Despite all my admonitions, and the knowledge I have, I still sometimes make the wrong assumptions. Such is the case with last week’s knitting project. I really just wanted to test my calculations, but I didn’t do a gauge swatch. I am reporting this to you because I think it is easy to get cocky….
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Spring 2018 Colors for Fashion
The reports are in for Spring 2018 Colors for fashion from New York and London Show. I’m sure I’ve said it before, it doesn’t matter what you think of them, they are what will be showing up in the months ahead. It is a matter of how they are use that will end up being…
Using the Japanese Knitting Stitch Bible
The stitch patterns in The Japanese Knitting Stitch Bible book are incredible, although mostly not completely unique. If you like charted knitting patterns I think this would be $16.95 you shouldn’t hesitate to spend. If you need written instructions, you are going to be challenged. This isn’t insurmountable. but you will need to fully digest…
Buttons and Buttonholes on Your Knits
Buttons and knits are such a great combination, that I thought I had a blog post about this, but apparently I haven’t spoken about buttons yet. Buttons as Perfect But Imperfect Closures Although they seem like perfect companions, there is often a pulling/gaping issue with buttons and buttonholes. Buttonholes in knits aren’t always stable, and…
Alterknit: Two-Color Knitting Updated
I am not a two-color knitting person. I like it fine, but I just don’t get my best knitting feelings from it. So I do it very, very seldom. When I was offered AlterKnit Stitch Dictionary by Andrea Rangel to review I jumped at it because it is outside my usual focus. AlterKnit: A New Look…
Listening to the Universe
I’m not sure why it seems like I should be listening to the universe now, when it is completely not my inclination to do so, but here I am. Listening to the Universe. I’ve kind of been doing it more than usual, trying to figure out where I’m going, but for some reason, what the…
Pattern Preferences, the Survey!
Pattern Preferences, the survey, closed yesterday. As always, I learned interesting things, some of which I thought you might be interested in knowing as well. I recognized a lot of the people who took the survey, and not surprisingly, some were other designers and tech editors who are taking or have taken courses from me….
When Three Times is Just Enough
There was just enough information in the amount of text I could see of the email on my phone that I decided not to delete it. When you have your own website, you get all sorts of contacts, solicitations, emails you cannot stop coming, and occasionally an intriguing request. Mitch and I had returned only…
Double Decreases and Increases Distort Fabric
Double decreases and increases and how they distort fabric sounds pretty ominous, doesn’t it? These decreases and increases are often used in knitting for texture and surface interest. They are used to create the undulations in lace, and they can do other wonderful shaping things as well. I’ve been working on a Eventide, a sweater…
We Need a Diversion Right Now
We need a diversion from all the news. Whatever your feelings might be, this is a lot to have coming at you all at once. I want to be on top of all that is happening, but at the same time, well I need a diversion to keep my sanity. I am quite happy I…
Filling the Well: Actions You Can Take
Filling the well is an expression I used in my creative classes at FIDM to talk about how to managing creative energy. From the outside it seems like creativity is something that just exists—that you are creative, or not. In that vein, I am sometimes asked whether I can actually teach someone to be creative….
Binding Off Within a Row
How can the instruction for binding off within a row be made clearer to the knitter? I’ve found a way that works for me. I need to have every stitch accounted for in the instruction, but when you are binding off within a row, some stitches have a dual role. Why There is Confusion When…
