Techniques

Blockheads unite!

Well, it seems a lot of discussion has started since the last post – I’m glad to see it. So let’s look at this blocking thing again, shall we. What exactly is blocking and how/why should you do it? Well, part 1 of that question can be explained like this … Blocking is the process that “sets” a knitted or crocheted piece of work to a particular size and/or shape. The need for blocking starts even before you start to make your piece. The entire process of turning fleece into yarn starts the process of breaking down soft, luxurious […]

A new graft …

So, the pieces for the elementary scarf are done, and I’m happy with the result from using a 2×2 rib. Now comes the tricky part – putting it together. When you get to this stage, you realize that the difficulty in this scarf is not in the knitting, it’s in the techniques required in order to put it together. There are other projects where this is the case – a simple sweater, socks, and others. The first thing you have to do is braid it and pin or stitch the braids in place. I made the mistake of braiding […]

Sock it to ’em … again …

So welcome to my little sock knit-a-long, Version 2.0. If you weren’t around for the first one, here are the links to the posts involved. This one was done without a pattern and from the cuff down. Don’t be afraif though, you’re taken through all the steps necessary to make yourself a pair of socks that are guaranteed to fit you like a glove, he he, even if you’ve never made a pair before in your life! Sock It To ‘em                 http://wp.me/pNDS0-fD  Dr. Sock to the OR         http://wp.me/pNDS0-fQ Which Foot First?          http://wp.me/pNDS0-fW Getting a Leg UP            http://wp.me/pNDS0-gd It’s Okay […]

When 1 isn’t enough …

This is the last post about the different techniques you can use to knit in the round. Yes, there are probably more out there (spool knitting, looms, and i-cords come to mind), but I wanted to focus on the ones that you would be most likely to come across in your knitting experiences. This method is knitting with two circular needles. Yes, they need to be the same size, but not the same length. Again however, longer is better. While you can get away with 24″ cords for this, I hope you’re come to realize by now that there […]

It’s Magic …

Well, not really, but it is called the Magic Loop! The ML is another way of using 1 circular needle to knit in the round. Unlike the first method we looked at though, using this technique removes the limit you have on the number of stitches you can knit. You can knit as few stitches as you need to in the round using this technique. The one catch to it though is that you need to have a cable needle with a really long cable. As a matter of fact, don’t even think about using a cable needle less than […]