Knitting Daily : Knitting Daily TV

Circular Knitting: Jogless Stripes

Kathleen Cubley — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 16:00:00 GMT

I don’t know about you, but I’m a visual learner. I can read step-by-step instructions ‘til the cows come home, but I rarely get it right without photos or—even better—a video. In the new season of Knitting Daily TV (which starts at the end of July), co-host and Interweave Knits editor Eunny Jang hosts a new segment called “Getting Started.” She demonstrates basic and not-so-basic techniques to get you started on new projects.

One of these techniques has to do with knitting in the round. I love to knit striped hats in the round. Stripes are an easy and fast way to add color to a project, and a great way to use up those little bits hanging out in your stash, too!

The problem with knitting stripes in the round is that you get a little jog in the color—the first stitch in the row above a color change is actually the last stitch of the previous row of color, so it looks like you didn’t change colors soon enough. (This happens because when you’re knitting in the round you’re actually knitting a spiral, not a circle.)

When I complete a hat I always notice these jogs, but I've never known what to do about them. And, between you and me, I’m not a perfectionist knitter, so I give it the old shoulder shrug and move on.

However, even non-perfectionists enjoy improving their skills, so when I saw the Getting Started segment about jogless stripes in circular knitting, I was intrigued. In this clip, Eunny shows us two ways to avoid the jog with a slip-stitch technique that works for any width of stripe and the “barber-pole” technique for single-round stripes.

(Please visit the site to view this media)

Knitting Daily is just starting in Spokane, so I have a lot to look forward to. I've cleared off my TiVo and set it up to record all of the new shows, but if your TiVo (or DVR, or whatever) is sometimes cranky like mine is, preorder the new season's DVDs below! You'll be able to watch your favorite segments again and again, and when you need a little help, Eunny's excellent technique segments will be right at your fingertips.

And check out the behind-the-scenes fun at Knitting Daily TV in the new blog Tuned In to Knitting Daily TV.

The Very First Free Patterns of 2009

KD Sandi — Fri, 02 Jan 2009 13:06:00 GMT

Happy New Year From Knitting Daily!

Let's start the new year off right! Free patterns are always fun, don't you think? And there are tons of free patterns over on our sister site, KnittingDailyTV.com--and even better, your Knitting Daily password and login works over there, too!

So let's pick a 2009 free pattern from Knitting Daily TV then. Here's a new favorite of mine, a beautiful cabled sweater called the Shauna Sweater, knitted out of machine washable merino wool: Download the Shauna Sweater.

Hm. That doesn't seem like quite enough celebration for a year that promises to be as wonderful as 2009 promises to be. I'm feeling much more festive than that! So how about another free pattern? This one is a cute little lacy beret that is easy enough for a first-time lace knitter: Download the Swirl Beret.

Or what if you want to knit something for someone manly? Here's an easy no-roll scarf for someone cute and hunky: The St. Petersburg Scarf.

Oh, wait, those are both knitting patterns. How about a free crochet pattern? Or, how about two? The Re-Mix T-Shirt, is a nifty crocheted embellishment for dressing up plain, ordinary tee shirts so that they aren't so plain and ordinary anymore. Then the Ribbon Bolero is a fun shrug (or is it a little jacket?) done out of pretty ribbon yarns.

OK, I can't resist. One more crochet project, a lacy wrap called Maggie's Wrap.

But what if you love felting? I don't want to leave out the felters. Here's a simple knitted bag to toss in your washing machine and felt to your heart's content: Vermont Felted Bag.

And, because it is still party season, last but not least, a pretty embellished knitted pullover made out of some very fabulous yarn.

Whew! This is fun. But I gotta stop somewhere; can't go TOO crazy here. The ones above are just a sampling, patterns I thought would help us all start off the new year with our crafty little hands all ready to go!

If you like what you see--or if you don't see something you like here--go take a look at the many wonderful free patterns available to Knitting Daily members on the Knitting Daily TV site. Browse through the individual episode listings to find the download links!

