Happy September and happy Confident Knitting release day! The time has finally come for me to introduce you to my very own design for Confident Knitting: Moorland Socks. These are knitted in a Fab Funky Fibres colourway designed specially for Confident Knitting! Do you spy that ever so squishy looking heel? It’s this month’s featured technique, the garter stitch short-row heel!
Read moreA Garter-Variety Heel (Confident Knitting Video Tutorial)
Have you ever tried a short-row heel? It’s a very useful one to have in your sock knitting tool box! It shares a lot of handy properties with the afterthought heel: it’s worked the same no matter what direction you’re working your sock; it doesn’t require you to pick up stitches along a gusset (there isn’t one!); and, particularly pertinent for this month’s Confident Knitting pattern, you can work it without interrupting the sequence or width of a self-patterning yarn. Unlike the afterthought heel though, there’s no waste yarn (or snipping of stitches) required, and it’s shaped not with decreases, but with (as the name suggests!) two sets of short rows! It’s one of those really clever pieces of knitting that feels a bit magical the first time you do it!
Read moreDouble-knitting made easy
Intrigued by double-knitting? Here’s everything you need.
Read moreVideo: Garter Tab Cast-On Method
The garter tab cast-on method is a really clever way to start a triangular shawl. It allows you to set up your knitting in three perpendicular directions, without an obvious start or finish. The video below shows you exactly how to work the cast on, starting with a provisional crochet cast on, working through the garter tab and then picking up the stitches around the edges of the tab. This is the cast-on method I've used in my Bithynica shawl, shown above.
Read moreBithynica shawl by Jen Arnall-Culliford
I love a big cosy triangular shawl! And I love designing in green. So perhaps it's no surprise that I designs a big cosy green triangular shawl for Something New to Learn About Lace...
Read moreAnnouncing Something New to Learn About Lace
Our new book, Something New to Learn About Lace goes on sale for pre-orders today! Something New to Learn About Lace is the second book in our Something New to Learn series – small books to help you to grow your knitting skills, accompanied by detailed photo tutorials, video tutorials online, as well as beautiful knitting patterns.
Read moreChapter 2: Fixing Cables
Otrera mitts by Jen Arnall-Culliford. Image © Jesse Wild.
Chapter 2 of Something New To Learn About Cables features tutorials on what to do when something goes wrong with your cable. The accompanying patterns are the Otrera Mittens and Mitts by Jen Arnall-Culliford.
Read moreKnitted-on edging beyond Talmadge
his month's Talmadge cloche has proven to be a pretty quick knit for many. Rather than twiddling your needles in anticipation of July's project, why not try one of these patterns, also featuring a knitted-on edge, to cement your learning?
Read moreHelical stripes and the Hyacinthus armwarmers
On your marks... Get set... Go!
Here is the first pattern for A Year of Techniques! We hope that you will have a ball learning how to work helical stripes, while you make these handy armwarmers. Spring is starting to be in the air here in Somerset, and around the town there are signs of bulbs poking up through the soil. Hyacinths are among my favourite spring bulbs, and the shades of this incredible Zauberball seemed to match the pot I've had on my windowsill this month. Some mornings there is still a bit of a bite in the air while I'm on the school run, or sitting working at my desk, so my Hyacinthus armwarmers are getting plenty of use. Hyacinthus is the genus name for hyacinths - when I'm not browsing Somerset villages for pattern names, my horticulture and bird books come in handy!
Read moreThe Designers
Jim and I are so happy to finally be able to share what we've been up to... Image © Jesse Wild
Is it Wednesday already? This week has flown by, and it's finally time to share with you the list of designers from all over the world, who have contributed to our new book, A Year of Techniques. To say that we are enjoying working with them all doesn't really cover it. This is a dream line up for me - these are the designers whose work I turn to when I want to cast on something new. We really hope that you will enjoy their creations as much as we do. Jim and I spent many hours on the sofa, chatting about who we wanted to work with, and how we wanted our book to be, and the time has finally come to share all our plans. We can't wait to be knitting along with you from March!
Read more