Inside Knitscene : Knitting Stitches

Getting to know... me!

AmyPalmer — Fri, 24 May 2013 15:30:00 GMT

(Possibly the most awkward blog title I've ever written.)

There's been some beyond the norm behind-the-scenes activity here in the Knitscene offices of late. Amidst the drama of our busiest press season, there were some staffing changes at the offices. If you've picked the amazing Interweave Knits Summer issue, you'll know that the incomparable Eunny Jang has left the Interweave family for other pursuits, and long-time Knitscene editor Lisa Shroyer is now running that ship.

And on the Knitscene side, I've been promoted to editor, and we've recently hired a new assistant editor (you'll meet her soon, in this space), and we're full steam ahead into getting Knitscene Fall to the printer in a couple of weeks. Kathleen has asked me to do an introductory post, which felt a little bit weird, as I've been blogging here for the last couple of years—surely a lot of you know some things about me by now, don't you?

So Kathleen gathered up some questions, including some of your questions, and here are my answers! Feel free to leave more questions in the comments below, or hit me up on Twitter at @AmyPalmerKnits.

What are you most excited about in your new role as Knitscene editor?
I'm most excited about the relationships I'm hoping to form, both with our readers new and old as we move to a subscription model and with our incredibly talented designers. In my role as assistant editor, I spent a lot of time emailing designers, but now I'll get to meet some in person at TNNA and work more closely with people who inspire me with their beautiful knitted designs.
What will be your biggest challenge?
Reining in my excitement and my ideas will probably be the biggest challenge. I want to do everything and I don't want to have to wait for it and those have always been problems for me.
Is the magazine going to change at all under your leadership?
Short answer: yes. Longer answer: Yes, though not all of these changes are coming from me. For example, our subscription service for Knitscene is beginning with my first issue, the Fall issue. I had nothing to do with that. There are some other things that are changing for a variety of reasons, changes that have been talked about since I started working here almost four years ago and probably before then. And then some parts are changing because I want to create a more connected experience with our readers in this era of nearly immediate, digital-based communication. Which sounds hokey. Just trust me on this.
What is your favorite thing to knit?
About a year ago my answer probably would have been socks. Then I was bit by the sweater and cardigan knitting bug and now I can't quite decide. But I usually have either a pullover or cardigan and a pair of socks in progress.
Do you throw or pick?
I throw (or knit English style), but I taught myself to pick to knit stranded colorwork. So I can do both, but I'm more comfortable and a faster knitter with my right-hand.
Have you designed any patterns?
I've got a few under my belt! I'm most proud of my Wasabi Peas Socks, as I had a lot of fun creating the gusset decreases in pattern (hint: they're not where you'd expect them to be!), and I really like the Mercury Cowl with it's twisted cast on edge.

If you have a specialty in knitting, what is it?
Uhhh. Hm. I love knitting colorwork, cables, and lace, though I go through mood swings on each of those (one week I will be casting on five colorwork projects, the next I may need some yarnovers and lace in my life). My friends come to me for a lot of sock-knitting advice, so maybe that's my specialty?
If you could give knitters one piece of advice, what would it be?
There's no such thing as "beyond my skill level," there are just techniques you're not overly familiar with yet. And if you try out a technique and you don't like it, that's fine too.
Do you belong to a knitting group?
I do! Though I haven't attended as frequently as I'd like over the past few months. I miss my knitting gals!
How does knitting make you feel? What does it mean to you?
Knitting is one part fulfilling a need to be creative, one part excuse to get together with friends (and meet new friends!), and one part justification for watching so many movies and TV shows—I might be mainlining a season of Sherlock but look how much I got done on this sleeve, etc.

From Mary W on Facebook: What does she look for in original designs?