Grab your needles or pick up your hook, settle in with some irresistible yarn, and let's ring in the New Year in proper crafty style!

-- Sandi

Be the first to order the second series of Knitting Daily TV!

Loved the first season? There's more ahead in the all-new second season of Knitting Daily TV: Series 200. More step-by-step video technique tutorials, more interiews with your favorite designers, and more gorgeous yarns!

Pre-order Series 200 now and it will be shipped the third week in January.

When does the second series start to air on TV? January 18, 2009--so mark your calendars, set your video recorders, and get your needles ready!

Sandi Wiseheart is the editor of Knitting Daily.

What's on Sandi's needles? Did I finish my mom's Leaf and Nupp Shawl from Knitted Lace of Estonia by Nancy Bush? I don't know. I'm writing this ahead of time so I can have Christmas off. All will be revealed sometime early in Janaury 2009, I promise...

Learn a New Cast-On: Tubular Cast-On Video

KD Sandi — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 15:14:00 GMT

Note from Sandi: You use different knitting needles for different kinds of knitting, right? So why use the same cast-on all the time for everything? Eunny Jang, editor of Interweave Knits, once again is our guest here on Knitting Daily, to show us how to do an alternative cast-on method--and when to use it! Heeeeerrrrre's Eunny!

We here at Interweave Knits believe that every knitter should have the tools to be their own designer and their own draftsman. We publish patterns in every issue, it’s true, but we don’t believe that knitting should always be about following every single pattern to a "T": Knitting is personal and intimate, and if you can make a modification to a pattern that makes it work better for you, all the better. We’re excited by all the different approaches knitters can (and do!) take to knitting up our patterns – knitting’s got a long history stretching out behind it, and every change, every experiment, adds to the collective store of knitting knowledge.

To that end, Knits is also in the business of stocking your knitting toolkit with information about new techniques and clear-cut explanations of old ones. Knowing what to do, and why, and when, can be just as important as knowing the techniques themselves. Today, we bring you both the what and the why: a video showing you how to do a tubular cast-on, and a detailed look at a design from the Winter issue, with some thoughts on why – and how – you might make one technique choice over another.

View Eunny's tubular cast-on video

(Please visit the site to view this media)

(problems viewing this youtube video? View it here)

Why the tubular cast-on?

Emilee Mooney’s Dainty Pinstripes Pullover takes an unusual approach to slip-stitch knitting: Knitted in the round, with narrow horizontal stripes and slipped-stitch columns that form delicate pinstripes, it uses decreases and increases to force the pinstripes along shaping lines. The stripes follow darts and tucks, flaring out from the waist, emphasizing (or creating) an hourglass silhouette. The sweater is knitted in a supple, fluid alpaca/silk blend that drapes and flows: the final result is a decidedly refined, polished sweater that is surprisingly straightforward to knit.

Everyone’s got a favorite cast-on and bind off they use all the time. This time, though, we – and Emilee – suggest using tubular (invisible) cast-ons and bind-offs for this sweater. Why? Because they create beautifully finished, polished edges that have all the elasticity of the ribbing itself. There won’t be any puckering at the edges, as can happen with “hard” cast-ons, and they’ll hold their shape at the neckline and cuffs. Also, it’s very easy to substitute a tubular cast-on when working in 1x1 rib. All in all, a highly recommended choice for this sweater.

Check out our Beyond the Basics from Knits Fall 2008 for step-by-step instructions for invisible cast-ons and bind offs, or take a peek at the video above for a how-to on invisible cast-ons: some of the odder movements might be clearer once you’ve seen them in action.

Try using these edges anywhere you have 1x1 or 2x2 ribbing and want either a very polished, professional look, or extra elasticity, or both! They’re particularly good for neckbands, sleeve cuffs, hat edges, and sock cuffs – anywhere you need real elasticity that needs to both stretch and snap back.

