Today I thought I'd share what's in my work-horse notions pouch and why. Of course I have lots of notions and tools and needles stashed away for specialty tasks, but this one pouch is the one I alway grab when I'm on the go. It contains 90% of what I need for just about all … Continue reading Necessary Notions!
I wrote previously about picking up stitches at the edges of a heel flap--a bugaboo for many knitters. The story there was to make a 1 stitch garter edge on both sides and then just pick up the purl "bumps". Easy-peasey! Problem solved! Well...for sock heel flaps, anyway. But what if you have some other … Continue reading Another Kind of Pick-up
In knitting-speak an F.O. is a Finished Object and especially if it has been a long time in the works we tend to crow about them. Here's my F.O. of the week: my Torqued Blocks Wrap. You saw its humble beginnings when I played around with the old Tilting Blocks pattern in a previous post … Continue reading Design Inspiration: F.O.
A while back I started some socks with some gorgeous glacier colored yarn from one of my Indie Dyer supporters, WN Yarns. I tell ya, these socks just flew off my needles. Between watching the yarn progress in its colors and developing a pretty easy but still engaging pattern, these were a super fast knit. … Continue reading Design Inspiration: Dye Job, cont.
Knitting socks top down is all hunky-dory and easy as its a simple tube until you get to the heel. That's when a bit of engineering comes in. You must sufficiently accommodate that part of the human anatomy while also still maintaining comfort. And if you can provide a cushioning or slightly thicker surface for … Continue reading Heel Flaps: lots of options
Once you're a knitter you also start collecting yarn, supplies and, inevitably, knitting books. Many are simply collections of patterns for specific items, often assembled by a designer or a knitting magazine. If you're looking for an authentic pattern for Turkish socks, well, there's a book for that. These books fill a definite niche, of … Continue reading Essential Knitting Books
I tell ya, I love a good stitch pattern. They stick with me and I mull them over. One that called out to me a while back is good ol' Tilting Blocks. I love this sort of pattern: strategically placed increases and decreases create a natural zig-zag torque to the knitted fabric once a few … Continue reading Design Inspiration: Patterns, cont.
My favorite heel type is the heel flap; classic and versatile. You can do a lot with the good ole' heel flap (different lengths, different patterns, different yarn) but many folks are stymied by the fact that you have to pick up new live stitches on either edge: what do I pick up? Do I … Continue reading Pick-ups don’t have to be scary
Last time I wrote about getting inspiration from a particular knitting pattern that existed in some form already. This week I'm blogging about designing a sock pattern based on my excitement about a particular yarn and its stunning color. Indie yarn dyers are awesome and I follow many on social media. One of my longtime … Continue reading Design Inspiration: Dye Job
I often get asked how I come up with my ideas so I thought I'd start a series of posts about my design process. I get inspiration all over the place and the process can be a quick one, taking a week or two, or it can span many years before it finally comes to … Continue reading Design Inspiration: Patterns
