Barbara wants to know how does she find the right pattern row after ripping out a lot?  She’s feeling frustrated with following a chart. Great question! And Barbara, congratulations on stretching yourself to try what sounds like a complex knitting chart! Been there, done that!  When starting to knit lace or any pattern with a knitting chart, it’s easy to get lost.  Especially when knitting with interruptions or to relieve stress. Some charts have over 20 rows of knitting in the pattern repeat.  Yikes! Is it any wonder knitters get frustrated? Many lace knitting instructions suggest... (Read More ...)

I have finished my first sock of 2012! And what I have decided is I’m working on my own version of a generic sock.  Right now it’s knit cuff down, because the arch shape seems to work best that way. The arch shape is based on Elizabeth Zimmermann and Meg Swansen’s “Arch-Shaped Stockings” pattern, available from Schoolhouse Press. My current interest in socks started while caring for my mother. In her later years, it was often hard to keep her warm.  And her feet in particular would get cold.  The socks available in the stores were seldom what she wanted, so I decided to knit... (Read More ...)

Play AudioPlay Video Have you been thinking about knitting socks and don’t know where to start? What about a Christmas stocking? Oh, yes it looks like a large project.  Basically a Christmas stocking is a sock knit on larger needles with thicker yarn.  And because of that it may be easier to knit than using fine needles and yarn.  Or “toothpicks” as my sister calls my Size 1 double pointed needles. Whether you’re just learning to knit socks or want a simpler project because your time to knit is unpredictable like in caregiving, a Christmas stocking may make a good... (Read More ...)

Play AudioPlay Video Do you like knitting scrubbies? They’re often a quick knit and practical.  Because they’re usually small projects, they make a great project for on-the-go.  Such as when you’re caregiving.  And a simple pattern like garter stitch is easy to work on, leave and then come back when needed. One of my favorite patterns is a knitted scrubby called Tribble or maybe it’s Tribble2.  Click here for a link to the original pattern. The knitted dishcloth pattern calls for knitting with worsted weight crochet yarn.  As I learned about eco Tawashi, I decided to try knitting... (Read More ...)

Play AudioPlay Video Some purists don’t like to combine knitting and crocheting. Why some, won’t even talk to people who do the other one!  Good grief is all I can say. While knitting comes easier for me, I enjoy them both.  And part of the fun is combining them into the same project. Recently I decided to redo part of an afghan I made a few years ago.  It’s made of individual blocks of different colors.  The original knitting instructions in the afghan kit said to sew the blocks together.  Well, that’s fine.  I wanted to use the same color yarn, thinking it would be less... (Read More ...)

  Play AudioPlay Video This week I was wondering what to include in the next episode of my how to knit videos. While finishing knitting my shawl, inspiration struck – in the form of a bind off especially nice for some lace knitting.  While doing the picot edge bind off, I realized it’s actually two techniques in one. It is a combination of the cable cast on and a traditional bind off. You start with the cable cast on. The cable cast on can be used as an initial cast on.  Usually though it’s used when you need to add stitches to an existing row. I explain the cable cast on in two... (Read More ...)

  Play AudioPlay Video Do you remember when? Each generation seems to have an event that changed everything.  My parents spoke about Pearl Harbor.  Everyone in their generation knew where they were when they heard the news.  Some of my older colleagues spoke about the assassination of President Kennedy the same way.  Both were events that shattered their respective generations’ feelings of safety. Just like the Challenger disaster shattered the feeling of safety in space in the early 1980s. And more recently the 9/11 attack in 2001. When attacked, crafters have always been part... (Read More ...)

Play Audio Play Video Are you having a relaxing Labor Day weekend? I often have mixed feelings about long weekends. Yes, many folks find them a great way to relax.  There’s another side to long weekends though. Sometimes you’re the person who is left behind.  For example, you may be the professional or family caregiver who works through the long weekend when everyone else takes a break.  And so a long weekend can be a source of stress including caregiver stress. Is knitting one of the ways you reduce stress? After a long working day of a long weekend, I often found it... (Read More ...)

Play AudioPlay Video Thunderstorms and earthquakes and Hurricane Irene… Oh my! This week certainly has been interesting weather-wise. It started with a SEVERE thunderstorm here. At 3 AM! Although I was tired, I realized sleep would not be an option for awhile. So of course, I started a new project…   Then there were earthquakes in Colorado and in Virginia! The one from Virginia was felt here. No rattling shaking in the house. It just felt for a few seconds as though the floor was on a boat with gentle waves, not on solid ground.  Hurricane Irene was predicted for a time to cause major... (Read More ...)

Play AudioPlay Video One of the nice things about a knitted dishcloth pattern is its gauge usually doesn’t matter. Which is a blessing for me, because I’ve been known to rewrite patterns to match my gauge. Yes, really!  I knit loosely, and use the pick or Continental method.  When I use the throw or English/American method, the gauge is much closer.  And my knitting is much tighter.  So I think most patterns are written by knitters using the throw method. Personally I find the pick method much easier, faster and smoother.  If you like a different method GREAT! What else makes knitted... (Read More ...)