Knit mobius or infinity scarf. (c) Sarah E. White.
The mobius, or "infinity scarf," as the fashionable seem to call it, is a big fashion statement this winter, and with the cold weather seeming like it's going to hang around for a long time to come, there's still plenty of time to knit yourself one of these cool warmers.
The only trick to my Knit Mobius Scarf is making sure you twist the stitches on the circular needle when you join the work in the round, contrary to what you'd do any other time you're working with circular...
Suss Design Essentials by Suss Cousins. Potter Craft.
Some of this week's book reviews are stepping into the wayback machine a bit, for books that have been on my shelf way too long or classic books that were written long before I started working on this website but are still very much worth a read.
Today's book, Suss Design Essentials, may be a little difficult to find these days (I found resale copies on Amazon and you can also buy direct from the author) but it's well worth it for fans of this designer known for her ready-to-wear de...
There's something about Asian style that attracts a lot of people who live in the West. The style of Japan is particularly interesting to a lot of people, and when those people are knitters, the fiber arts of Japan are certainly alluring. From Noro to Hobu, there are some really great yarns from Japan; add in the natural, beautiful style of clothing traditionally found in the country and you've got an unbeatable combination.
That's what Tanya Alpert found when she got interested in Japanese design and Japanese yarns, and the results can be seen in her book Haiku Knits...
If you'd like to commemorate the Winter Olympics in knitting, check out this pattern for an Olympic Rings block. This is a basic Stockinette Stitch background with the Olympic rings worked in duplicate stitch.
You can use the design on a sweater or another project, or use the block in a sampler afghan to remember the games.
I have to say that I love Deborah Newton. I don't know how I haven't gotten around to reviewing her classic knitting book, Designing Knitwear, for you yet; maybe I can get to it this month.
That book has been in print for decades, but Newton is still cranking out the patterns using the design principles outlined in that book. Such is the case with Deborah Newton's Cable Collection, a set of 19 patterns, mostly for women, mostly tops, sweaters and jackets.
The patterns use cables in classic ways but al...
Special Olympics Knitting Fri, 05 Feb 2010 14:29:42 +0000 - Remember last year, when everyone was knitting blue and white scarves for the Special Olympics? This year, the Special Olympics competition in Idaho is hoping to be able to welcome participants with hand knit scarves, this time in red and gray (in particular, Red Heart Super Saver in Cherry Red and Gray Heather).
The state is expecting 650 athletes, and they're coming soon -- the Games open on March 12. If you'd like to help meet the goal, you can knit a scarf in any pattern you like using the two colors mentioned above. They'd like the scarves to be around 5 inches wide and 55 inches long, and they need to be received by March 9 in order to be ready for the opening ceremony.
Click on the link above for more information on how you can help and where to send your completed scarves. Let's help the Idaho Special Olympics meet this lofty goal!
Sensual Knits by Yahaira Ferreira. Sterling/Hollan.
A few days ago I reviewed Feminine Knits, a book that I found rather unabashedly girly in its ideas of what women like in their knits. And that's a perfectly legitimate way to go.
But Yahaira Ferreira takes a slightly different approach in her book, Sensual Knits. The patterns are still perfectly feminine and lovely, with luxury yarns to boot, but there's not a lot of lace, cables or other details that might strike you as particularly feminine. ...
Knitting in the News: Knitting for Sports, a Record and Art Thu, 04 Feb 2010 16:08:00 +0000 - Two stories this week had to do with knitting in support of sporting events. First, kids at Anderson Elementary in Vancouver knit red and white scarves to support Canada in the Olympics. More than 50 kids in the knitting club took part. And students at Walter Lee Elementary are selling red scarves to benefit an organization that helps set up sports programs for disadvantaged youth around the world.
Second, folks in Indianapolis are excited that their team is in the big game this weekend, but they're also looking forward to hosting the Super Bowl in 2012. As part of the city's effort to attract volunteers for the event, some intrepid knitters have vowed to knit a blue and white scarf for ea...
Knit 'N' Felt Bags by Bev Beattie. Trafalgar Square Press.
One of my favorite things to felt (and I've felted a lot of stuff) is bags. They're a lot of fun because you can make a bag in any color to go with any outfit, and you can make them just about any shape and size you like. It's also possible to embellish bags in a bunch of different ways, from sewing on buttons to adding embroidery or needle felting embellishments.
Knit or Crochet, Have it Your Way by Margaret Hubert. Creative Publishing International.
I'm not much of a crocheter, but there have certainly been times I wished I could crochet well enough to complete a particularly lovely project. Or, at least, that I had the crochet know-how to convert a coveted crochet pattern into something that I could knit. OK, I'm sure I could do it, it's the time issue that keeps me from it -- there are so many great things to knit already!
And the time and skill involved in converting from crochet to knitting or vice-versa is substantial, as Margaret Hubert explains in RSS feed reader provided by Magic RSS
