by

Moebius Basketweave Cowl

Just one skein of yarn, a few hours of knitting, and a quick seam! Free pattern + free video tutorial.

Size: approximately 40” long (before seaming into a moebius) and 7” wide
Needles: Size 15 US, 24” or 32” circulars
Yarn: One skein of Lion Brand Wool Ease Thick and Quick (a super bulky weight yarn), 106 yards (The colors I used were Cranberry and Charcoal)
Additional Materials: tapestry needle for weaving in ends and seaming
Gauge: 2.5 stitches per inch in stockinette

This pattern is a FREE RAVELRY DOWNLOAD, and the video can be viewed at the bottom of this post. (There are also links to the three parts of the video in the pattern.)

I am getting many questions about modifying this pattern. It’s a simple pattern and easy to modify. Here are some guidelines:

You can use any yarn/needle combination you like. To knit the pattern as written, you will need to find a yarn/needle combination that gives you 2.5 stitches per inch. (You can also get gauge by holding more than one strand of thinner yarn together.) If you would like to use a different gauge, you can knit a swatch, measure your stitches per inch, then determine how many you will need to cast-on to get 40″ total length. Remember, you will need to cast on a multiple of 4, plus 2 extra stitches for the seam.

If you use a different yarn weight and gauge, here is how you can determine the yardage you will need. Start with a full skein/ball of yarn, and measure that on a kitchen scale. Knit the first 5 rows of the pattern, and measure the yarn again. Subtract the weight of the used skein from the weight of the full skein. This number is 1/4 of the number of grams/ounces you will need to finish the cowl. If your gauge is considerably smaller and you’d like to work more than 20 rows, you will need to double the weight of the first 5 rows, then multiply it by as many 10 row repeats as you’d like to work.

, , , ,
by

Weaving in Ends in Seed Stitch

Weaving in the ends in seed stitch can be tricky – you want the end secure, but you also want to try to hide it as much as possible in the patterned fabric. Here’s how I like to do it.

Information on things you’ll see in this video:

The sweater I’m wearing is my Ombre Dyed Sweater, pattern + video tutorial.

The sweater on the mannequin is my Zasio Sweater Coat, pattern + video tutorial.

I don’t remember the name of the yarn I used in the seed stitch sample, but I do remember that it is a chunky wool/alpaca blend, and very soft!

My nail color is by OPI, called “Every Month is Oktoberfest”.

, , ,
by

Advanced Tinking

“Tink” is the word “knit” backwards, and “tinking” means to take out stitches, stitch-by-stitch, to correct a mistake. In this video I demonstrate how to tink back when the stitches aren’t as straightforward as plain knit stitches. This technique will be especially helpful if you need to tink back through a cable or lace pattern.

Information on things you’ll see in this video:

The sweater I’m wearing is my Ombre Dyed Sweater, pattern + video tutorial.

The sweater on the mannequin is my Zasio Sweater Coat, pattern + video tutorial.

The patterned project bag on the table is by dellaQ Knitting Bags and Cases.

The circular needles I’m using are Addi Turbos, available through many online knitting supply stores.

I don’t remember the name of the green yarn I’m using, but it’s a bulky wool/alpaca blend.

My nail color is by OPI, called “Every Month is Oktoberfest”.

, , ,
by

Simple Magic Loop

Most of us find that we don’t always have the correct size of circular needle, in the correct length, for every project. Knowing how to work magic loop will allow you to use a long circular needle to knit a small circumference tube. This is especially helpful if you have an interchangeable needle set, which doesn’t come with 16″ cords!

Information on things you’ll see in this video:

The sweater I’m wearing is my Ombre Dyed Sweater, pattern + video tutorial.

The sweater on the mannequin is my Zasio Sweater Coat, pattern + video tutorial.

The patterned project bag on the table is by dellaQ Knitting Bags and Cases.

The circular needles I’m using are Addi Turbos, available through many online knitting supply stores.

The yarn I’m working with is Rowan Magpie Aran, color name “Tranquil”. (I do not believe that Rowan is making this yarn anymore.)

My nail color is by OPI, called “Every Month is Oktoberfest”.

, ,
by

Weaving in Ends in Garter Stitch

So many different ways to weave in ends! Here I demonstrate how to do it in garter stitch (every row knit). To see my other videos on weaving in ends, visit the Weaving in Ends category page.

Information on things you’ll see in this video:

The sweater I’m wearing is my Ombre Dyed Sweater, pattern + video tutorial.

The sweater on the mannequin is my Zasio Sweater Coat, pattern + video tutorial.

I don’t remember the name of the yarn I’m using, but I do remember that it is a bulky wool/alpaca blend.

My nail color is by OPI, called “Every Month is Oktoberfest”.

, ,
by

Reusing Yarn

Ready to unravel? Here is how to prepare used yarn and get it ready to knit again. Note – this process works for both animal fibers (wool, alpaca, etc) and cellulose fibers (cotton, linen, etc.). You may get different results with synthetic fibers. Synthetic fibers vary in the way they react, so the only way to know for sure is to try this technique on a small sample.

