Cables and Lace!
How to knit cables, Hearts Lace stitch, and joining a ball of yarn.
Welcome to the 18th issue of the online SpinCraft Newsletter, and thanks for being my subscriber. As always, if you don’t want this newsletter, or don’t remember signing up for it, please don’t spam me. Instead, click the link at the bottom to unsubscribe. I appreciate your kindness in that regard.
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Spring Knitting
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It’s been my experience that many knitters are also gardners and love the outdoors (hence the need for lots of hats and scarves). So it would not surprise me if you are finding less time for knitting these days, and are being captured by those occasional perfect sunny days.
As knitting season winds down, and summer opens up, this news letter will, likely, become a bit sporadic in schedule. In fact, that has already happened as I missed last Tuesday! As the Christmas and fall knitting bug starts to hit later in the season we’ll gear up again to be faithfully sent on Tuesday mornings.
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Joining Yarn
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Of course I’ve joined a million balls of yarn in my time. But I always enjoy watching how someone else does it. The questions is: Is there really a right way?
Most of the time I leave a long end, so that I have something to work in so that the ends can never ravel out. Sometimes, though, I’m knitting along with some store-bought yarn and find that they just joined it with a little knot with the ends clipped short. Heck… if they do that, why can’t I?
Most of the time I tie a knot with my old ball and new, because it gives extra security. But sometimes I an knitting something that is fine, and the knot will be in a visible place. Then I knit the two yarns together for a few stitches, leaving a smooth join.
In this issue we are featuring a video from Knitpicks using the “knitting in” method . She shows how to join by knitting the strands together. The nice thing about this method is that you don’t have to work the ends in later, just clip them off when convenient.
- Click here for: Joining a new ball of Yarn – Knitting In
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Heart Lace
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Nadelspiel.com brings us a video on how to knit “Hearts Lace Stitch.” It looks very complicated and makes a nice lace with little hearts, but it is really quite simple.
- Click here for: Hearts Lace Stitch
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Knitting Cables
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We have a very simple video by Fayme Harper demonstrating how to make a cable stitch. She shows a basic 6 stitch cable… with some beautiful tan yarn!
- Click here for: How to knit Cables
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Back to Work
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And it’s back to work for me! So much to get done.
By the way… did I mention that one of my many jobs is doing tech support for a guy who puts out a computer “How to” newsletter and website: Ask Leo! You can ask Leo questions about your computer and tech problems, and he gives great answers. He also has a newsletter that is published weekly: get it here: Ask Leo Newsletter.
As always, happy spring and happy knitting!
Connie Delaney
www.spincraftpatterns.com
www.knitknitting.com
Blustery Knitting
Finishing up projects, fingerless gloves, and the Yarn Tamer…
Welcome to the 17th issue of the online newsletter. I don’t know about where you live, but here in Idaho we are having a blustery cold spring! I feel quite stalled on my gardening and orchard pruning projects I started a few weeks ago. But I have decided to take advantage of a few more indoor days and finish up those last few projects on my needles.
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Knitters Finishing Techniques
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Right along that line is a good book by Nancie M. Wiseman on finishing techniques. Finishing techniques are what can turn a dumpy “homemade” project into something we are proud to wear. It’s very important for items we are giving away as gifts as we want them to be warmly received!
Amazon.com has a very good “Look Inside” feature for this book, and I was able to learn a lot just from reading the first chapters.
- Click here for: The Knitters Book of finishing Techniques
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Fingerless Gloves
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I love fingerless gloves. They are so fun to wear, and a quick project to knit. Here is a video with a beautiful set made with a patterned cuff and bobbles. This is a 3-part video series and gives you all you need to know to start making these for yourself.
- Click here for: Fingerless Gloves
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The Yarn Tamer
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My yarn seems to start out so nice and controlled, and then it quickly works up into a huge mess. Especially if I am doing something with multiple colors or unusual yarn. So I was very excited to find this little video on the “Yarn Tamer.” At first I thought it was going to be some sort of dispensing tube, and was very surprised to find out it incorporates ideas from the spinning wheel to manage the yarn. Very interesting.
Watch the little video, and if you are a handspinner (like I am) you’ll quickly see how your spindles and lazy Kate’s can be used to dispense yarn like this!
- Click here for: Yarn Tamer
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Short but sweet…
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A short newsletter today… but hey! We need to be finishing up those projects and not reading on our computer!
