Elizabeth Zimmerman’s call to knit mittens in May — taking time to enjoy the knitting, rather than rushing to prevent cold hands — couldn’t be more fitting for the fun we’ve been having over in our Boost Your Knitting KAL this month. We’ve been exploring the joys of the tidy tubular cast on and working up Sarah Hatton’s terrifically textured Totally Tubular Mittens.
Read moreFour reasons to love the tubular cast on (+ a video tutorial that shows you how to do it)
This month’s Boost Your Knitting project is all about mastering the tubular cast on in the round. I’ve waxed lyrical about my love of the tubular cast on in the past, but if I still haven’t convinced you to give it a go, here are four reasons you should take the plunge (it’s easy – I’ll show you how).
Read moreTexture Talk with Sarah Hatton
May’s Boost Your Knitting pattern is the Totally Tubular Mittens, designed by texture goddess Sarah Hatton. The mitten’s 1x1 rib cuff begins with a tubular cast on in the round – the technique we’re mastering this month – from which charming mock cables grow. Sarah is a prolific designer who loves to use interesting textures to make timeless wardrobe staples. You’ll recognise her designs from The Knitter Magazine (where she and Jen first met), Simply Knitting, Rowan, West Yorkshire Spinners … the list goes on! And of course, she also created a beautiful pattern for A Year of Techniques: the Yellow Wagtail Scarf. And Sarah was kind enough to take time out for a little chat with here on the blog!
Read moreUpcoming Festivals + Wool@J13 Giveaway!
Festival season is well and truly upon us, and we’ll be at several wool shows over the coming months! As a mainly online business, it is always such a treat to venture out of the office and meet old and new friends at yarn-y events!
Read moreThe unignored projects...
I didn’t get completely side-tracked over the Easter holidays! I worked on the projects that most needed my attention, and stayed pretty faithful to my Sterlyn Shawl and Briochevron Wrap. I cast off my Sterlyn not long after we got back from Wales, and the Briochevron is one of those projects that I just need to pick up and do regularly. It will get there eventually! There were heaps of photos of Sterlyns in yesterday’s post, and mine looks much like those – if you’d like to see mine, click the link above to head over to my Ravelry project page.
Read moreApril showers bring ... finished lace!
Well that was fun! Our April Boost Your Knitting KAL has officially come to an end, but what a month it was! Joji Locatelli’s sterling Sterlyn Shawl had knitters all fired up about fixing mistakes in lace – the finished results, I think you’ll agree, are stunning! So many shawls, with plenty of cameo appearances of spring flowers!
Read moreFive Fab Patterns to Knit with Aran Yarn
This spring, I’m thinking of skipping my dalliance with warmer weather knitting altogether, and working ahead on some projects to wear next autumn. If you’re in the Northern Hemisphere, spring can be a great time to snag some deals on Aran weight wool — we’ve got several jumpers-worth of Jamieson & Smith Shetland Aran, for instance, on sale for just £2.40 a ball! And of course, our friends in the Southern Hemisphere are starting to feel cooler temps, perfect for knitting something thick and cozy. Here’s five knits I love that would look great in J&S Aran, Something to Knit With Aran, or any other Aran weight yarn of your choosing!
Read moreTubular cast on in the round and the Totally Tubular Mittens
Buckle up folks! This month’s technique is one that I absolutely ADORE. I’m sure that I’ve bored you all to tears with this story already, but when I first learned about the tubular cast-on method I was so blown away by it that my excitement kept me awake that night. And not only was I feeling excited about it, but I also woke Jim up to tell him how excited I was by this new-to-me cast-on method. I think it’s safe to say that he didn’t share my enthusiasm at the time.
Read moreBe the boss of your knitting: fixing mistakes in lace
Every knitter has been there … you’re happily working away, watching your beautiful knitting grow when you spot it: a mistake. Maybe it’s two rows back. Maybe it’s twenty. Maybe you can live with it, but maybe it’s noticeable enough that it’s going to bug you. Today’s video tutorial will show you how to fix pesky mistakes in your lace knitting – with no frogging required!
Read moreBoost Your Knitting April Knitalong: The Halfway Point
It’s a bit hard to believe, but April is halfway over, and our monthly Boost Your Knitting KAL is well underway in our Ravelry group, with new lace projects springing up everyday and a few coming out of winter hibernation! It’s been amazing to see not just what everyone’s creating, but also the gusto with which many have embraced the fixing mistakes brief — with knitters fearlessly unraveling problem lace sections and even bravely dropping down mistake-free bits of knitting to practice the technique!
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