Good yarn shops display to their customers samples of their goods : little square swatches (often 10 X10 cm) of the yarn they are selling, usually in stockinette, often fully enclosed by a garter stitch border. This is lovely ro see and touch, the start of many woolly love affairs, but I disgress. The key … Continue reading Knitting advice No. 26 : Don’t knit your swatch as if you were a shop owner (you need some level of accuracy to measure gauge)
Category: Knitwear Design
In this category, I put my content linked to knitwear design. I share my own designing ideas and experience. But above all, my aim here is to provide advice to knitwear design buyers. The goal is to enable buyers to spot patterns that are badly written, poorly designed or patterns that will quickly become unwearable after being worn and washed a few times.
Morning rant : woman body versus tent
A little morning rant about... bust darts. In my advice No. 20 (Knit to flatter: embrace your figure), I went into some details about how the silhouette of a sweater affects whether or not a knit is especially flattering for you. What I failed to mention is that for us large ladies with a bra … Continue reading Morning rant : woman body versus tent
Knitting Advice Nr. 24 : Knit for your biological sex (men are not taller women)
Men are not women in taller/larger bodies nor are women men in smaller bodies. As with all mammals, humans are a sexually dimorphic species. You can't just "adjust the proportions" of a sweater and call them a male or female version. Knitwear for men and knitwear for women must be drafted on different blocks, because … Continue reading Knitting Advice Nr. 24 : Knit for your biological sex (men are not taller women)
Knitting Advice Nr. 23: Measure your needles with a knitting needle gauge.
Because what’s written on your knitting needle might not be the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth. I own a perfectly fine pair of 3.5 mm circular needles. Conveniently, the size is carved right into them—and it’s a good carving, too, having survived multiple sweaters unscathed. Only problem? The actual size is … Continue reading Knitting Advice Nr. 23: Measure your needles with a knitting needle gauge.
All I knitted in 2024…
It's that time of year again when people start posting their "All I Knitted in..." videos. And gosh... they sure did knit plenty of stuff! On the one hand, it's fascinating—especially when they rate their projects, analysing what worked, what didn’t, and why. On the other hand, it feels overwhelming! I find it hard not … Continue reading All I knitted in 2024…
Knitting advice Nr. 21 : Use stitch markers to hold the fabric into place (you need to check the fit before any sewing takes place).
Do you know how a custom-fitted garment is made? By a process of trial and error. Usually, this involves using loads of pins to connect the different parts of the not-yet-entirely-sewed-up piece. But you can't do that with knitted fabric because pins tend to fall off. So, what do you do? You use locking stitch … Continue reading Knitting advice Nr. 21 : Use stitch markers to hold the fabric into place (you need to check the fit before any sewing takes place).
Knitting Advice Nr. 20: Knit to flatter (embrace your figure)
Again, this is somewhat of a contentious issue. In our day and age, 'body positivity' is the norm, and according to this line of thinking, stating that some knits are more flattering than others due to our personal body shapes is viewed as bigoted. I somewhat agree, but I also want people to be truly … Continue reading Knitting Advice Nr. 20: Knit to flatter (embrace your figure)
Knitting advice Nr. 18: Use AI to improve your knitting (it’s surprisingly efficient)
Use AI to improve your knitting : it's surprisingly efficient. This post provides you with a basic introduction to AI and a few ideas on how to use it on your knitting journey.
Knitting Advice Nr. 17: Label your swatch (no, you won’t remember what it was all about)
Maybe it's just me and old age setting in, but I've got a number of swatches that I have kept...without labeling them. If I look up on my notes on Ravelry or my bullet journal, I've got a fair chance of recalling what yarn it was and even its colourway. But not the size needle … Continue reading Knitting Advice Nr. 17: Label your swatch (no, you won’t remember what it was all about)
Knitting Advice Nr. 15: Provide some extra wool for repairs and darning alongside your FOs
We put a lot of work and love into our knittings. We wish that the recipients of our creations will take good care of them and wear them often. But with wear comes tear and sometimes (heartbreakingly) moths! All is not lost. A little darning can go a long way. Provided....you have the right wool … Continue reading Knitting Advice Nr. 15: Provide some extra wool for repairs and darning alongside your FOs
