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.
Two patterns mentioned in the video:
Eyelet Baby Blanket
French Market Bag
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.
The pattern for the fuchsia lace shawl can be found here.
(I don’t have a Ravelry page for this project – I believe I used Malabrigo lace yarn.)
The pattern for the green scarf on the mannequin.
My Ravelry project page for the green scarf (includes yarn info).
The bulky blue yarn I’m using to demonstrate is Knit Picks Swish Bulky.
The double-pointed needles I’m using are Crystal Palace wood needles.
I’m so excited about this sweater! I want it to get cold in Texas so I can wear it now!
In this two-part tutorial, we’re going to learn how to do something very unique. We’re going to knit this sweater using undyed yarn, then dye it (as a completed garment) to get the Ombré effect. Ombré dyeing gives us a very light color at the top of the sweater, gradually getting darker toward the bottom.
There are two videos to accompany this pattern. In the first video, we talk about making the sweater itself. In the second video, we go on location with my friend Doug Upchurch, at his White Bear Fibers dyeing studio, where he shows us how to do the dyeing. (Both videos are at the bottom of this post.)
I love the look of this sweater. Not only is the dyeing a fun project on its own, but it gives us an effect you can only get when you dye the finished sweater.
In the dyeing video, we use acid dyes, but any dye that works with yarn will do. Here are three tutorials for using different kitchen-safe dyes: Kool-Aid , Food Coloring, Wilton’s Icing Gel.
This is knit with sock yarn for a lightweight sweater with a nice drape. The style of the sweater is simple, to really show off the color gradation as the “thing”, or the prominent design feature.
You can, of course, make this sweater using sock-weight yarn that is already dyed. (I’m pretty excited to see what you knitters do with this.) The pattern is sized from XS to 3XL.
Sizes: XSmall, Small, Medium, Large, XLarge, 2XLarge, 3XLarge [to fit actual chest measurements of 28” (32”, 36”, 40”, 44”, 48”, 52”)]
Needles: Size 6 US circular or straight needles
Yarn: Knit Picks Bare Stroll Fingering Sock Yarn, 462 yards/hank, 3 (3, 3, 4, 4, 5, 5) hanks
Additional Materials: stitch marker, tapestry needle, row counter
Gauge: 5.5 stitches and 7.5 rows per inch 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.
Note on Sizing – The measurements above are for the actual chest measurement of the sweater wearer. The finished sweater includes “ease” for a casual fit. The measurements of the finished sweaters are 32 (36.5, 41, 45, 49.5, 54, 58.5)”.
Pattern + links to 4-part instructional videos $8 US via PayPal 
Video Part 1 – Making the Sweater:
Video Part 2 – Dyeing the Sweater:
Links to things you’ll see in the video:
The Ravelry page for the pink shawl I’m wearing.
My personal Ravelry page for that shawl (includes yarn details).
The Ravelry page for the green scarf on the mannequin.
My personal Ravelry page for that scarf (includes yarn details).
The stitch markers I’m using are from Darn It! Sew What? Etsy page.
The needles I’m using are Addi Turbos (widely available)
The yarn I’m using is Malabrigo Worsted, color Deja Vu
Last quarter, my Knitting University class (a class that meets here at my home every other Thursday) decided to focus on charity knitting for the quarter. Our charity of choice was the Newborn Intensive Care Unit (NICU) at a local hospital. The hospital needs baby hats of all sizes, from micro-preemie to full-term size.
So we got to work, and from April to June, we knit 34 caps between the eight of us! Most of us used these caps as a satisfying “in-between projects” project.
Knitters always want details, details, details – so I’ll do my best here. 🙂
These are Baby Gnome Caps. I believe they were all knit on size 3 US needles. The yarns used were Dale of Norway Baby Stork, and Berroco Comfort DK.
These are Eenie, Meenie, Minie, Moe Preemie Hats. I don’t have details of the needle size, and the yarns are different worsted-weight synthetic yarns, some self-striping. The single red heart was made using duplicate stitch, and the yellow hearts around the cap were knit in fair isle.
The next four photos each used the same pattern, Preemie Hats for Charity, which includes a few variations on the standard pattern.
These are eyelet caps, and the yarns are Dale of Norway Stork and Berroco Comfort DK.
