A story like this helps me remember how blessed I am to live in a country like ours. Where women can do so many amazing things.
Knitting helps refugees
Ten tips for crocheters
The links says it is for crocheters, but several can be used by knitters as well, especially number 10. It is stretching exercises to do when you have been knitting or crocheting for a long period of time.
100 years old and still knitting
Wouldn’t it be great if we all could knit this long!!!
Quite the Quilt!
SAW THIS ON KNITTING PARADISE AND THOUGHT YOU MIGHT ENJOY SEEING IT AS MUCH AS I DID! DON’T KNOW IF I HAVE THE PATIENCE TO COMPLETE SUCH A BIG PROJECT. WHAT DO YOU THINK?
So a couple years ago after finishing a log cabin blanket for a nephew, I had the idea to make a log cabin style blanket for us. But king sized. And in squares of 5 different sizes, from 2 inch by 2 inch up to 10 inch by 10 inch. All the squares except the 2 by 2’s are log cabin style. My son designed a blanket 100 inches by 100 inches with the various square sizes and off I went making squares. 446 squares in all.
The squares were a nice portable project, but weaving in ends was not. It took a long time to weave in the ends and I’d go in spurts in doing it. Well I finally finished weaving in those ends, over 1700 of them in total, yesterday. I washed and dried all the squares in case I had an errant ball of wool among my scraps. Amazingly, none shrunk. Last night my girls helped me lay out the squares based on the design. It took us about 2.5 hours. Then we pinned the squares to an extra sheet I had underneath it so we could roll it up and keep it out of the way. Once I get it all seamed together, which I think will take a while, I’ll post more pictures.
The squares were a nice portable project, but weaving in ends was not. It took a long time to weave in the ends and I’d go in spurts in doing it. Well I finally finished weaving in those ends, over 1700 of them in total, yesterday. I washed and dried all the squares in case I had an errant ball of wool among my scraps. Amazingly, none shrunk. Last night my girls helped me lay out the squares based on the design. It took us about 2.5 hours. Then we pinned the squares to an extra sheet I had underneath it so we could roll it up and keep it out of the way. Once I get it all seamed together, which I think will take a while, I’ll post more pictures.
Counting Rows
I think all knitters have their own unique way of counting rows. Here’s one using stitch markers.
Knitting Behind Bars
Interesting article how it took a woman in Maryland five years to get the local prison to allow her to teach the prisoners to knit, but she was persistent and it made a difference in the men’s lives.
https://www.good.is/articles/prisoners-transform-through-knitting-behind-bars?fb_ref=rightrail
Yarn Cakes
Yarn cakes seem to be the “in” thing at the moment. If you don’t like the color combinations that the companies out there have, make your own.
A Rocking Chair That Knits
Now this is my kind of knitting!! Sitting and rocking and knitting.
Digital knitting machine
What do you think about this? I think it is a pretty neat idea, but I haven’t learned to use my regular knitting machine.
Intarsia-cast-on
This link has very clear pictures showing how to get a very neat edge when casting on several different colors.
Ravelry’s standard yarn weights
This is Ravelry’s guide for yarn weights:
Managing yarn in multiple colored project.
Thought this was an interesting way to manage yarn so it won’t get tangled when using several colors. I enjoy seeing creativity in action.
Crocheted Urchins
50 people took 2 months to crochet these 220 pound (each) magnificent urchins over a marina in Singapore. Absolutely amazing!!
Secret Codes
This is an interesting article about how secret codes were knitted into things during World War I and II. Several pictures show men as well as women knitting these items.
http://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/knitting-spies-wwi-wwii
The Answer Lady
Found this link I thought the machine knitters might find useful. It is from the Answer Lady. Most of the information is about knitting machine, but there is some knitting and crocheting items too. 461 videos to help answer your questions.
http://www.theanswerlady.com/Youtubelinks.html
Master List
This is the most comprehensive list of skill levels, abbreviations, and techniques that I have ever run across. I printed it and will keep a copy handy. Hope you find it helpful.
Life Lines
Do you use life lines in you knitting. I have to admit I don’t use them as often as I probably should and have to rip out way more than would be necessary if I had used them. Many different materials can be used.
How to use a life line
How to use dental floss as a life line
How to use circular needles as a life line
Neele sizes
How small do knitting needles go? I’ve only gone as small as a number 1, but they go to 00000. Once place I read they go to 8 zero’s. Can’t imagine what they would be like. Below the first link is to a chart of needle sizes and how they differ from country to country and some times a manufacturer makes a difference.
Knitting on an air plane
Saw these tips in a knitting news letter that I get. Since we travel all year long I thought it might be helpful to know these tips ahead of time. I wasn’t sure about number 4 so I looked it up and here’s what I found… Airline passengers can also take small scissors, those with a 4-inch or shorter blade and tools that are 7 inches or shorter with them on the plane, although larger tools are prohibited.
WHAT TO DO TO MAKE SURE YOUR NEEDLES DON’T GET CONFISCATED
Security on flights is no issue to take lightly. There are all kinds of things you should not bring on a plane, as they could be considered dangerous.What about needles and knitting on airplanes? If you are a knitter, you will rejoice when hearing this. You can knit during a flight, since everyone thinks it is a soothing activity that helps a lot during long flights. However, if you do not want your pointy needles confiscated, here are a few tips to keep in mind:
Tip #1: Leave your metal needles at home, and bring only those made of plastic or bamboo. They are more flight friendly and they are not usually considered dangerous by the authorities.
Tip #2: For your convenience, make sure your yarn is well winded prior to embarking. This way, it will not get tangled and make a mess.
Tip #3: Place all your knitting supplies in a transparent bag, so they can easily be seen, without the security staff having to fiddle with them.
Tip #4: No thread cutters! These are strictly forbidden. However, for cutting the extra yarn, bring a pair of children scissors instead.
Tip #5: Since you cannot foretell for sure what kind of supplies may raise suspicions, leave your favorite needles at home. You will not cry over cheap supplies, so bring over just things you know you can part with, without any regrets.
Tip #6: Whenever you are asked about your needles, make sure to be clear and polite when offering the needed explanations. Security staff are just doing their job and they do not want to put you in an unpleasant situation. The quicker you make things clear, the better for everyone.
Tip #7: Always check the list of forbidden items on flights prior to embarking on a plane. Since different countries may have different rules when it comes to this, for international flights, make sure you are up to date with all their regulations.
Have a nice flight!
Another website for free patterns.
Be careful. One click leads to another and to another and to another……before I knew it I spent a couple hours wandering through free patterns of all kinds of items, not just blankets! Of course I had to download a couple……………..
