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Brittany Needles and Hooks – Review & Giveaway
I met Chris and Michri, the owners of Brittany, at a conference earlier this year. I was drooling over their crochet hooks and knitting needles, and they were nice enough to give me one of each to try out and review for you. They're also providing one lucky winner with either birch needles or a birch hook! See all the details below and enter for a chance to win.
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Tutorial – Fair Isle Locked Down
Fair Isle is a colorwork technique in knitting, in which you work with multiple colors at once. This usually leaves "floats" or loose strands of yarn at the back of the work. In this tutorial, learn how to lock those floats down with every stitch to create a smoother finish at the back.
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Tutorial – Herringbone Stitch (Knit)
The knit herringbone stitch uses slight modifications to common decrease stitches. This creates a dense, zig-zag texture. Learn how in this tutorial!
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Tutorial – Twisted Stitches – Knit and Purl Through the Back Loop (ktbl, ptbl)
Most of the time in knitting, we want our stitches to lay flat and even. If they twist, it's often a mistake. Sometimes though, we want to knit twisted stitches on purpose, as a textural element. To do this, we knit through the back loop (ktbl) or purl through the back loop (ptbl).
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If You Try to Find a Hook
If you try to find a hook, you'll stumble across that WIP that needs blocking, so you'll stop to block it. You'll run out of pins, and take them out of the larger project that's done blocking...
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Tutorial – Adding Hair to an Amigurumi Doll
Adding hair is often one of the last steps of an amigurumi project. For me, this is when the doll really takes on a personality of its own. Just like styling human hair, doll hair can be a great way to express your creativity. In this tutorial, I'm using a crocheted doll and adding long hair with a center part and side ponytails. The same techniques can be used for a wide variety of hairstyles, and for knit amigurumi projects too.
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Tutorial – Needle Sculpting an Amigurumi Doll Face
In amigurumi, needle sculpting is a way to add contours to an otherwise smooth surface. Carefully placed stitches are pulled tightly to draw the fabric in and make it pucker. This is a particularly useful technique for sculpting facial contours. This tutorial will show you a few basic steps to create eye sockets and a nose.
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Book Review – 30 Knitted Headbands and Ear Warmers
Headbands are a wonderful anytime project. They're small, fast, and easy to travel with. They can be the statement piece that pulls a look together, or they can just keep your hair out of your eyes. With 30 Knitted Headbands and Ear Warmers by Jenise Hope, you'll have just the right one for any occasion. I received a free review copy of this book from the publisher.
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Tutorial – Knit Bobbles
Bobbles are a fun way to add texture to your knitting. As with most techniques in knitting and crochet, there are lots of different ways to make them. Learn the 3 basic steps of making a bobble, and some different variations to try.
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Tutorial – Knit Diagonal Basketweave
The Diagonal Basketweave stitch creates a lovely, cross hatched texture. It looks a little intimidating at first, but with a 2 stitch and 2 row repeat, it's easier to learn than you might think!
