Knitting Daily : Knitting Daily

Never Enough Accessories!

Kathleen Cubley — Wed, 22 May 2013 12:00:00 GMT


	Vaudeville Shawl by Grace Akhrem

	Amodda Socks by Rachel Coopey

"The only thing that separates us from the animals is our ability to accessorize." —Clairee Belcher, from the movie Steel Magnolias

I watched that movie a few weeks ago; there are so many good lines in it, but the accessorizing line is one of my favorites. Even though some people do dress up their pets, accessories are really a human phenomenon. And as knitters, we know that they're the icing on the cake.

We might enjoy knitting sweaters in the cooler months of the year, but most of us have little goodies on our needles all year round. I know I do! In fact, I just finished a pair of Turkish Bed Socks, which are little footies that are perfect for wearing with Danskos, my favorite footwear. The instep starts lower on the top of the foot in this pattern, so the socks don't poke out of the shoes very much, if at all.

I decided I'm going to knit several pairs of these this summer so I have a footie wardrobe when shoe-weather starts next fall.

Are you ready to start on some summer knitting? As luck would have it, the new issue of Knitscene Accessories is here, so you can fill your queue with fun, fab accessory knitting for the summer, too!


So Faux Cowl by Amy Keeler

Riga Bonnet by Allyson Dykhuizen


Bow and Arrow Hat by Andrea Babb

Here are editors Lisa Shroyer and Amy Palmer to introduce the issue.

In this, the second issue of Knitscene Accessories, designer Caitlin ffrench asks the question: How many knitted things is too many to wear at once? I'd like to expand on that question with this one: How many knitted things is too many?

This is a not a question any knitter should try to answer.

As functional as hats and mitts and scarves are, we don't make them because we need them. We make them because we love making them. We love the yarn, the process, the cable charts, the pastime thrown in the bottom of a reusable grocery bag as we move from A to B on the subway.

Someone asked me recently, how can you keep putting out more patterns? Hasn't everything been done? And the answer, in a sense, is yes. Everything has been done.

As editors of a knitting magazine, though, it is our job to find the people who are doing old things in new ways, or old things in old ways that are newly exciting.

Take Allyson Dykhuizen's bonnet-styled earflap hat with its Latvian braids. Is this a traditional knit? Is it contemporary? Is it childish or funky or hip or beautiful? You decide. One thing's sure—it's interesting. It looks great with locks of hair waving out from under it. And it's really fun to knit.

Or take Amy Keefer's leopard-print cowl. It uses stranded colorwork, an old technique, and a kitschy faux animal pattern to make something fetching and coyly modern.

That's our job here. We find the designers, we choose the projects, we plan the photography that presents those projects at their best and adds stylistic context to them.

You take it from here. You can knit all thirty-three projects, and guess what? That still wouldn't be too many! Knit your heart out.

—Lisa and Amy, from Knitscene Accessories, 2013

My answer to the "how much is too much" question comes from another movie: "To infinity and beyond!" (Toy Story).

Order your copy of Knitscene Accessories today, or download it right now! And get knittin'!

Cheers,

P.S. Are you an avid accessory-knitter? Leave a comment and tell us what your favorite little knit is!

Knitting a Dahlia

Kathleen Cubley — Mon, 20 May 2013 12:00:00 GMT


The Dahlia Cardigan by Heather Zoppetti

One of my favorite flowers is the dahlia and one of my all-time favorite cardigan knitting patterns is the Dahlia Cardigan by Heather Zoppetti, which originally appeared in Interweave Knits, Fall 2011. I love the drape in front, the decorative leaf detail on the sleeves, and most of all, the fabulous square of lace on the back.

This sweater is certainly beautiful to wear, but it's so much fun to knit, too. The construction is unique: the lace square is knit first. Stitches are bound off along the upper and lower edges of the panel, leaving live stitches on the two sides.

The rest of the back fabric is worked in two sections that start in the middle and work out, incorporating the live lace panel stitches. A section of stitches worked with waste yarn on either side mark the position of the armholes. The fronts are simple continuations of the back stitches, still worked from side to side.

Finally, the waste yarn marking the afterthought sleeve openings are snipped, stitches are picked up on either side, and the sleeves are worked in the round from the top down. The only seaming this sweater needs in the end is to sew the bound-off top and bottom edges of the lace panel into the back fabric. Very clever!

Sounds easy, and guess what? It is!


	Sheila's beautiful Dahlia Cardigan

My friend Sheila knit the Dahlia Cardigan a couple of years ago (see photo at right), from a subtly variegated cotton/alpaca blend. She really enjoyed knitting the cardigan, but she did say that it was a lot of stockinette knitting that took quite awhile because she used size 4 needles. It was worth it, though, and Sheila wears her Dahlia Cardi a lot.

A Different Way to Cast-On

The Dahlia Cardigan pattern suggests using the crochet provisional cast-on to start the lace panel. It starts with just four stitches, immediately increased to eight on the first row, and then you're instructed to divide the stitches onto four DPNs and begin the lace chart. When the sweater is complete, you carefully remove the waste yarn from the provisional crochet cast-on, thread the tail on a tapestry needle, draw the tail through the four original stitches, pull tight, and weave in the tail.

