Until reading this post, I had not really thought about how many skills come together in knitwear design. These are all skills I have slowly been [...]]]> TECHknitting is going to write a series of posts about designing knitwear. Yay! I love TECHknitting, and have learned so much from that blog over the past couple of years.

Until reading this post, I had not really thought about how many skills come together in knitwear design. These are all skills I have slowly been building myself over many years.

Although I still have SO much to learn, I tend to take my existing skills for granted. So it’s comforting to be reminded that it takes skill to design a good knitting pattern. I can be proud of my efforts when I get it right, and not be devastated by failure when I get it wrong. All part of the learning process.

Here is another pattern for an 8 inch (20 cm) square, suitable for the knit-a-square project.

Your gauge, yarn and needle size aren’t important. Start with 4 stitches, join to work in the round, then keep increasing every second row until the square measures 8 inches.

Materials:

For every square that you knit or crochet, photograph and add to their KAS gallery before 15 March 2010, you’ll receive an entry into their prize draw. They’ve collected some lovely goodies including a handmade knitting [...]]]> Zina and Dawne at Another Long Yarn are running a KnitALong to challenge knitters worldwide to contribute squares for Knit-a-Square.

For every square that you knit or crochet, photograph and add to their KAS gallery before 15 March 2010, you’ll receive an entry into their prize draw. They’ve collected some lovely goodies including a handmade knitting satchel, some Knit Picks interchangeable needles, and a sampler set of a dozen skeins of yarn.

To enter, you need to comment on Dawne’s Can You Spare a Square? post (so she has your email address), and then upload a photo of each square you’ve knitted or crocheted to the gallery.

Seeing my own squares in such fabulous company makes me want to go back and block them all — mine look a bit wonky. I had vague hopes that they’d look neater when sewn up into blankets, but they’ll look neater still if they’re blocked, right? I sense a big blocking session in my near future.

A mitered garter stitch square with stripes, shown from the right side.

Gauge, yarn and needle size aren’t important. You start with just 3 stitches, increase every second row until the square is the size you want, and then cast [...]]]> When knitting squares for the knit-a-square project, I discovered the delights of the reverse mitered square.

A mitered garter stitch square with stripes, shown from the right side.

Gauge, yarn and needle size aren’t important. You start with just 3 stitches, increase every second row until the square is the size you want, and then cast off loosely.

Play around with variations, switching colours when the mood strikes.

Here is my basic recipe for a simple reverse mitered square knitted with stripes of colour in  garter stitch.

Materials:

• small amounts of DK (8-ply) yarn, preferably wool, in 2 or more colours
• 4 mm knitting needles
• larger needles (if needed) for loose bind-off
• 1 stitch marker
• blunt needle for sewing in ends

You can use any combination of yarn and needles that results in a fabric you like. If your squares are for knit-a-square, wool yarns are best for warmth and fire retardant properties, but other yarns are okay too.

Abbreviations

Instructions:

Cast on 3 st.

Row 1 (right side): K1, YO, place marker, K1, YO, K1.

Row 2 (wrong side): K1, K1 tbl, K1, slip marker, K1 tbl, K1.

Row 3: K to marker, YO, slip marker, K1, YO, K to end.

Row 4: K to 2 st before marker, K1 tbl, K1, slip marker, K1 tbl, K to end.

(These two rows make up 1 ridge in garter stitch.)

Repeat rows 3 and 4 about 15 times, or until you feel like it’s time to change colours.

Bring in a new colour on a right-side (odd-numbered) row.

(To change colours, I normally just drop the previous yarn and start working with the new yarn, leaving the ends long enough to for easy sewing in later. The changeover stitches are floppy as you work them, but you can neaten them up  when you weave in the ends. Alternatively you can loosely knot the new yarn to the old, at the end of a row, then undo the knot before you weave in the ends.)

The reverse side of the mitered square shown above.

If you make the garter-stitch stripes no more than 4 rows (2 ridges) wide, save yourself some weaving-in time by carrying the colour not being used up the side of the work — no need to cut the yarn and re-join.

When the square measures 8 inches (20.5 cm) on a side, cast off.

(I use a larger needle size so that the cast-off edge stays stretchy and the square doesn’t distort. For a square knitted with 4 mm needles, I cast off with 5 mm needles.)

Sew in ends and block if desired. My sample square is not yet blocked.

Source: knit-a-square

I love to experiment with different combinations of yarn, pattern and construction, so my 23 squares are a hodgepodge [...]]]> My Mum and I have been knitting lots of 8-inch squares lately for the knit-a-square project. These squares will soon head over to South Africa, to be sewn into blankets for orphaned children.

Source: knit-a-square

I love to experiment with different combinations of yarn, pattern and construction, so my 23 squares are a hodgepodge of styles, with mitered squares being my favourites.

Mum has stormed through a big pile of leftover yarn, making 36 mostly ‘plain jane’ squares knitted straight or on the diagonal.

Mum also gave me a Christmas present of postage stamps to send the finished squares off to South Africa, so that’s the next job on my list.

