Knit, Blog & Be Happy!

Following up from our last post on What's in the Project Bag, we thought it would be fun to showcase staff project bags and must-haves!  This week, Katie is sharing a little snippet of her current projects and notions. Katie, what are in your project bags? I’m currently knitting the Uptown Pullover by Tori Yu out of Magpie Swanky DK. It's such a great pattern!  For larger projects like this sweater, the Magner bag is a great companion. It easily holds a couple of skeins and my WIP along with my notions. A TKB cord is an absolute must-have here as it's perfect for trying on my sweater as...

Have you ever found yourself on a trip or perhaps waiting at an appointment with your knitting in tow but can't knit because you're missing a key notion or tool?  Read on for our list of essentials that should be in every project bag. One of the first things we like to select is some sort of pouch that will keep notions and small tools tidily together. Our top pick? These zippered pouches from Walker Bags. Their mesh fabric allows for easy visibility and flexibility. We love that they come in various sizes If you want to get a jump start on your...

I am so excited to have Tosh Pebble at the shop, although it is a bit odd for me to put the name Madelinetosh in front of the name instead of Shibui. :) Despite the new name, it is the exact same yarn many knitters know and love. Did you know that Pebble is one of my desert island yarns?  I could knit Pebble held single, double, or paired with another yarn, ideally Silk Cloud! \ Pebble comes in a 25-gram hank that has 224 yards or 205 meters. It is officially called a sport weight yarn, but I use it more as a...

I know, I know, you do not want to knit a gauge swatch. But as you all know, if you want your garment to fit or ensure you have the right amount of yarn, the gauge swatch is very important. But did you know that a swatch can be a great place to test pattern modifications you might want to make? When knitting a gauge swatch for a sweater, I no longer knit a pretty border, so the swatch lies flat. I swatch as instructed in the pattern, whether stockinette, garter, or patterned but without a border. I wash and block the...

It is incredibly easy to be overwhelmed by Ravelry–it's filled with so much content! Never fear; Ravelry has a feature that can sort your search to help you find the projects that meet your needs. Many of you know of this feature, but we find quite a few clients who did not realize they can make Ravelry work for them. Let's dive in and see what this process looks like. First, sign into your Ravelry account and click patterns in the upper left corner. Under the Pattern Search box, you will see the words "or use Advanced Search." Please click on that. ...