Chances are, if you’ve read this blog before, you’ve heard of magic loop knitting. It’s a nifty way of using a long-ish circular needle to knit a small-ish circumference item. Now before we go any further, I’m going to level with you. I used to hate the magic loop. Many years ago, I was a knitter who found The Way I liked doing things and stuck with it, and The Way I Liked To Knit Small Circumferences was with two circular needles. I’d given magic loop a cursory try, but it felt awkward and ungainly, with kinks of cable everywhere. So I happily stuck with my totally serviceable but rather expensive habit of knitting small circumferences on two circular needles until one day, I was commuting to work on the bus, and the bamboo tip of one of my circular needles broke. I was faced with two choices: sit the rest of the bus ride without knitting or face my magic loop demons. I’m sure you can guess which one I chose.
Read moreCheerful Rainbows
Circle and Square Hat by Martina Behm. Image © Jesse Wild.
In between working on my Transom Cardigan, I have been working on a couple of fun, really colourful projects. First up was my Circle and Square Hat. I’ve already sung the praises of this clever, clever design by Martina Behm, and thought I would just pop in to show you how it turned out.
Read moreRefreshing with the Transom Cardigan
I can’t stop working on my Transom Cardigan. Image © Jesse Wild
I have been reunited with my Transom Cardigan WIP* (designed by Carol Feller for Field Guide No. 14 Refresh) and it is fabulous! I started eyeing up this cardi as soon as the collection was released last year. Every time I packed an order of Nua I would look at the range and daydream about what colour mine would be. It wasn’t until November, when we ran the Bringing Joy KAL that I actually got as far as casting on.
Read moreLet's block, excellently! Two video tutorials to boost your lace blocking confidence
Blocking can be a really magical, transformative process, but its’s something that (and you can correct me if I’m wrong) knitters rarely get excited about. It’s consigned, along with swatching, to the list of things one should do when knitting something, much like eating your vegetables or drinking more water.
Read moreEvolve Cowl + Excellent Blocking
No fooling, it’s Confident Knitting pattern release day! I’m so pleased to introduce you to April’s pattern, the Evolve Cowl, designed by the incomparable Hunter Hammersen! Hunter’s showstopper of a cowl provides us with the perfect chance to practise this month’s featured technique, excellent blocking!
Read moreWaiting for April
It’s not long at all now to wait now for the next Confident Knitting pattern release, and, with my Flux Hand Warmers finished, I’ve been keeping my needles busy with a few other projects that all feel a bit Confident Knitting-adjacent … there’s lots of learning new things happening! Like Jen, I tend, er, not to be a monogamous knitter. But I have been trying to keep focussed on fewer WIPs and, I’ve got to say, my three current ones are bringing me lots of joy!
Read moreThe Magic of Martina Behm
Whether or not you’ve been working on this month’s Confident Knitting pattern, the Flux Hand Warmers, chances are, if you’ve been knitting any length of time, you’ve knitted one of Martina Behm’s patterns. She is able to dream up patterns that constantly have me asking “how did your brain come up with that?!” But that complexity doesn’t translate to a tricky knitting experience – quite the opposite. Her patterns are clear and really relaxing to knit and often friendly for beginner knitters! Blending those two elements — of clever surprise and easeful knitting — is, in my humble opinion, a very rare skill!
Read moreQuick Tip: Navigating in The Knitalong Hub
Coming to you today with a quick tip for navigating all the fun you’ll find over in The Knitalong Hub! I always find there’s a bit of a learning curve when I encounter a new or updated system … it’s like you have to build up muscle memory to know where to click to achieve what you want! I’ve had the benefit of hanging out at The Knitalong Hub since we started testing it last autumn. I realised the other day that I’ve developed some muscle memory when it comes to quickly navigating around our online forum and that it might be helpful to share that with those who are newer to the site!
Read moreFinishing with a Folded Hem
Chances are, if you start adding folded hems to enough things, you’re going to happen on a situation where you’d like to finish off with a folded hem, not just begin with one. So today I thought it’d be fun to throw around some ideas for doing just that.
Read moreSpring Sets! Patterns to Pair with the Flux Hand Warmers
It’s hard to believe we’re nearly halfway through March and the first of our Confident Knitting knitalongs! Perhaps you’ve finished your Flux Hand Warmers and are searching for a cast on to keep you occupied until April’s pattern release? Or maybe you’re just making a start on this month’s project, but enjoy a bit of knitting day dreaming! Today, we’ve rounded up a few patterns for heads and necks that we think would pair wonderfully well with Flux Hand Warmers to make a cheery spring set!
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