Knitscene

From Gina B M on Facebook: Can she stay on the cutting edge of trends and add that element to the classics we older women love?
I sure hope so! Let me know sometime in the future--the Spring 2014 is my first "full" issue, so you won't really see my spin on designs until early next year.
From Nicole E on Facebook: Ask about any knitting failures. What were her mishaps? How/when did she decide to move on?
For my own mental health, I have to think about these as knitting learning opportunities. ;) I finished a pullover not too long ago that came out waaaaaay too big, because I got lazy and didn't swatch enough. I know a lot of us detest swatching, but it's a part of knitting that is stressed so much for a reason. (And sometimes I still don't swatch, so I go into the knitting with the mindset that I only have myself to blame if it doesn't turn out the way I want.) In that instance, I didn't move on until after I'd blocked it (and this is why I also stress blocking your swatch). I haven't moved on. It's folded up in a corner awaiting a day when I'm less annoyed by my "learning opportunity" to frog it.
From Caroline A on Facebook: What type of yarn does she like to use and does she like to knit for babies?
I'm a big fan of wool. Heritage breeds and locally milled yarns speak to my soul in a specific way. I enjoy knitting for babies because the projects are quickly finished and then have the cutest models ever, but I generally have to have a specific baby in mind when I choose those projects.
From Nancy E E on Facebook: What does she like better, knit or purl?
Anyone who has ever knit with me in person knows that I strongly dislike purling. It feels clunky and unnatural to me and, for me and my style of knitting, goes so much slower than knitting. So I'm a big fan of garter stitch and stockinette in the round. I've tried "knitting backward" to avoid purling but that's even more clunky, so I'll purl when I must.

From Holly P and Melissa L on Twitter (your questions paralleled each other so I combined my answer): When did you decide that you wanted to be in the knitting industry as a career path?
The exact moment—I saw a listing for an Interweave Knits assistant editor job and decided to go for it. Longer version: I started out in educational publishing, so I had the editing background. I started knitting for realsies more than six years ago, so I had the knitting background. Through a series of events that are becoming the norm in the publishing industry, I'd been laid off and was working at another editorial job that wasn't quite my ideal working environment, so when I saw the listing on the Interweave website, I thought "Well, I have nothing to lose." A few months later I was offered the position of "Yarn Group Assistant Editor," packed up my things and moved 2,000 miles and now here I am!
From Emma W on Twitter: Imagine a post-apocalyptic world, only one snack food has survived the fall of human society. Which one are you hoping for?
I feel like I should say Twinkies because of Zombieland, but I am truthfully going to say pita chips with the hope that I can figure out how to harvest chickpeas and make hummus. Because I can kill a bag of pita chips and hummus in no time. Plus, it's mildly healthy! I'm going to need protein after the apocalypse, you know.

Absolutely not a well-balanced meal, but so tasty (image from Forbes)

From Rohn S on Twitter: What sets you (and your magazine) apart from the rest! I'm sure it's the fabulousness of it all but still! ;-)
The easiest answer is our tagline—simple, stylish, and spirited. We strive to have projects that are both interesting enough in the knitting for the most advanced knitter while not so technique-based that they turn off less experienced knitters, and are projects almost anyone can wear, fashionistas or otherwise. Speaking as a knitter, I think we do this better than other similar magazines. Even before I started working for Interweave, Knitscene was one of my must-have magazines as a beginning knitter (I also loved Knit.1, though I found, on average, those patterns were less wearable for me, but you will have to wait until I'm dead to pry those issues from my hands—there's great inspiration in those issues!).
From Melissa L on Twitter: Do you do any other types of handwork?
I've always loved playing with string and did a lot of cross-stitch when I was younger. I have some still that I'd like to get to, and I know how to crochet, but I find that I'm just drawn to knitting more than those other crafts.
From Ashley P on Twitter: Who's your favorite superhero? Favorite dwarf? Best knitting project to bring on a plane? Coolest astronomer you know? What yarn would you bring if you were going to be stranded on a desert island? What book?
Sheesh. Favorite superhero: Right now I'm going to say Captain Marvel but I also love Batman, Iron Man, and Captain America a whole lot. Favorite dwarf: I think Gimli still wins, but ask me at the end of the third Hobbit movie. Best knitting project for a plane: For me, socks. But only on circular needles, because I've dropped a few too many DPNs on planes. Coolest astronomer I know is also the only astronomer I know, but she's pretty cool regardless of that fact. ;) Stranded island yarn: Can this be a sub-arctic island? You know I hate the heat. And then I could bring a few sheep and finally accept spinning as a fact of life and constantly make my own yarn so I will never run out. Stranded island book: Maybe The Lord of the Rings because it's long (gotta stretch out that entertainment value) and I can read it over and over again.
From Bristol on Twitter: Who are your knitting heroes?
Oof. Lisa Shroyer and Eunny Jang, for sure. Debbie Stoller for her Stitch N *** book which helped me, and I think many other women of my generation, learn or re-learn to knit. My grandmother and Betsy Dye, who each kindled the knitting fire in me at different times in my life. I would list out every knitter I admire but then we'd never get another magazine published.
From Julia F-C on Twitter: What do you wear to work? I'd love to see what the Loveland office style is like typically
Depends on the day and how early I managed to get out of bed/plan my outfit. :D We're pretty relaxed here, jeans and nice shirts tend to prevail, though somedays I get a little crazy and like to create adventurous color palettes (like the day I wore an orange sundress with a mint tank underneath, a purple cardigan and dark magenta tights). I think we're going to need to do another blog post on our different styles.

