Love the look of lace knitting patterns but want to knit them up quickly? Barbara Benson's Big Yarn, Beautiful Lace Knits (Stackpole Books, 2019) is a perfect choice! This collection of 20 knitting patterns features a range of lace patterns (from basic eyelets to more intricate patterns) in bulky yarns that will work up in… Continue reading Book Review: Big Yarn, Beautiful Lace Knits by Barbara Benson
Category: books
Book Review: One Skein Crochet by Ellen Gormley
I don't know about you, but I'm somewhat notorious for buying single skeins of yarn and then ...having absolutely no clue what to do with them. Maybe they appealed to my sense of color, maybe they were some luxurious fiber, maybe I was just having a bad day, but these beautiful skeins of yarn show… Continue reading Book Review: One Skein Crochet by Ellen Gormley
Book Review: Dinosaurs to Crochet by Megan Kreiner
If you are not a person who enjoys whimsical crocheted toys and/or dinosaurs, this post is not for you (and that's okay). But if you do like crocheted toys and/or soft, squishy dinosaurs, well, you need Megan Kreiner's book Dinosaurs to Crochet (Spring House Press, 2019). This book is stuffed to the tiny T-rex arms… Continue reading Book Review: Dinosaurs to Crochet by Megan Kreiner
Book review: Mosaic and Lace Knits by Barbara Benson
Barbara Benson is a little bit of an insane genius. I first noticed her propensity toward beautiful madness with her Golden Lion Throne pattern, and then again in her Courant pattern featured in Twist Collective. Now she's encapsulated her brand of ingenuity into a book, Mosaic and Lace Knits (Stackpole, 2017). Barbara's iconic brand of knitting brilliance… Continue reading Book review: Mosaic and Lace Knits by Barbara Benson
Portfolio Volume 3
The Portfolio Collections are without question my favorite part of my job. The series is a collaboration between the Berroco Design Team and a few of our favorite designers. In Volume 1 we went to the historic Slater Mill Museum. For Volume 2 we shot in a spectacular Federalist mansion. Volume 3 is the first spring/summer… Continue reading Portfolio Volume 3
Drop Dead Easy Giveaway
Drop Dead Easy Knits, by Gale Zucker, Mary Lou Egan, and Kirsten Kapur, is the book that I as a knitwear designer want when I take a knitting vacation. It has the kind of projects that are interesting enough to hold my attention, but not so involved that they require all of it. The book features… Continue reading Drop Dead Easy Giveaway
Knitting for Both Sides: Reversible Knitting with Scarves
This week's free pattern, Calafia, is a super cozy super scarf knit in Berroco Briza®. Beginner-friendly brioche knitting creates a reversible rib-like fabric that looks great from both the right side and wrong side—and in fact, it can be difficult to remember which side is which while knitting it! I recommend using a removable marker… Continue reading Knitting for Both Sides: Reversible Knitting with Scarves
Designer Spotlight: Sea Song by Sara Kay Hartmann
In a family where “hardly anyone is crafty,” Sara Kay Hartmann is the exception. She taught herself to knit and crochet in 2008 by watching videos online. Just last year, she released her first book, Poetic Crochet: 20 Shawls inspired by Classic Poems. Sea Song is a colorful and cozy Möbius loop crocheted in four… Continue reading Designer Spotlight: Sea Song by Sara Kay Hartmann
Amy’s Thread: Last Minute Gifts for Crafters
Wondering what to buy for a knitter? It can be hard... we all love yarn but how do we choose yarn for someone else? Instead, I've brainstormed a short list of a few ideas for fun or useful, non-yarn, knitting themed gifts. The Mason Dixon girls have the perfect solution - A Coloring Book for… Continue reading Amy’s Thread: Last Minute Gifts for Crafters
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