephannie Tallent, and Sarah Wilson. Hear all about how they started knitting and transitioned into designing in this behind the scenes sneak peek at TNNA!
Featured designers:
Audrey Knight – IDP Patterns, www.audknits.comStephannie Tallent – IDP Patterns & Mittens! eBook, www.sunsetcat.comSarah Wilson – IDP Patterns, …
I’ve been addicted to crochet lately! And it’s all because of Brittany Tyler‘s excellent Bullseye pattern.
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Read more »(Note: Our wonderful Purchasing Director Teri is one of the biggest cheerleaders for Brava – here’s her experience with it! You also may recognize her son Tyler from several patterns currently on our site such as the cute Duck Hat. – Stacey)
As soon as I heard we were getting acrylic yarn I rejoiced!