Knitting these squares has been so enjoyable. For me it’s all about texture and colour and the special quality of something that’s hand-made. As I’m knitting each square, I think about how it might look and feel like something special to a child that doesn’t have much.

Even though machine-made blankets bought from a factory would be just as warm, I want to believe that these hand-knitted squares will make blankets that give more than simple warmth.

Bead and Opal Wool Queen is a great place for Opal sock yarn, of course. I like Opal a lot for hard-wearing, bright and funky yarns. Wish I could get ‘em in solid colours too, [...]]]> Now that I’m no longer buying sock yarn wholesale, I’ll soon need to find new sources for enhancing my own stash.

Bead and Opal Wool Queen is a great place for Opal sock yarn, of course. I like Opal a lot for hard-wearing, bright and funky yarns. Wish I could get ‘em in solid colours too, though.

Ecoyarns has a lot of TOFUtsies and a selection of Opal self-patterning yarns. I love the way TOFUtsies knits up, washes and wears, but have sometimes been a bit disappointed with the colour fading over time. I’d suggest choosing TOFUtsies colours a little brighter than you want, to allow for potential fading.

Yay! for Yarn is new to me and I haven’t ordered from them yet, but plan to give them a try. They have Bearfoot, Dream in Color Smooshy, and Lorna’s Laces Shepherd Sock. They have former Yarnomat staples Araucania Ranco, Noro Kureyon Sock and Silk Garden Sock, and Flat Feet, so you still have an Australian source for these great yarns. I also love Patonyle’s quality and softness, although I wish it would come out in better colours.

Wondoflex looks fabulous, has a great range and excellent prices. Lots of Opal colourways, plus Jigsaw, Patonyle, Maxime Print, Regia, Happy, and Noro Kureyon Sock. Good quality photos, too, which always helps with an online store.

Sarah Durrant‘s only sock yarn is Colinette Jitterbug. Previously I bought Jitterbug from my local yarn store, but there are so many beautiful colours on Sarah’s site that I’ll be ordering direct from her next time I want Jitterbug.

Morris and Sons have Araucania Ranco, Noro Kureyon Sock and Silk Garden Sock, Regia, and Jigsaw. I bought from them back when they used to be Tapestry Craft. They have a huge range of other craft supplies, and physical stores in Sydney and Melbourne.

I also want to mention Joy of Yarn in New Zealand. It’s the only physical yarn store that I know of specialising entirely in sock yarn. How fabulous is that? I’m going to splurge on postage and try some of their Supreme Possum Merino.

What are your favourite sock yarn stores in Australia or New Zealand? What do you like best about them?

Clandestine by Cookie A. Another ornate, decadent sock design that may be a challenge to knit but will certainly turn out gorgeous. One of these days I will buy her book, Sock [...]]]> The Fall issue of Knitty.com magazine is out. There are new patterns from two of my favourite designers. Straight to the queue they go!

Clandestine by Cookie A. Another ornate, decadent sock design that may be a challenge to knit but will certainly turn out gorgeous. One of these days I will buy her book, Sock Innovation, but right now I still have too many other patterns to knit.

Colonnade by Stephen West. This new designer has been producing some incredibly stylish shawls.  His shawl shaping is innovative yet still quite simple.  I especially love how his shawls look good on men and women — not an easy achievement.

Of course it depends on the computer monitor settings, and I wouldn’t put too much weight on [...]]]> I enjoyed completing this Online Color Challenge by X-Rite. It takes a few minutes to do it properly. According to X-Rite: ’1 out of 255 women and 1 out of 12 men have some form of color vision deficiency.’

Of course it depends on the computer monitor settings, and I wouldn’t put too much weight on the results. But I do try to adjust the Yarnomat product photos to represent the yarn as accurately as possible, so it’s comforting to know that I have ‘perfect color vision’.

It’s a knit-along contest sponsored by Crystal Palace Yarns, with fun categories and nifty prizes. You can enter socks knit with any yarn you like, but there are extra prizes for socks knit [...]]]> If you like to watch the cycling Tour de France and also like to knit socks, check out the Tour de Sox 2008.

It’s a knit-along contest sponsored by Crystal Palace Yarns, with fun categories and nifty prizes. You can enter socks knit with any yarn you like, but there are extra prizes for socks knit with yarns from Crystal Palace.

I especially love the idea of a White with Pink Dots category. Just perfect for Crystal Palace Bamboo Cotton in the Lollipops colourway. It’s a spotted print yarn, so the yarn makes the pink dots as you knit. Cute or what?

If you’re a happy Yarnomat customer, you could make my day by leaving a comment on Yarnomat’s Facebook page, or adding yourself to the list of patrons on Yarnomat’s Ravelry page.

I especially love Ravelry and am mildly [...]]]> If you have an account on Ravelry or Facebook, you can now see the Yarnomat pages on those sites.

If you’re a happy Yarnomat customer, you could make my day by leaving a comment on Yarnomat’s Facebook page, or adding yourself to the list of patrons on Yarnomat’s Ravelry page.

I especially love Ravelry and am mildly addicted to it. It’s a wonderful community site for knitters and crocheters. You can find me there as verylisa.