About Knitting

Do You Knit Holiday Gifts?

2009-11-24T10:24:24Z

It's that time of year that if you're thinking about knitting holiday gifts, you should be doing more than thinking. This year I'm planning a couple of knit gifts, though I don't usually knit more than one or two things for family or friends this time of year.

It's probably folly to be trying to make gifts with a new baby in the house taking up most of my time, but I guess I'm feeling more of a desire for gifts to be personal now that there's someone around I'd rather not expose to a bunch of ugly commercialism.

Whatever your motivation, this week I'd like to know if you knit holiday gifts, and how you feel about that. I know some people feel guilty that they don't knit much for others (though I see nothing wrong with knitting for yourself!) while others really love knitting gifts. If you fall squarely on one side or the other of this continuum, I'd love to hear from you. And I'd also like to know what everyone's knitting for gifts this year -- I promise I won't tell!

Do You Knit Holiday Gifts? originally appeared on About.com Knitting on Tuesday, November 24th, 2009 at 10:24:24.

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Dress Up Your Plain Ornaments

2009-11-23T16:16:38Z

Fair Isle Christmas Ornament Band, (c) Sarah E. White.

My husband and I aren't big on decorating for Christmas, and we don't really have room for a Christmas tree, but for a couple of years when we moved into our house we did have a tree, which was decorate mostly with ornaments I scored half price when I worked at Hallmark and some of those cheap glass ball ornaments that everyone seems to have.

I don't know why we do that to ourselves. These ornaments are so plain, so lacking in personality. A Christmas tree should show your creative side, not be a yawn.

Should we ever put up a tree again, I'll be ready with projects to dress up plain glass ball ornaments, like this Fair Isle Christmas Ball Band. It's a super-simple 4-row repeat worked on 9 stitches for as long as you need to fit around whatever sort of ball you're trying to cover. You can knit up a couple in an evening in different colors, using bits of stash and letting your personality run wild. Have fun and have a more exciting tree to show for it.

Dress Up Your Plain Ornaments originally appeared on About.com Knitting on Monday, November 23rd, 2009 at 16:16:38.

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Surveying the Wool Scene

2009-11-22T12:30:56Z

There are tons and tons of different wool yarns on the market, and sadly it would be impossible to keep up with them all. But I have reviewed a good number of different wool yarns to help give you an idea of what yarns work for what projects and some brands you might want to look for when you're shopping for your next wooly project.

On these and other yarn reviews, note that some of them are set up so that you can add your own review just by clicking on the link that says "write a review." If you have thoughts to share about a yarn that doesn't have that link, send me an e-mail and I'll add your comments directly to the review.

And if you've got a favorite wool yarn that's not yet on my list, let me know about it and I'll see if I can review it and spread the word.

Surveying the Wool Scene originally appeared on About.com Knitting on Sunday, November 22nd, 2009 at 12:30:56.

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Another Fun Thing to Do with Wool: Felting

2009-11-21T10:24:36Z

All this talk about wool has me thinking of another great quality of this fiber (and other fibers that come from animals): the ability to felt. Felting is an easy way to give your knit articles a different look, and there are lots of different ways to do it depending on the equipment you have at your disposal:

Also check out some felting tips and information on how to make a felted swatch to make your design of felted articles a little easier and more precise.

Another Fun Thing to Do with Wool: Felting originally appeared on About.com Knitting on Saturday, November 21st, 2009 at 10:24:36.

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A Hat for a Little Sprout

2009-11-20T11:37:17Z

Sprout Hat, (c) Sarah E. White.

I'm a little obsessed with baby knits right now, for obvious reasons, and with winter coming on my little one needed a new hat in case we ever decide to leave the house again.

I came up with this adorable Sprout Hat, which is basically a plain Stockinette hat jazzed up with a picot edging and an I-cord topper with a super-cute leaf motif sprouting from the top.

This is a really easy knit for a new baby in your life and is sure to keep him or her warm and stylish all season long.

A Hat for a Little Sprout originally appeared on About.com Knitting on Friday, November 20th, 2009 at 11:37:17.

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Make it Merry: Advent Trees, Aprons and More

2009-11-19T14:46:34Z

Welcome to another edition of Make it Merry, where talented crafters share their holiday how-to's.

Advent Candy Tree

Everyone loves counting down to the holidays...add candy to the mix and you've got a fun Advent calendar from Sherri Osborn for the whole family to enjoy.

Pumpkin Cross Stitch Pattern

Use a variegated floss to make a swirling pumpkin that would look great near the Thanksgiving table. Connie G. Barwick has the free pattern.

Knit Wreath Ornament

Scrap knitting makes for fun quick projects that are perfect for any skill level. Sarah E. White has the instructions for this cute wreath.

Miniature Glitter Houses

Snowy villages look great upon every mantle and tabletop. Lesley Shepherd has a free printable so you can make your own tiny houses.