I thought maybe this whole process could be simplified by substituting a little-known but really handy cast-on: Emily Ocker's Circular Cast-On. Here's how you do it:

Emily Ocker's Circular Cast-On

This technique comes from Elizabeth Zimmermann's Knitter's Almanac (Dover, 1981). Make a simple loop of yarn with the short end hanging down (Figure 1). With a crochet hook, *draw a loop through main loop, then draw another loop through this loop (Figure 2). Repeat from * for each stitch to be cast on (Figure 3). After several inches have been worked, pull on the short end (shown by arrow) to tighten the loop and close the circle.

Using this Emily's cast-on, all you would have to do is weave in the tail after you get a few inches into the lace panel. I really like the idea of not having to pull out the provisional cast-on at the end of the project—what if you dropped some stitches? Horrors!

Anyway, it's always fun to try a new cast-on!

Get the Dahlia Cardigan pattern today, along with many more patterns and great knitting information, in Interweave Knits Fall 2011.

Cheers,

P.S. P.S. Have you leared a new cast-on recently? Share it with us below in the comments!

Learn How to Photograph Your Knitting

Kathleen Cubley — Sat, 18 May 2013 12:00:00 GMT


Chicken hat by Gale Zucker

Do you wish your photos of yarn, knits, and crafts were swoon-worthy? Do you want to feel more confident with your camera in hand? So do I!

My photography skills aren't what I wish they were; I want my knits to look as good in photos as they do in real life, and you probably do, too.

I'm thrilled to announce that we're offering a webinar to help you learn to photograph your knits so they look their best. Professional photographer and knitter Gale Zucker has put together a one-hour class that will help you hone your photography skills and set you in the right direction: Basic Photography Skills for Knitters.

Gale's presentation is jam-packed with photography instruction and tips to improve your photos of yarn, knits, people, and the world around you. Culled from her longer workshops, she'll show and share easily understandable composition ideas and tricks to make the best use of light.

She'll also give us exposure tips, thoughts on choosing backgrounds, getting colors to behave, photographing finished objects, and how to get real people to look wonderful in your knits. It's a little bit of everything, with tips you can use right away.

String of mittens by Gale Zucker


	Thumbs up! By Gale Zucker

Your Ravelry projects page, website, Facebook timeline, and blog photos will never be the same! For beginners to more advanced photographers, this session is fun, fascinating, and 99.9% jargon free!

Check out Gale's blog to see her wonderful photos and to get inspired to improve your photography—I love the darling sheep photographs.

Sign up for the webinar today, and we'll see you on June 5 at noon Eastern time. I can't wait to improve my photography skills!

See you there,

Craft Daily Is Here!

Kathleen Cubley — Tue, 14 May 2013 19:39:00 GMT

My knitting workshop video library just got too big for the bookshelf! The new Craft Daily site is here, and with streaming videos for knitters you can watch Knitting Daily TV and knitting workshops with just a click of the mouse. What's even better is that you can take these videos with you anywhere. Allow me to introduce you to Craft Daily, your new resource for visual knitting.

Here's fellow knitter Annie Hartman Bakken to tell you more:



Watch a preview of how Craft Daily works, with Online Education Manager Laura Esposito.

CraftDaily.com

I feel like the new generation of knitting is here. Craft Daily is a video streaming site for knitters. Whether you're a new knitter or have been knitting for years, there are videos for every skill level. Learn how to read yarn labels from Eunny Jang on Knitting Daily TV or knit a sweater from the top down with Wendy Bernard. It's all here.

If you've ever had the luck of attending a knitting class, the benefits of the visual knitting experience is priceless. You can see the instructor cast-on and knit, and often times a light bulb goes off. It all seems so easy when you see it done!



	Watch Eunny Jang demonstrate short-row knitting on Knitting Daily TV episode 708, on CraftDaily.com.

Craft Daily brings those knitting classes to practically any device that supports a strong internet connection (Mac, PC, iOS). You can watch 45+ Knitted Cast-Ons and Bind-Offs with Ann Budd anytime. Let's say you're on the train traveling to Newark, and you can't remember that stretchy cast-on for ribbed socks. Well, log on to Craft Daily and watch the video in the dining car. Yes, folks, it's that easy.

One of the more exciting bits of Craft Daily for me is the addition of Knitting Daily TV videos. Every time a new season of the show comes out, I get lots of comments about how the show doesn't air in certain areas. Or, it's airing at 6 a.m. on Sunday mornings. Now you don't have to set the DVR to record the show, because Craft Daily has episodes streaming on the site. Plus, they're adding more and more videos each week.

The Craft Daily site also allows you to build a library of your favorite videos, so you can keep track of those you've seen and want to watch again. I've bookmarked Lily Chin's Reversible Cables video, because the first time I watched it there was too much to absorb. I'm not as fast a knitter as Lily. I want to revisit it when I actually have the yarn and needles in my hands to knit along.

The Craft Daily site is brand-new, so go check it out. You can watch previews of the videos to see if they're something that interests you. Plus, you can leave helpful comments on each video for other knitters. I'll be there. Probably for another twelve hours!

—Annie Hartman Bakken, associate producer of Knitting Daily TV and Interweave's yarn division marketing manager

Craft Daily has videos for quilters, crocheters, and even metalsmiths; so we knitters can dabble in other crafts as well. Just what we need, right? Another crafting hobby!

I might not go buy a soldering kit, but I actually have enjoyed watching the jewelry making videos. And some of the sewing and quilting videos are great for knitters that want to sew their seams or embellish their knitwear.

As you can see, Craft Daily is an amazing way to learn crafting techniques and "waste" many, many more hours on the computer. Enjoy!

