Twice a year all the industry professionals gather for our trades show, TNNA . In addition to education and networking, it’s a chance to see the new products coming out. When I visited Cocoknits booth last winter and I saw the Sweater Care Kit, I knew I had to try it out.
A couple of weeks ago I headed off to Indiana to the fabulous film crew at Annie’s to film two more knitting DVDs. Last summer I shot Circular Knitting Essentials, and I was so happy with how it turned out, that I booked two more classes with them!
If seeing the words, “Shaping Staying in Pattern” in a knitting pattern makes you want to:
a) cry
b) throw up in your mouth a little
c) wad the pattern up on the floor and stamp on it right before you ceremoniously light it on fire
I’ve built a class just for you. It’s called “Shape Up!”
Recently (thanks to Google Alerts), I stumbled upon the best beginner knitting YouTube Video ever!!
It might not have the best production values, the lighting could use a bit of a tweek, the camera work might be better, and the teaching terms include things like “scooch” and “diagonal line looking thing”. So why do I love it SOOOOO hard?
Twice a year, all the knitting, crochet, weaving, spinning, needlepoint and embroidery professionals across the land (and a few other lands) get together for our annual trade show. The summer show is in my favorite location. I’ve been going there since 2007, and I have my favorite lunch spots, dinner spots, my favorite hotel . . . and now I find out they’re moving. It looks like it’s Goodbye Columbus 🙁
The fall and the spring are often crazy busy times in the life of a full time knitting teacher and designer. This spring was no exception . . . a perfect storm of crazy. Four sweaters designs due, three new classes to finish, two new online class scripts to finish, and back to back teaching trips = 44 hours of teaching in eleven days!
It’s the last weekend in March, springtime, nearly April, and here in Brooklyn . . . it snowed, granted it was only snow flurries, but still.
Since this time of year, we’d like to believe it will get warm soon. I wanted to share some springtime knitting inspiration. Here’s a round up of spring knitting patterns.
I love when I get requests for Tuesday Tips. I demo a lot of different cast ons in pattern in my Craftsy classes, as well as my Interweave DVDs, but I’ve never demoed German Twisted Cast on in pattern.
I often get asked about my “design process,” and I feel sheepish and inadequate and usually make up some kind of nonsense about being inspired by the colors of the turning leaves or the way the light hits the brick of a New York building. . . but since it’s just us, I thought I’d give you a peek into how my days really go, and my real design process (and hi-tech tools!)
I’m a knitter, and I’m a knitting teacher, and I also design sweaters. I think more like a knitter than a great artist, so mostly my designs are wearable sweaters that I would want to knit for myself.
In design I do use a lot of fancy schmancy computer tools like Excel for pattern grading, charting software, and Illustrator for schematics . . . but since I didn’t go to fashion school, I approach my designs with several other highly professional tools (like twist ties, old t-shirts, scissors, paper, and scotch tape).
I thought it would be fun from time to time to peek under the hood and look at some of my silly tools . . . today’s exploration:
Last month I was thrilled at the release of my first class with Interweave Patty’s Knitting Bag of Tricks (reviews found here), now I’m happy to announce my second: Advanced Fixes in Knitting.
In this two DVD set (or digital download) we go over fixes on the needles in lace, cables, in the round, color work, shaping and more, AND fixes after your work has been bound off . . . that’s right, it’s never too late to fix your knitting!
Last weekend I was lucky enough to get to return to one of the most awesome knitting guilds, Madison!
I spoke at the guild last year, and had this amazeballs view from the stage:
Madison Knitter’s Guild 2014 – – That’s what over 500 knitters looks like!
The guild is filled with some of the most mad skilled knitters I’ve ever seen in one place . . . so when they asked me back to be the keynote speaker and featured teacher for their annual event, I was thrilled!
By far the most powerful tool in the knitter’s toolbox is duplicate stitch (also known as swiss darning). There are so many fixes that can be done once you master this little darling. Furthermore, once you do, you will also have a much better understanding of the anatomy of your stitches.
Heel of sock is nearly worn through. A wooden darning egg is helpful for this operation