Information on things you’ll see in this video:

The sweater I’m wearing is my Ombre Dyed Sweater, pattern + video tutorial.

The sweater on the mannequin is my Zasio Sweater Coat, pattern + video tutorial.

Quality ball winders and swifts at good prices are available through Knit Picks. (Knit Picks is in the US, and I don’t believe they ship internationally. Sorry – I don’t know of a similar online yarn shop that ships worldwide.)

My nail color is by OPI, called “Every Month is Oktoberfest”.

The yarn I’m working with is Rowan Magpie Aran, color name “Tranquil”. (I do not believe that Rowan is making this yarn anymore.)

, , ,
by

Why Do You Knit?

Hello, Knitters! I’m starting a new project, and I’m excited to say, it’s something that we get to work on together!

The question is – Why do you knit?

Shoot a short video of yourself answering this question, upload the file to your computer, and email it to me. Parker will work his editing magic on these videos, and you can be part of what I think is going to be a phenomenal and exciting result that we’ll feature on my YouTube channel.

Your video doesn’t have to be fancy, or it can be if you want it to! It can even be video taken from your smartphone.

Here’s what you do:
1. Grab your video camera or smartphone, and record yourself answering the question, “Why do you knit?”
2. Upload the video to your computer, and make sure it plays back (so that you’re not accidentally sending me an empty file).
3. Email the video file to me at staci@verypink.com.
4. In your email, include your first name, and where you live.
5. Please share my request with your friends! The more footage we get, from more places in the world, the better.

A bit more info:
• Any file type will do. If you can play it on your computer, Parker can work with it.
• Feel free to send me multiple files of your friends answering the question, just be sure to include their names and locations.
• Is your native language something other than English? That’s great! Feel free to speak your own language, and we’ll caption it into English.
• I encourage you to grab your camera, think about your answer, and shoot your video right now, without rehearsing. I like the idea of the answers being casual and conversational. Just be yourself. 🙂
• DEADLINE – Please submit your videos before Wednesday, December 12, 2012. Thank you!

Eeeeee! I am so crazy excited about this! Can’t wait to see your videos.

And here’s what Tippy is doing right this minute, in case you were wondering.

by

“Backwards” (or “Mirror”) Knitting

Information on things you’ll see in this video:

The sweater I’m wearing is my Ombre Dyed Sweater, pattern + video tutorial.

The sweater on the mannequin is my Zasio Sweater Coat, pattern + video tutorial.

The patterned project bag on the table is by dellaQ Knitting Bags and Cases.

My nail color is by OPI, called “Every Month is Oktoberfest”.

The needles I’m using are Addi Turbos. I don’t remember the name of the yarn I’m using, but it is a bulky wool/alpaca blend.

, ,
by

Placing Buttons

Here is my video on actually making the buttonholes.

Information on things you’ll see in this video:

The sweater I’m wearing is my Ombre Dyed Sweater, pattern + video tutorial.

The baby sweater I use to demonstrate is my Striped Cardi and Beanie/Beret pattern and video tutorial.

The “clippie markers” I use can be found here.

The sweater on the mannequin is hard to see, but it’s the Central Park Hoodie (not my pattern).

The nail color I’m wearing is by OPI, called “Nein! Nein! Nein! OK, Fine!”

My watch ring is made by Davis.

, ,
by

Grafting Rib Stitches

Here I demonstrate how to do Kitchener Stitch in 2×2 ribbing, so that there are no breaks between the knit and purl stitches.

You’ll find this much easier if you already understand how to work Kitchener Stitch in Stockinette stitch. Here is my video on regular Kitchener Stitch.

Here are the written instructions for working this:
Setup:
Front Needle: go into stitch as if to purl
Back Needle: go into stitch as if to knit

Knit Stitches:
FN: go into stitch as if to knit, pull that stitch off needle, go into next stitch as if to purl
BN: go into stitch as if to purl, pull that stitch off needle, go into next stitch as if to knit

FN: go into stitch as if to knit, pull that stitch off needle, go into next stitch as if to purl
BN: go into stitch as if to knit, pull that stitch off needle, go into next stitch as if to purl

Purl Stitches:
FN: go into stitch as if to knit, pull that stitch off needle, go into next stitch as if to purl
BN: go into stitch as if to knit, pull that stitch off needle, go into next stitch as if to purl

FN: go into stitch as if to knit, pull that stitch off needle, go into next stitch as if to purl
BN: go into stitch as if to purl, pull that stitch off needle, go into next stitch as if to knit

Information on things you’ll see in this video:

The sweater I’m wearing is my Ombre Dyed Sweater, pattern + video tutorial.

The sweater on the mannequin is hard to see, but it’s the Central Park Hoodie (not my pattern).

The nail color I’m wearing is by OPI, called “Nein! Nein! Nein! OK, Fine!”

My watch ring is made by Davis.

Sorry – I don’t know the yarn I’m using in the sample. But the needles I’m using are Crystal Palace Bamboo Double-Pointed needles.

, , ,