Cheers,

For the Graduate

Kathleen Cubley — Fri, 10 May 2013 12:00:00 GMT

Every year when graduation time rolls around I can't believe these little babies I've known since day one are graduating from high school (or college!).

When I graduated, I got lots of checks, which was great, but I also got a handknitted blanket. I still have that blanket, and every time I see it, I remember so fondly the great-aunt who knitted it for me.

So I send a check to my graduates, but I like to include a little knitted goodie as well. I haven't knitted a blanket for anyone yet, but I'm sure I will at some point. Here are some ideas for knitted gifts for the graduate in your life:


		Plein Air Tote By Amanda Scheuzger Every girl needs an oversized tote, and this one is really special. Counterpane cables make up the sides of this knitted tote. The bag features a dense knit in a blend of llama/wool yarn, great structure, a fabric lining, and leather handles. It's perfect for carrying large, heavy objects—like school books! Knit this for a high-school grad, and she'll be the envy of all of her college buddies with their boring backpacks.

Professor Jackson's Scarf By Ivete Tecedor A blown up houndstooth pattern is classic made modern in this knitted scarf. It's also the perfect customizable gift. Make it in your grad's college colors and he'll wear it constantly! It's fun to knit, too—you'll want to keep going to see the pattern emerge. The stranded colorwork scarf is knit as a tube with seamed ends so there's no messy wrong side.

		Saffron Cables By Kathy Zimmerman Wrap your grad in a giant hug with this beautiful knitted afghan. Kathy scaled her striking arrangement of cable crossings to the generous proportions of this cozy blanket. Ropelike strands weave in and out on a background of reverse stockinette stitch, and seed stitch forms a deep border around the edges. A cushy blend of wool and alpaca will keep your grad warm on chilly mornings. This one would be great in school colors, too!

Friday Slippers By Kristen TenDyke These slippers are super-fast knits. They're unisex and easy to size, too, so you can knit a pair for all of the grads on your list. Short-rows shape the instep and the button closure keeps the slippers snugly on the feet! Recipients will love these cozy slippers.

I hope you'll knit one of these fantastic projects for the graduates in your life. There are lots more projects in the Knitting Daily Shop, too.

Cheers,

P.S. What was your favorite graduation gift that you gave or received? Share it with us in the comments!

Mother's Day is coming fast!

Kathleen Cubley — Wed, 08 May 2013 12:00:00 GMT

I'm still looking for a gift for my mom. How about you? Knitters know that our craft is not a quick one, though, so we need to plan our gift knitting was ahead of time. But sometimes, life gets in the way, doesn't it.

I want to knit something for my mom, but knitting patterns for women can be pretty big undertakings. I've gathered some small projects that you have plenty of time to knit up for Mother's Day. I think your mom would like any of these gifts!


		Krista Cowl By Jennifer Chase-Rappaport The Krista Cowl is a beautiful combination of cables and eyelets. Since this is a close to the neck cowl, you can cast on and be done in a couple of evenings. It's knit on just 79 stitches! Choose a variegated yarn in your mom's favorite color—and make sure it's soft! This is a great project to use some vintage buttons on, so raid your button jar and see what you can find!

		Novel Sleeve By Kathy Zimmerman eReaders are such a great option for people who love to read. You can tote around all the books you want in one electronic device. I love my Kindle, and my mom loves hers, too. And I love this gift idea! It's knit from a sport-weight cotton, so it'll be nice and sturdy, but you can line it with fabric if you want to. It's a fun way to customize a project like this. Your mom will love her lacy eReader cover!

		Neat as a Pincushion By Mags Kandis Pincushions are so useful and really fun to make. These beautiful baubles use up small bits of wool yarn, and will soon have you going back to your stash to make another. You can customize your pincushions with whimsical embroidery, too. If your mom is a seamstress, she'll love one or two of these little cuties!

		Marianne's Romantic Bookmark By Caroline Mills Carolyn was inspired to design this beautiful bookmark thinking about Marianne Dashwood and John Willoughby reciting Sonnet 116 to each other in the 1995 film version of Sense and Sensibility. The edging is meant to look like the waves of the tempest, yet the arrows point in one direction as in "never shaken," love is "an ever-fixed mark." I love this bookmark. It's just beautiful and really special. If your mom is a reader, she'll love it!

		Budding Branches By Kendra Nitta Hot water bottles are such a comfort if you're sick or have sore muscles. Knit this cover for your mom and she'll think of you while she's enjoying the toasty comfort of her water bottle. Bobbles and traveling stitches come together to make this a fun project to knit and to give. I know my gramma would have loved this water bottle cover. Maybe yours will, too! Some people think hot water bottles are old-fashioned. But the warmth and comfort they provide never goes out of style, especially with this beautiful cover.

I'm not sure which one is my favorite, but I think my mom would like the eReader cover the best. She's a voracious reader, and her Kindle goes wherever she goes.

I hope you'll knit one of these gifts for your mom (or Grandma), too.

Cheers,

P.S. I love my mom so much. One of my favorite little things about her is that she always has cold water in the car. Leave a comment and share something special about your mom!

Knits and the City

Kathleen Cubley — Mon, 06 May 2013 12:00:00 GMT

There's no place like New York City. At least that's what I hear; I've never been! I've got a trip planned for this fall, though, so I'll finally get to see all of the amazing locations in the Big Apple. My friends who've traveled there have recommended all sorts of activities and must-see sites—some of the big touristy stuff and some off-the-beaten-track adventures.


