12/24/2015

Happy Holidays - Top 10 Posts 2015

12/24/2015
Happy Holidays - Top 10 Posts 2015
To all of you, a safe and happy holiday season! See you back here in the New Year, January 5th. Until then, enjoy the top 10 posts of 2015.



Top 20 Posts | Click on image below for posts

12/18/2015

Needlecrafts - Knit, Child's Play | Poncho with Hood

12/18/2015
Needlecrafts - Knit -Child's Play
Lanas Katia free pattern
Who can resist this adorable and quick to knit poncho with a hood. This is definitely a garment that a child will love to wear. Any garment easy to put on, take off and layer for added warmth is ideal for school recesses and outdoor play. The suggested super bulky yarn makes it a winner for both experienced and beginning knitters. So bring out the yarn during the holiday break and knit a poncho for a special wee one !

12/10/2015

Needlecraft - Knit, 5 Folksy Fair Isles

12/10/2015
Needlecrafts - Knit - 5 Folksy Fair Isles
Free patterns for all 5 garments | read further for link(s) under each image
Time to reinvent the traditional, old-time styles for bright, contemporary counterparts that will have you reaching for your needles this winter. Fair Isle knits are definitely on our fashion radar right now. Traditional Scottish pattern - multicolored bands of geometric shapes rendered in sizzling colors. The cardigan and pullover styles in sophisticated color palettes and modern silhouettes have a more bohemian flavor, definitely what's in-store these days. So check out the 5 colorful picks that made the cut!. Look for helpful videos which show easy techniques for knitting fair isle bands with 2 colors and how to deal with long floats. From classic double knitting to worsted yarn weights, there are five easy pieces to consider for your wardrobe.

12/04/2015

Needlecrafts - Knit, Up In Arms in Stitches

12/04/2015
Needlecrafts - Knit, How to Arm Knit
Blanket pattern | free pattern available here Premier Yarns - Couture Jazz | available for purchase here
Simply Maggie | How to Arm Knit a Blanket in 45 Minutes
When I first saw the arm knitting craze happening, I have to admit I wasn't impressed. Quickie ideas for knitting have come and gone in the past. One such fad was the "Condo Pattern". Sales of 12mm needles hit the roof to supply knitters wanting to make this open stitch pullover. At the time, I was working for a chain of yarn shops and, of course, we had to publish several patterns with this design to support our in-house brand yarns. Everybody was ecstatic with the results until it came time to wash the garments. Not everyone was careful with these very open and very loose knits. So, you guessed it, they stretched beyond belief, and you can see why I thought "Oh yeah another form of condo knitting!". But inevitably, cruising the web, I came across the blanket featured in the first photo and I was taken aback at how this design looked so finished and well made. I became a believer again. Really heavy yarn helps to fill in spaces, as shown in the second image but doubling bulky yarn and keeping the "arm gauge" consistent and tight helps to maintain an even fabric and, therefore, a beautiful finish. Finger knitting is a great way to get kids to understand and develop a love for knitting. Be sure to see several small accessory projects for arm knitting and very helpful tutorials and videos to get you started.