The Upsala Hat from our Year of Bulky Hats features a fun floral motif commonly referred to as the Dandelion Stitch. Like most stitch patterns, it is quite easy once you get the hang of it, but it is much easier to work if you can visualize the individual steps. Working this stitch is a…
Category: Tips and Tricks
Emily Ocker’s Cast On
Sedgwick, the May Hat from the Year of Bulky Hats is worked from the top down in the round. The hat begins with Emily Ocker’s Cast On, a circular cast on that leaves a clean and seamless circular loop. If you are familiar with the magic ring or magic circle in crochet, this cast on…
October Hat Provisional Cast On
The October Hat by Sloane Rosenthal for our Year of Hats features a provisional tubular cast on. This cast on creates a really lovely, stretchy edge that is reminiscent of a commercial or machine knit edge. I created a video showing how to work the cast on, as many people have had questions about the…
Primrose Mittens Tuck Stitches
The stitch pattern on the Primrose Mittens from the Year of Gifts features a lovely tuck stitch that creates a waffle-like texture on the top of the hand. Working the stitch isn’t difficult by any means – anyone familiar with brioche will find it to be quite simple – but we thought a photo tutorial…
Sloped Bind Off
I can’t remember when I first discovered the beauty of the sloped bind off, but it was most likely when I read something by Julie Hoover or Julie Weisenberger – both exceptionally skilled designers and finishers. Once I tried it out, I was hooked, and made a pact with myself to never bind off multiple…
Invisible Cast On
We created two new Tips and Tricks for the Lucky Tweed Collection. The first, the Invisible Cast On, is used in Courtney’s Dover hat. This cast on is reminiscent of a crochet magic ring and creates a beginning that is perfect for the tops of hats, mittens, or when working socks from the toe up….
September Hat: Slipped Stitch Stripe Tutorial
The September Hat by Caroline Dick features an intricate slipped stitch stripe pattern. This two round pattern looks confusing at first, but is incredibly easy to work once you get the hang of it! Slip Stitch Stripe (in the rnd over a mult of 5): Rnd 1: *K2, sl1 wyib, k2, psso 2 knit sts;…
Provisional Cast On
A provisional cast-on is a way to cast on stitches using waste yarn as a temporary cast on so that it can be easily unraveled after the knitting is complete, leaving you with live stitches which you can then place on your needle. I use the crochet provisional cast on often, most frequently when working…
Bobbles
There are many types of bobbles created using different techniques. The basic concept for all bobbles – regardless of their size – is that you are taking one stitch and increasing it multiple times, knitting on those stitches only for a few extra rows, then decreasing them back down to one. This particular bobble is the one…
Filet Crochet
While often very complex in appearance, filet crochet is a simple form of crochet that uses a open netting and filled spaces formed by a combination of chain stitches and double crochets. Anything that can be put onto graph paper can be crocheted using this technique, and your designs are limited only by your creativity….
Cables Across Repeats
Working cables in the round in all-over repeats requires working the cable at the end of the round differently than the others in the repeat. When people ask about this technique, we always assure them that it makes much more sense in application than if you were to just read the instructions. Hopefully this photo tutorial is also…
Mattress Stitch
I have wanted to update the images for the mattress stitch tips and tricks since…well, as long as I can remember! I finally got around to knitting up a few new swatches when we received our samples of Germantown from the mill and it seemed like a great time to finally buckle down and get…
Pay Attention to Your Pins!
