I tend to throw my projects into my bag with much less care than I should. Luckily, with knitting, I am often working on circulars, which can be tied into a knot, keeping the project safely on the needles.

With crochet, I don’t have that option. So before tossing my crochet project into my bag, I add something to the working loop to keep it from unraveling. The easiest item to use is a locking stitch marker. But, in a pinch, I have also used paper clips, twist ties and bobby pins.

della Q Eden Cotton Pouch and Cascade Yarns Eco+ pictured above

What are your favorite uses for locking stitch markers in your knitting or crochet?

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Play Now:

Guest: Dora Ohrenstein, author of Custom Crocheted Sweaters. Kathy and Dora chats with Kathy about crochet and her new book. They also talk about how crochet has evolved. Dora’s book includes a comprehensive teaching section at the beginning. Through research on Ravelry, she discovered that people want to make garments, but they find that they don’t fit. The book answers this fear with information about getting your measurements and modifying the pattern to fit you.

Check out Dora’s song Family of Stitches on here site crochetinsider.com.

Steve’s Yarn Picks

• Artyarns Ensemble Light
• Juniper Moon Farm Findley Dappled
• SMC Egypto Cotton
• Aslan Trends Santa Fe Closeout
• Plymouth Nazca Wind Closeout
• Lana Gatto Class Closeout
• Lana Gatto Camel Hair Closeout

Brenda Dayne is coming to WEBS! Stay tuned for more details.

Valley Yarns Northfield is a customer and staff favorite. Soft enough to wear against the skin, great stitch definition for cable work, and 22 lovely colors to choose from. These nine Northfield projects on Ravelry are excellent examples of why we love Northfield so much.

Erin’s Mittens and Hat by Debbi Stone
(pattern available for purchase on Ravelry)

Babette Blanket by Kathy Merrick, crocheted by Carajv’s
(pattern available for purchase from Interweave)

Henna Cardigan by Veridian Design Team, knit by ksporter
(pattern available for purchase on Ravelry)

Trailing Vine designed and knit by ksporter
(pattern not available, but it’s so stunning I just had to include it)

Ripple by Kim Hargreaves , knit by helmade
(pattern available in the Nectar pattern book)

Norie by Gudrun Johnston , knit by jerdingr
(pattern available for at yarn.com)

Orkney Pi by Elizabeth Lovick , knit by motherbee
(pattern available for purchase on Ravelry)

Chickadee by Ysolda Teague , knit by ravelry name
(pattern available from the book Little Red in the City)

Hi Everyone,

This week’s free pattern is a great project for the upcoming warmer weather and a great layering piece. East Village is knit in Rowan Creative Linen.

This men’s sweater has an allover slip stitch pattern that is classic. This sweater won’t go out of style! Rowan Creative Focus Linen is a crisp, but soft blend of cotton and linen. The largest size takes 7 hanks, so with the 20% discount, the sweater would be $72.52, which isn’t a bad price for a men’s sweater that won’t go out of season.

Click here for a link to the free pattern.

Do you knit for the men (or boys) in your life? What’s your favorite pattern for them?

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You’ve heard the phrase “gauge swatches don’t lie”. But what happens when you forget what needle size you used for a swatch? You take the time to knit a swatch, trying multiple needle sizes; wash and dry it. Then as you unpin it from your blocking board and admire it, you look down and see a big pile of knitting needles of various sizes piled together. Wait, which size needles did I use again? All that work swatching and now you have to guess at the needle size used.

This has happened to me more than a few times. Sometimes the amount of time from when I swatch to when I’m ready to start knitting a project is too long, and I just can’t remember which needles I used. To deal with this issue, I’ve started knitting a row of eyelets into each section of my knitted swatch. Each set of eyelets represents the needle size I used.

swatch knit with US 6, 5, and 7 knitting needles

If you’ve never knit eyelets before, it’s an easy thing to incorporate into a stockinette swatch.

• On the knit side, knit across a row until you’re ready to add some eyelets.
• [YO, K2tog] repeat until you’ve created the same number of eyelets as your needle size.
• Continue knitting to the end of your row.
• On the purl side of your swatch, purl across as your normally would. You should have the same number of stitches as the previous rows.

Do you swatch before every project? Or are there only certain types of projects you will swatch for? Tell us about your swatching habits in the comments.

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Inspired by the recent “Sh*t People Say” videos, we thought it would be fun to do one for knitters too.

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After putting our Sh*t Knitters Say video up on YouTube this past Friday, we’ve had a lot of questions asking what Emma is wearing or knitting in the video. Below you’ll find a bunch of handy links to all of the sweaters, hats, and mittens making an appearance in the video.

