Knitting efficiencies surpass shortcuts as a strategy because they really work! Your efficiencies might differ from mine, but let me walk you through a pattern, then see if you see ways to make your process more efficient in ways that work for you. I don’t know, but I love thinking about what I’m going to…
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Refreshing News! New Patterns on the Horizon
Refreshing News from Jill Wolcott Knits! After a hiatus of a couple of months, I’m doing a blog, and releasing new patterns! Plus, I’m teaching a class on Yarnpreneur.com. If you’ve been following me, you know that I overthink almost everything. I decided to rework my pattern layout about two years ago, and we are…
Yarn and Stitch Pattern, and You
We had to get to yarn and stitch pattern eventually! This pairing is what we want to solve most, but is actually a fairly difficult topic to address. I’ve been looking at the make up of yarn to better identify why some yarns work and some don’t. I’ve introduced fiber content, fiber processing, ply, twist,…
Relationship Formula for Non-Math-y Knitters
The relationship formula is called other things, but I think if you aren’t a math person, it is better to describe what it is doing. I use it a lot: figuring new stitch counts, finding size relationship numbers, calculating yardage, weight, or other measurements. I use it so much I should have a spreadsheet for…
Unorthodox Approach to Blocking
Today Mitch caught me employing an unorthodox approach to wet blocking. I put a swatch I’ve been working on into a bath this morning, and then moved on to working on projects in my office. A while later (the water was still warm-ish), Mitch commented that he didn’t think he’d ever seen the needles go…
Jill Wolcott Knits Patterns GAL 2017, Part 2
What you need to know about the Jill Wolcott Knits Patterns in the GAL 2017, part 2: the second eight! Begin with the Left side, top to bottom. Below the photo collage you will find the yarn used, the needles, the gauge needed, and the sizes. To look at the pattern page on Ravelry, click on…
GAL 2017 Jill Wolcott Knits Patterns, Part 1
What you need to know about the GAL 2017 Jill Wolcott Knits Patterns, part 1, the first five! Begin with the Center image next to the yarn ball on the collage and work around counter-clockwise. You can see the yarn used, the needles, the gauge needed, and the sizes. Esperance Cowl Yarn Sock Civility…
Adjusting For Lisse Hat In Croquet
I made the Lisse Hat in Croquet months ago. If I had notes, I am not sure where they are! I don’t have the unblocked gauge. This is what you need to do to take the pattern as written and make adjustments for the Lisse Hat In Croquet. Just for fun, I’ve added in an…
When Your Assumptions are Wrong
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….
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….
Row Gauge Questions Answered
Here your row gauge questions will be answered! Row gauge can rear its head whenever you are working a pattern in anything beyond a two-row stitch pattern. Sometimes it is nearly irrelevant, other times, it is a huge potential issue. You may not have given a lot of thought to row gauge questions, but here…
Row Gauge, Blocked and Unblocked
Row gauge is bound to come up whenever knitting professionals are in a conversation. I can almost predict how it will come up, and of course I know what my response will be. But unlike stitch gauge, row gauge is a little less clear-cut. It is difficult to match row gauge, so having some tools…