Happy Knitting to all
Connie Delaney
www.Spincraftpatterns.com
www.Knitknitting.com
knitting patterns The Knitters Book of Finishing Techniques
The Knitters Book of Finishing Techniques
knitting patterns
List Price: $24.95
Your Price: $14.95
Knitted one too many sweaters that scream “homemade”? Help is here! Finishing techniques are the key to turning out professional-looking projects. This comprehensive reference gives you the know-how you need to get gorgeous, polished results every time.
o More than 50 expert techniques cover increases, decreases, seams, blocking, decorative finishes, and more
o Master each method with step-by-step illustrations, easy-to-read text, and dozens of color photos
o Bring along this handy guide wherever you go; the spiral-bound design lies flat for trouble-free knitting
HOW TO KNIT FINGERLESS GLOVES – With individual fingers and lace cuff. Part 1 of 3
This Lace Fingerless Gloves knitting tutoriual, guides you through the knitting pattern step by step. A three part knitting guide on how to complete these Lace Fingerless Gloves. Intermediate skill level or very persistant and determined beginner! Worked in the round you will need 4.5mm and 4mm double pointed needles and a circular needle to act as a stitch holder. The written instructions can be purchased from TheCastingOnCouch.com
See also
The Yarn Tamer
This is a great yarn dispensing tool for every knitter and crocheter! It will unwind your yarn flawlessly. You insert the center of your yarn ball onto the plastic sleeve and start to unwind. It keeps your yarn clean, off the floor (away from pets!) and prevents tangling. You can throw it in your knitting bag and take it along with you. Lightweight – only 6 ounces Professionally handcrafted Grips on base to stay put Yarn is always tangle-free Reasonably priced at $18 shipped Travels easily
Knitting News
Outside chores are starting to call my name, and I am feeling the call of spring. Less time to knit these days as I am busy pruning the apple trees and beginning to clean up the garden. But I am also finding it to be the perfect time to line out new projects. I find the biggest challenge to my productivity is to actually finish off projects I’m working on (down to clipping the last worked-in string) and planning the start of the new. Sometimes I will find myself stalled for weeks or months because I just don’t know where to begin. So I like to have several new ideas laid out at any time. This week’s newsletter has both finishing off with the applied I-cord bindoff, and starting anew with socks!
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Applied I-Cord Bind Off
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Starting off this week we have a video teaching the applied I-cord bind off. This is a very tidy way to end a garment as it makes a nice curled and pliable edge. Perfect for the end of a top-down hat. The edge is very pliable because you are actually increasing and binding off at the same time. Very cool.
Click here for: Applied I-Cord Bind Off
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Inspiration
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Need a moment of inspiration? Here is a short video that does just that. Etsy shop Tracce has put together a wonderful collage of round scarves, cowls and mobius. The colors and simplicity are wonderful. Sometimes I get stuck in thinking that really beautiful knitting has to be fine yarns and lace, but she has some wonderful thick scarves that must be so quick to make… and yet very beautiful.
Click here for Tracce Video
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Starting Socks
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Learn to knit socks! This video is the start of a 6-part series on knitting socks. If you’ve ever wanted to work through all the mysteries of socks this quick lesson will help.
Click here for: Learn to knit socks, part 1
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Kettle Dye Yarn
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Learning to dye your own yarn opens the door to unlimited colors. Particularly, if you master the art of blending, you will be able to express any idea in knitting. Here’s a great video on how to get a mottled effect that is evenly spaced throughout the skein. You can make delicious blends of variegated yarns that don’t make the weird patterns that often appear in “precise” store-bought varieties.
Click here for Kettle Dying Yarn
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Traditional Alpaca
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Finally, we have a little video that is really as sales video. But I love anything that shows the traditional ways, and this is a nice glimpse into production from the Peruvian Andes.
Click here for: Traditional Weavers
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…back to the orchard
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And it’s back to the orchard for me. No rest (or knitting) for the weary until I get all those branches I pruned off yesterday picked up and carried to the burn pile!