From Amy M on Twitter: What has surprised you most in your new position as editor?
So far, I've been most surprised and humbled by the number of people who responded to my first call for submissions. I've honestly never seen that many submissions in one call, and I don't know if the themes I listed just resonated with people or if there's an influx of newer designers out there or what, but it was shocking and humbling and a bit overwhelming.
From Karen L on Twitter: If you could only knit on 1 pair of needles (not 1 kind, 1 pair!), what would they be — type, size, etc.
Ouch. Uhm. Hm. Definitely circular, to account for all manner of knitting techniques. And a long circular at that. I think maybe a size 3 would be most beneficial, though I'd have to start knitting my socks with heavier yarn. And metal, because I've broken two different wooden needle tips in the last few months (through accidentally sitting on them or applying pressure with my hand). So I'm going to say size 3, 48" metal circular needles. And now have a lie down at the thought of only one pair of needles forever.
From Amy C on Twitter: What's your least favorite thing to knit?
I generally like knitting in almost every category of project, but I extremely dislike "extratextural" elements, as I like to call them. Bobbles, nupps, popcorn stitch, etc, just, NO THANK YOU. I think they can look really cool on a knitted fabric, I'm just not going to knit them myself.

Thank you for all your questions! As I said, if you have more, leave them in the comments or ask them via Twitter and I'll either update this blog or write another one in a few weeks. Until next time, happy knitting!

Knitscene presents Easy Seamless Sweaters to Knit

AmyPalmer — Thu, 13 Sep 2012 21:25:00 GMT

This time of year, many of us in the Northern Hemisphere are planning our fall and winter wardrobes. If you're a newer knitter, this is the perfect time to learn how to knit sweaters with our new eBook, Easy Seamless Sweaters to Knit.

We've chosen five of our favorite, and easiest, raglan sweater patterns from past issues of Knitscene and collected them in this eBook specifically with the newer knitter in mind. These five sweater knitting patterns are all top-down raglans with very little seaming at the end. One of the benefits of knitting sweaters from the top-down is that you can easily try them on as you're knitting, allowing you to easily check that the sweater is fitting as you go.

Included in this eBook is an article on the basic construction of raglan sweaters, and a few of our most popular knitted sweater patterns. Debbie O'Neill's Equinox Raglan is probably the easiest of the bunch—unfinished edges and a square neckline topped off with minimal waist shaping in a yarn that does all the color striping for you. The pattern is written for sizes 28¾ (32¾, 36, 40, 44, 48)" bust, shown in size 32¾" with zero ease.

Forever Tweed by Wendy Bernard is the perfect cozy, slouchy sweater for fall days, with an oversized collar and deeply ribbed hems. The finished sweater measures 36 (39, 42, 46, 50)" bust, and is shown in size 36" with 2" positive ease.

A marled yarn creates a tweed-like effect in Cecily Glowik MacDonald's Heather Raglan, worked in alternating rows of Stockinette and reverse Stockinette stitch. Knit this in sizes 35¼ (38½, 41½, 44¾, 48)" bust circumference (shown in size 35¼" with 1–2" positive ease).

Melissa Wehrle's Sigma Tee starts to get a little fancy, adding dropped stitches along the raglan lines. Still simple, but with a little extra sass, for sizes 33 (35, 37, 39, 43, 47)" bust.

And finally, the most challenging pattern in the collection is still a simple knit. Romi Hill's Rayonnant Pullover begins with a little bit of lace work for a pretty, feminine edge, then continues in easy Stockinette stitch with eyelets along the raglan lines. Choose from seven different sizes: 30 (31½, 34, 36¼, 39¼, 41½, 44½)" bust.

