Discover the expert in you.
Discover the expert in you.
Good knitting yarns for handbags include linen, among others. Find out about good knitting yarns for handbags with help from an experienced knitter and designer in this free video clip.
Designing knitted sweaters is something you can do if you're trying to create a cardigan, pullover or some other article of clothing. Design knitted sweaters with help from an experienced knitter and designer in this free video clip.
"SSK" is an acronym that means "slip, slip, knit." Learn about alternatives to SSK knit stitches with help from an experienced knitter and designer in this free video clip.
The hardest part of cable knitting is undoubtedly keeping track of what row you are on. Find out about the hardest part of cable knitting with help from an experienced knitter and designer in this free video clip.
Casting off knitting loosely is going to require you to work with not one but two needle sizes. Cast of knitting loosely with help from an experienced knitter and designer in this free video clip.
Tiny sweaters make great gifts for friends and family, especially around Christmastime. Knit tiny sweaters with help from a longtime knitter and designer in this free video clip.
Not all knit stitches are going to be appropriate for all types of projects. Find out about knit stitches that are good for a neck scarf with help from a knitting expert in this free video clip.
Ending a knitting stitch requires the careful use of a very particular technique. End a knitting stitch with help from a knitting expert in this free video clip.
Making a fondant scarf will require you to follow a few particular steps based on the specifics of your design. Make a fondant scarf with help from a renowned cake artist in this free video clip.
Making a scarf to cover your shoulders always requires you to keep a few important things in mind during the design process. Make a scarf to cover your shoulders with help from a knitwear and accessories designer in this free video clip.
Knitting and binding off knitwise is something you would do at the end of a project. Find out how to knit and bind off knitwise with help from the owner of a specialty yarn store in this free video clip.
A pom-pom can make a great addition to the top of a hat or cap. Find out more about knitting a pom for a cap with help from the owner of a specialty yarn store in this free video clip.
A "double-point" is a term used to describe a double-pointed needle. Find out about knitting on double-points with help from the owner of a specialty yarn store in this free video clip.
Knitting an I-chord requires the use of very particular stitch patterns. Find out how to knit an I-chord with help from the owner of a specialty yarn store in this free video clip.
DPN is a term used to describe double pointed needles. Learn about the differences of knitting on circulars versus double pointed needles with help from the owner of a specialty yarn store in this free video clip.
Knitting an I-cord with 8 stitches requires the careful use of a double pointed needle. Find out how to knit an I-cord with 8 stitches with help from the owner of a specialty yarn store in this free video clip.
Knitting a honeycomb stitch is something you can do with any size needle and any size yarn. Knit a honeycomb stitch with help from a knitting and crafts professional in this free video clip.
Knitting with roving patterns may require you to make good use of a few particular techniques depending on the project you're trying to accomplish. Find out about knitting with roving patterns with help from a knitting and crafts professional in this free video clip.
Knitting binding and knitting decreases are two different concepts and should be treated as such. Find out about knitting binding versus decreases with help from a knitting and crafts professional in this free video clip.
One effective method for increasing knitting stitches is by knitting both front and back loops. Increase knit stitches by knitting front and back loops with help from a knitting and crafts professional in this free video clip.
"Do it yourself" actually means that you're using your leftovers for another knitting project. Learn about do it yourself knitting with help from a knitting and crafts professional in this free video clip.
Rib type knitting is something that you might use for a project like the top of a sock. Find out about rib type knitting with help from a knitting and crafts professional in this free video clip.
Different knitting projects are going to require you to use different gauges. Learn about different knitting gauges with help from a knitting and crafts professional in this free video clip.
Tight and loose rib knitting requires using either thin yarn or small needles combined with a few other techniques. Get tips on tight and loose rib knitting with help from a knitting and crafts professional in this free video clip.
Almost anything straight can be used as a knitting needle no matter how big or small it actually is. Learn about knitting with broomsticks with help from a knitting professional and expert in this free video clip.
There are a wide variety of different unusual materials that you can use to make a knitting project more fun and interesting. Learn about knitting with unusual materials with help from a knitting professional and expert in this free video clip.
