For a long time, we’ve been talking about improving the pattern information so that we can provide a better search and more ways to find patterns. We’ve been working hard on new categories and attributes, and we need you to help reclassifying patterns that are still missing information by using the Search Party Tool: http://www.ravelry.com/searchparty.

We know that going over the 166,000+ patterns in our database is going to take a lot of work, but we have some incredible donations from some fantastic companies to help reward your efforts! For every pattern you reclassify (that is not your own design), you will be entered for a chance to win one of the sweet prizes listed below (http://blog.ravelry.com/2010/07/09/its-time-for-a-ravelry-search-party). There are 17 amazing prizes with a total retail value of over $5,000, and each one is absolutely drool-worthy! …

Easy Stitch

I haven’t tried it, but it’s worth a look:

Universal Amigurumi Pattern

Guide to reading Japanese Patterns

How to Read a Japanese Crochet Pattern

Some people have asked me to do some knitting tutorials, similar to what I did for the Amigurumi tutorials. So here’ the first instalment: basic techniques. I tried to keep things as simple as possible. I chose a cast-on, increase and decreases that I thought would be very easy to someone trying to first learn how to knit.

Just keep in mind that I knit Contintental style, which means I hold the yarn on my left hand (non-dominant), unlike in the English way, where the yarn is held in the right hand. Also, I’m right handed, so if you are a lefty, you’d have to do things with the opposite hand. Here’s a video showing how to knit left handed.

Cast on

The first thing you need to do is to cast on. The following video shows you the easiest way to cast on, the twisted loop cast on. This is a very flexible cast on (too flexible for some projects). I don’t usually cast-on this way, but all others require more practise, and I figured someone just learning would want to get started right away, and to see results fast. If you are interested, KnittingHelp has videos on other cast on methods.

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The Knit and Purl Stitches

There are two basic stitches, the knit an the purl. If you do a row of knitting, and then a row of purling, you create stocking stitch.

Stocking stitch fabric

Here’s how to do them:

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Once you finished knitting all the stitches, you simply turn the work over, so all the stitches are now ready to be purled (to make the stocking stitch).

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Tip: To have nice and even edges, cast on 2 extra stitches and at the begining of each row, pass the first stitch without knitting/purling it. Technitting has a great article about it.

Increases and Decreases

Unless you want to do nothing but squares, you’ll have to increase and decrease at some point to give your fabric some shape. There are many, many ways to increase and decrease. The following way to increase is my favourite (feel free to disagree). It doesn’t leave a gap, a bar or anything else:

[There is a video that cannot be displayed in this feed. Visit the blog entry to see the video.]

To decrease, there are two main ways (although there are many more): k2tog (knit 2 together) and ssk (slip, slip, knit). Why the two? Because after decreasing, the resulting stitch will slant to the right or left, respectively. We’ll start with k2tog:

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And here’s ssk:

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Again, KnittingHelp has excellent videos on increasing and decreasing.

Bind off

Also known as cast off is he way to finish a project. Once you are done, you need to “close” your work. Here’s the most common way to do it:

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In the next tutorial, I’ll explain how to follow patterns, but if you are itching to start, here’s a link with some easy dishcloths.

Resources

• KnittingHelp: excellent videos and resources.
• TECHknitting: amazing tutorials with tips to improve your technique.
• KnitWitch: also excellent videos.

Swatch with an afterthought pocket.

This technique is for the brave, since you have to cut your fabric! THE HORROR! I have to admit I haven’t tried this technique in an actual garment, but maybe you will. Make a test like mine first!

The following video shows how I made this first attempt. I did it with contrasting colors so the pocket would stand out more. Sorry for the poor quality of video and audio, but I think you’ll be able to see what I’m doing.

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These patterns are not for absolute beginners. You need to have some amigurumis under your belt, but they are by no means difficult or super advanced. They include detailed instructions (with pictures), and a tutorial on how to add the hair as well.

These patterns are for personal use only. No commercial use or reproductions of them is permitted.

After your payment is approved, I’ll email you a PDF with the pattern(s) ASAP (within 24 hours). Maybe once I have more patterns, I’ll make this an automated process, but in the mean time, we’ll do it the old fashioned way.

Click on the pictures to see the bigger version.

Little Nicky

A little devil!

$3.99USD

Franky

He’s made of parts of other dead amis, but who’s perfect?

$3.99USD

Wendy

She’s a bit witchy, but who isn’t?

$3.99USD

All three patterns

Save $2.00 if you buy all three!

$10.00USD

Enjoy!

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I go to the Ravelry group for this hoodie, and I see that I’m not the only one thinking this. There is a thread discussing whether you were supposed to stop at row 4 of that or the next repeat… I looked at the pictures, and I really like how it looks with the extra repeat (like in the magazine), instead of the long ribbing on the shoulders.

I have 3 options:

• Leave it, and live with it.
• Frog the yoke, and start it over.
• Try to fix it.

I knew I wouldn’t be happy leaving it, and the yoke had given me enough trouble that the idea of having to make it again gave me a headache. So my strategy was to try to fix it, and only if it looked like minced meat, I would  frog the yoke.

Fortunately, the fixing was succesful. Here’s the before and after picture:

Before and After

This is by far the biggest fix I’ve ever done. I had to undo 19 rows and 24 stitches on both sleeves, and re-knit the cable. If you have never fixed your knitting this way, basically what you do is drop the stitches all the way down to where the error is, and re-knit it up. You can use a crochet hook to re-knit, but the area to fix was so big, I just used needles for most of it, and the hook just for the last couple of stitches.

I went down 19 rows!

I used double pointed needles, because the sweater at this point is so big, it would have been very uncomfortable to have to turn the knitting to do the wrong side.

It went more smoothly than I expected. The only thing that slowed me down was trying to ge the same tension as the original row, so I wouldn’t have too much yarn left at the end, or too little. In some rows I had to use a needle to pull some stitches to correct this problem.

This sweater’s been a headache! It’d better look amazing when I’m done!