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 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 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 of... (Read More ...)