The Museum Sweater

The Magnolia Cafe Cardigan

The latter is my favorite way to sight-see when I travel, but I certainly can't skip the biggies like the Statue of Liberty, the 9-11 memorial, or Ellis Island. I look forward to taking some walking tours and seeing lesser-known parts of the city, though, including some corners of Brooklyn. And I have a long list of yarn shops and other crafty locations to visit. I can't wait!

Designer Melissa Wehrle is a New Yorker, and her new book, Metropolitan Knits, is an homage to the city. Here's what she has to say about the city and her book:

New York City is a realm of fascination and wonder for many artists, songwriters, poets, designers, filmmakers, and others throughout the world. For the last fifteen years I've lived in this wonderful city, and I've seen just about everything one could imagine—from the most fantastic art and music the world can offer to people grooming themselves on the subway.

Growing up in a small farming community in southern New Jersey, I didn't know at first what I was getting myself into. It took me a while to adjust, but now I couldn't imagine my life without New York; the city has helped shaped me into the person I am today. I have come to embrace, and feel I am ever embraced by, all of the sights and sounds of this city. New York is the muse that inspires and carries me through my days as both a designer and an artist.

New York is a great place to live, work, and play. Everything is right at your fingertips twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week. (Not to mention we have more yarn stores than I can count on the fingers of both hands!) Cultures, ideas, and creativity blend seamlessly into source of never-ending inspiration.

For this book, I tried to capture the heart and soul of the city, designing knitwear that will take you through the many and varied experiences the city affords to residents and visitors alike. In these pages, you will find just the right sweater for the occasion: From walking the busy thoroughfares of Manhattan, to relaxing at your favorite coffee shop on the weekend, to enjoying the many peaceful green spaces and parks throughout the city.

While the city often seems to be always in a constant state of change and upheaval, I hope that these designs will be timeless, well-worn additions to your wardrobe that will last through the never-ending, sometimes fickle, changes in trends and fashion. These pieces will show off your knitting skills and maybe even teach you some new skills along the way.


	The Brooklyn Bridge Cardigan

Great care was given to the selection of yarn for each design. A wide range of yarn weights, price ranges, and materials were used to suit everyone's taste. I used yarns that I personally love for one reason or another, carefully matching the yarn properties of drape, shine, and feel to each individual design. However, yarn weights are also provided should you wish to substitute with a yarn of your liking.

It is my sincere intention that within these pages you will find designs that not only inspire you but that will also become cherished additions to your sweater collection. Also, I hope to bring a little bit of New York style home to you, wherever you may live.

—Melissa Wehrle, from Metropolitan Knits

Now I'm even more excited for my trip. And since I'm going in the fall, maybe I'll knit a sweater from Metropolitan Knits to take with me!

Order Metropolitan Knits today, or download it instantly from the Knitting Daily Shop!

Cheers,

P.S. Do you live in New York City, or have you traveled there? Tell me your must-sees in the comments!

Sensational Sock Knitting

Kathleen Cubley — Mon, 29 Apr 2013 12:00:00 GMT

I've been a really lame sock knitter in the last few months. There are two socks on the needles, from two different sock knitting patterns, and I didn't really have any plans to pick either of those socks up in the near future.


	Provenance Socks by Heatherly Walker: Colorful scrolling patterns inspired by centuries-old French embroidery

But then I got an email that contained the link to the Summer 2013 issue of Sockupied. Talk about motivating me to get back to sock knitting!

Here's Sockupied Editor Anne Merrow to tell you more:

Genius, Stitch by Stitch

When I was learning to knit, friends told me that there were only two stitches, so it couldn't be that difficult. But as any knitter knows, there are enough possible maneuvers of those two little stitches to keep us fascinated for a lifetime.


Cataphyll by Hunter Hammersen: Lacy leaves branch out across fine ribbing and stockinette panels

It's the small but clever innovations—adding a second yarn, wrapping in another direction—that make knitting so intriguing. Sometimes even a small change can create a whole new result.

In this issue, Heatherly Walker's socks feature an ingenious two-color cuff, which you can learn with step-by-step directions, illustrations, and video. Kate Atherley finds at least five ways of knitting socks two at once.

This issue's featured designer, Hunter Hammersen, draws on her knowledge of science with designs inspired by butterfly and botanical drawings. In this issue we get a sneak peek at her brand new book, The Knitter's Curiosity Cabinet, Volume II. And each of our five brand-new designs features its own stroke of knitting brilliance.

On the miniature and quirky canvas of socks, the concentration of creativity is a constant marvel. I can't wait to see what genius comes next from the needles of sock knitters.

—Anne Merrow, from Sockupied Summer 2013

Beautiful self-striping sock yarn

Check out a really neat visual from Sockupied, at right. I love self-striping sock yarns—and the image of them flowing off of paintbrushes is great! The stitch pattern shown is a chevron pattern; here's how you do it:

Simple Chevron
Multiple of 9 sts
Round 1 (RS) *K2tog, k1, [k1fb] 2 times, k2, ssk; repeat from * to end.
Round 2 Knit.
Repeat Rows 1 and 2 for pattern.

Download Sockupied Summer 2013 now and start knitting sensational socks!

Cheers,

P.S. How many socks do you have on the needles? Leave a comment and share your shame (if you're not ashamed, all the better!).

