Confident Knitting Video Tutorials

We have twelve new techniques, twelve patterns from twelve fabulous designers, twelve sets of photo and video tutorials, and most importantly, twelve opportunities for you to experience the joy of learning something new!

Confident Knitting is a completely self-contained programme that will grow your skills and build your confidence in your knitting.

Our online shop may be closed, but our books continue to be available from Purlescence (UK), Modern Daily Knitting (USA) and Strickmich (EU). Digital patterns and ebooks are available from Ravelry: A-C Techniques on Ravelry

MARCH

We are kicking off our year of gaining confidence, and learning new techniques in our knitting, with a super-elegant trick – the folded hem. Martina Behm’s lovely Flux Hand Warmers start with a folded hem, there is a video to show the lifted increases used at the thumb gusset, and they are finished with a stretchy cast off on the hand and thumb, You’ll find video tutorials for all three techniques below, along with links to the launch blog post, where to buy yarn and our knitalong topic. We hope you will enjoy this month’s design!

APRIL

With lace stitch patterns, you want to ensure that the shape of the stitches is shown off to its best, and taking time over the blocking process is the best way to get the most out of your knitting. Blocking at its simplest is just washing and drying your knitted fabric, but with lace it is utterly transformative. This month’s Evolve Cowl by Hunter Hammersen will allow you to practice a really clever method for blocking cylinders – either with wires and pins, or simple household objects.

You’ll find video tutorials for both blocking techniques below, along with links to the launch blog post, where to buy yarn and our knitalong topic. We hope you will have fun with blocking!

MAY

When and how to catch floats in your stranded colourwork is a subject that can provoke much debate among knitters. This month’s tutorial talks about the considerations around when to catch your floats as well as step by step instructions on how to catch your yarns in, without disrupting the flow of your knitting. The photo tutorial that accompanies Janette Budge’s Variance Hat includes a full photo tutorial on catching floats with both yarns held in your right hand AND for holding one yarn in each hand.

You’ll find video tutorials for catching your floats below, along with links to the launch blog post, where to buy yarn and our knitalong topic. We hope you will have fun with this beautiful pattern!

If you hold both yarns in your left hand for stranded colourwork, then do watch one of the videos above for the general information. But then watch this video from Voolenvine for how to catch floats with both yarns held in the left hand.

JUNE

I have to admit that embroidery is a technique that in the past, I have found a bit intimidating. I think it stems from the fact that you don’t do the technique with knitting needles! If it feels outside of your comfort zone too, then don’t worry – it turns out that you can embellish your knitting in spectacular ways with very little effort.

This month’s design is the Patina Scarf by Jeanette Sloan, and this is the perfect introduction to embroidering your knitting as it only uses 3 different stitches. And if French knots feel a little beyond you, they could easily be replaced with beads. The following video tutorials will walk you through each step of adding beautiful embellishment to your knits.

I hope that having watched these videos you will feel really confident in adding simple embroidery stitches to your knitting projects. There is a lot of embroidery inspiration out there at the moment!

The following videos are also helpful for the Patina Scarf:

JULY

Vikkel braids are those pretty rounds of horizontal stitches that frame the colourwork cuff of Lily Kate France’s Burnished Mittens. They are a handy technique for adding interest to knitted fabric.

The video below takes you though how to work both one- and two-colour Vikkel braids. You can jump to the section you require using the chapters that you will find by hovering over the timebar on the video screen.

The following videos may also be helpful for completing your Burnished Mittens:

AUGUST

Reversible cables are a magic trick to keep both sides of your fabric looking stunning!

Our tutorial video below will show you how to work both of the cables used in this design, taking you stepwise through the process.

SEPTEMBER

The garter stitch short-row heel is a super-versatile heel construction since it can be worked in exactly the same way from the cuff down or toe up. Perfect for a special skein of self-striping yarn with a contrast mini. The Feet Firmly on the Ground colourway shown above is only available in the Confident Knitting Autumn Kit, but we have a number of other suitable Fab Funky Fibres colourways available in the online shop.

The video tutorial below will take you through each step of your garter stitch short-row heel.

The following video tutorials may also come in handy for these socks:

OCTOBER

Mosaic knitting is a really clever technique that results in a fabric that resembles stranded colourwork, but you only knit with one colour at a time. It’s no more difficult than knitting stripes! Marceline’s mitts use the deliciously sheepy Jamieson & Smith Shetland Supreme Jumper Weight in three shades. Alternatively you could also use J&S 2ply Jumper Weight if you wanted a brighter colour palette with which to play…

The following video tutorial takes you through the process of mosaic knitting when working flat and in the round.

Marceline suggests an alternating cable cast on for these mitts. This method gives a nice stretchy edge! The following video tutorial will walk you through the process.

NOVEMBER

Modular knitting is the process of knitting together geometric shapes to create larger pieces of fabric. There are many ways in which to achieve this aim, and this month’s design, the Findhorn Wrap by Emily K. Williams, uses a yarn over joining method. The following video tutorial shows you in detail how the joining technique works. The wrap uses five shades of Coop Knits Socks Yeah! 4ply yarn – two main shades which require 2 x 50g skeins each, and three contrast shades which each require 1 x 50g skein. There are plenty of shades to choose from!

We also have a bonus video this month, showing you how to make a Russian join. This is a brilliant technique for changing yarns in situations where you want to have both sides of the fabric visible. It’s also particularly suitable for superwash and other non-felting yarns.

DECEMBER

This month’s design is a cracker! The Stellar Hat by Gudrun Johnston is the perfect canvas for experimenting with colour, and what’s more? It will teach you a clever method for adding some stretch to your cast-on edge for ribbing. The hat uses Jamieson & Smith 2ply Jumper Weight, and you’ll need 2 or 3 balls of main colour plus a ball each of two contrast colours. We have a whopping 73 shades to choose from!

JANUARY

What better way to see in the new year than with some fun and funky new cushions to jazz up your living room? The Saturnus Cushions by Jimenez Joseph are the perfect canvas for exploring grab stitches, a unique way to add surface texture to your knits! Knit up in hand-dyed yarn from Third Vault Yarns, these cushions are out of this world!

This month we also have a bonus tutorial on mattress stitch for seaming up your cushion!

February

The February Confident Knitting pattern is snuggly and full of gorgeous details! The Prime Blanket by Carol Feller is an heirloom-quality blanket that will look equally at home in the nursery or the living room. It features an allover basketweave stitch, a sweet pocket and beautiful i-cord finishing, which brings us to this month’s technique: the i-cord cast off. This month we have two tutorials for you. The first shows you how to pick up stitches along your blanket’s edge in preparation for the i-cord cast off.

And the second shows how to work this tidy cast off.