More experienced knitter? Grab this eBook and choose from five simple knitting patterns to knit a sweater in time for Rhinebeck! Everyone loves a new knitted sweater for the annual New York Sheep and Wool festival. These five sweater patterns are simple and fast to knit.

Happy knitting!
Amy

Forever Knits: 9 Patterns to Knit for Fall

AmyPalmer — Tue, 31 Jul 2012 23:30:00 GMT

Something (hopefully autumn) is coming. Maybe it's the slight chill to the mornings that greets me when I walk out my front door; maybe it's the sinus pressure–inducing shift in the barometric pressure. But I know that sooner or later, summer will transition into autumn and I'll need to break out the layers.

Knitting trends go through transitions as well. Not quite as quickly, usually, but with that inevitable come and go of time. But some knitting trends remain the same; some trends provide a sense of stability.

The Forever Knits collection in Knitscene Fall 2012 celebrates those traditional knitting trends and updates them for the modern knitter. Cables, texture, and slipped stitch colorwork are incorporated into hip, wearable pieces for cooler Fall evenings, or that tricky transition to winter. Traditional cable motifs are just slightly set off in Anniken Allis's Kennedy Sweater. A simple honeycomb stitch is placed on the front of Ruth Garcia-Alcantud's Agnes Pullover, while the back is plain stockinette. In her stunning knit pullover, Mercedes Tarasovich-Clark turns the traditional gansey on its side with Margot. And Silka Burgoyne beautifully blends cables into ribbing in the Kelsey Gloves and Mitts.

Slipped-stitch colorwork knitting requires no stranded, no twisting of yarns, no pesky floats, and yields spectacular results. Brenda K. B. Anderson adds a bill to a familiar beanie-style hat and a star slipped-stitch pattern in the Rhonda Cap. The Amherst Scarf from Marjorie Dussaud works three colors together in a slipped-stitch pattern bordered by an i-cord edge. Amy Polcyn works slipped-stitch motifs at the bottom band and shoulders of the Frances Cardigan.

Lace gets its day in the sun too, with Carol Feller's Prudence Pullover, an easy to knit sweater pattern with a lace panel and cabled funnel neck. And Odessa Reichel lines a simple lace pattern with miniature cables in the form-fitting Sandra Sweater (and a tiny bit of puffed sleeves never hurts!).

The weather changes, our preference for light summer-y plant fibers may shift to lofty, cozy wools, but there are some things about knitting that never, ever change.

Happy knitting,
Amy

Easy Knitting Patterns for Knitting in Public

AmyPalmer — Tue, 07 Jun 2011 16:12:00 GMT

This weekend marks the kick-off for World Wide Knit in Public (WWKIP) Week. Originally, this event started as a single day, for knitters (and crocheters!) everywhere to get out of the house, soak up some summer sun (or attempt to enjoy a wintery day, for those of you in the Southern Hemisphere), and spread the love of playing with yarn. Over the years, it's evolved into a week-long event with festivities taking place around the globe—the WWKIP site has listings for events all around the world, so hopefully there's one near you!

But what to knit while you're out and about? Are you going to be outside in a park? In a cozy café with your favorite knitters? Pattern selection for knitting in public is key, and I've got some easy knitting patterns for you to choose from, if you don't have a project on the needles already.

When I'm knitting in public with my knitting group, I find that the easy knitting patterns are the ones that don't require a lot of concentration, for the most part. I'm currently knitting myself a Rock Island Shawl by Jared Flood, and I'm at the part where I knit in garter stitch forever and decrease on the right-side rows. For me, this would make a good project for knitting in public.

If I didn't already have a work in progress, I might consider casting on for one of these garter stitch patterns from knitscene Summer 2011.

Amy Polcyn's Embassy Scarf is knit on both sides with dropped stitches. Once you've got the pattern repeat memorized, this becomes one of the easiest knitting patterns on the planet. Seriously.

Our featured designer for Summer, Amy Christoffers, has this fantastic Strafford Tee that's knit in the round to the armhole divide. Knitting in the round for a while? Perfect knitting for sitting outside or in a busy café watching people wander by.

Over the years, knitscene has published oodles of easy knitting patterns. Last year, we even published knitscene Easy, full of patterns that are perfect for beginner knitters and advanced knitters looking to rest their tired knitting brains. With the digital edition, you could take that issue to your WWKIP meetups on your digital device! And while you're out and about, why not take along this handy How to Knit handbook, so you can draft others into the cult of craft?

