Crazy for Ewe

You picked a sweater pattern. You bought the yarn. You followed every direction exactly.

But when you put it on… something was off.

• Maybe it's too tight in the armholes
• Maybe the shoulders hang off your actual shoulder
• Maybe it looked saggy and a little sloppy

And you wonder: What did I do wrong? I followed the pattern exactly.  Is it my gauge???

First, let me say, it's probably not your gauge. I mean, it could be, but 9 times out of 10,

I love a sweater that’s beautiful and wearable in equal measure. The April Cardigan is just that—a simple, feminine V-neck cardigan you can throw over anything, dress up or down, and wear year-round. It has a cropped silhouette, set-in sleeves, and lovely shaping through the yoke that makes it feel polished and elevated without being fussy.

It seems I've always had a thing for Japanese yarns.  Noro yarn, obviously, with its painterly colors and rustic textures, and the way every skein feels like a piece of art. But Noro isn’t the only Japanese yarn we adore.  There's lovely Ikigai, and fabulous DanDoh.

No, let me introduce you to another brand that brings its own kind of magic to your knitting: ITO Yarn.

It can be so confusing to look at yarn labels.  Cotton and cashmere, wool and alpaca, wool and cotton, cotton and yak. And then you pick up a skein of Noro and it has four or five different fibers in there.  What the heck?” Right?!?

It’s a good question.  Wool is pretty much perfect for knitting, but that's not to say it can't be enhanced.  Same with other fibers we love.  The truth  is that some of the very best

Join us for a Felt-Along with Mary!

There’s something wonderfully satisfying about trying a new craft—especially when it’s easy, fun, and you end up with something totally adorable.

It's always about the color.  Whether it's my favorite powder soft pinks, bold brights, or elegant neutrals, color is what draws us to a skein or a project in the first place. But using colorful yarn in projects can be an iffy proposition.  If you've ever gazed a a

We’ve been talking about linen for a while now, so it’s no secret how I feel about most 100% linen yarns. They can be stiff, wiry, and very hard on your hands. It’s a shame, because linen is such a fabulous fiber to wear—cool, breathable, and durable, growing softer and more lovely over time. But no one wants their knitting experience to be a battle of wills. That’s why I’ve never carried 100% linen yarns in the shop… until recently with DanDoh Linen, which I love. Now, I want to talk about another yarn that really changes the game: Rowan Creative Linen.

If you've ever seen a Noro garment in a magazine and wondered what it looks like in real life—or how it might look on you—then our Noro Trunk Show is a must-attend event.

Join us Thursday, June 19th, from 5 to 7pm for a fabulous evening celebrating the vibrant beauty of Noro Yarns. We’ll have every single garment from the brand-new Noro Magazine Issue 26 available for you to see, touch, and try on. It’s your chance to experience these designs firsthand and get inspired for your next colorful project.

Finishing is super important for sweaters that look great, and a big part of finishing is the blocking.  If you’ve been with me a while, you’ve heard me say more than once that I’m not a fan of wet-blocking sweaters, especially wool sweaters.  Wool is springy and elastic, but it’s also surprisingly fragile when it’s wet. That’s why, when I’m working with wool, I’m all about steam and gentle shaping. But when it comes to plant-based fibers like linen and cotton, the rules change—and that’s exactly what I want to dig into today.

You know that I am fanatic about fit. Club Crazy for Ewe is all about helping knitters make sweaters that fit perfectly—from length and width to armhole depth and sleeve length, shaping the garment to fit your body contours and preferences. But there’s a different kind of garment design that doesn’t shape the fabric to conform to the body. Instead, it allows the body to create the shape. This is the guiding principle behind the fluid, modern silhouettes designed by Yumiko Alexander, and Shellie Anderson, and Britt-Marie Brehmer, to name a few.  Creating that fluidity and drape is often what's behind 

If you’ve ever knit with 100% linen yarn, you know it can be...a little tricky. Linen, for all its amazing qualities, tends to be stiff, crisp, and not exactly the most enjoyable fiber to work with on your needles. It’s hard to deny the beauty and comfort of a linen garment—no fiber keeps you cooler in warm weather—but knitting with traditional linen has always felt kind of like jogging: good for you, but maybe not the most fun.