Happy knitting!
-- Eunny Jang
Editor, Interweave Knits

Want to become a subscriber to Interweave Knits? Learn more!

What's on Sandi's needles? I really did not intend to get so caught up in Nancy Bush's Leaf and Nupp Shawl (from our new book Knitted Lace of Estonia) that it would push everything else out of the way--but that's what happened. I was travelling this week, and somehow I managed to get six of the fourteen center repeats done in only a week's time. It's so much fun to see the lace pattern growing so quickly...however, now I am in a bit of a pickle. All the women members of my family whom I am visiting are pointedly discussing what color they would like their shawl to be...

Favorite TV Moments from the Knitting Daily TV Cast and Crew

Knitting Daily — Wed, 24 Sep 2008 13:33:00 GMT

Today, we continue our behind-the-scenes look at last week's Season 2 tapings of Knitting Daily TV with more from Jaime Guthals:

One of the best parts of my job as segment producer is finding your versions of some of our most popular patterns and coordinating their 15 minutes of fame on the show. These are our “You Made It” segments, and this season we featured projects by readers from Interweave Knits, Interweave Crochet, Spin-Off, Handwoven, and books like Bag Style. We ooh and ahh when we open your packages--just like we do with the ones from the designers. It really is rewarding to see your versions of their patterns, and we’re always impressed with your creative twists and modifications.

What were the hosts’ favorite moments?
As we were packing up the green room to go our separate ways home to Baltimore (Eunny), Detroit (Shay), Loveland, Colorado (Liz), and Vancouver, Canada (Kim), I asked each of them to tell you in their own words.

Eunny Jang: I think my favorite moment was meeting and getting to work with one of my knitting icons, Nancy Bush, author of Knitted Lace of Estonia and several other lace and sock books. When she walked into the green room, unpacked her suitcase, and started casually pulling out beautiful Estonian lace shawl after lace shawl, I was rendered pretty much speechless.

Shay Pendray: One of the highlights of my week was hosting the “finding the perfect pattern for your body type” segment with my co-hosts and the shows’ producers as models. They’re all so comfortable in their own skin, yet they have very different shapes. These types of segments show the viewer that the hosts have personality—and that we’re real people with the same problems trying to choose knitwear patterns for ourselves. It shows audiences that we’re one of them, and when generating content we really do think about what the knitter at home wants to see.

Liz Gipson: I had the opportunity to spend some time with TNNA’s Helping Hands Foundation intergenerational cross stitch group (grandmothers and granddaughters). I asked one of the girls, “What is it like being taught by your grandmother?” She replied that it was great, because unlike school if she did something wrong she didn’t get detention. You gotta love teenagers.

Kim Werker: I loved hanging out and talking with Annie Modesitt in the green room the day she did her taping. When it came time for me to run through my segment on hand-painted yarns, Annie jumped in with such a killer answer that we asked her to do the segment with me. As a bonus, I learned Annie’s nifty way to winding by hand yarn from a hank to create a center-pull ball that’s neat and lovely.

Have you watched the Knitting Daily TV DVDs from Season 1 or caught the program on your local PBS station? If you haven’t looked at the schedule of air dates and times lately, be sure to check out all the new cities that are now airing the program. Most recently the show started airing in Chicago, Los Angeles, and San Francisco—yeah! We owe a special thanks to all the fiber fans in those cities that contacted their station requesting the program.

Purchase the first season of Knitting Daily TV on DVDs so you can watch your favorite episodes over and over.

What has been your favorite moment, or technique tutorial, of the first season? Leave a comment and let us know!

Galleries II: Opulent Raglan and Kaftan Dress

KD Sandi — Tue, 15 Jul 2008 20:33:00 GMT

Here are the second set of Galleries you voted for from the new Fall 2007 Knitscene:

Kaftan Dress by Salena Lee

Opulent Raglan by Wendy Bernard

Which sweaters did the Gallery Gals themselves like best?