However you're celebrating WWKIP week, be sure to have fun and enjoy the process of crafting, wherever you may be. And if you're out in the sun, wear sunblock. Always a good tip.

Happy knitting,
Amy

PS - Can't wait for more knitting goodness? We just wrapped our knitscene Fall 2011 issue. Look for the preview in a couple of weeks!

Shawls on my Mind

AmyPalmer — Tue, 17 May 2011 16:34:00 GMT

I'm a little obsessed with the idea of knitted shawls right now. Only the idea, because I don't have time to knit as many shawls as I would like to, apparently—if you look at the projects most recently added to my "To Knit" list, there's a ton of shawl patterns. I went to Maryland Sheep and Wool festival last week and though I managed to stick to my budget and only buy a few skeins of yarn, they're all either lace or fingering weight and half of them are already "promised" to a few shawls.

Maybe it's because it's springtime, and the weather is transitioning quite violently here in Colorado—yesterday was lovely and sunny, today it's a little on the chilly side and my sinuses tell me it's likely to rain later—but shawls are such fantastic spring knitting projects. Heavier shawls like Cecily Glowik MacDonald's Insignia Shawl are great for days like today, with it's simple garter stitch and gentle heft to cover the shoulders and stay warm without having to break out a jacket. (I've got a thing about this—I feel that, by May, I should be able to put away heavier jackets.)

Sarah Fama's Loon Island Shawl would have been a great choice yesterday. A fairly simple lace repeat in a silky laceweight yarn is a wonderful accessory for a warmer day that's still a bit windy and nippy in the shade.

I'm knitting a shawl right now, one that I'm kind of "winging" as I go. I don't have any pictures, as it's going to go live with someone else whenever I finish it and thus must remain a secret, but I'm enjoying the process of seeing the little bit of knitted shawl grow with each lace repeat, and I just started working on the lace edging last night. A few days ago, I came across this fantastic lace knitting "cheat sheet" for shawls over at Laylock.org. It displays the five most recognizable kinds of knitted shawls and a basic "recipe" for knitting each of them. If you're looking to make up your own shawl, print this out, pick a stitch pattern, and knit away!

If creating your own shawl pattern requires too much brain power that is currently being sapped by seasonal allergies, a) I feel your pain, and b) pick up a copy of knitscene's Summer issue and go stash diving for yarn for the Insignia Shawl, Loon Island Shawl, or any of the other 26 projects in our first-ever summer issue.

'Till next time, happy knitting!
Amy

PS - Did you know you can know sign up for our auto-ship program and receive a copy of knitscene in your mailbox? Same cover price, free domestic shipping, no having to cross your fingers and hope the LYS still has a copy—what a deal!

Knitting on the go: 6 tips and tricks for travel knitting

AmyPalmer — Tue, 26 Apr 2011 18:19:00 GMT

I'm about to hit the road for a little late spring/early summer traveling and that means packing. I'll figure out the clothing situation the day before I leave (I always do), but meanwhile I'm a little stressed out over what knitting projects to bring. Raise your hand if you feel me! Yeah, I knew it.

Last summer, my family and I went to London, England, for six days. Six busy, jam-packed days, as my mom wanted to see as much as she could (a theory that I do endorse from time to time, though my preferred travel style is to live like the natives and take it easy). I took three projects—a pair of socks, a hat, a crochet scarf. For six days. And you know what? I finished all of them. (Now that I think about it, I had started the socks before leaving.)

So clearly, taking a lot of projects on vacation is nothing new to me. Figuring out which knitting projects are best for traveling, and how to most easily transport them, is always a bit of a challenge though. Here are some tricks for travel knitting that I've picked up along the way.

