Crazy for Ewe

Stockholm Sweater is a fabulous design by PetiteKnits, and I'm thrilled to have Jennifer Rua, who led the Metamorphic KAL, leading another a KAL for this one.  .  Stockholm is an easy fitting dropped-shoulder garment knit from the top down at a gauge of 21 stitches per 4 inches,.  

Almost all yarns are blended, whether the label says so or not.   Unless otherwise noted, fibers in yarn labeled simply wool might come from a variety of sheep from all over the world.  This blending isn't necessarily a bad thing but rather can help ensure availability and keep the product of consistent quality. However, when different fibers are included in a yarn, each must be listed

It’s fabulous to give hand-knits to those you love and know will appreciate the time and effort that went into such a thoughtful gift. But here it is the day before Thanksgiving…Is there anything you still make in time?  Yes!  Let me share with you my favorites. 

If you’re a sweater knitter,you still have time to a sweater - as long as it’s in super bulky yarn, and you don’t have too many people on your list.  I did a whol

Cashmere.  Just say it.  Doesn’t the word feel so nice as it rolls off the tongue?  And the images it conjures in the mind – incomparable softness and luxury.  Working with cashmere is the ultimate experience.  But why? What is so amazing about cashmere?  Is it really that great, or is it all hype?  Let’s talk about it.

As we continue our look at yarn construction types, let’s talk first about plied yarn. What is Plied Yarn anyway? Plied yarn has come to mean yarn created by twisting unspun fiber under tension. The resulting strand is a single.  Twisting makes the fiber strong enough to be used without breaking when you pull on it.  The greater the twist,  the stronger the yarn, but there is a limit to how much twist a yarn can have and still behave.  

There are lots of ways to sort and categorize knitting yarn - by weight, by fiber, etc, but one of the most important characteristics that many knitters and crocheters don't understand is yarn construction.  There are 4 basic yarn construction types, plied, chainette, tube or blown, and air jet spun. Let's

At a trunk show, the yarn company or designer sends a whole big box, or trunk, of knitted samples for you to see and try on. The garments are typically in the shop for at least 10 days and sometimes as long as 2 weeks.

A trunk show might feature a single yarn in several different samples, or it could be a seasonal collection, or garments from a book or magazine.  The point is to

Blocking is an often overlooked, but important step in finishing any garment. Broadly stated, it’s the process of wetting your knit fabric, either with steam or with warm water.  Wool is quite relaxed when it’s wet, so you can smooth those pesky curling edges, adjust the size of your fabric, and create a particular shape. Not only are blocked sweater pieces much easier to seam, they look

While many yarns can be used to make socks, and sock yarn can be used to make many things, sock yarn typically refers to a fingering weight blend of superwash wool and nylon or silk. 

Sock yarn is often hand-dyed to create socks with a fun and colorful appearance.  Some sock yarns is machine engineered to create designs

A few years ago we hosted Willow Tree Yarns at the shop for a hand-dye class. Everyone had a great time, dyed a skein of their own yarn, and never thought about it again.  Everyone except Nicole Van Kuiken, that is.  I had no idea she'd been bitten by the hand-dye bug, and then the next thing you know, 

Gauge in knitting is nothing more than the size of the stitches we are creating. The size of the stitches is measured by how many stitches fit into a given linear measurement, typically one inch or four inches. So we get gauge terms like 4 stitches per inch or 16 stitches per 4”. I did a fun blog post explaining this

This textured cowl, Mara, is a stunning piece. Ginni, Mary, and I saw Mara at H+H and knew it would be a perfect knitalong.  Worked in beautiful Truva, it looks much more complicated that it is. Isn't it amazing all the things  you can do with just two simple knit and purl stitches?!?!.  A terrific project for adventurous beginners and experienced knitters alike.  You'll enjoy the process and have a