Knit, Blog & Be Happy!

When scrolling through my emails last week, one made me stop in my tracks. Woolfolk was introducing their Winter Collection 2023 with this photo: Look how cozy this model looks!  I want to be her (although if my hair were stuck in my turtleneck, it would drive me crazy). Doesn't this sweater look like something you could live in? It is relaxed and easy to wear. I will reach for this sweater on a cool evening or a foggy morning. Hegn, knit in Flette Bulky, is an easy top-down sweater with a lot of ease (between 8 and 16 inches).  Knit in the...

The last installment of my Confident Knitting series is focused on skill building. Whether through classes, online videos, joining our help table, or attending a knitting group, there are many ways to learn new things and keep your knitting toolbox full and fresh. First, my advice to new knitters: With each new project, look for a skill builder. Did you just knit a scarf? Then try a hat to learn how to knit in the round and decrease. Have you been knitting nothing but accessories? Cast on a sweater! Look for a new thing to tackle with each project: cables, colorwork, chart...

  You have some tools and good knitting practices under your belt, so let's talk about yarn. There are so many different yarns to pick from, but one mantra is true: quality in = quality out. I encourage everyone to look for the best yarn that suits their project and budget.  When you start, you want to work with enjoyable yarn to knit. You want a yarn that feels good in your hands, bouncy and forgiving. It should be light in color so you can learn to read your knitting and see your mistakes. Knitting with something that is a...

I will admit that when we got these Chain Knitting Row Counters in the shop; I never thought I would actually use them. I love my Cocoknits Row Counter. The click is so satisfying, and it locks so they do not accidentally advance in my knitting bag. I still use it from time to time, but when I knit a larger project, my Chain Row Counter from Twice Sheared Sheep is on my project.  Why do I love this counter? I never forget to advance it. So let me explain how it works. When you start your project, you knit...

Now that you have your favorite needles and notions let's chat about another element of becoming a confident knitter – Practicing Good Knitting Habits. You should do a few things to ensure that your project is going as you hope. Many of these tips are very obvious, but, trust me, we all fail to do them!  How often have I gone gangbusters through a project only to find that I have done something wrong and have to rip out a couple of inches of work? WAY too often. Maybe I need to print this blog post and put it in...