Pick easy projects. "Easy" here is a relative term. I'm not suggesting that everyone knit only flat garter stitch or stockinette stitch in the round, but be honest with yourself about your skill level and choose projects that you can knit without having to give a lot of attention. I know I can knit plain stockinette socks with my eyes closed, so they're a good project for me. Projects like Izumi Ouchi's Clipper Mitts or Amy Christoffers' Shelburne Scarf from Knitscene Summer 2011 would be great on-the-go knitting.
Pick small-ish projects. As any one who's ever traveled anywhere and had to cram a bunch of clothes into a carry-on suitcase (paying for luggage is not high on my list of fun vacation things) understands the importance of maximizing space. The smaller the project, the more easy it will be to knit while you're traveling. Bonus points if you finish the project, because then you clearly have to buy a new skein of souvenir yarn, right? For me, this usually means socks or hats, but it doesn't have to. Mittens or scarves are great travel knitting projects, but if we look outside the suitcase, think sleeves. Sleeves can be knit in the round or flat. Amy Christoffers' Vergennes Pullover or Sarah Fama's Mayville Cardigan both have easy sleeve patterns.
Choose your tools wisely. As you may have noticed, I like to knit socks. I knit socks a lot. Socks are my number one project for knitting on the go. I tend to switch back and forth between using double-points and using the Magic-Loop method when I'm staying in town (say, going to knitting group), but for longer travel, I usually opt for Magic-Loop—nothing like making friends with everyone on an airplane as you attempt to chase down a dropped dpn. (Knitting Help has a great video on learning Magic-Loop, if you're not familiar with it.) Occasionally, I'll bring along the double-points, but in those instances I have to have a dpn work-in-progress holder with me. It keep my knitting needles tidy, save me from stabbing myself as I reach into my project bag, and possibly make me appear a little less threatening to the TSA folks (this last point requires more research). Note: yes, you can generally take your knitting needles on the plane if your departure point is within the United States, but be sure to check the website of the arrival destination airport, or the governing body of travel within your country (such as the TSA in the United States). Knitting needles are typically not allowed when flying out of an airport in the United Kingdom, but I had no problem with my crochet project.
Organize everything. Take this opportunity to break out all those work-in-progress bags you have, or just grab some gallon-sized Ziploc baggies—whatever you use, make sure it has some sort of closure at the opening. If you, like me, take multiple knitting projects with you when you travel, the last thing you want is a mess of tangled yarns and needles all jumbled together in one bag. Placing your knitting projects in bags also protects them from getting roughed up in transit.
Keep a notebook handy. When traveling amongst other people (on a plane, on a train, on a bus, packed in the family minivan), you will inevitably be interrupted in your knitting. Having your notebook and pen or pencil nearby ensures that you can make a quick note of your stopping point, or jot down any modifications you make on the go. I actually have two notebooks that I use (I have a notebook addiction): Franklin Habit's Work in Progress Journal and a journal from Make My Notebook (you can see one of my journals in Check It from knitscene Summer 2011, page 7). The Franklin Habit journal is half blank and half graph paper, and the Make My Notebook journal is half ruled and half graph paper.
Most importantly, have fun! Vacations are usually a time to relax and maybe do something you've never done before, but that doesn't mean you have to leave all of your creature comforts at home. Travel knitting has all the benefits of knitting at home with the added bonus of having something familiar and relaxing during what can occasionally be a stressful experience. Take a picture of your sock toe covering the pyramid outside the Louvre as a "pyramid cosy" (I'm not going to Paris this year, but I will probably do this one day.) Wrap an in-progress scarf around the statue of Phil Lynott off Grafton Street in Dublin (note to self: go back to Dublin).

Wherever you're going, whatever you're doing, have a fun and productive summer of knitting! Hopefully I'll make a good amount of progress in all of my travels.

Happy Knitting!

Amy

P.S.—Knitting on the go has been made even easier with the invention of laptops, tablets, and programs like Zinio that let you cart around multiple books without the weight, and knitscene Summer 2011 is now available on Zinio!

10 Designers to Watch in 2011: Knitscene’s Hot List

LisaShroyer — Tue, 21 Dec 2010 14:42:00 GMT

They may not be brand new to professional design, but these designers were new to me in 2010. Most of them are still up-and-coming and all are worthy of your time—go check em out! I think you’ll be seeing big things from them in the next year.

All of these designers will be published in Knitscene or Interweave Knits for the first time in 2011. Get your needles ready, folks.