Interlacing while knitting will require you to make use of a few very important techniques. Learn about knitting techniques for interlacing with help from a yarn store owner and crafty lady in this free video clip.
Knitting with varigated wool always requires you to keep a few very important things in mind. Learn about knitting with varigated wool with help from a yarn store owner and crafty lady in this free video clip.
Binding off a scarf in knitting requires the right tools and a little bit of know how. Find out how to bind off a scarf in knitting with help from a store owner and craft expert in this free video clip.
You can make a macrame hip scarf using a few tools you may already have. Learn how to make a macrame hip scarf with help from a fashion designer in this free video clip.
In the knitting world, yarn is measured by it length and weight. The weight, however, is more than the density of the yarn. The yarn weight is also described in the number of strands of material used to make up one yarn string. Double knit is a weight designation given to yarns with two or four strands per yarn string. Triple knit yarn has three or six. The weight in knits isn't the only differences between the two types of yarn.
Macrame is the art of tying knots with yarn, rope, string or cord to create lace-like webbing. You can use macrame to create wall art, garments, baskets and accessories. Once you learn to tie three or four basic knots, you can combine them to form artistic designs. Make a simple macramé scarf with heavy wool or acrylic yarn in approximately an hour that will keep you warm and cozy all winter long. All of the knots in the scarf are square knots.
A scalloped edging on a knitted item can be achieved by performing a picot bind-off. The picot, which comes from the French for “small point,” provides a slightly stretchy edge with evenly spaced scallops. The size of the scallops can be made larger by picoting more stitches or smaller with fewer stitches. Larger picots will have a more curved appearance, while smaller picots will terminate in a point. You can shape the picots, however, to your liking when wet-blocking the item; tug the picots into the desired shape and allow them to set.
Participate in the age-old practice of spinning wool into yarn by spinning worsted and woollen yarn onto spindles. Before the invention of the spinning wheel, wool fibers were twisted into thread by hand. Worsted yarn uses longer wool fibers that are flattened by hand; it's often used for rugs and blankets because it's so strong. Woollen yarn uses shorter wool fibers and is spun in a way that traps air in it. This creates a soft yarn suitable for knitted garments.
American Girl dolls are a popular toy for young girls, but the accessories are expensive and may be out of your budget. Creating a wardrobe that includes knitted items for your daughter's American Girl doll is an economical way to provide her with clothes and gives you the opportunity to make customized outfits. Knitting a piece of clothing for an American Girl doll gives you plenty of room for creativity in terms of color choices and stitching patterns that you may not find at the store or in the catalog.
If you're looking to add a creative touch to your next knitting project, consider using alternating colors for some extra flair. You can achieve this by alternating between two different colors of yarn, creating a striped pattern. This technique will work for any knit project, such as a pair of socks, a scarf or a blanket. You can use two colors that are very different to create contrast or use similar colors to create a cohesive look.
Ribbing adds texture and elasticity to a knit garment, and unlike plain stockinette, ribbing will not curl. English ribbing imitates the look of one-by-one ribbing, but uses no purling to create raised stitches. English rib is similar to brioche stitch, as they both involve knitting into the row below your live stitches, the ones that are currently on the needles when you are knitting. This makes the stitches longer and allows them to sit above the stitches on either side. English rib is lofty but sturdy, and a good ribbing style for added warmth.
Knitters can create an almost infinite variety of patterns using combinations of two simple stitches, the knit stitch and the pearl stitch. The number of each stitch in the row and the number of rows in each stitch define which pattern your knitting will eventually take. The seed stitch and the moss stitch are similar patterns, often mistaken for each other. What complicates it further is that each stitch has a different definition, depending on whether your pattern has a US or UK origin.
The waffle seed stitch is an advanced knit stitch. It produces a textured fabric that creates a pattern more like a stockinette stitch than a standard seed stitch pattern. A traditional waffle seed stitch pattern is made across four rows, with wrong side and right side rows made differently. If you plan to knit this stitch pattern on a circular needle, or in the round, you will have to alter it slightly. When you knit in the round, every row you knit is a right-side row. The waffle seed stitch requires that you know how to cast on, knit, purl…
Ped slippers, or pedicure slippers, are open-toed mules designed for pampering feet. These slippers allow freshly painted toenails to dry without being smeared by closed toes while allowing the wearer to walk on chilly floors in comfort. Though these slippers are usually made from terrycloth in spas, making them by hand on a knitting loom will add a personal touch, making them ideal for giving as a gift or simply showing off your crafty side. Unless you are very confident in your designing skills, it is always best to start with a pattern.
