Negative Space This is the second in a series of posts recommending patterns for variegated lace yarn. We are saying goodbye to Findley Dappled in Have Shawl Will Travel. Join us! I know that at first blush "negative space" isn't necessarily what you might think you want in your project, but it's really just a fancy term for the open, lacy bits. Lace is all about the juxtaposition of positive (where the yarn is) and negative (where the yarn isn't). I find that when a lace pattern has a lot of negative space, it's easier to pair it with a variegated yarn, since the busy colors won't be detracting from any shapes that the positive space is forming. With that...
Heading in New Directions This is the second in a series of posts recommending patterns for self-striping sock yarns. We are saying goodbye to ONline sock yarns in the Online ONline Summer Sock-Stravaganza. Join us! Just like last week, we'll be focusing on patterns that take the self-patterning aspect of the yarn and use it in unexpected ways. When you change the direction of your work, you change how the yarn reacts, and that can be really fun! The knitting pattern for this week is Skew, another hit from many years ago. It first appeared on Knitty, and has since been translated into many languages. If you have trouble with the fit on standard socks, I highly recommend that you take a look...
Texture! This is the first in a series of posts recommending patterns for variegated lace yarn. We are saying goodbye to Findley Dappled in Have Shawl Will Travel. Join us! One thing that variegated lace yarn is pretty good at is obscuring lace. Your eye is drawn to all the fun colors, and pretty soon you can't process the interesting shapes. A great way to combat that effect is to simply make a shawl with an interesting texture. The color has a much more difficult time overwhelming a strong texture. On the knitting side, how about an oldie but a goodie - Citron? The stitches couldn't be simpler since most of the shawl is stockinette with a few increase and decrease...
Make Those Stripes Move! This is the first in a series of posts recommending patterns for self-striping sock yarns. We are saying goodbye to ONline sock yarns in the Online ONline Summer Sock-Stravaganza. Join us! Although many people like self-patterning sock yarn because it does all the work for you, some people require a jazzier pattern to keep themselves interested. When I sat down to think about what pattern I would want to use with self-striping sock yarn, the first one that came to mind was Jaywalker socks. Jaywalkers were one of the first big, viral sock patterns years ago when sock knitting was THE thing. I made a pair, which unfortunately I did not photograph before giving away. It's...
Mary E. Rose is a very talented designer from central Ohio. She's part of our Independent Designers Program, and her pattern will be released next week. In anticipation of that, we asked her to write an article for you on how to successfully work with linen - a versatile fiber we're seeing more and more of. She has some great tips and a free pattern for you! Swatching With Linenby Mary E. Rose It's nearly summer here in central Ohio, and that can only mean one thing: daytime and evening temperatures high enough that all those wonderfully wooly knits I have made through the years get cleaned, neatly folded, and put away for another season. It is always a bittersweet time...