We’re deep in the end-stages of our next collection, which means there is a lot of blocking and finishing (and pattern drafting, and schematic making, and number crunching…) happening around the office. Seeing one of Meghan’s garment pieces looking so lovely on the blocking board reminded me of a quick little tip that really elevates the finishing…
Increasing Within Charts
Working from charts seems to cause the most joy and consternation for knitters. We here at KW are fully on Team Chart. I would never consider knitting anything but the most straightforward and basic lace or cable pattern without a chart, and see no reason whatsoever to ever work stranded patterns without one. If something…
Picot Bind Off
The picot bind off is a lovely, simple, decorative bind off that adds small picots at the edge of your piece. We frequently use this bind off when working shawls, as in the case of Evangelina, a triangular shawl designed by Meghan Kelly for the Andorra Collection. It is pretty simple to execute (only three…
Long Tail Tubular Cast On
It is a bit of a mouthful, but the long tail tubular cast onis a really excellent cast on method that creates a lovely, stretchy edge that is reminiscent of machine-knit garments. The cast on is a bit quirky and convoluted, and makes a lot more sense in the doing than in the reading. Set-Up: Create…
Knitted Cast On
A knitted cast on provides a sturdy edging, and is easy to work as well! Use a knitted cast on when you need to cast on stitches during the course of your project, such as casting on thumb stitches for a mitten. Step 1 / Make a slip knot on your left hand needle. Step…
Kitchener Stitch
Kitchener stitch is a wonderful finishing technique that connects two opposing pieces of fabric together for a seamless join. Below is a tutorial for you to reference when working this lovely finish! Please Note: For this tutorial, we are utilizing three different colors so you can clearly see both sets of stitches and the kitchener row….
Sewn Bind Off
The Sewn Bind Off can be used anywhere you want a firm, yet stretchy edge. Set-Up / Cut your working yarn, leaving a tail about three times as long as the width of your piece. Thread the end with a darning needle. You will be working from left to right across the work. Step 1 / Insert…
Embroidering on Knitting
Embroidery is a really simple and quick way to add additional embellishment to your finished knitting. The July Mittens feature a riot of embroidery on the top of the hand, including chain stitched stems and “spider web” flowers. Below are two separate photo tutorials for working each technique! BEFORE YOU BEGIN: 1 / Embroidering on knit fabric…
Short Rows: Wrap and Turn
Short row shaping is used often in sweaters – especially those knit in the round – most commonly to raise the back neck, create a sleeve cap, lower the back hem to create the look of a shirt-tail, or a cosy shawl collar. Wrap and Turn (W+T) on the Right Side: STEP 1 / With…
Picot Edging
We all know you can bind off using a picot edging, but did you ever think to cast on using one? This unusual shawl cast on was found in an old Norwegian pattern book in a modification of a style of shawl referred to as a Norwegian school shawl. The cast on is worked by…
Inserting a Vertical Pocket
When I was designing Killybegs, I really wanted pockets, but I also wanted the design to be easy to make for people looking to add a classic closet staple to their wardrobe. In the interest of simplicity, I let the pockets go. Now that I am making my own cardigan, I decided to add hand-warmer…
Crochet Join
The April Mittens are knit in two halves and the pieces are then joined around the edge using a crocheted slipped stitch. We discovered this unique method of knitting mittens in Ireland. Besides being an interesting way to knit mittens, the crocheted seam also adds sturdiness and structure to an accessory that is sure to get some wear….