Veera Välimäki Veera’s contemporary aesthetic is exercised through interesting silhouettes, exaggerated elements, and an easy-to-wear feminine style, all presented in fresh color and with a Scandinavian minimalism. We’re excited to feature her ginormous pockets in the upcoming Winter/Spring issue of Knitscene…stay tuned.
Alexis Winslow A painter from Oklahoma living in Brooklyn, where a kind of lovable hipster chic has worked its way into her handknitting design—Alexis Winslow is definitely one for the modern knitter to watch. She has some clever accessories coming up in Knitscene.
Stephen West His unisex accessories have taken Ravelry by storm and his self-published books offer more of his best: stripes, short-rows, garter stitch, and color-blocking. Besides building his knit empire, Stephen studies dance in Amsterdam and finds time to correspond with me about the joy of garter-stitch swatches—he’s writing a piece about the humble stitch for Knitscene.
Izumi Ouchi From her home in Nagano, Japan, Izumi develops some truly innovative designs. She constructs garments and accessories in surprising, three-dimensional ways—luckily for me, she submits photos of completed prototypes, because the effect of her construction is tough to envision otherwise.
Sarah Wilson (aka The Sexy Knitter) I don’t know if she was joking or not, but Sarah told me she plans to wear a knitted, backless jumpsuit to a tradeshow next June, and we had a little Twitter thread going about the sex appeal of thigh-high boots. Needless to say, she is working on her brand. She does great accessories and figure-flattering tops.
Talitha Kuomi I always like a designer who doesn’t shy away from being assigned variegated and self-striping yarns….for sweater designs. Talitha shows us what to do with a chunky-weight, striping yarn in the next issue.
Melissa Goodale Melissa does really interesting things with stitch patterns and designs her own stitches—she has a couple garments lined up Knitscene; both using intriguing motifs in clever constructions. And she can write ;)
Ruth Garcia-Alcantud Allow me to quote Ruth directly from her blog: “Oh, you like my sweater? Yeah, this is how I make a living and it’s not cute—it’s AMAZING.” We like our designers a little funky and lot of fresh…so far Ruth exhibits both qualities. She lives in the U.K.
Amy Herzog Simple, modern, feminine appeal in designs that are conscious of a woman’s shape. Amy’s tutorials on fit have been well-received…look for a spin on this concept in Knitscene in 2011.
Angela Tong Just when I despair that there must be no more possible lace shawl designs, or designers-of for that matter, Angela comes to my attention. I’m excited to see what she dreams up in 2011.

If you’re interested in submitting designs to Knitscene and becoming a hot new contributor, check out our guidelines and deadlines here. We will have new materials for the Winter 2011 issue up in January.

Happy knitting and happy holidays! See you in the new year.

~ Lisa

P.S. A sneak peek and a tip from the Winter/Spring issue of Knitscene: how to photograph socks!

Stashbusting with Knitscene: 5 Great Gift Ideas

AmyPalmer — Tue, 16 Nov 2010 15:25:00 GMT

If you're like me, you're a yarn hoarder—you hang onto every potentially usable scrap of yarn leftover from projects (or in some cases, your friends' projects…) because they could be useful, some day. Most notably, I have a bunch of scraps from past sock projects; little balls of fingering weight that will eventually (so I keep telling myself) end up in a blanket.

These days, though, I have a growing collection of scraps of heavier yarn. I suppose I could just make a lot of blankets, but then again, there are so many great projects out there that I could use for stash-busting and clearing out these scrappy bits of yarn, or the oddball single skeins that have found their way into my yarn collection with no real purpose.

Because of my hoarding tendencies (thankfully, this is pretty much limited to my yarn; I do not yet qualify for a tv show), I'm always on the lookout for projects that would make good stash busters. So I made a list of a few projects from our Knitscene Fall 2010 issue that would help me in my goal of stash-busting before the new year. And with the holidays around the corner, if you're looking for things to knit for friends and family members, maybe some of these projects could come in handy as last minute gifts, too!

Colors

I love colorwork projects, because there are so many variations possible by using different combinations of colors. Plus, if you're doing a stranded colorwork project, the extra strands of yarn will keep you toasty warm!

Marlaina Bird's Bryophyta Cowl and Mitts are perfect for using up bits of fingering weight yarn of various colors. Use all solids, or throw in a couple of variegated yarns for easy, no work color variations.

Amy Polcyn's Pop Quiz Mitts and Ann Weaver's Quantoid Hat are great for stash-busting if you have two of the same yarns in different colors. The corrugated ribbing in the Pop Quiz Mitts would also be a place to experiment with using a variegated yarn.