Knitting for Baby

Kathleen Cubley — Fri, 26 Apr 2013 12:00:00 GMT

Is there such a thing as baby season? If so, it seems like we're smack dab in the middle of it! Or maybe it's just knitting-for-baby season. Whatever the case, I've got a couple of baby knitting patterns on the needles, and I need to cast on more.

Luckily, baby knits are small and quickly completed, so I have time to finish my little items before all of the babies are born!

I need one more project, though, and we have some darling new patterns in the Knitting Daily Shop; here are the choices:


		Buttoned-Up Boots by Rosemary Drysdale Little boots? Yes, please! And I love the strap and the buttons at the sides. These are perfect for a special baby boy. Or work them in pink or fuchsia for a little girl.

		Chevron Swing Coat by Irina Poludnenko This is so retro and cute! The chevron stitch is a classic, and the color scheme is so eye-catching. The top of the coat is knit in the feminine solid-dot stitch, which goes beautifully with the chevron stripes. What a cute little coat for springtime. And there's a darling matching dress, too, the Chevron Empire Dress, with the chevron pattern adorning the sleeves and hem. Precious!

		Striped Hoodie by Lynn M. Wilson Garter-ridge stripes are so cute in this little hoodie. And the pocket is so grown-up! Customize this for a boy or a girl just by changing the color scheme.

Wolf in Sheep's Clothing by Laura Hein
How cute is this? You can play wolf or sheep with this reversible knitted toy. Wolf in Sheep's Clothing is made in two pieces, knit in the round and then crocheted together. So much fun for playtime!

Aren't these baby knits great? All of them are knit from Tahki Cotton Classic or Cotton Classic Lite—the perfect yarn to use to knit kid's clothes. Any one of them would thrill a little one or a parent-to-be. Which one is your favorite? Let me know in the comments and I might knit it!

Cheers,

Knitting Triangluar Shawls

Kathleen Cubley — Mon, 22 Apr 2013 12:00:00 GMT


	Basilica, from Free-Spirit Shawls

Vogue Knitting Live was held in Seattle a couple of weeks ago and I was lucky enough to go. I got a triangular shawl kit, which is something I don't usually knit. There's no real reason I don't knit triangular shawls, it's just that I've always been more into scarf knitting and wide, rectangular shawls.

But after seeing Lisa Shroyer's new book Free-Spirit Shawls and learning her tips about wearing shawls, I think I'm a convert. I can't wait to cast on my shawl—I think it'll be the perfect summer knitting project.


Spaythe, from Free-Spirit Shawls

Bryusa, from Free-Spirit Shawls

Here's Lisa to tell you about a triangular shawl knitting technique: from the top down!

The Top-Down Triangle

One of the most popular ways to knit a triangular shawl is from the top down, with increases worked at four lines—one at each outer edge and two in the middle, each flanking the center spine. The standard top-down shawl begins with a garter tab, which is worked such that there is no visible cast-on; the shawl just grows from the top edge downward and outward.

How to Work a Garter Tab
Using the invisible provisional cast-on, cast on 3 stitches. Knit 7 rows. Turn your work and use the right needle to pick up and knit 3 stitches down the side edge of the work. Unzip the provisional cast-on and place 3 live stitches on the left needle, then knit them, for a total of 9 stitches.

You now have a short piece of garter stitch with live stitches emerging from it on three sides. These three sections (of 3 stitches each) represent the three shaping "lanes" to be worked in the shawl body. After the cast-on, a standard shawl would be worked as follows: 3 garter stitches for the edging, yarnover increase, knit 1, yarnover, knit 1 (center spine), yarnover, knit 1, yarnover, 3 garter stitches for the edging.

As the stitches increase, patterning can be worked over the knit stitches. Each right-side row increases the stitch count by four, with the result that two triangles grow outward from the garter tab, with the center-spine knit stitch separating them down the middle. Obviously, the final rows and bind-off will be worked over many stitches.

Top-down triangles can be small or large; just stop knitting when it suits you! Stitch patterns have to be worked in multiples that integrate with the rate of shaping and the stitch counts, but as you can see from Spathe (above), you can achieve beautiful allover patterns.

—Lisa Shroyer, from Free-Spirit Shawls

Intrigued? Me, too. Lisa's book is full of modern, fun shawl patterns. Order your copy of Free-Spirit Shawls today and cast-on a summertime project!

Cheers,

P.S. Are you a shawl knitter? Leave a comment and tell what your favorite shawl shape is!

Make it seamless!

Kathleen Cubley — Fri, 19 Apr 2013 08:00:00 GMT


	Kathleen's top-down seamless cardigan, in progress!

Seamless knitting and I have a love/less-love relationship. When the method first became popular again several years ago (it had a little lull after Elizabeth Zimmermann and Barbara Walker made it famous), I knit sweater after sweater in one piece.

Then I got tired of knitting on such a huge piece, so I went back to knitting sweaters in pieces. I liked how each piece was more portable than the huge one-piecers. (Disclaimer: I usually knit a 48- to 54-inch size, depending on the ease I want, so my seamless sweaters are pretty sizey.)

But I always go back to the seamless knitting technique because there are so many great patterns written using it. I'm working on a seamless sweater right now (shown at right)—a top-down cardigan. It's my own pattern, one that I'm developing as I go. I am keeping notes, though, so maybe I can get it published! I'm working on the sleeves now, and to finish it off, I'm going to knit a wide seed-stitch border for the front.

