It's my favourite time of year -- I'm no longer the only person wearing and washing woolen items. Today I'll discuss 3 tips for caring for items that are made with wool. While this post is written mostly geared to knit socks, it does apply to other woolen items. A future post will discuss both short … [Read more...] about 3 tips for washing wool
technique
knitting stripes, a tip to “carry up”
The first time I worked a project in stripes I was confused what it meant to "carry up". How did I do that? My sole reference book at the time simply stated: "Wrap the working yarn around the other yarn(s) every 2-3cm (1in). Make sure the yarns do not pull."[1] Did I twist the yarns together to the … [Read more...] about knitting stripes, a tip to “carry up”
Fixing Mistakes
If you look closely at my progress on the High Sierra Shawl in my last post, you'll see that the edge looks different from other samples. I read the instructions and intended to follow them, but my fingers did what they wanted. My eyes warned me it wasn't correct, but I was too excited by the … [Read more...] about Fixing Mistakes
stitch rhythm
Has this happened to you? You fall in love with a yarn and a stitch pattern and are determined to stay the course even when it's obvious they're not a good match? Perhaps the yarn is too variegated for the stitch, or it doesn't work for the yarn structure, or it's not the right stitch for the maker … [Read more...] about stitch rhythm
the importance of swatching for gauge
Every week, I swatch for fun. But sometimes I need to swatch for gauge. While my fundamental swatches have flexible criteria as to what makes them effective tools, I make sure to work my gauge swatches diligently. There are some truths that are universal for both knit and crochet gauge swatches. … [Read more...] about the importance of swatching for gauge
The Apple-A-Day Blog Hop: apple (cores) for the teacher
While I've quilted, it was many years ago. While I've done a bit of English Paper Piecing, it was for hexagons and before I had a chance to read Diane's book. When the schedule to sign up for this blog hop went around I purposely chose a week that I knew would challenge me. I love curves, but I've … [Read more...] about The Apple-A-Day Blog Hop: apple (cores) for the teacher