Knitted dresses and skirts are back! Handknitted dresses and skirts aren't really a new trend. Skirts and dresses were popular knitting project in the 1930s-1950s. Women knitted themselves spectacular suits in silk or wool bouclé on fine gauge needles. In the 1960s and 70s the trend went with chunkier, quicker knits in the form of shift dress… Continue reading Amy’s Thread: Trend Spotting
Designer Spotlight: Extreme Hedonism by Geanie Helfrich
There are lots of different reasons to start knitting. Geanie Helfrich was motivated to learn after she saw a beautiful handknit sweater featured in a catalogue. She couldn’t afford to buy it, but decided if someone else’s hands could make it so could hers…eventually. A trip to the local library led to a trip to… Continue reading Designer Spotlight: Extreme Hedonism by Geanie Helfrich
Style Your Knits: Emmeline
Emmeline might just be the dress version of The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants. Take four women of various ages, heights and sizes, add this knitted dress, and, if I do say so myself, the results are pretty fabulous! In addition to its magical fit, Emmeline makes a great trans-seasonal garment. It's knit in our new… Continue reading Style Your Knits: Emmeline
Emily Explains: Colorwork With Two Hands
For those of you who have not seen it already, booklet #360 Folk Art is full of beautiful garments and accessories using colorwork. I'm dying to knit Dahlia and Agave for this spring. I do not have a lot of experience with colorwork, so to refresh my memory I've been swatching with some yarns used… Continue reading Emily Explains: Colorwork With Two Hands
Amy’s Thread: No-Knit Yarn Valentines
This post could also be called "What To Do On the Snow Day Before Valentine's Day," as this is a good crafty project to do with kids. String hearts are good projects for all ages, so my first-grader and I teamed up to document the process step-by-step. Prepare Your Glue We used a… Continue reading Amy’s Thread: No-Knit Yarn Valentines
Designer Spotlight: Ella by Irina Eberhardt
Irina Eberhardt’s grandmother used to say, “if your mittens and socks are made out natural fiber, arthritis will not bother you.” Those words stuck in Irina’s mind and still influence her yarn selections when designing. Irina chose Berroco Ultra Alpaca Fine for her new shawl pattern, Ella. Knit from the bottom up, the piece features… Continue reading Designer Spotlight: Ella by Irina Eberhardt
Emily Explains: Slip, Slip, Purl
There are some things in knitting that will always confuse me. When I am following charts, I tend to make myself a little cheat sheet on a Post-it as a constant reminder of what my symbols mean. This is especially important for me when I am working on a fabric back and forth, decreasing or increasing… Continue reading Emily Explains: Slip, Slip, Purl
Amy’s Thread: Marmot Day
Today, February 2nd, is Groundhog day, the day when according to some a Groundhog (AKA Woodchuck... AKA Marmots) will wake up from hibernation, look out of his hole and predict the length of winter. According to the contributors to Wikipedia, rodents are accurate predictors of the weather 39% of the time. Which is not an impressive… Continue reading Amy’s Thread: Marmot Day
Designer Spotlight: January Snow by Maggie Fangmann
Maggie Fangmann adores things that have history, whether it’s the former mining town where she lives or the tradition of knitting in her family. She can trace their love of needles and yarn back to her great-great-grandmother in Denmark. And she’s adding to that history with every new design. January Snow is an afghan block… Continue reading Designer Spotlight: January Snow by Maggie Fangmann
Emily Explains: Snow Day Fun
When I am home on a snowy day there is nothing I want to do more than curl up with a bowl of popcorn, some tea and yarn. Yesterday, I had the popcorn and the tea, but I did not have enough yarn to cast on for a new project! Not sure what to do,… Continue reading Emily Explains: Snow Day Fun
Design Team Blog 