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.
Meet the team »
Thanks for all the great comments about Vonnie and the IDP program! We’re all very excited!
We had 1221 comments at the end of the contest and our favorite random number generarator came up with:
(whose comment read: Looks like a pattern that would fit me well.)
Read more »
Intarsia is one of those techniques that seems to strike fear into the heart of many a knitter. But it’s actually not scary at all – the trick is simply to understand what it is that you’re actually doing.
Intarsia is a method by which separate areas of different colors are knit into the same flat piece of work. This can be exceedingly simple, like vertical stripes, or intricate like the Road Trip Totes. What makes it work is the way each working strand of yarn is wrapped around the next at color changes.
If you’ve been curious about Intarsia but weren’t quite sure how to get started, I put together a little video explaining some of the techniques. Take a look!
Read more »Gauge is one of those things than can be a bit tricky to get
a hold of when you first start out knitting. Gauge is also one of those things
that will most likely remain finicky even when you have more experience with
it. It is no wonder so many people dislike gauge and swatches as some people
naturally knit loose and others knit tight. I am sure you have heard plenty
about how every person knits slightly different, but that got me thinking…how
much variance is in one’s own knitting? As an experiment in gauge, I decided make
a swatch where I knit using the continental method (how I normally knit) for
the lower half and the English method for the top half.
When knitters talk about gauge, all they are referring to is
how many stitches take up one inch. If you are a loose knitter, you will end up
with larger stitches which results in fewer stitches in each inch. And
conversely, a tight knitter will end up with smaller stitches, resulting in
more stitches in each inch. Depending on what the yarn or pattern that you are
using calls for, a loose knitter may go down in needle size to make up for the
bigger stitches and a tight knitter may up go in needle size to counteract the
smaller stitches.
As you may have noticed already, it has been a busy week here at Knit
Picks! Not only have we added lots of new yarny goodness, but there are
also many new kits as well! And if you are like me and love to hear
about the inspriation behind a design or simply how an idea transformed
into a finished project, these designer interview with Kerin are a real
treat!
And to pass along the inside scoop on these amazing new
kits, Kerin and I worked together to bring you another round of designer
interviews! You can now see videos for the Shift Totes, the Dimensions
Wrap, the Tiddlywinks Baby Set and the Fancy Feet kit simply by clicking
on the “video” tab when viewing the kit. Besides finding out the spark
of creativity for these patterns, Kerin also mentions specific
construction design and techniques as well as tips and tricks. Another
thing that I really like about these videos is how it adds another way
to see the actual designs knit up, how large they are as well as how
they move and drape.
Wow wow wow! We just hit 1000 patterns in the IDP program! It’s so hard to believe – I’m so excited about how popular this program is with designers and customers alike – it really makes me so very happy.
And who is lucky number 1000? Why it’s Vonnie, a gorgeous shell by the lovely Kendra Nitta (who says “My last name really is Nitta — but the first syllable is pronounced “neet” not “knit”!”)
Read more »
There’s
something about these socks that just makes us smile. They’re so much
fun and you know that they were knit with love! We want to thank
everyone who contributed their ideas for names. I can tell you that all
of us here at Knit Picks were in stitches (ha!) reading through them.
While it is sad that we could only have one winner, the good news is
that we think we’ve picked a great one!
Read more for our special announcement!
Read more »Kerin and Jenny chat about gauge – what is how, what effects your gauge, what fibers to watch out for and how you can use the basic understanding of gauge to make your own designs take form.
Both The Knitter’s Handy Book of Patterns and The Knitter’s Handy Book of Sweater Patterns were referenced in this episode.
3 easy ways to listen…
Late last week, a package arrived at our office with a beautiful pair
of socks and the most adorable letter I’ve read in a long time.
The letter was from 86 year young Frances FIsher from North Carolina and it read…
Read more »I haven’t had a chance to do a contest for a while so when I heard that
we had some weaving prizes to give away, you can imagine my excitement!
Weaving is one of those crafts that I find immensely fascinating. I
could watch someone weave all day long without blinking — it’s that
intriguing. Uniformity, structure, and tight lines are so appealing to
me so when I see a woven project, I am immediately drawn to it. I mean,
look at this beautiful scarf!
Besides being a fun pastime, knitting is a pretty effective way to
help the earth by using less energy. I’m sure you’ve all heard the
adage, “If you’re cold, put on a sweater.” But it goes so much farther
than that!
The difference of just a few degrees on your thermostat can make a big impact on your energy usage. According to the US Department of Energy,
for every degree lower you set your thermostat in the colder months,
you can save up to 1% on your energy bill. Lowering it from 72 to 68
degrees can save a lot more. Instead of turning the heat back up if you
feel a chill, a wool sweater or blanket can be just the thing to keep
you warm without having to warm the whole house. Not to mention that
some blankets, like the Impressionist Afghan, can warm you while you work on it – because it’s made in one piece!
