Somehow, it’s mid-November! Where I am, twinkle lights have started appearing in the town square and festive music is playing in the shops. I don’t know about you, but usually, the holiday season sneaks up on me a bit. This year though, I’m determined to make my preparations early, so I can avoid any Covid-Brexit-posting stress and enjoy a relaxed lead up to the holidays. To help you with your own holiday prep, we’ve put together a special “Gifts for Knitters” section of the online shop.
Read moreA Look at Our Books: A Year of Techniques + Boost Your Knitting
If you’re subscribed to our newsletter or frequent our forum, The Knitalong Hub, you’ll know that we’re working really hard behind the scenes preparing for the launch of our newest project. We cannot wait to tell you all about in a very short time. But while we wait, I thought it might be nice to have a peek into our two flagship books, A Year of Techniques and Boost Your Knitting. I call them books, but really they’re more than that … they’re self-contained programmes carefully designed to help you sharpen your knitting skills. So while there’s beautiful patterns by talented designers, to be sure, there are also in-depth, stepwise photo tutorials + video tutorials that will teach you new techniques. Our mission is to empower knitters to unlock their full knitting potential, and these books are really at the heart of that endeavour.
Read moreMaz's Knitting Story
Over the summer, Jen shared an awesome Ama Sweater on Instagram that friend and customer Marian Alsbury aka Maz had knitted for her daughter. I think it’s fair to say, was a very big hit! Maz was kind enough to answer some questions for me about her incredible knitting journey, and has shared some of the stunning projects she’s made. So pull up a chair, grab a cuppa, and join us for a little chat!
Read moreGetting Started with Toe Up Socks
A few weeks ago, Jen shared some links to tutorials to get you started knitting cuff down socks. But of course, there’s more than one way to knit a sock! So today, I’ll be sharing some resources if you’d like to knit toe-up socks.
Read moreWelcome to our #virtualwonderwool stand!
We might not have been able to pack the van and head to Builth Wells for Wonderwool, but we’re super delighted to be taking part in #virtualwonderwool this weekend. While nothing can quite replace the fun and excitement of a knitting show, it’s really lovely that so many UK festivals have come up with creative ways to carry on in the circumstances. And the silver lining is that, whether you were planning to come to Wonderwool in person or not, you can peruse vendor offerings over on Wonderwool’s Facebook group or Instagram by following the hashtag #virtualwonderwool … and the special festival deals that we would have been offering are now available to you from the comfort of your favourite knitting chair! So step right up to our virtual AC Knitwear stand and have a peek!
Read moreKnitting: Boosted!
Well that was fun!
Twelve months, three hats, two sets of hand warmers, two pairs of socks, one child’s sweater, a cowl, a scarf, a shawl, and one delightful bunny later, our Boost Your Knitting knitalongs have, somehow, come to an end … today we’re peeking back at what’s happened over the past twelve months!
Read moreAn Interview with Ella Austin
The final Boost Your Knitting design comes to us from Ella Austin. Ella’s design, Brunny the Bunny, showcases how to properly finish knitted toys. Ella has numerous gorgeous toy designs under her belt, as well as a wider portfolio that celebrates color and texture — her book, the Beginner’s Guide to Colourwork Knitting, was released last spring. A few months ago, Ella was kind enough to answer a few questions about her design process and share some great tips for finishing knitted toys (hint: even she has to occasionally try, try again!)
Read moreThree Techniques for Terrific Toys
Knitted toys can make for fun and cheeky companions, and they really come to life with good finishing. Today, we have a trio of tutorials to give you confidence in making up your toys!
Read moreBrunny the Bunny and Finishing Techniques for Toy Knitting
Oh how I love a cute knitted toy!
But I’ll be honest, I had never been very confident about getting my finished toy to look its best, until I met Ella Austin’s fantastic designs. Ella helped me to overcome my fear of finishing toys, and this month’s project includes lots of hints and tips so that you too can create a polished-looking bunny!
Read moreA chat with Wendy D. Johnson
Today, we bring you an interview with Boost Your Knitting designer Wendy D. Johnson. Wendy is a prolific knitter and designer who has a penchant for toe up socks — she’s written two books on the subject, Socks From the Toe Up and Toe-Up Socks for Everybody. Her Boost Your Knitting design, the Alcedo Socks, are a highly wearable and quick to knit pair of toe-up socks that teach this month’s featured technique, toe up sock gussets! Wendy was kind enough to answer some questions a few months ago about her design and what she loves about sock knitting!
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