Winged Knits Idlewood sweater by Cecily Glowik MacDonald in Malabrigo Rios, Glazed Carrot
Persephone Cable Fingerless Mitts by SmarieK in Plymouth Yarn Happy Feet (multi) and Reynolds Soft Sea Wool (edges)

Madelinetosh Tea Leaves Cardigan by Melissa LaBarre in Madelinetosh Tosh DK, Tart
Ida’s Kitchen hat by Kirsten Kapur in Madelinetosh Tosh Sport, various colors

Valley Yarns Loire Cardigan by Kirsten Hipsky in Valley Yarns Northampton Bulky, Gold Heather
Scalene shawl by Carina Spencer in Plucky Knitter Primo Fingering (green) and Plucky Knitter Superwash Merino (grey)

Valley Yarns Little Whiskers Hat by Kirsten Hipsky in Valley Yarns Greenwich, 04 Crimson & 15 Silver

Bella’s Mittens by Marielle Henault in Berroco Vintage Chunky, Fennel

Paulie cardigan by Isabell Kraemer in Plucky Knitter Primo Fingering, Bourbon & Headboard

Shetland Trader Vaila pullover by Gudrun Johnston in Madelinetosh 80/10/10 Worsted, Flashdance

Did we miss anything? Let us know in the comments if there’s anything else you saw in the video that you’ve got to know what it is.

Happy Knitting!

-Dena

Play Now:

Guest: Kate Atherley, author of Beyond Knit & Purl. Kate studied mathematics and has always been a knitter. She worked in the tech industry for 15 years and knit throughout. 10 years ago she started teaching knitting. Kate created the book as a follow-up to the questions she receives after teaching someone the basics of knitting.

The book is available online as a digital PDF and also available as a physical copy.

Steve’s Yarn Picks

• Schoppel Wolle Zauberwolle
• Classic Elite Sanibel
• SMC Select Reflect
• Regia 4 Ply Design Ombre Stripe by Kaffe Fassett
• Jojoland Baritone Closeout
• Aslan Trends Pima Clasico Closeout
• 2/8 Worsted Closeout

KAL with Kirsten

Hearts of Oak Hat

It’s a simple, straight-forward hat. You’ll need just one ball of Valley Yarns Northampton in red. For the cast on, Kirsten recommends knitting the first couple rows of the ribbing flat, and then joining it. This way, it’s easier to join in the round without twisting. Next week, Kirsten will get into the stitch pattern.

Facebook Party will be Friday, February 17th from 3:00pm-4:00pm. Ask us questions and we’ll be online answering your questions.

This week, the staff at WEBS is buzzing about socks, baby knits, and beautiful new yarn!

During winter, a friend of mine carries around a small pair of slippers in her purse to slip on when hanging out during cozy evenings at the homes of friends, so she can leave her snow boots on the porch but still have warm feet. I love this idea and plan to start doing the same!  I think Ysolda’s “Grown Up Booties”  from Whimsical Little Knits are the pair I’m going to make. I think they’ll make a perfect car ride project. > Tina M

I hate when my socks fall down. I really do. When the new Clover Elastic Yarn Thread came in this week I immediately thought how perfect this would be for socks. On my next sock project, I’ll just knit it along with the yarn for the ribbing at the top. > Dena C.

Hi Everyone!

Today we’re featuring a quick-knit free pattern. The Twisted Stitch Mitts are knit in Classic Elite Wool Bam Boo.

If you’re looking for a quick Valentine’s Day gift for a friend, give this pattern a try! It’s written for four different sizes, so you’ll be able to find a good fit for any person you’re knitting these for.

I love fingerless mitts, even in the summer. When I’m doing a lot of typing at my desk, my fingers tend to get pretty cold and the mitts help keep my hands warmer in general. Classic Elite Wool Bam Boo is a great blend of wool and bamboo viscose. The bamboo provides a great, subtle sheen to the yarn and the wool keeps things toasty. The difference in fiber contents creates a slightly heathered appearance because the two fibers take the dye differently.

Click here for a link to the free pattern.

Enjoy!

Mary

Hi Everyone,

We’re participating in the blog tour for Kate Atherley’s new book Beyond Knit & Purl, released by Cooperative Press (and available in an easy PDF download).

Beyond Knit & Purl is the answer to the questions asked of Kate after 10 years teaching knitting – the questions that come after learning the two basic stitches, like “What’s a good first project?” and ” I’m tired of scarves. What’s next?” Not only will you find a wealth of tips, tricks, and advice, you’ll also find a wonderful collection of patterns to try out your new skills.

The chapters are set-up by topic: Choosing a Pattern, Prepping for Success, Working from a Pattern, What Patterns Don’t Tell You, Frequently Asked Questions, Shaping, In the Round, Socks, Cables, Lace, and Colorwork.

You’ll find great tips throughout the book, such as how to select the right size. There is also “Knitterly Advice” sprinkled throughout provided by knitters from all over.

Beyond Knit & Purl has fantastic step-by-step pictures of the skills that are detailed in the book. Not only is it great for new knitters, it is a splendid reference for the more seasoned knitter out there.

As if the tips, tricks, and skills weren’t enough, there are also fantastic patterns for everything from socks and lace to accessories.

Hop on over to the Cooperative Press website and take a peek at the preview!

What is the best advice you received as a new knitter or crocheter?

Kate Atherley will be on Ready, Set, Knit with Kathy this Saturday!