Have you ever fancied a knitted dress? If so, you’re in luck! Gudrun Johnston’s newest book, The Shetland Trader Book Three: Heritage, features not one, not two, but three stunning knitted frocks. Like all the patterns in this knockout book, the dresses marry 1970s aesthetic with modern sensibilities for beautiful and highly wearable pieces. And each dress features some different Shetland knitting techniques to try! I’m willing to bet that, even if you don’t think your wardrobe needs a dress, once you see these, you’ll change your mind. The designs are just. so. good. Shall we have a peek?
Read moreTutorial Round-up: Stranded Colourwork
It’s been so exciting to see some really stunning versions of Janette Budge’s triumph of a toque, the Variance Hat, coming off the needles. Quite a few folks have tackled this as a first colourwork project, which is brilliant to see! Even though Janette’s design features eight shades of J&S 2ply Jumper Weight, you never use more than two colours on any given row, making it a very approachable introduction to colourwork (and one that is sure to wow your knitting and non-knitting friends alike).
Read moreKnitting inside out
Do you struggle to keep your tension even when you knit stranded colourwork in the round over small circumferences? Lots of people do!
I’ve mentioned the trick of working inside out a few times in our books and here on the blog, but I’ve never shown in detail what I mean by this, so in today’s “not totally gratuitous excuse for more photos of my nearly-finished cowl”, I’m going to take you through it.
Read moreAvoiding a jog in stranded colourwork
Have you ever wondered how to get rid of a jog in a colourwork motif? Here’s a tip to sort that out for you…
Read moreFive books I'd love to unwrap this year...
I believe that there are new things to be learnt all the time in knitting. It’s what keeps it interesting for me, and that buzz from learning something new is what I thrive on. If I’m lacking in mojo it’s generally a sign that I’m stuck in a rut and need to shake things up.
What could be better to inspire me to try something new, than a new book? Here are five book ideas that I’d be thrilled to unwrap this year, and maybe you would too?
Read moreGoldilocks and the Three* Vests
Today I'm handing over the reins of the blog to Alix Pearson. Alix is one of the moderators in our Ravelry group, and is a fount of knowledge on both stranded knitting and adjusting patterns for fit. I have long admired her beautiful stranded vests, so today she is going to share some helpful tips on making your own. Over to you, Alix!
Read moreJoy from the Everyday – The Knitsonik Stranded Colourwork System
There is a great temptation sometimes to doubt one's own ability and for many, me included, this is often around design and use of colour. But fear not! Help is at hand.
You may have been lucky enough to have taken one of Felicity (Felix) Ford's classes, and if you have, you will undoubtedly have been filled with her boundless enthusiasm for the potential of just about anything as a source of inspiration for design. We love spending time with Felix (above) because she sees the world differently from us and can communicate how she sees things so clearly that we cannot help but have our eyes opened to the possibilities.
Read moreSomething to Knit With 4ply
We have happy smiles because we can finally share our new yarn with you! When we started to plan our books for this year, I had in mind exactly the yarn I wanted for Something New to Learn About Lace (which will be available to pre-order later this month, with copies shipping in June), and the best way to get the yarn I wanted turned out to be having it made especially for us!
Read moreBook and DVD Review: Fair Isle Designs from Shetland Knitters and 50 Tips from Shetland Knitters
It's a Shetland fiesta here this morning at A-C Knitwear Towers! My love of Shetland and its incredible knitting heritage, along with the wonderful wildlife, has been mentioned a few times here over the years. Today's post covers the new book from the Shetland Guild of Spinners, Knitters, Weavers and Dyers, Fair Isle Designs from Shetland Knitters Volume 1, and the fantastic DVD, 50 Tips from Shetland Knitters, produced by Hazel Tindall and Elizabeth Johnston.
Read moreJanuary: Shaila Mittens
January is the AYoT month for mastering the colour dominance in your Fair Isle projects. The video tutorial for the month has been released on Mason-Dixon Knitting (and will shortly be added to our Year of Techniques video tutorial page). The tutorial walks you through three different ways of holding your yarn for Fair Isle projects, all of which will ensure that you keep your yarn dominance consistent. This helps your projects to look neater, and makes sure that your yarns don't tangle as you work.
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