I thought it might be interesting to hear straight from our Gallery models which sweater THEY liked best...and why. Here's what Amy and Erin said:

AMY

It’s hard to choose a favorite one, though if pressed, I’ll say the Opulent Raglan by Wendy Bernard. It made me feel warm and cozy, and as pretty as I can expect to feel in a sweater. What more could you ask from a sweater? I liked the way it looked on all the Knitting Daily Gallery Gals, too—it was flattering on everyone. It’s going in my queue, for sure.

ERIN

Sometimes I like altering sweaters I knit. It makes me feel powerful and smart maybe. And it is a good thing since I always have to make one alteration or another due to my long arms and large-ish bust. But sometimes, it is really nice to have a pattern where I don't have to do a single thing to change it. No math. Just knitting. And it is pretty. And flattering. And still interesting enough to want to knit. The Opulent Raglan is that for me. Love it.

See all the designs in the new Fall 2008 issue of Knitscene magazine!

Check out more Galleries from the Fall 2007 issue of Knitscene magazine:

Ahlstrom Bodice Gallery

Brocade Leaves Pullover Gallery

Coming up on Friday: Galleries for the Dirndl Raglan and Riding to Avalon.

Don't forget to visit the website and leave a comment and let us know what you think of the Fall Knitscene Galleries!

What's a Gallery? It's where I take the original sample garment from the magazine and persuade several women try it on and let me take their photo, to show you different varieties of fit and flatter. I provide individual commentaries for each picture, with suggestions for customization for each woman. There's only one garment for each design, so sometimes the sweater doesn't fit--that's where the commentaries get really interesting, as we explore why it doesn't fit, and how to alter it so it does fit!

See all past Galleries!

Knitting Daily Hot Tomatoes on TV!

Remember Wendy Bernard's Tomato from No Sheep For You? Remember how I made a bright orange version with bust darts and called it the Hot Tomato? Well, several of you Knitting Daily readers also made your own versions of Wendy's Tomato. They were so cute that we asked some of you to send in your sweaters to be filmed for Episode 102 of the new Knitting Daily TV show! On the show, Wendy walks us through each sweater and what adjustments were made--I was so tickled to see something I'd made on television! The show itself begins airing on select public television stations starting next Monday... but if you can't wait, you can pre-order a DVD of the entire first season now --the DVD is available Monday, July 21st. Wendy is also featured in Episode 101 (can you tell I'm a big Wendy fan?). Wendy's patterns are irresistible--remember when I fell in love with the Elinor Tunic in Interweave Knits Summer 2008? I wanted to take that one home with me after we took the photos for the Elinor Gallery...

Sandi Wiseheart is the founding editor of Knitting Daily. She is now the author of the popular Knitting Daily blog: What's on Sandi's Needles.

Knit Cardigan Patterns From Knitting Daily: 7 FREE Knitting Patterns

Every knitter has dreamed of the perfect cardigan pattern that he or she might knit some day. From a cozy cable knit to luminous lace, this free ebook will be your dream come true. This is a wonderful and varied collection of cardigans-which is one of the most important pieces in your wardrobe. You'll want to make every one of these knit cardigan patterns, so download your free eBook now and get started (and don’t forget to tell a friend so they can enjoy their own copy!).

Download Your Free eBook Today

Are You In A Box?

KD Sandi — Sun, 24 Feb 2008 23:00:00 GMT

Don't Box Me In

A lovely not-box: Kathy Zimmerman's Dovetail Pullover

Sorry. I couldn't resist that...

Many folks avoid wearing garments with any kind of body shaping, preferring to wear boxy silhouettes, as they think that boxes hide areas they would rather not show off: a generous belly, a small bust, or hips which are less than "perfect" (whatever perfect is!).

