It's obvious that many things pique my interest and inspire me; I've already blogged about particular knitting stitch patterns or striking indie dyed yarns. If I look back far enough at my designs, it's also clear that I keep on gravitating back to a generalized ethnic esthetic, often with central European roots. Which is no … Continue reading Colorwork with a twist; an overview
An important part of my crafting has in recent years has involved posting and reading others' posts on social media. Such a source of inspiration and great way to meet new friend and learn about their crafts or share tips or just be supportive. Recently I was amazed and envious of the exquisite little handmade … Continue reading Bottle Cap Pincushions: Guest Artist Anne Schmidt tutorial
Sometimes your knitted or crocheted F.O. cries out for a little more, well, something. You certainly don't want to detract from all of the hard work you put into your piece, but maybe it could just use a little pizazz to draw the eye here or there. That something may just be a tassel and, … Continue reading Make a Simple Tassel
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.