Vintage patterns and those created by amateur knitters may omit details such as the number of knitting needles required for a project, as well as the number of stitches to work on each needle. If you use too few needles, you won't have enough room at the tips to work the stitches. If you use too many, the extra needles will just get in your way. Determining the number of needles, and stitches per needle, before you begin knitting will help keep your work neat and patterns well-defined.
Knitting is a great craft for kids to learn. Some schools even include knitting in their curriculum to improve students' concentration and fine motor skills. After learning the basic stitches, kids will be amazed at the variety of projects they can create with their own hands. Learning the knit and purl stitches can take some time, but there are popular rhymes to help. For the purl stitch, the commonly taught rhyme is about a bunny. So kids may end up calling it the "bunny stitch."
Add a personal touch to your scarf by knitting loops onto the ends instead of tassels. Form loops on the scarf's ends during the knitting process using the loop stitch. A scarf with looped ends is a good way to practice basic knitting skills while learning new techniques. Mastering the more advanced loop stitch is within the grasp of even beginning knitters, with practice. This pattern makes a scarf with three rows of loops on either end. .
Stitch Witchery is an alternative to sewing. It is a brand of polyamide fusible web that binds together two fabric layers through the heat of a steam iron. It is useful to add trims to garments and home furnishings and to make hems, belts and straps. The bond remains permanent after fusing and prevents fraying on seams. A scarf is easy to make by hemming a piece of fabric with Stitch Witchery.
Knitting looms consist of rings with pegs. The pegs are used to make loops that are stitched or knitted together with a hooked loom stitch tool. A cupcake hat is a cute hat that has a layer of dark color yarn to represent the cake bottom, a layer of light color yarn to represent frosting and a small red ball on top to represent the cherry. Make your own loom knit cupcake with a round loom and two different colors of yarn.
Basic knit scarf patterns are simply long rectangles, providing an ideal opportunity for beginning knitters to practice the knit stitch -- without having to understand decreasing and increasing the number of stitches in each row. If you have surpassed this step in learning to knit and would like to practice increasing and decreasing stitches, creating a tapered yarn scarf is a good option. Tapered yarn scarves end in a point, at which you can affix pom poms, fringe or other embellishments.
There are thousands of sweater designs for you to choose from. Each design has its own look and feel. Cable knits are popular patterns as they add texture and dimension to your sweaters, and they work for men, women and children. Cabling involves twisting of stitches in a variety of patterns. With little imagination, patience and practice, you can come up with interesting designs for your sweater.
Using twisted cord for ties, drawstrings, handles -- or for attaching tassels to a knitted piece -- is both more attractive and stronger than using a length of untwisted yarn. You can create short lengths of cord for hanging tassels or pom-poms or very long cords for ties or bag straps; the method stays the same. Try tying a few inches of colorful twisted cord around the handles of your suitcases before you fly, to make them easier to spot on a baggage carousel. Or use twisted cords instead of ribbons on a present wrapped in plain colored paper.
Finishing a knitting project with the wrong edge can lead to disaster and a lot of wasted time. When the edges do not have enough stretch, the wearer may not be able to get his head or arms in the sweater or his foot in the sock. By binding or casting off with a stretchy bind-off in the round, a flexible edge is formed on all openings. Hats fit better, heads can fit through necks and gloves are snug around the wrist. This technique is not much different than a regular bind-off and can be done in the same amount…
They look beautiful and keep you warm and so you’ve probably admired them from afar -- ubiquitous winter scarves. They can cost a small fortune in the stores, and even then you may not find one in the length that best suits your taste. Don’t let a fear or lack of knowledge about sewing hold you back from making a lovely scarf this winter. There are ways to make easy, creative scarves – a fleece scarf for a casual look and a cotton jersey scarf for an elegant look – without sewing a single stitch.