Latvian Braid
The Latvian Braid is a spectacular knitting technique that creates the look of a twist or rope embedded into your knitting. Unlike the Estonian (or Vikkel/Lateral) braid, the Latvian Braid is worked in a three round process and is typically worked in 2 colors. In order to function properly using two colors, it must be…
Double Decreases Across Repeats
The February Mitten features an all over leaf lace pattern worked in the round. In order to work the pattern seamlessly, there are centered double decreases that utilize stitches at the beginning and end of the round. This tutorial shows how to process the central double decrease (CDD) while still maintaining proper stitch count and maintaining…
February Mitten Lining
The February Mitten cuff is a modified leaf lace edging by Nancy Bush. Worked horizontally, the edging is joined in a circle with a 3-Needle Bind Off and the stitches are then picked up in the straight (flat) side in order to work the hand. The stitches for the outer layer and lining are both…
Sew As You Go
The Sew-As-You-Go method allows the knitter to join an edge of their fabric to live stitches to create a hem or pleat. For those of you who are machine knitters, this technique should look familiar as it is often used in machine knitting to join two pieces of fabric to create a seam, pleat, cuff,…
Charts: Alternate Colorways
The vast majority of all of our charted patterns use the colors as shown in the sample. This method of charting colorwork works very well for a variety of reasons: it is easy to look at the sample and the chart together to assist you in the knitting, the chart typically works well if printed…
Two Stitch Cables
The October Mitten begins with a knit/purl lattice stitch pattern at the cuff that grows into a flowering cable. The floral pattern of the mitten is created by 1 x 1 cable crosses that flow into one another and grow into the delicate branches, extending from the basket-patterned cuff. For this technique, we have a new…
September Mitten Cuff
The September Mitten cuff is a very simple lace edging worked back and forth on two double pointed needles. The edging is then joined into a circle, and stitches are then picked up in the straight (flat) side in order to work the hand. As an added element, the beginning and end of the edging…
Seaming Perpendicular Pieces
Different than mattress stitch, where two pieces of parallel knit fabrics are sewn together with the same number of rows, seaming pieces of knitting together where one is held horizontally and the other vertically requires lining up stitches with rows and sewing them together. While much of the actual seaming steps are the same as…
Swatching and Measuring Gauge in Cable Pattern
The August Mitten features a unique diamond cable flanked by two 4 stitch cables on a reverse stockinette stitch ground. The palm and gusseted thumb are worked in a lovely textured moss stitch. The gauges listed in the August Mitten are as follows: Cable Panel (36 sts) = 3.75” (9.5 cm) on larger needles, after…
Picking Up Stitches From Waste Yarn
This technique is most commonly used when knitting thumbs on mittens or gloves using the Afterthought or Gusseted styles. It is worked by first knitting the future thumb stitches with waste yarn. Once the mitten is complete, you’ll remove the waste yarn and place the live stitches onto double pointed needles to work the thumb….
Crocheting a Tube
Crocheting in a Tube: Two Ways Crocheting in the round – as in the case of granny squares – tends to be an easy and straightforward skill to learn. Crocheting in a tube, on the other hand, is a little bit more complicated, as maintaining proper stitch count requires a bit more skill and attention. There…
Keys to Success: Counting Rows
One of the classes we love to teach the most is a finishing class where we focus on proper blocking and seaming techniques. Over time, we have found that a large focus of the class is on all of the steps a knitter should take before the finishing process begins in order to achieve optimum results….
Granny Square
As I said in my Granny Square Triangle Tutorial, Granny Squares and crocheting go hand-in-hand. I haven’t met a crocheter (or knitter!) who doesn’t love them, and I am no exception. Granny squares were the first motif I learned how to crochet, and I always go back to them when messing around with a new project…
Japanese Short Rows
Japanese Short Rows are an alternative method of creating short row shaping if the wrap and turn method does not suit you. This technique can be used to great effect on a stockinette stitch fabric, or in places on your knitted item where you’re looking for as subtle a short row as possible. The key…
Joining a Folded Brim
One of the items I love knitting most are hats, and the folded brim is a technique I use often. When you begin with a provisional cast-on – I prefer and exclusively use the crochet provisional cast on, detailed here – and join the cast on and live stitches, the end result is a seamless folded brim…
Channel Island Bind-Off
