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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.)

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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.

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“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.

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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.

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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.

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Weaving in Ends in Ribbing

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 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.

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Zasio Sweater Coat

Pronounced ZA-zee-oh.

In this five-part tutorial, we’re going to learn to make this sweater – err, coat – if you live in a warm place, like I do.

This is a top-down raglan sweater. There are two huge advantages to knitting this style. First, no seaming. Second, you can try the sweater on while you’re knitting it, so you can be sure that you’ll have a perfect fit when you’re finished.

In this tutorial we cover working raglan increases, separating the sleeves, using the magic loop method to knit the sleeves, how to ensure a good fit, working tidy seed stitch, picking up and knitting the short-row collar, working the buttonhole, and more.

I’m going to say this is an intermediate pattern. You need to be comfortable with knitting, purling, and basic pattern reading. You don’t need prior sweater knitting experience – you just need to be comfortable with the basics of knitting. Everything else is covered in the video. You can view the video at the bottom of this post.

Sizes: XSmall, Small, Medium, Large, XLarge, 2XLarge, 3XLarge [to fit actual bust measurements of 28” (32”, 36”, 40”, 44”, 48”, 52”)] PLEASE READ NOTES ON SIZING BELOW
Needles: Size 7 US 32” circular needle
Yarn: any worsted-weight wool or wool blend, 1010 (1150, 1300, 1440, 1600, 1730, 1880) yards
Additional Materials: One 1 1/8” button, four stitch markers, tapestry needle, row counter, scrap yarn
Gauge: 20 stitches and 25 rows over 4” in stockinette. (Stitch gauge is very important, row gauge is less important. Base your needle size on stitch gauge if you’re having difficulty matching both.) Be sure to measure gauge after you’ve washed and blocked your swatch.

Notes on Sizing – The measurements above are for the actual bust measurement of the sweater wearer. The finished sweater includes “ease” for a casual fit. The measurements of the finished sweaters are 32 (36, 40.5, 44, 49.5, 53, 56)”. Additionally, this sweater is a straight fit (with no shaping), therefore the bust and hip measurements are the same. For a good fit, you should choose the size that fits whichever measurement is greater – either your bust or your hips.

Pattern + links to 5-part instructional videos $8 US via PayPal

And the video:


Information on things you’ll see in this video:
The sweater I’m wearing is my Ombre Dyed Sweater.
The ball-chain stitch markers I use are from Rycrafty.
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 Addi Turbos.

If you’ve made it this far in the post and you want to know the origin of the name, ask me. I’ll explain in the comments. I expect that some people have already figured it out. Yay!

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Getting Good Tension

My suggestions for achieving every knitters ultimate goal – smooth, even stitches. If you’re a tight knitter, this video may also help you.

Links to things you’ll see in this video:
The sweater I’m wearing is my Ombre Dyed Sweater (pattern and video tutorial).

The sweater on the mannequin is a new pattern and video tutorial, coming soon!

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

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World’s Best Kitchen Scrubbie

I’m happy to offer you this free pattern + video tutorial, because these scrubbies feel like a secret I’ve been keeping for years. I say “World’s Best” because I believe it – this is what you’ll find at my kitchen sink! They get the job done, rinse easily, and dry quickly – meaning they never stink. To make these, we knit with tulle fabric (also called mesh or netting), cut into strips. It’s a fun project, to boot.

This pattern is a FREE RAVELRY DOWNLOAD, and includes a link to a free video tutorial (video is also available at the bottom of this post).

Size: 3” x 4”
Needles: Size 10.5 US, straights or circulars
Yarn: No yarn! We use tulle fabric (also called mesh fabric or netting fabric), cut into strips. I cut the strips from 1” to 2” wide. (In the photo above, the tan one was knit with 1” wide strips, the other two were knit with 2” wide strips.) You will need about 12 yards of cut strips per scrubbie.
Additional Materials: tapestry needle for weaving in ends
Gauge: Gauge doesn’t really matter. To get the size above, my gauge was 4.5 stitches per inch.

Note: Do not buy sparkly, glittery fabric. Unless you like vacuuming sparkles off of every surface of your home and pets. Speaking from experience here!

Be sure to check out my other video tutorials.

And the video –

Links to things you’ll see in this video:

The pink scarf I’m wearing can be found here.
(I don’t have a Ravelry page for this project – I believe I used Malabrigo lace yarn.)

The sweater on the mannequin is loosely based on this pattern.
(Again, sorry – I don’t remember the yarn I used for this.)

The needles I’m using are Crystal Palace wood DPNs.

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