In the new book The Art of Seamless Knitting, Simona Merchant-Dest and Faina Goberstein have pulled together a group of beautiful designs, plus plenty of information to help you understand seamless knitting, convert pieced sweater knitting patterns into seamless sweaters, and even step-by-step instructions on how to design your own seamless knits.

It's a fantastic book. Here's an excerpt, all about top-down construction worked in rows (versus in the round), which is how I knit my sweater.

Top-Down Construction Worked in Rows

To work cardigans seamlessly from the top down, cast on stitches for the neck and work back and forth in rows to the base of the armholes, shaping the neck and armholes along the way. Then work the lower body in one piece in rows to the lower body all in one piece in rows to the lower edge. To finish, work the sleeves (in the round) to the cuffs.




Raglan Shaping Cast on stitches for the neck and shape the neck as desired while working back and forth in rows, increasing along the raglan lines to the base of the armholes. Place the sleeve stitches onto holders and work the remaining body stitches in rows to the lower edge. To finish, work the sleeves in rounds to desired length.		Circular-Yoke Shaping Cast on stitches for the neck and shape the neck as desired while working the specified number of increase rows to the base of the armholes. Place the sleeve stitches onto holders and work the remaining body stitches in rows to the lower edge. To finish, work the sleeves in rounds to desired length.



Dolman Shaping Provisionally cast on stitches for the back right shoulder and sleeve and work back and forth to the base of the neck shaping. Repeat for the back left shoulder and sleeve, joining the two halves at the base of the neck and working in one piece to the base of the armholes. Then pick up stitches from the provisional cast-on for the front, work the front to the base of the armholes, shaping the front neck as desired. Bind off the front and back sleeve stitches together, and then work the remaining body stitches in rows to the lower edge. Work the lower body (above right) in one piece in rows to the lower edge, shaping the waist and hips as desired.

There's so much to learn about top-down sweaters! Reserve your copy of The Art of Seamless Knitting today and we'll send it to you as soon as it's here!

Cheers,

P.S. I don't have a name for my sweater design yet. Help me out and leave me a suggestion in the comments!

Summer is on the horizon!

Kathleen Cubley — Wed, 17 Apr 2013 12:00:00 GMT


	The Wavelength Tunic by Hilary Smith Callis

It's hard to believe, especially when Interweave's offices in Loveland were closed on Monday because of a blizzard, but summer is coming. We have a 70-degree day coming up in Spokane, and my spring cleaning (I'm talking to you, garage!) is almost completed, with the hammock chairs unearthed and hung in the blooming maple tree.

I'm getting in the mood for shorts and t-shirts with the summer issues of knitting magazines making their appearances. The newest is Knitscene Summer 2013, which happens to be Editor Lisa Shroyer's last issue as editor. Lisa is taking over the reins of Interweave Knits, and Knitscene Assistant Amy Palmer will be at the helm for Knitscene. Exciting stuff is coming up!


The Venice Beach Tank by Kathryn McNaughton

The Longboard Pullover by Amanda Bell

Here's Lisa to tell you about the Summer 2013 Knitscene, and to talk about an interesting concept: the commonality we often find between ourselves and other knitters:

Have you ever noticed common threads among your knitting friends? A tendency to favorite the same TV series? A similar zeal for purple, for certain yarns, for the chai tea at that place on the corner? It happens.

Knitters make up a huge and diverse population, but as you move among your fellow crafters at fiber festivals, at knit night, on forums online, you've probably realized that we have a lot in common, too. And those commonalities often have nothing to do with knitting.

When I asked Hilary Smith Callis to be our featured designer this issue and learned more about her work at NASA, it hit me: I've known a lot of people in the yarn industry with science backgrounds. I've met super-smart, super-accomplished, seemingly left-brained women who also like to "pet the skein." I realized that quite a few Knitscene designers are STEM people (STEM: science-technology-engineering-mathematics).

What draws techies to knitting? Kim Werker digs into this question in her piece "E = M1²."

Moving from astronomy to chemistry, we take a look at dyeing. Caitlin ffrench walks us through the art of solar dyeing, and you'll find recommendations for undyed yarns and dyeing tools in Materials.

Whether you're looking for easy knitting patterns or a summer challenge, the Summer 2013 issue of Knitscene is full of patterns you'll love. Get your copy today, or if you just can't wait, download the digital copy now.

Summer is a time for color. For the science of long days, for wonder and travel and rest. I hope this issue brings a little of all these things to you.

Peace,

P.S. What's your favorite thing about summer knitting? Share it with us in the comments!

Knitting Gossamer Webs

Kathleen Cubley — Fri, 12 Apr 2013 12:00:00 GMT

Last November at Interweave Knitting Lab, I saw several genuine Orenburg shawls. They were simply exquisite, and expensive. The one I wanted was $400, and the one I thought I might "settle for" was $250. I didn't end up getting one, but I want you to know that they would have been worth every penny. Next time, I'm going straight to the shawls before I spend a dime on anything else!

Some of the shawls were huge—as large as about 5-feet square, and some were scarf or wrap size. The lace work was superior and the yarn was soft and lofty. Simply lovely and perfect.

The shawls were brought to the USA by Galina Khmeleva from Orenburg Russia, where shawl knitting with yarn spun from goat down (called gossamer), has a rich tradition. Galina is an expert on Orenburg knitting, and she teaches the techniques of Orenburg spinning and knitting throughout the world. Here's a bit about the history of Orenburg knitting.