The Fisherman Gansey is a classic garment with a rich and varied history. Two excellent books on the subject, The Complete Book of Traditional Guernsey and Jersey Knitting by Rae Compton, and Knitting Ganseys by Beth Brown-Reinsel, are ones we have in our office library and turn to often. In a traditional Gansey, you work…
Channel Island Cast-On
The Fisherman Gansey is a classic garment with a rich and varied history. Two excellent books on the subject, The Complete Book of Traditional Guernsey and Jersey Knitting by Rae Compton, and Knitting Ganseys by Beth Brown-Reinsel, are ones we have in our office library and turn to often. The Channel Island cast-on is traditionally…
Single Crochet in Rows
One of the most common thing you’ll hear as a new crafter or knitter who is interested in learning crochet is “oh, but crochet is so easy!” While this statement may hold some truth – it is not difficult to learn – I found it to be misleading and frustrating, as there were always a few aspects of…
Wet Blocking
There are two common ways to finish your knits: steaming and wet blocking. 99 times out of 100, we wet-block our knits, the other 1% we steam, and we never do nothing. This holds true for something as simple as a pair of garter stitch fingerless mitts, to a more complicated stranded colorwork sweater. WHY WET BLOCK? • Immersing…
Perfectly Picked Up Stitches
Many knitting patterns have you pick up a specific number of stitches for button bands or other edges/facings. This is both a generous gift from the designer – they’ve done all of those pesky calculations for you! – but also leaves the potential for a wonky button band if you did not get both the exact…
Garter Tab Cast On
The Garter Tab Cast-On: You may wonder why shawls begin with this odd little bit of knitting. It’s fussy, it’s tricky, it’s annoying. It makes NO SENSE. Yes. All these things are true. But the Garter Tab Cast-On is an important element to a well made shawl, even if you aren’t a stickler for doing things…
Granny Square Triangle
Granny Squares and crocheting go hand-in-hand. I haven’t met a crocheter (or knitter!) who doesn’t love them, and I am no exception. Granny squares were the first motif I learned how to crochet, and I always go back to them when messing around with a new project or idea. The Granny Square Triangle is not…
Working from Charts: Lace
Many of our designs utilize charts as part of the instructions. There are four types of charts featured in the collection: Knit/Purl patterning, Stranded Colorwork, Cables, and Lace. While most of the basic principles of knitting charts are the same regardless of the type of chart, we’ve broken it down into the four components. Part 4 of 4: Working…
Working from Charts: Cables
Like most of our patterns, many of the designs in the Little Things collection utilize charts as part of the instructions. There are four types of charts featured in the collection: Knit/Purl patterning, Stranded Colorwork, Cables, and Lace. While most of the basic principles of knitting charts are the same regardless of the type of chart, we’ve broken it…
Working From Charts: Colorwork
Part 2 of 4: Working from Charts: Stranded Colorwork Knitting. While most stranded knitting these days is referred to as “Fair Isle” knitting, this is actually a misnomer, as Fair Isle knitting is a very specific type of stranded colorwork originating from the island of Fair Isle. For more information on the terminology regarding the…
Working from Charts: Knit / Purl
Like most of our patterns, many of the designs in the Little Things collection utilize charts as part of the instructions. There are four types of charts featured in the collection: Knit/Purl patterning, Stranded Colorwork, Cables, and Lace. While most of the basic principles of knitting charts are the same regardless of the type of chart, we’ve…
Three Needle Bind Off
Quite a few Kelbourne Woolens patterns utilize a 3-Needle Bind-Off – it is a wonderful way to work a secure, yet not-bulky shoulder seam or finish off a cowl knit horizontally. In contrast to the kitchener stitch, the bind-off row creates a stable seam, but it is not as bulky or prone to issues as…
Tuck Stitches
Gillam features a Tuck and Cable patterning that is worked both in the round and flat. The stitch pattern is 6 rounds, with a cable every 6th round, and the tuck stitch worked every 3rd round. As a result, you will work the tuck stitch on both right side and wrong side rows after the armhole division….
Cabling Without a Cable Needle
I exclusively work cables without a cable needle for a few reasons: a) I am notorious for never having notions. I use snippets of whatever yarn I’m working with for stitch markers, I don’t think I’ve met a darning needle I’ve used more than once, and I own about 10 tape measures but only know where…
No Waste Long Tail Cast On
Today’s post is a tutorial dedicated to teaching you how to work a perfect long-tail cast-on with no threat of running out of yarn, or having excess length go to waste. When casting on a large number of stitches for the body of a sweater using the long-tail cast-on (which we recommend for its strength…