In reality, if you are largish, a boxy sweater can make you look bigger—people see the outlines of the box and they mentally "fill in the box," imagining that you fill the entire sweater up and down. If you are smallish, a boxy sweater can make you look even tinier, as though you were a little kid wearing Mom or Dad's clothing. On the other hand: A boxy sweater is comfortable and easy to move around in; its clean lines are particularly good for showing off intricate cable patterns. There's nothing wrong with wearing a boxy top, if it is balanced with other elements: beautiful stitch patterns, a bit of gorgeous jewelry, a pretty scarf, an interesting neckline, fabulous shoes... But if boxes are all you wear, maybe it's time to give yourself some more choices in your wardrobe.

Perhaps the first question is: If you have a less-than-perfect figure (and don't we all!), why wear shaped garments at all? Doesn't shaping just emphasize what you have (or don't have)?

In fact: Yes. But let me re-phrase that a bit: The right shaping for YOU, wisely chosen, can balance your figure, show off your good bits, de-emphasize the bits you are self-conscious about, and make you feel fabulous.

Because let's face it: Sometimes a girl's gotta strut. And defining your body's curves, instead of hiding them, can actually make you look better than you imagine. Here's why:

Out of the box: Stefanie Japel's Cable-Down Raglan

Our eyes naturally seek out curves to look at, because they are visually more interesting. (We humans like "interesting." It's one of our favorite flavors.) If you wear a box, the eye will rest on whatever curve it can find—which might be the very curve you are hoping to mask, pushing its way out of the confines of The Box. Waist, bust, or other sorts of garment shaping gives the eye a curve to look at; curves force the eye to move up and down, providing interest (see above) and balance. Waist shaping, in particular, is a visual trick: It forces the eye to see you as an hourglass-shaped, more-or-less balanced whole, instead of staring at your biggest or smallest feature.

Knitwear designers accomplish hourglass shaping in as many clever ways as there are clever knitwear designers. Some make ingenious use of traditional decreases and increases; some work vertical darts; some use pattern stitches, such as ribbing and cables, to pull in the fabric; some use gauge changes to change the way the fabric fits. Shaping, of course, is not the only way to keep the eye moving: Vertical lines of any sort, such as cables, lace patterns, or interesting colorwork, can engage the eye enough so that The Box is less of a box and more of a painterly canvas. Combine interesting stitchwork with clever shaping, and you have the Dynamic Duo of flattering fit.

Take a moment to look at the photos in this post: They start with what appears to be a traditional box shape, but each designer has added both shaping and stitch detailing to produce a lovely result.

Garment shaping is your friend. No matter how big or small you are, no matter what you think your flaws are, a little bit of shaping in the right places can help bring curves, balance, and world peace to even the simplest of knitted sweaters.

OK. Maybe not world peace. But a little more knitted beauty certainly can't hurt!

Have Knitting Questions? Get Them Answered on Knitting Daily TV!

Not everyone has a knitting instructor down the block—and even if you do, sometimes it's hard to get up the courage to say, "This might be a dumb question, but..." Part of learning to be a fearless knitter is learning that there is no such thing as a dumb question! We're all in this together, and your "dumb question" might just be the same one thousands of other knitters are curious about.

So ask away! We invite you to email your knitting and fiber-related questions to YouAskedIt@knittingdailytv.com. We'll choose a handful of the ones submitted to be answered on our new public television show, Knitting Daily TV, which will begin airing on PBS this July. Watch for the regular show segment titled "You Asked It!" and see if one of the hosts (maybe even Eunny Jang, editor of Interweave Knits!) answers your question on TV!

Find out more about Knitting Daily TV!

Sandi Wiseheart is the editor of Knitting Daily.

What's on Sandi's needles? I've been kissed by a llama! There was an alpaca show near where I live, and a llama named Roxy took a fancy to me. And I bought alpaca fiber to spin. What's that? My knitting? Oh yeah. I'm back to the Gathered Pullover, which has spent some time in the meditation pond, and more Secret Project knitting. But I'm still swooning over Roxy and the alpacas...