Orenburg shawls from Galina Khmeleva's collection. (Photograph by Joe Coca)

Knitting in Orenburg

Orenburg shawls always have been the stuff of legend with a very special, very Russian emotional appeal. The origins of down knitting in Russia are shrouded in the mystery that permeates the Russian steppes themselves, a windswept, wide-sky expanse of great distances; of hills and mirror-surface lakes; with the Ural Mountains, blue, floating on the horizon. It is a natural world that dwarfs the small villages dotted across it.

According to a popular legend, the first gossamer shawl was knitted by a Cossack woman and sent to the Russian Czarina, Catherine the Great (1729–1796). The Czarina so loved this unique shawl that she paid the woman more than enough money for the woman to live on for the rest of her life. But, because the Czarina wanted no other woman to ever wear the same shawl, she also had the woman blinded. The Czarina's plan backfired, however, because the woman had a daughter, also an excellent knitter, who could duplicate the design. It is said that all Orenburg shawls originate from this one Cossack family.

Actually, Russian historian and scientist Peter Ritchkov (1712–1777) documented that shawl knitting first arose in the seventeenth century, at a time when Russian Cossacks were consolidating their hold on the steppes and beginning to trade with the local nomadic population. The Cossacks found their fur coats inadequate for the harsh winters, so they borrowed the habit of wearing lightweight but extremely warm handknitted shawls of goat down gleaned by the local population. Orenburg itself was founded by one of Peter I's diplomats in 1735 as a military outpost in an area already known as a center of trade and communication, being at the confluence of eastern silk roads and western thoroughfares, a link between the West and Asia.

During the mid- to late eighteenth century, the down knitting industry experienced a boom. Ritchkov, a member of the Russian Academy of Science, and his wife, Elena Denisievna Ritchkova, who lived in Orenburg for forty years, are generally credited with encouraging the local inhabitants to properly breed and raise the goats for shawl-quality downs and the development of shawl knitting as a viable cottage industry in the region. Passed from generation to generation and first learned by girls as young as five to seven, shawl knitting soon became the most popular form of needlework in the entire Orenburg area. With the help of the Ritchkovs, down knitting was officially registered on the national list of peasant handicraft industries, and thus sanctioned as an official art form by the Russian government.

The beginning of the nineteenth century brought new developments for down knitting. Because the shawls themselves were prohibitively expensive abroad, efforts were made to export the down. In 1827 a French firm imported down from Orenburg to make the beautiful shawls known as "Casha." At the same time, based on information provided by, among others, a soldier, Frederick Barnaby, in his book, A Ride to Khiva, published in 1875 in England, a large English import-export firm had shawls made of Orenburg down that were called "Imitations of Orenburg."

Shawls made abroad of imported Orenburg down still, however, proved too expensive for the market. This led to efforts to export the goats themselves to England, France, South America, and Australia. Ultimately these efforts failed, because once removed from their native climate and food, the goats' down lost its special qualities of softness, strength, thermal conductivity, and suppleness.

Even so, by the middle of the nineteenth century, Orenburg shawls were better known and more widely recognized as an art form outside of Russia, a phenomenon that has persisted to recent times. The finest examples were shown at international exhibitions such as the London Exposition of 1862, in which M. A. Uskova, an Orenburg Cossack, won the gold medal and 125 silver rubles for her six gossamer shawls. Uskova again won a prize in the All-Russian Exhibition in Moscow in 1882, with nine different shawls, both single and multicolored, with geometric and vegetative motifs. Local Orenburg women also received six medals for their shawls at the World's Columbian Exposition in 1893 in Chicago.

—Carol R. Noble and Galina A. Khmeleva, from September/October 2000 PieceWork magazine

Here's Galina to tell you a little about her new video workshop, Orenburg Knitting: Knitting Gossamer Webs:

(Please visit the site to view this media)

Isn't this all fascinating (I love that Galina's cat is part of the video!)? And it's just the tip of the iceberg—to learn more about the history of Orenburg knitting, and to learn how to knit in the Orenburg tradition, get yourself Orenburg Knitting: Knitting Gossamer Webs. You can download it like I did, or pre-order the DVD. It includes an Orenburg lace scarf knitting project as well as an Orenburg lace sampler. It's just amazing.

Cheers,

P.S. What do you think about Orenburg knitting? Share with us in the comments!

Knitting for Sasha

Kathleen Cubley — Wed, 10 Apr 2013 12:00:00 GMT


	*These two unsteady beginners are wearing the Norwegian Pullover, left, and the Swedish Bohus Pullover, right. (Photograph courtesy of the authors of Sasha Dolls: Clothing and Patterns)*

When I was a little girl, I lived in Pullman, Washington. It was a quintessential college town-it still is-with a Main Street lined with little shops, a five and dime called Fonk's, a one-story J.C. Penney, and a wonderful toy store.

The back of the store was filled with dolls, which I loved, and my favorites were the Sasha dolls.

If you're not familiar with Sasha dolls, they're beautifully produced dolls of various ethnicities, developed by Sasha Morganthaler in Switzerland. Sasha started her doll adventure in the 20s, making them for her children. She progressed to making them for resale, but she was dismayed about how expensive they were. She searched for a way to mass-produce her dolls at an affordable price, and she finally connected with a factory and was able to produce dolls for people of all economic levels to afford.

