Hi Julia,
You’re knitting intarsia, stranded or fair isle colorwork and you notice that your fabric looks a little funny. Maybe some stitches seem tight while other are loose or the fabric appears puckered in places instead of laying flat. The bad news is that you probably have a problem with your tension. The good news
Read MoreHi Claire,
There are a lot of good reasons to knit with dark colors. Generally speaking, black, navy, and charcoal garments are very slimming. Dark colored yarns also hide small knitting mistakes and coordinate well with a variety color schemes. And if you’re looking for colors that appeal to guys, they are often found at the
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Twisted stitches can be a real challenge for new knitters. The problem generally arises when stitches are oriented incorrectly on the left hand needle. In figure 1 we see the traditional orientation in which the right-hand leg of each stitch is sitting toward the front of the needle. In this position working into the front
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Hi Mary,
So, you’ve been making steady project on a knitting project and it’s just about time to finish things up, but what bind-off technique should you use? There are many options to choose from, and each technique is more suited to a different type of project, but there are three main categories of techniques: traditional,
Read MoreHi Mallory,
There are many yarns that contain a variety of textures all in the same skein. Rowan Thick ‘n’ Thin, Patons Cobbles and handspuns from indie yarn makers like Happy Fuzzy Yarns all contain mix of weights and textures. You might think working with these kinds of yarns would be a challenge, but it is
Read More Hi Jamie,
Even the most experienced knitter will find slight variations in tension within his or her work from time to time. We are knitters after all, not knitting machines, and small fluctuations add an element of handcrafted charm. However, if your tension varies a great deal, then it’s time to do some problem solving. Here
Read More Hi Hannah,
Accidental increases present a challenge to new and experienced knitters alike. For those who are new to the craft, the problem is often an inability to recognize what should be the first stitch of a new row. Sometimes it is pulled out of shape making it appear as two stitches instead of one. If
Read More Hi Laura,
Vogue Knitting: The Ultimate Knitting Book defines short rows as a way “to add rows in one segment of a piece without decreasing the number of stitches on the needle.” This ability to increase the volume of fabric in selected areas can be applied to your next knitting project in interesting ways.
Customize and Improve
Dear Jennifer,
As all knitters are aware, “casting on” is the process of putting stitches on the needle. There are countless ways to do it, but you may have a favorite technique you fall back on most of the time. This might leave you wondering whether the method really makes a difference. After all, stitches are
Read More Building a large stash is easy because yarn is so addictive. Perhaps your stash is so large and unwieldy that it has become difficult to find (or remember whether you even own) the right yarn when you need it. So what’s a knitter to do? Organize!
Before you begin rearranging your yarn consider how you are
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