Fair Isle Knitting, or stranded knitting, is knitting with two or more colors in the same row. The colors that are not being worked are carried loosely along the back of the work creating ‘floats’. Traditional Fair Isle designs are very small and the colors change frequently so there are never very long floats. If […]
Knitting Decorative Holes – Lace Knitting
Lace knitting produces delicate fabrics with decorative holes. The all over patterns are always a combination of holes and decreases to create different effects. The holes are always created with a yarn over paired with a decrease. The yarn over gives an extra stitch so the decrease is necessary to keep the work straight. To […]
How to Read a Knitting Pattern
Knitting patterns tell you how to knit the pattern and the shape for the garment you want. Many commercially available patterns are written out row by row using shorthand and abbreviations. You will soon get to know how to read these. The alternative, which is often used in knitting magazines to save space, is to […]
Checking Knitting Tension or Gauge
It’s vitally important to check your knitting tension or gauge before knitting up a project. Otherwise, your finished garment could be either too small or too big. There is nothing more heartbreaking than spending hours and hours knitting a pullover only to find it is several sizes too big once finished and has to be […]
50 Knitting Tips For Beginners
The following hints and tips were shared with me by visitors to this website. Store your patterns in plastic wallets in a ring binder. This keeps them clean and makes them easy to look through when you’re looking for a new project. When you put your work down always push the stitches down the needles […]
Knitting to save lives…
In the UK we have a blood transfusion service that takes blood from donors to use where needed in emergencies and during operations. This is a vital service and they are always looking for new volunteers to donate blood. They are looking for enthusiastic knitters to help raise awareness of blood donation for a donor […]
Book Reviews
I’ve been playing with the video camera and created a quick video to review the latest additions to my knitting library. Enjoy! Both these books are available from Amazon – see links below. Available from Amazon.com Mastering Color Knitting: Simple Instructions for Stranded, Intarsia, and Double Knitting Only recommended if you’re an experienced knitter – […]
Finally finished the matching gloves
Life’s been far too busy lately so it’s taken me far too long to finish the gloves. Now the cold weather is here I’ve made the effort to finish them. They’re warm and snug and have nice long cuffs so the wrists stay warm too. The pattern was JB058 from James Brett and the yarn […]
Cable hat in James Brett Woodlander yarn
Here in the UK we’re having an early October heatwave with temperatures up around 90°C. And I’ve just finished this hat ready for winter! The pattern is a repeating group of 5 plain stitches and a simple 8 stitch cable separated by pairs of purl stitches. My next project will be the gloves to go […]
Knitting Know-How Issue #2
Hello and welcome to this issue of Knitting Know-How. In this issue: Buttonholes: Video demonstration of both single stitch buttonholes, and buttonholes where you cast off two stitches and then cast them on again to make the buttonhole. The Secrets of Knitting For Profit: Book review of a book by Liz Raad covering everything you […]