The Sasha dolls in my Pullman toy store were so beautiful, and I wanted one. A lot. Santa heard my plea and I finally got one for Christmas; I was the happiest little girl. I also got some clothes to go with my Sasha, and some accessories, too. Bliss!

I ended up with a couple of Sashas, which I played with as they were meant to be played with. They went to parties, played in the garden, watched TV with me, and they even went to school. My mom helped me make clothes for them, and we sewed up many an outfit. Such fun.


My Sasha baby doll. I love her.

My old Sasha dolls are packed up safely in my hope chest, but a few years ago I got a baby Sasha, who sits on my dresser and greets me each morning. She's just precious, don't you think?

What does this have to do with knitting, you might be asking. Well, the new issue of PieceWork's Knitting Traditions has an article about Sasha doll clothing. Sasha Dolls: Clothing and Patterns by Ann Louise Chandler and Susanna E. Lewis with Anne Votaw, is a study of Sasha Morgenthaler's clothing styles for her dolls.

The authors have gathered sixty sewing patterns, eighty knitting patterns, and thirty embroidery and smocking patterns for Shasha doll clothes. There are patterns for clothes for my Sasha baby, too!

I can't wait to get out my knitting needles and make some doll clothes; it sounds like such fun!

I was thrilled when I saw the article—I have to get that book. Knitting Traditions always provides these types of gems. I love it. Get your copy of Knitting Traditions today!

Cheers,

P.S. Do you have a Sasha doll? Tell us about it in the comments!

Learn Something New: Vertical Stranding

Kathleen Cubley — Mon, 08 Apr 2013 12:00:00 GMT


	*Our Paths Cross Socks by Lorilee Beltman, from Sockupied, Spring 2012*

I went to Vogue Knitting Live: Seattle last weekend, and I saw my friend Lorilee Beltman. She's a favorite of mine, and she's an amazing designer and teacher. I took a vertical stranded knitting class from her at the second Sock Summit-that's right, vertical stranding. It's a really cool technique that allows the pattern stitches to be worked without carrying the contrasting colors across the back of the entire work. It's so much fun to knit!

Check out Lorilee's toe-up sock knitting pattern, Our Paths Cross, at right. See how the colors travel around the sock? It looks like the colors are knit in the intarsia or even Fair Isle techniques, but they aren't. They're knit with Lorilee's vertical stranding technique.

Here's how you work the vertical stranding technique:

Introducing CC strands
For each sock, cut two 4 yd (4 m) lengths of each contrasting color (CC).

*On Round 1 of chart, fold the yarn in half and knit first CC stitch from the middle of the strand. Drop the strand. With main color (MC), knit one stitch. With CC, knit next stitch, also from the middle of the folded strand just used. Drop the strand; do not twine the yarns on the back of the work. With MC, knit one stitch.

Repeat from * for the next two CC stitches; four CC stitches have been introduced, and four strands of CC yarn hang at the back of the work.

Repeat for CC2.

Managing CC strands
Before working Round 2, stop for yarn management: Use your fingers to comb each CC strand even and parallel. Trim the far ends even. Holding all strands together and beginning close to the work, wrap the strands in a figure eight (as for a yarn butterfly), then wrap the ends around the figure eight and tie about three half-hitches to secure. Watch how Lorilee manages her yarn:

(Please visit the site to view this media)

As the chart is worked, pull out one loop at a time from the figure eight as needed.

Working CC stitches
Each vertically stranded CC stitch is knitted with its own strand; a strand is never used to knit more than one stitch in any round. Unlike typical stranded knitting, contrasting yarns are not carried across the round at the back of the work. There are a few things to remember when knitting with vertical stranding:

When using MC to knit into an existing CC stitch that is a part of a vertical strand that is moving to the left, no special treatment is needed; knit as usual.

When using MC to knit into an existing CC stitch that is a part of a vertical strand moving to the right, knit it through the back loop. Note: In this case, knitting through the back loop does not result in a twisted stitch. Because the yarn is coming from the left, the stitch must be knitted through the back loop in order to be open.

When creating a CC stitch, hold the MC off to the left. From the right, pick up the strand of CC yarn attached to that stripe and knit as usual, then drop the CC strand.

Reposition stitches as needed to avoid dividing a color section between needles.

—Lorilee Beltman, from Our Paths Cross in Sockupied, Spring 2012


Back view, showing the Eye of Partridge stitch pyramid heel construction

Besides the vertical stranding, there are lots of interesting details on these socks, including the really attractive pyramid heel done in Eye of Partridge Stitch. The Pyramid heel construction places all gusset decreases at the back of the heel, forming a pyramid shape from the heel turn, which ends in a point at the top of the heel. The resulting sock has heel shaping at the actual heel and a smooth, uninterrupted front surface for patterning.

Every time I show a sock with Eye of Partridge Stitch on the heel, people ask me for the stitch pattern. So, here it is:

Eye of Partridge Stitch (multiple of 2 stitches)
Round 1: *Sl 1 purlwise with yarn in back (wyb), k1; repeat from *.
Rounds 2 and 4: Knit.
Round 3: *K1, sl 1 purlwise wyb; repeat from *.
Rep Rounds 1–4 for pattern.

Sock knitting can be addictive, and we have sock patterns to keep you going! Get all three issues of Sockupied in our new kit! Order yours today and start knitting Our Paths Cross!

Cheers,

P.S. Do like to knit toe-up or top-down socks? Let us know in the comments!