Heart caps, using the same yarns as above.
Same pattern, using Knit Picks Comfy Sport. I used duplicate stitch for the little heart, and this simple crocheted flower pattern.
Striped caps and one ribbed cap, using the same pattern. Yarns are Knit Picks Comfy Sport, Dale of Norway Stork, and one other soft yarn – I think it’s Berroco Comfort DK.
And the last three –
The pink cap – no pattern, sorry. I made that one up. The bunny cap is Blue Rabbit Hat, with one little pre-made pompom sewn on for a bunny tail. The fair isle cap is my Learn to Knit Fair Isle tutorial with one modification – instead of using worsted-weight yarn and bigger needles, I knit the baby size using sport weight yarn and size 3 US needles.
If you’re thinking of making baby caps for your local NICU, I suggest you call the hospital to see if they have guidelines for the caps. Our local hospital asked for a few things – first no wool (because of possible allergies), no yellow (because some babies are jaundiced, and yellow makes it hard to tell), and all machine washable and dryable fibers. They also asked that we wash the finished caps in a baby laundry soap (like Dreft) before we drop them off.
Since we knit these as a group, everyone dropped off their finished caps, and I washed them all at once. They filled the sink!
We all really enjoyed this project, and I think many of us plan to continue knitting for the NICU between other projects. We learned from a nurse at the NICU that caps are in high-demand, and whenever there are caps available, they are quickly used.
Couple of notes – the yarn weights I mention are all in American terms. For UK/Australian terms, here is a conversion chart. Additionally, I refer to US needle sizes. Here is a needle size conversion chart.
Links to things you’ll see in this video –
Beautiful violet-colored double pointed needles by Signature Needle Arts
My “Cheaper than Therapy” sock knitting bag by dellaQ Knitting Bags and Cases
The light green sock yarn that I’m using on my current sock project is by White Bear Fibers, sock yarn in color “Cedar”
The pattern for the green sock is here
My DPN needle holder tube can be found here.
The cuff-down pink sock pattern is my Learn to Knit Socks tutorial
The toe-up tan sock is my Learn to Knit Toe-Up Socks tutorial
The red spiral scarf I’m wearing is a free pattern and tutorial
The pattern for the green scarf on the mannequin can be found here
The yarn for both the red spiral scarf and the green scarf is Hazel Knits DK Lively
I wrote this pattern with a couple of goals in mind – first, I wanted a pretty way to show off really beautiful yarn. Second, I wanted to make a scarf that used just one hank of the beautiful yarn, and therefore knits up quickly and makes a great gift.
And here it is! The spiral is a traditional scarf shape, but I’ve put my own twist on it. (Ha – see what I did there?) The spirals in this scarf are broad and really show off the yarn, and we use wraps and turns in the knitting to keep the garter stitch fabric smooth and even.
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: any length you like – using one hank of the recommended yarn will make a scarf that is about 52” long
Needles: Size 7 US (4.5mm), circulars or straights
Yarn: 1 hank of Hazel Knits DK Lively yarn (275 yards, 140 grams), I used the color “Vamp”
Additional Materials: a row counter is a good idea, you’ll also need a tapestry needle for weaving in ends
Gauge: 5 stitches per inch in garter stitch
Be sure to check out my other video tutorials.
And the video –
My Traveler’s Life Afghan, four years in the making. I started this back in January 2008 as a long-term project that would help me use up small amounts of yarn leftover from other projects. Today was Binding-Off Day!
November 2008
Earlier today
…And now.
The details –
Pattern: Traveler’s Life Afghan by Stephanie Pearl-McPhee
Yarns used: 100% worsted-weight animal fiber; including wool, alpaca, cashmere, angora, mohair, and llama
Needles: Size 9 US Addi circulars, 40″ cord
Size: 86″ long by 96″ wide (fits a king-sized bed as a bedspread)
I cast-on 365 stitches, I changed color every row, and I knit for approximately 620 rows. This is a garter stitch blanket, so every row is knit, without purling. The finished blanket weighs about 2800 grams. That means that if I had bought the yarn for this (instead of using leftovers) I would have needed to buy 28 hanks. That’s over 6,000 yards.
Now? I will continue to use up leftovers by making another Log Cabin Quilt. Should have another bedspread in 2016. 🙂