Paper Bead Star Ornament

If you're looking for something a little different to do with your paper beads then take a look at this paper bead star. This project is simple to adapt in a wide variety of ways.

Rustic Pillar Candles

'Tis the season for running out to buy candles. David Fisher will show you how to make these festive pillar candles with the perfect finish.

Pear Diamonds Painted Card

This card has an intricate finish, but it is so easy to make. Tina Jones shows us how to create this colorful card from start to finish.

Christmas Apron Pattern

Just because you've got to bake cookies for the whole family doesn't mean you can't look fabulous! Phyllis Dobbs has created this adorable holiday apron, and she's got the free pattern just for you.

Flower Petal Ornament Cover

Sometimes those plain ornaments just need a little dressing up. Tammy Powley will show you how to use seed beads to create this unique ornament drapery.

Paint a Christmas Tree

Instead of paying a premium for a colored tree, Barbara Crews will show us how to paint your tree red to match the latest holiday trends.

Want to Join Make it Merry to show off your holiday crafts? We will showcase your crafts and recipes of all holiday traditions. Learn more.

Make it Merry: Advent Trees, Aprons and More originally appeared on About.com Knitting on Thursday, November 19th, 2009 at 14:46:34.

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Knitting in the News: A Sweater Ripoff?

2009-11-19T09:53:02Z

Four years of legal wrangling between a French knit and crochet designer and the house of Chanel are set to be resolved next month. The designer, Carmen Colle, sued the fashion firm because she says it stole the design for a crocheted jacket that she had offered the company but it rejected. In the time since she filed the lawsuit, she says her work designing knits and crocheted clothes for Yves Saint Laurent, Christian Lacroix and Jean-Paul Gaultier, among others, has dried up. Which is a shame, because her business, World Tricot, once employed 90 women, mostly immigrants looking for a new start in France. Colle has asked for 2.5 million Euros in damages; a ruling is expected December 11.

In other knitting news, if you're planning holiday knitting this year but haven't yet started you could probably use these tips for quick holiday knits. Bulky yarns, small projects and one-skein projects are all good ideas to save both time and money.

And on the charity beat, check out the story of knitters and bakers whipping up goodies to sell to benefit the Arthritis Foundation. This is a great idea for a way to support a charity without actually knitting items to be donated to that charity.

Knitting in the News: A Sweater Ripoff? originally appeared on About.com Knitting on Thursday, November 19th, 2009 at 09:53:02.

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Wordless Wednesday: Wonderful Wool

2009-11-18T11:10:42Z

Wool yarn from my stash, (c) Sarah E. White.

Because this week is all about wool, I thought I'd share a collage of some of the odd balls of wool hanging out in my stash. Organizing leftovers by fiber content is a great way to get inspiration for new projects because you can easily see what colors and gauges of yarn would go together well. I'm thinking hard about a fall project using that yellow and orange yarn together, or maybe something with the blue and white. Throwing a bunch of yarn together this way is a great way to see connections you might not otherwise have noticed.

Share pictures from your stash or finished objects with About.com readers.

Wordless Wednesday: Wonderful Wool originally appeared on About.com Knitting on Wednesday, November 18th, 2009 at 11:10:42.

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How Do You Feel about Wool?

2009-11-17T10:31:36Z

This week we're singing the praises of wool, so I wanted to know how you feel about this versatile fiber. I'm sure there are knitters out there who work in nothing (or almost nothing) but wool, feeling as Elizabeth Zimmermann did that there is really nothing better to put on your needles.

Of course on the other end of the spectrum are people who are allergic or sensitive to wool and aren't able to work with it at all (poor things!). I assume it's possible to be ambivalent about wool, though I can't imagine it, so if you fall into that camp, let us know why you're not passionate about wool in either direction.

How Do You Feel about Wool? originally appeared on About.com Knitting on Tuesday, November 17th, 2009 at 10:31:36.

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Wooly and Wonderful

2009-11-16T11:27:40Z

The Knitter's Book of Wool by Clara Parkes. Potter Craft.

Most knitters, at least those who are not allergic or sensitive, have a soft spot in their hearts (and hands!) for knitting with wool. More than just about any other fiber, wool is warm, comforting, easy to work with, fun to use in colorwork, interesting to combine with other fibers. If a knitter were required to work with just one fiber for the rest of his or her life, I'd wager many of us would pick wool (cashmere's great, but wool is much more practical).

Clara Parkes, for sure, is one in that number. Her new book, The Knitter's Book of Wool illustrates her enthusiasm for sheep fibers, highlighting more than two dozen different breeds of sheep and the qualities of their wool that makes them perfect for different knitting situations.

The book also has more than 20 patterns using different kinds of wool to their best advantage, helping knitters learn more about some breeds you might not have heard of before and taking your love and respect of wool to the next level.

Wooly and Wonderful originally appeared on About.com Knitting on Monday, November 16th, 2009 at 11:27:40.

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