Mary Scott Huff Event – Highlights!

We had an awesome event last night with Mary Scott Huff! Thanks to all of the knitters who showed up – the Knit Picks staff had a great time meeting everyone. Mary also has a blog post about the event – her blog (which I find hilarious) is definitely worth a read!
Here’s a quick video of some event highlights:
And here’s a longer video of Mary giving her talk at the event:
<

Read more »


Share your Wishlist on Facebook!

We’ve added the option to post your wishlist on Facebook or any other social media site – even the Knitting Community, Ravelry or your own Blog.
Its easy, just log-in, view your wishlist and click the “Share Your Wishlist” button.

Below the “Send Email” form, you’ll see a link to post your wishlist on Facebook or a URL that you can copy and past into your personal Blog or other website.

We’ve received lots of great feedback about the Wishlist and have many more features and options planned for the coming year that will make it a great Knit Picks tool even beyond the holidays. <

Read more »


Press round up

One of the jobs I do here at Knit Picks is send out press releases and work with knitting publications to get them samples of our yarns and new products.

I’m really excited that our yarns and tools have been appearing in so many print publications lately.
Did you see our teleidoscope and cute little yarn cutter in Interweave Gifts?
Interweave also showed Knit Picks yarn a little love in their Accessories issue. The Never Wimpy Wimple is knit in Shadow. The Mini-Poncho is Andean Silk and Elegance. And the Keep Them Warm Wristlets use Gloss Sock yarn.
Verena showcased our East Meets West Bags in their Fall issue.
Vogue Knitting included our Harmony and metal cable needles in their cable needle review recently.
And Knit N Style’s February issue featured Stroll in Tree Fort and the pattern for our Waves Shawl.
I just love opening up a new issue of …

Read more »


Finished Vest


I have been terrible at taking pictures and blogging about finished projects. I really, really have been knitting as much as ever, and here is a little proof. This is my Nederland Vest (from the fall 2008 issue of KnitScene) in Gloss DK. I love how this yarn drapes and fits so well. The pattern doesn’t have waist shaping because that is right where the argyle pattern is happening, but the Gloss DK does a good job of making up for that with a curve-skimming drape.
I made some modifications in the armholes because the shoulders were too wide for me. Part of that involved steeking because I was too lazy to rip the shoulders all the way back. I just crocheted together half of one knit stitch with half of another knit stitch along the line where I wanted the armscye to be, cut away the extra …

Read more »


Winner of the photo contest!

Congratulations to October Phillips, winner of our Behind the Scenes Photo Contest. Thanks to everyone who sent in their guesses. The answers are:
Photo 1 – Town Slippers – 40130 (the spats specifically)
Photo 2 – Traveling Stitch Socks from Knitting a Perfect Pair – 31210
Photo 3 – Arden Bag – Red and Black – 40133
Photo 4 – Ribbed Cap from One Skein Wonders – 30858 <

Read more »


Odd inner dialog

I know I have fallen off the grid for the last few days but I have two good reasons.
First, a whammy of a migraine. I have been using a lovely medication for about a year that I absolutely love!! If has made my frequent migraines non-existent. The only downside is that only determined migraines get through the medical stockade. Set off by a huge change in our local barometric pressure, this one had a great start and took full advantage of the opportunity. Ever since I was quite young I’ve anthropromorphized my migraines – just short of naming them. Anyway, this one kept me company for a couple of days. I have something to look forward to after a migraine goes away – an odd, manic frame of mind and lots of energy. You guessed it – I cleaned.
My second reason involves secrecy and is best described by relating my …

Read more »


Everyone Needs a Goofy Hat

My ears were cold, and my mood was, um, a bit silly.

Who wouldn’t want a hat that makes them look like an Emissary of the Elf People? The pattern is Sloochie (Ravelry link), the yarn is Gloss HW, and the pointy top is awesome. Well, at least in my mind!

The pattern is worked from the pointy tip down to the brim, and there’s also a not-pointy version you can knit (but why?). There are also a couple of cute cable options for the brim – you get to pick your favorite.

I used a sewn bind off for the hat brim, since I wanted it to be as stretchy as possible. Nobody wants a red line around their forehead from a too-tight bind off!

Pattern: Sloochie by Woolly …

Read more »


My largest knitting project

I am knitting an enormous wool blanket. It is almost halfway finished.

I have no cold tolerance. I’m the one wearing a giant puffy coat when everyone else is wearing a light jacket. When I’m riding my bicycle in the cold, I’m completely covered with my coat and knitwear, except for my glasses peeking out between the cowl over my nose and my hat. So when I moved to the Pacific Northwest from southern California, I had a little trouble adjusting to winters here.
I wanted to make a really warm wool blanket to keep on my bed in the winter. I was inspired by Jared Flood’s version of Elizabeth Zimmermann’s Knitted Garter Stitch Blanket in Sheepsdown, originally published in The Opinionated Knitter.
My version is going to fit my queen size bed, so I cast on more stitches than what was used in the original pattern. I’m also knitting …

Read more »


Always something new to learn!

I have been impatiently waiting for Abby’s book to come out and it is a treasure!!
The life changing lesson I learned from Respect the Spindle is that spindling is even more portable than a small knitting project! I had often heard spindlers say that they, “spindle every day rather than spinning at a wheel once a month”. It seemed to make sense but I had never had anyone explain it as clearly as Abby.
First, Abby has the most credibility of anyone I can imagine. As a child, she grew up in Peru. She explains that little girls in Peru take their spindles EVERYWHERE! It’s part of their social life and source of entertainment and competition. That’s why Abby is so comfortable having a spindle with her all of the time.
I decided to embrace the spindle on our trip to Mexico. Abby points out that …

Read more »