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Giveaway! Knitter’s Pride Dreams Needle Set

You are welcome to comment here, but to enter the giveaway, you must leave your comment on the YouTube page for this video. CLICK HERE to visit the YouTube page to leave your comment.

Since not everyone can win, you can find these needles for sale here.

Please watch the entire video for instructions on how to enter the giveaway. This contest is open to US and international viewers (customs charges may apply outside the US). The contest is open until 12:01 am (US Central Time), September 16, 2015; and the winner will be announced in video on September 17, 2015. The winning email address will be chosen by random number generator.

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Tinking Increases and Decreases

Whoops – you’ve made a mistake several stitches back, and “tinking” (unraveling one stitch at-a-time) is your best option for correcting the mistake – but the row you’ve knit is full of increases and/or decreases. In this video, I show you how to tink back through common increases and decreases.

Other videos available on tinking:
Basic Tinking
Advanced Tinking

Information on things you’ll see in this video:
The bulky yarn I used for demonstration is Knit Picks Wool of the Andes Bulky.

The needles I’m using are Knitter’s Pride Bamboo Double-Pointed Needles.

The nail polish I’m wearing is by Julep, color “Amanda”.

My silver ring is actually a knitting needle gauge, and can be found here.

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Fancy Stitch Combo – Smocked Rib

In this video I show you how to work the Smocked Rib stitch, an interesting add-on to 2×2 rib. Important note – this stitch can be substituted in a pattern that calls for 2×2 rib, but because the smocking stitch stabilizes the stretch of the rib, I don’t recommend it for areas that require a lot of stretch (like the cuffs of socks or the brim of a cap).

If you would like to see this stitch in a project (that isn’t a dishcloth), my friend Steven used this stitch in a bolster pillow cover, and also gives instructions on how he made the knit-covered buttons.

smocked pillow for vp 2

Instructions for working this stitch:
CO multiple of 8, plus 10
Smocking technique – slip next 6 stitches to DPN or cable needle and hold in front of work, wrap working yarn twice around these isolated stitches, then k2, P2, K2 stitches from DPN.
Row 1 (WS) and all odd-numbered rows: *K2, P2*, repeat between *s to last two stitches, K2
Rows 2 & 4: *P2, K2*, repeat between *s to last two stitches, P2
Row 6: *P2, work smocking around next six stitches (see notes above)* repeat between *s to last two stitches, P2
Rows 8 & 10: *P2, K2*, repeat between *s to last two stitches, P2
Row 12: P2, work smocking around next two K stitches, *P2, work smocking around next six stitches (see notes above)* repeat between *s to last six stitches, P2, work smocking around next two K stitches, P2
Repeat Rows 1-12 to desired length, BO in pattern after working Row 9.

Working this stitch in-the-round: Because the smocking is over six stitches and alternates columns of rib, this stitch really doesn’t work very well in-the-round. You can alter the pattern and work the smocking technique around fewer stitches at the beginning/end of the round, but you will be left with a very marked difference in appearance between the beginning/end of the round and the rest of the work.

The yarn I used in my dishcloths is Knit Picks Comfy Worsted. I cast on 42 stitches using size US 6 needles, and each dishcloth required about 20 grams of yarn.

Information on things you’ll see in this video:

The needles I used are Knitter’s Pride bamboo double-pointed needles.

The nail polish I’m wearing is by Julep, color “Amanda”.

My silver ring is actually a knitting needle gauge, and can be found here.

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Cabled Fingerless Mitts

cabled mitts for vp
Here’s an answer to at least a few of your holiday gifts! These mitts, sized for men and women, are a quick knit in DK/Sport weight yarn. The video tutorial walks you through the tricky parts of the mitts including working double-pointed needles, cables, reading charts, and understanding what a pattern means when it has the dreaded words “at the same time”.

Sizes: Small/Medium, Medium/Large (please see note below on sizes)
Needles: Size US 3 (3.25mm) double-pointed needles
Yarn: 1 hank Knit Picks Hawthorne Sport (or any DK or Sport weight yarn, also called “8 ply” outside the US, 100 grams, 250 yards)
Additional Materials: 4 ring markers, cable needle, row counter, scrap yarn, tapestry needle
Gauge: 6.5 stitches per inch in stockinette

Note on Sizes: Small/Medium will fit most women, and Medium/Large will fit most men. The mitts are very stretchy, so absolute exact sizing isn’t crucial.

