When was the last time your tapestry needle got some love? It’s an essential bit of kit, for sure, but a humble one, most often consigned to the drudgery of weaving in ends. Well, now is your tapestry needle’s moment to shine, as it takes on a starring role in this month’s headline Confident Knitting technique, Embroidering on Knitting!
Just three stitches are used to create the Patina Scarf’s embroidered floral motif. Photo © Jesse Wild.
Learning techniques that involve knitting-adjacent tools can be a bit intimidating. I feel like I can do anything with a pair of knitting needles in my hand. Replace them with something else and, well, I feel that bit less confident. Which is why this is a really fun technique to learn with friends! Jeanette’s created a stunning design, achieved with just a few stitches, so this really is a great project for getting comfortable with something new! So grab those tapestry needles, and let’s give this a go!
First up, it’s the detached chain stitch, sometimes called the lazy daisy stitch. It creates a lovely, petal-like shape which Jeanette has used to such effect in the Patina Scarf! Detached Chain Stitch Video Tutorial on YouTube
Detached chain stitches make for lovely petals, while the twisted chain stitch makes for really effective stems! Here’s how it’s done: Twisted Chain Stitches (YouTube video)
And last but not least, French knots! I love the three dimension pop these give to Jeanette’s design. French Knots Video Tutorial on YouTube
And that’s all there is to it! A bit of yarn, a needle, a little practise and you’ll be jazzing up all your knits with embroidered designs. And don’t forget, if you’re not happy with results the first time around, just take it out and try again!
If you’re ready to cast on for the Patina Scarf and have not yet purchased Confident Knitting, you can find it in our online shop. When you purchase, you’ll get the Patina Scarf pattern and in depth photo tutorials for the techniques covered here. Sometimes having photos of the process really helps! You’ll also receive the three other patterns + tutorials released thus far, and the remaining eight as they are released. Jeanette’s design is knitted using two skeins of Schoppel Wolle Gradient for the scarf body, and a lovely Zauberball held double for the embroidery. The joy of a Zauberball is it gives you plenty of complementary colours to play with, but the embroidery would also be a great opportunity to stash bust some 4ply scraps! We also have Confident Knitting summer yarn kits available with all the yarn you’ll need for the Patina Scarf as well as the to-be-unveiled July + August patterns. This month’s knitalong is already in full swing, and we’d love to see you there over on The Knitalong Hub! Any project that involves embroidering on your knitting is welcome!