Crazy for Ewe
Why Your Sweater Doesn't Match Your Style -- and What to Do About It
A woman in my shop once told me she's never worn a single sweater she's knit. That stuck with me -- because there's a real difference between knitting to relax and knitting for the wardrobe you actually want.
How Much Ease Is Too Much? What Nobody Tells You About Fitting Your Tummy
Sizes solved one problem in knitting patterns and quietly created another -- nobody ever taught us how to choose one, or what to do once we had. Here's the real guidance, built around ease, tummy fit, and what construction style has to do with it.
What We Found at Retreat When We Stopped Trying to Teach
This past weekend, a room full of knitters gathered not to learn a technique, but to swatch for the sheer joy of discovering what a yarn wants to become. Here's what happens when you stop swatching for gauge and start swatching for wonder.
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What Linen Does to a Knitted Fabric — And Why It Surprises People
I've had my daughter's slightly sparkly linen top living rent-free in my head for
nearly a decade. Now I'm finally knitting it — and the yarn choices changed everything.
One small change at the armhole for a much better fit
Tanisha noticed it immediately — the fold above the bustline on a sleeveless dropped shoulder top. She was right. And the fix is simpler than you'd think.
The trick that solves the dropped shoulder problem
Ginni has been solving knitting problems structurally for longer than most people I know. The Liberty 250 Tee is what it looks like when a designer decides not to accept what the construction hands her.
You can have anything you want -- but not everything
A physicist friend of mine says you can have anything you want. But not everything. Turns out he was talking about dropped shoulder sweaters.
The Noro 28 Trunk Show and what surprised us
First Lori and I tried everything. Then Mary and Ginni did while I observed. It takes a lot of time for four women to each try on every garment in the Noro trunk show. But it was worth it. We have four different bodies, four different style sensibilities, and four genuinely different relationships with ease and fit.
The Moment Before the Bloom: Understanding Noro Mebuki
Mebuki. In Japanese, it means "the moment before something opens." It is a yarn in the process of becoming. After a week of swatching, I’ve discovered that this silk-heavy blend isn't just about color—it's about a "bloom" that transforms the fabric entirely. Before you cast on, there are three technical things you need to know about gauge, fiber, and the unique architecture of this woolen-spun yarn.
One yarn, three designers, and a very valuable lesson
I have knitted at least four boxy v-neck vests. I have given every single one of them away. What that finally taught me — and what it has to do with three designers, one yarn, and the sweaters you actually wear.