Happy Knitting
Connie Delaney
www.Knitknitting.com
www.Spincraftpatterns.com
Applied i-cord Bind Off
Instructions to create a 3 stitch applied i-cord bind off.
tracce
buy online at: www.tracce.etsy.com handmade cowls and neck warmers, shawls and scarves. cashmere, alpaca and merino wools. special italian design.
knitting pattern Learn to Knit Socks part 1 – Getting Started
knitting+pattern
Casting-on and getting started with double-pointed needles. This series of six videos were designed to accompany the Learn to Knit Socks pattern, which is available for purchase and download here: verypink.com
knitting patterns How to Kettle Dye Yarn
knitting+patterns
Learn with us at AllFreeKnitting.com how to create kettle dyed yarn. By adding the yarn to the dyebath before the dye, you get a mottled “kettle dyed” effect rather than a complete solid. This yarn makes for visually intriguing projects. For more free knitting patterns, tips and tutorials go to http
Social commitment-Traditional weavers-Alpaca Clothes-Wholesales
www.elegantalpaca.com. Beside the production of high quality baby alpaca knitwear Elegant Alpaca supports traditional weavers in the Peruvian Andes. They produce their products as they did in Inca time. They produce their own yarn and only use natural dyes. Elegant Alpaca promotes some of their products, like handbags, table cloth, and waist belts. Elegant Alpaca also uses their weavings in other fashion applications. Elegant Alpaca is an exclusive line of quality luxury clothes produced with the finest Alpaca fibers. Our collection only uses noble fibers and our processes are environment and nature friendly. All of our garments are carefully designed and selected, and have unique thermal properties because of the air pockets of the extremely soft and lightweight alpaca fibers
End of February
Spindle spinning, concealing wraps, baby blanket video, wavy rib st and more!
Welcome all. We’ll start this week’s newsletter with the importance of knitting a swatch to get a good gauge… and a few tips for cheating on that if you want! For the record, I’ll confess to being a swatch hater (or more accurately, I’m just lazy). I do all sorts of strange things to keep from knitting the swatch, and have actually created some great patterns that don’t need a swatch because it sizes as you go. But none of that is to negate the importance of a swatch. Your gauge is what makes your item fit. Period. Without it you are lost.
It’s not so much that I dislike knitting the swatch, as that I don’t know what to do with the little thing once I’m done with it. I can’t stand to throw them away, and then they hang around in my basket forever.
I learned a good tip in one of today’s videos though: keep that swatch through the whole project, and then if you end up needing a bit more yarn at the end, rip out the swatch and use that (I’m always running just a tad short on my castoff and have to pull out a row.)
One other, little mentioned, need of a swatch is consistency. You should stop your work occasionally and make sure you are still knitting the same gauge that you started with. Otherwise you could end up with a strange sag in your item, or even something terrible like sleeves that stretch into impossibly different sizes in their first wash!
- Click here to watch: a great video on knitting a swatch for a circular gauge.
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Concealing Wraps
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Wrapping and turning is a great way for shaping a garment. I’ve done it on everything from fancy scalloped bind offs to noses on knit bears. We are featuring another video by Cat Bordhi on how to conceal the wraps when you turn.
- Click here for: Wrapping and turning, concealing wraps.
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How to Knit a Baby Blanket
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Baby blankets are very fun. Mostly because they are usually knit for a baby coming into your life: be it for you, family or friends. But more than that, it is a simple rectangle that can have unlimited variations. Our knitting tips video this week, with Allison Isaacs, covers the basics and the fun of knitting baby blankets.
- Click here for: How to knit a baby blanket
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This Week’s Stitch
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This week we are featuring the Wavy Rib Stitch, which gives a different twist on the traditional rib pattern. It pulls in nicely for a cuff, and would make great hats and mittens.
- Click here for: Wavy Rib Stitch
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Respect the Spindle
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I love spindles, and found a book just full of them. Like most of the books I list in the newsletter, this one has the “see inside” feature on Amazon.com. So you can take a good look at the yummy pictures without spending a cent!
Spindles are an often overlooked tool for spinning yarn. Yes, it’s true that spinning wheels can spin faster. But a good spindle, wielded by a good spinner, can whip out a lot of yarn! Spindles more than compensate for being a bit slower by being a million times more accessible. A spindle is lots cheaper than a spinning wheel, and it is small and portable. You can fit it right in your bag and enjoy spinning anywhere.
I highly recommend that all knitters learn to spin on a spindle. It is very easy to graduate from spindle to wheel should you want to go into yarn production, but knowing how to spin opens up all sorts of possibilities for great knitting. On top of that… spun yarn can be very inexpensive. And, last but not least, when you make something with spindle spun yarn you have truly made it “from scratch.”
On yes… and of course I also included a link to buy my how-to book on spindle spinning.
- Click here for: Respect the Spindle
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Back to knitting…
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And enough for today. It’s back to knitting before it really warms up around here and I am called into the garden!
Sincerely,
Connie Delaney
www.spincraftpatterns.com
www.knitknitting.cmo
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