We have had a busy few days, and all of the print copies of Something New to Learn About Lace have now been shipped, so hopefully parcels will start landing on doormats very shortly. I am looking forward to casting on for a Nissolia shawl very shortly. In the meantime, here is the next in our video tutorial series...
Read moreVideo: Using Lifelines in your Lace Knitting
Do you know that horrible feeling you get when you look down at your knitting and realise that you've made a big mistake, and it's too far back to just unknit a row or two? I certainly do! Many people think that as you get more experienced at knitting, you stop making mistakes, but that's absolutely not the case! I think it was the Yarn Harlot who said that experienced knitters just make bigger mistakes more quickly, and she's ABSOLUTELY right!
Read moreJoy from the Everyday – The Knitsonik Stranded Colourwork System
There is a great temptation sometimes to doubt one's own ability and for many, me included, this is often around design and use of colour. But fear not! Help is at hand.
You may have been lucky enough to have taken one of Felicity (Felix) Ford's classes, and if you have, you will undoubtedly have been filled with her boundless enthusiasm for the potential of just about anything as a source of inspiration for design. We love spending time with Felix (above) because she sees the world differently from us and can communicate how she sees things so clearly that we cannot help but have our eyes opened to the possibilities.
Read moreVideo: Garter Tab Cast-On Method
The garter tab cast-on method is a really clever way to start a triangular shawl. It allows you to set up your knitting in three perpendicular directions, without an obvious start or finish. The video below shows you exactly how to work the cast on, starting with a provisional crochet cast on, working through the garter tab and then picking up the stitches around the edges of the tab. This is the cast-on method I've used in my Bithynica shawl, shown above.
Read moreCables to tempt you...
I can't believe that the Cables Knitalong is nearly over. We will be awarding prizes sometime next week (along with shipping pre-orders of Something New to Learn About Lace – it's going to be a busy week!). We have had a great time encouraging each other along with our cabled projects, and sharing successes and disappointments along the way. Somehow, having to rip back some knitting isn't quite so bad when you've got a virtual room full of friends to commiserate with you.
I thought I would share just a few of the many beautiful projects that have appeared in the group over the last couple of months. This is just a taster, so do pop over and see for yourself. It's a great way of getting new project ideas! Clicking on any of the images will take you to their project pages so that you can see where the pattern is from, and which yarns people have used, oh and add the projects to your favourites of course!
Read moreVideo: Using stitch markers in lace knitting
Stitch markers are one of the most useful tools in knitting. Whether you're keeping track of shaping elements in a garment, or establishing a lace pattern, these simple rings, or even just a loop of waste yarn, can instantly make a pattern more straightforward.
The video below is the second in our Something New to Learn About Lace series, and explains how to use stitch markers to keep track of your lace knitting.
Read moreBithynica shawl by Jen Arnall-Culliford
I love a big cosy triangular shawl! And I love designing in green. So perhaps it's no surprise that I designs a big cosy green triangular shawl for Something New to Learn About Lace...
Read moreSome knitting for fun, and a hiccup
It was probably inevitable, but because I finally have time to knit for me, I've got over-excited and my RSI has flared up. It has left me feeling rather glum, as knitting is my main self-care activity, and I'm a bit at sea as to how to recharge myself without it. I haven't had any significant RSI since we became parents (mostly because my knitting time was cut so drastically), so I think I shall have to find some complex, subtitled, Scandinavian dramas on Netflix that I would normally struggle to knit and watch at the same time!
In the meantime, here's what I got up to...
Read moreVideo: Working Yarn Overs
Today we are kicking off our series of how-to videos that accompany Something New to Learn About Lace. The first video takes you through working a yarn over – which is the basis of most lace patterning. The video starts with working a yarn over between two knits, and then between two purls, before moving on to working yarn overs between and knit and a purl, and finally between a purl and a knit.
Read moreNissolia shawl by Martina Behm
Knitting-designer-genius comes in different guises. Martina Behm's Nissolia shawl, that I'm revealing today, embodies her signature simple but clever approach. Martina is definitely a knitting-designer-genius.
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