Pattern + links to 4 instructional videos, $5 US via PayPal.addtocart

knittas for vp
Information on things you’ll see in this video:
The yarn I used in my finished mitts is Knit Picks Hawthore Sport; in colorways Rose City, Montavilla, and Irvington.

The cable needles I use can be found here (ignore the photo on Amazon, it is not the correct product).

The needles I used for demonstration are Knitter’s Pride Bamboo DPNs.

The bulky yarn I used for demonstration is Knit Picks Wool of the Andes Bulky in color Silver.

The ball chain stitch markers I use can be found here.

The nail polish I’m wearing is by Julep, color “Amanda”.

My silver ring is actually a knitting needle gauge, and can be found here.

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Giveaway! Knitter’s Pride Bamboo Crochet Hook Set

A great set of all-purpose hooks! To enter, just leave a comment here on YouTube and I’ll use a random number generator to pick a winner on August 19.

Since not everyone can win, you can find these hooks for sale here.

You are welcome to comment here, but to enter the giveaway, you must leave your comment on the YouTube page for this video. CLICK HERE to visit the YouTube page to leave your comment.

Please watch the entire video for instructions on how to enter the giveaway. This contest is open to US and international viewers (customs charges may apply outside the US). The contest is open until 12:01 am (US Central Time), August 19, 2015; and the winner will be announced in video on August 20, 2015. The winning email address will be chosen by random number generator.

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Crochet for Knitters – Alternate Stitch

In this Crochet for Knitters video, I show you how to work the Alternate Stitch as a dishcloth. This stitch is pretty and really fun to work! Info below on how to try it out as a dishcloth, and if you end up loving the stitch, you can easily work it into a whole blanket or throw.

Instructions for working this stitch:
Chain a multiple of 2, plus 2
Row 1: skip 3 chain stitches, 2 single crochets in next chain, *skip 1 chain, 2 single crochets in next chain*, repeat between *s to end of row, chain 2, turn work.
Row 2: skip 2 chain stitches, *skip 1 stitch, 2 single crochets in next stitch*, chain 2, turn work.
Repeat Row 2 to desired length

Slow demonstrations of the stitches used in this video:
Chain Stitch
Single Crochet

Information on things you’ll see in this video:
In the striped dishcloth I made, I used Knit Picks Comfy Worsted in colors Planetarium and White. I used a size H crochet hook, and a starting chain of 26 (24 + 2). Worsted-weight dishcloths will use about 20 grams of yarn.

The purple crochet hook I used, size H, is made by Boye.

The yarn I used in the pink sample is Knit Picks Wool of the Andes Bulky, crochet hook size J, and I chained 16 stitches.

My silver ring is actually a knitting needle gauge, and can be found here.

The nail polish I’m wearing is by Julep, color “Amanda”.

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Knitting Help – Comparing Increases

In this video, I show how different increases look side-by-side, and talk about how to substitute one for the other. A bit more complicated than substituting decreases, some increases “use up” a stitch, while others do not.

The “sister” video comparing decreases can be found here.

Slow demonstrations of the increases shown:
Yarn-Over
KFB (knit front back)
Make 1 (M1)

The bulky yarn I used for demonstration is Knit Picks Wool of the Andes Bulky in Yonder.

The needles I’m using are Knitter’s Pride Nova Platinas, from an interchangeable set.

The nail polish I’m wearing is by Julep, color “Amanda”.

My silver ring is actually a knitting needle gauge, and can be found here.

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Knitting Help – Comparing Decreases

Sometimes patterns, especially older patterns, will tell you to decrease without specifying which decrease to use. Or you may be working a pattern where you think a different decrease will work better than the one the pattern calls for. In this video, I compare three popular decreases side-by-side so you can see the differences.

Slow demonstrations of the three decreases:
Knit Two Together (k2tog)
Slip, Slip, Knit (SSK)
Pass Slipped Stitch Over (PSSO)

The bulky yarn I used for demonstration is Knit Picks Wool of the Andes Bulky in Yonder.

The needles I’m using are Knitter’s Pride Nova Platinas, from an interchangeable set.

The nail polish I’m wearing is by Julep, color “Amanda”.

My silver ring is actually a knitting needle gauge, and can be found here.

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