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…
project
Kitchen Scale as a Knitting Tool: Weigh the Options
Using a kitchen scale can save you from “do I have enough yarn” syndrome. I have two scales, both digital, one about 10 years sold, and another that I bought this year. The older one is about to be retired because it has become fairly unreliable and so I find myself doing all my weighing…
Holly Chayes, Shawl Geometry Series
This month I’m talking to Holly Chayes, a knitwear designer. Holly is also the author of Shawl Geometry series, a 3-volume series of books that will tell you everything you want to know about making the shawl shapes you want to make! First published in 2013, Holly has revised and expanded the series to make it…
My First Sewing Project (in 20 years)
I’ve done some other sewing in the past 12 months, but this is my first sewing project for me, so really it is the one that counts! I pulled out my sewing machine in my determination to create a pair of jeans that would fit Mitch. That was a project that I did on Sundays…
Yarn Play Date (No Shopping!)
This post is about a yarn play date, and why you should have one. I’ve been playing with a lot of different yarn and ideas since we entered 2018. I’ve got my ongoing Anzula yarn reviews which have me looking at a different yarn each month. We did two in January to cover the release…
Will This Yarn Work for This Project?
The question most of us have when we pick up a yarn, or pick a project we want to make is “Will this yarn work for this”? I love to swatch, so I am always trying things out and have come up with a formula for getting a sense of a yarn, but quite honestly,…
Using the 2018 Project Planning Sheet
I got a query yesterday about getting some tips and techniques on using the 2018 Project Planners. If you are like me, doing it right, and making it pretty sometimes get in the way of the use, which is why I just made it a download. My advice, just use them, and worry about how…
Arriving at the Gift-Giving Finish Line
Do you have gift-giving finish line goals? I know many of you make things for gifts, and it can get pretty stressful trying to get the finish line and the deadline to match. There is nothing worse than having to finish up after the climax is reached. Talk about anti-climactic. This is why I don’t…
Challenge Yourself To Try New Things
How often do you challenge yourself to try new things? This week I decided that I would try a different method for making the toe of a sock. I’m not completely satisfied with what I’ve done—and I can always tell when I’m not because I quit working on something, even though I want to—but by…
How Do Small Actions Add Up to A Thing
Small actions can add up to completing a large thing. We all know this. It is hard to think about all the small actions though. Personally, I love making lists of things, but as soon as they get too detailed, I am pretty sure to freak out. In Knitting Comfortably, Carson says we never think…
A Swatch is Sublime, It Even Saves Time
A Swatch is Sublime? How can taking extra time to knit something you will not otherwise use, save time? This intriguing step is so often overlooked! I was talking to a former Editor I used to work with. We had a pretty wide ranging conversation, mostly around knitting. Sublime Swatch Conversation The Editor says she’s not…
Now Self May Be The Hardest Self
Why is the Now self the hardest? It is the one that gets us into all kinds of trouble. It forgets to do things for our Future self, and often has to ignore our True self. The Now self takes all the flack and incoming from all the things in our lives that seem to…