Single skeins

If you have single skeins of amazing yarns that "just followed you home one day," these projects are for you! Elinor Brown's Northumbria Cowl uses Madelinetosh Pashmina, a delicious blend of silk, cashmere, and merino. A similarly luxurious yarn would make this a great last-minute gift—especially if it's a gift for yourself!

The Xenocryst Hat from Linda Shelhamer looks fabulous in the slightly heathered Cascade 220 skein, but try it in a bright solid to make the cables pop, or a flecked tweed yarn for a different look.

Got any stash-busting tips or suggestions of your own? Let us know! Leave a comment below or drop me a line on Twitter.

Project Diary: Oscilloscope Shawl

AmyPalmer — Wed, 29 Sep 2010 15:40:00 GMT

As projects come into the Knitscene office, there's a whole lot of "oohing" and "aahing" over the samples. There's a bevy of comments along the lines of "wow that color is perfect!" or "this yarn is sooooo soft!" and more than few "gee, I want one for myself!" And if we're going to be making things for ourselves, why not let our Knitscene readers know what we did, how we changed a pattern to fit ourselves,or what we think is so great about the pattern?

Enter the Project Diary! Just as Knitting Daily and Inside Knits have done (did you see that Chiral Cardigan? Gorgeous!), we'll occasionally be featuring a project or two from a new issue with a detailed diary by the knitter. First up, we have our very own Editorial Assistant Kathy Mallo showing off her stunning Oscilloscope Shawl from our Fall 2010 issue. This has been one of the most popular projects from this issue, and Kathy was incredibly excited to dive right into knitting one for herself.

Project: Oscilloscope Shawl by Kate Gagnon Osborn Knitscene Fall 2010
Yarn: The Fibre Company Canopy Worsted, (distributed by Kelbourne Woolens), 4 skeins of Plum.

In the issue’s photo spread, I was drawn to the project because it looks stylish and elegant in its drape. The project appears versatile as a scarf and shawl, depending how I choose to wear it. I like the cozy and practical aspects, as well as the lovely drape of the fabric that makes it classy.

I thoroughly enjoyed making the Oscilloscope shawl. The yarn is a perfect choice and the chart design is so smart. I recall thinking there is something very satisfying about using this combination of yarn and larger needle size to create something: It is not a wisp of a thread that I can barely feel in my hand, nor chunky and dominating the design. This worsted weight yarn is a comfortable place in the middle, feeling so nice and soft in my hands and working up quickly and so beautifully. I truly enjoyed knitting every row. The color is Plum, a really pretty choice that thrills me. I was torn between the gorgeous green in the magazine (one of my favorite colors and a common staple color of my closet) and considering another color. As I worked on the shawl, I wondered what colors other knitters are using.

When knitting from a chart, I can’t allow the luxury of a wandering mind too much because, I admit, mistakes come easily to me. I’ve seen expert knitters knit without even glancing at their hands, which blows me away! I was once on a tour train in the mountains of Colorado. There was a lady from England next to me not missing a moment of the scenery and knitting away at the same time. I asked her how in the world she did that: She said she has been knitting since a child and doesn’t need to look at her hands knitting because she feels it. Of course, it was a straight stockinette sleeve, but still!

Some knitters have trouble understanding charts as the primary pattern instruction. In knitting the Oscilloscope Shawl, I found it extremely helpful to:
• First read all the way through the pattern instructions and the applicable glossary notes. This helps me to get an overall feel of the road ahead and maybe see into the designer’s logic in the layout.
• Use a sticky note to move along the page, line by line on the chart so I don’t get lost.
• Refer to the key. Love the key! For me, the chart symbols for ssk versus k2tog don’t stick in my brain: it’s kind of funny, something so simple, yet easily mixed up. So the key is key.
• Have faith!

At the beginning of this project, I was a little nervous and unsure of myself. When I had knitted the first half of the set-up chart, it did not look right to me. I frogged the work a couple of times because I doubted my ability. Finally, I decided to just do the best I could and trust the chart. As the corner triangle started to take shape and I moved into the body increase chart, I relaxed. I got in the groove of working each odd and even row back and forth, back and forth. There was a definite moment when I began to fall in love with this project. As the center rows of garter stitch and the paths of diagonal lace began to show themselves, I got excited! When I could see the beautiful pattern design and feel drape of the lovely yarn, it was clear that this may be one of my favorite knitting projects so far.

Have you knit an Oscilloscope Shawl, or do you plan to? Let us know about your version in the comments!