Drawbacks of using synthetic petro-fibers such as acrylic for winter outerwear knits ; where to find cheap 100% wool yarn as a superior choice with insulation and moisture-wicking benefits
Month: October 2023
Knitting Advice Nr. 8: Your local yarn shop is in the business of selling you stuff, actually (note to self, mainly)
In my city, local yarn shops are quietly disappearing. We used to have about six of them, plus several department stores selling yarn. Now we're down to only two yarn shops and two department stores offering (a little, and mostly low quality) yarn. This, I guess, might be why I tend to get overly sentimental … Continue reading Knitting Advice Nr. 8: Your local yarn shop is in the business of selling you stuff, actually (note to self, mainly)
Knitting Advice Nr. 7: Embrace your negativity (wearability matters)
Understand what knitting patterns mean by positive and negative ease and how to choose patterns you will feel comfortable wearing.
Knitting Advice Nr. 6 : Swatch as you knit (knitting a flat swatch for an item that you will work in-the-round doesn’t work)
How using steeks can enable you to obtain an accurate gauge measurement for a knit worked in-the-round.
Knitting Advice Nr. 5 : Freeze your knits (moths be gone)
Clothes moths go by the fancy scientific names of tineola bisselliella and tinea pellionella (so two different species of moths, bisselliella being the most common). These 2 species of moths thrive on keratin. What is keratin ? Keratin is "the key structural material making up scales, hair, nails, feathers, horns, claws, hooves, and the outer … Continue reading Knitting Advice Nr. 5 : Freeze your knits (moths be gone)
Knitting Advice Nr. 4 : Seam your knits with single crochet (especially the cotton ones).
Many knitters like seams to be invisible and single crochet, for sure, doesn't produce an invisible seam. But here's the thing : invisible seams are not as sturdy as a single crochet seam and a sturdy will help your garment to keeps its shape. We're talking cardigan, sweaters, T-shirts, vests and tank tops here.( I'm … Continue reading Knitting Advice Nr. 4 : Seam your knits with single crochet (especially the cotton ones).
Knitting Advice Nr. 3 : Don’t knit an entire garment in garter stitch (it will sag)
Garter stitch is the name of the stitch pattern you create when you are knitting flat and only using knit stitches on each and every row. Garter stitch isn't a good choice of stitch for knitting an entire garment with as it creates a fabric that sags due to how knit stitches behave when they're … Continue reading Knitting Advice Nr. 3 : Don’t knit an entire garment in garter stitch (it will sag)
Knitting Advice Nr.2 : Learn to purl (it’s worth it).
Learn to purl. Yes, you could go full vintage (early 15th century Europe) and knit everything in-the-round, without ever purling. You could. But in my opinion, this would be a pity. Purling allows you to knit flat. Including purl stitches in knitted-in-the-round garments enables you to create an infinity of textured knits. Ribbing is created … Continue reading Knitting Advice Nr.2 : Learn to purl (it’s worth it).
Knitting Advice Nr. 1: Learn knitting (it takes time).
Learn to knit. Be patient. Your might be rather disappointed with the results you achieve with your first projects. I certainly was with mines. How passionate you are about knitting and how much time and money you want to invest in acquiring this skill is up to you. But time and money it will take. … Continue reading Knitting Advice Nr. 1: Learn knitting (it takes time).
Hello world ? Anyone looking for a 2023 knitting blog ?
Once upon a while, having a blog was popular and hype. Hundreds of knitting blogs existed. It no longer is the case. So why yet another knitting blog ? Because my head is full of knitting and I tend to bore to death people with all my unsolicited knitting advice. These people don’t even knit. My … Continue reading Hello world ? Anyone looking for a 2023 knitting blog ?
Unsolicited Knitting Advice 