Congratulations, Marilyn, you won our Speckle & Stone giveaway! Thank you so much to everyone who commented! If you missed last week's post, the contest is now closed, but I hope you'll go back and check out this beautiful collection by Alexis Winslow - I'm incredibly inspired by it and by Alexis' previous work as well,… Continue reading Amy’s Thread: Speckle & Stone Giveaway Winner
Month: November 2015
Emily Explains: Cabling Without A Cable Needle
With the holidays fast approaching, time is of the essence. One trick for saving time while working anything with cables is to work the project without a cable needle. This works on narrow cables wonderfully. You'll rarely use a cable needle again! For right leaning cables (where you would normally slip the first sts onto a cable needle and… Continue reading Emily Explains: Cabling Without A Cable Needle
Amy’s Thread: Speckle & Stone Giveaway
A couple of weeks ago, Alexis Winslow sent me a preview of her latest collection, Speckle & Stone - an ebook she is self-publishing from her website, Knit Darling. I'm excited to get to share this beautiful collection with you today and to announce a giveaway! One lucky commenter will receive yarn from Berroco to knit the Brenta Hat, as well as a… Continue reading Amy’s Thread: Speckle & Stone Giveaway
Designer Spotlight: Flower Fairy by Nicky Epstein
A talented knitter, innovative designer and best-selling author, Nicky Epstein is also the only person licensed to knit for Barbie! Her work covers everything from high fashion to whimsy, but she is particularly well known for her love of dolls. Flower Fairy is a beautiful new pattern from Nicky’s 29th (!) book, Enchanted Knits for… Continue reading Designer Spotlight: Flower Fairy by Nicky Epstein
Emily Explains: My yarn broke and there is a hole in my knitting… help!
The other day I noticed a small hole in my handknit sweater. Alas, my yarn had worn down to almost nothing and snapped! I was lucky because I had an extra skein of the yarn that I made the sweater with. Using the duplicate stitch I wove a new piece of yarn into the row where the yarn… Continue reading Emily Explains: My yarn broke and there is a hole in my knitting… help!
Amy’s Thread: How to Turn Your Mittens into a Hat
As soon as I cast off my last Hanne mitten, I wanted to make the pattern into hat. Actually, I want to turn it into multiple hats, because I can't stop thinking of different variations and colorways that I want to experiment with. The Hanne mittens are written for Berroco Ultra Alpaca or Berroco Ultra Alpaca Tonal, either yarn also… Continue reading Amy’s Thread: How to Turn Your Mittens into a Hat
Designer Spotlight: Snug-as-a-Bug Baby Bunting by Denise Balvanz
Most people would think raising 8 children is a full-time job, but Denise Balvanz balanced that with various entrepreneurial endeavors. She spent 25 years running a sewing and alterations business. Then she got into teaching and designing knitting patterns. Denise was inspired to design her Snug-as-a-Bug Baby Bunting while expecting her first grandchild. Knit in… Continue reading Designer Spotlight: Snug-as-a-Bug Baby Bunting by Denise Balvanz
Amy’s Thread: Ultra Alpaca Fine
Ultra Alpaca Fine is the rare, machine washable alpaca yarn. This fine gauge blend is 50% wool for bounce, 20% alpaca for warmth, and 30% nylon for strength and durability. What I love about this yarn is the versatility - warm socks, beautiful lace and with a rage of beautiful rich heather colors perfect for colorwork. This… Continue reading Amy’s Thread: Ultra Alpaca Fine
Designer Spotlight: Grain of Sand Sweater by Gabrielle Vézina
When Gabrielle Vézina quit smoking several years ago, she picked up knitting to keep her hands busy. She describes it as replacing one addiction with another that is far more rewarding - for her and for everyone who now gets to knit her patterns! Gabrielle’s Grain of Sand Sweater came from an impulse yarn purchase.… Continue reading Designer Spotlight: Grain of Sand Sweater by Gabrielle Vézina
Emily Explains: How do I choose the right needles for my yarn?
When I first learned how to knit I was given a set of pink size 11 metal needles and a skein of hot pink yarn - a bulky wool and mohair blend. The needles felt long and a little awkward in my hands but I eventually got the hang of it and began knitting away. For… Continue reading Emily Explains: How do I choose the right needles for my yarn?