One of the really fun details of Natalie Warner’s Fond Mittens, the latest pattern from Something To Knit Together Winter Edition, is the cable detail with which they begin. To achieve it, you start by knitting a cable strip, then pick up stitches along the row ends to begin knitting the mitten cuff.
Picking up stitches is one of those techniques that, while not hard, can be a bit fiddly. You need to make sure your stitches are not only consistently picked up so you get a nice straight line, but also that they’re evenly spaced, and it’s that last bit that too often catches us out. So in today’s video, Jen shows us not only how to pick up stitches — what knitting into the fabric should look like — but also shares tips for making sure your picked up stitches are nice and evenly spaced: Picking Up Stitches (YouTube link)
I hope that video has given you a confidence boost for planning and tackling picking up stitches. And, in case you didn’t know, all of our new video tutorials are published with subtitles — just hit the CC button on the bottom menu of the video. We also have been adding chapter breaks to our videos to make them easier to navigate if you want to rewatch a section. Those are only visible on YouTube, so you won’t be able to see them on videos embedded in blog posts, but clicking on the YouTube logo in the bottom right of the video will take you there.
The Fond Mittens are a great, small project to brush up your pick up skills, but it’s, of course, a skill that will come in handy for things like cardigan button bands, amongst many others! If you’d like to knit your own Fond Mittens, you can purchase the Something To Knit Together Winter Edition eBook in our online shop. When you do, you’ll instantly receive the Fond Mittens and Assembly Scarf patterns, as well as supporting photo tutorials. You’ll also receive the final three patterns from the collection (one accessory and one garment in sweater and cardigan versions) in January — the next pattern launch is 6th January! All but the smallest size of the mittens take three skeins of our Something To Knit With Aran yarn, and when you purchase the eBook, you do get a discount code for Something to Knit With yarn purchases. We also have a range of kits to give you a little or a lot of yarn to knit the patterns from the collection at a hefty discount! While we can’t make any Christmas guarantees at this point, we will be posting orders next Monday, so if you place an order before then, you will have yummy yarn to enjoy at some point over the festive period!
Happy holiday knitting!