Knitting: From origins to modern innovations A few recent publications on knitting have caught my attention such that I felt inspired to highlight and talk about them here. One shares fascinating research on the origins of knitting, while two others showcase amazing innovations that knitting can offer our modern world. Knit pants Amazigh people, Haptic & Hue Knitting origins One of my favorite podcasts on textiles is Haptic & Hue. In this month's episode, they take us to North Africa, Fair Isle in the Shetlands, and the Appalachians in the US in search of origins and traditions of knitting. (Support them by subscribing to their podcast if you can.) In the episode, podcasters Jo Andrews and Bill Taylor talk with...
Vintage knitting books Are they useful today in getting knit garments to fit? Curiosity led me to see what information a vintage knitting book would offer on achieving garment fit - both in style and size. Read on to see what I discovered. I have a small collection of vintage knitting books that were given to me. This one, edited by Catherine Franks, was printed in 1939 by Odhams Press Limited, London, UK. I'm currently in the middle of my Living your vest life KAL and have been thinking a lot about pattern adjustment to achieve style and fit needs. At the start of the KAL, I told participants that I believe garment knitters are at minimum tailors and more...
Do you struggle with getting the details of fit just right when knitting a sweater vest? My upcoming KAL/class for Knitting your vest life is going to guide you through the steps. Let me give you a sneak peek of what we'll cover over four weeks by comparing two vests with different fit. Version 1: top photo: Knitting your vest life in camel, color smoky lilac Version 2: bottom photo: Knitting your vest life in cashmere, color sea glass. Comparing vests When designing Living your vest life, I knit two versions: one in June Cashmere's 100% camel DK yarn and one in June Cashmere's 100% cashmere DK yarn. The two yarns are spun the same and yield...
Knitters utilize short rows to create garment shaping, to provide extra fabric where needed for garment fit, and even to create unique fabric design. Read on to learn what short rows are, how to make them, and when to use them in knitting. what are short rows? Short rows literally are shortened rows of knitting where we turn our knitting before reaching the end of a row or round. In this photo, I stopped knitting 6 stitches short of the end of my right side row and am ready to turn my knitting and work the back. When I've completed the desired number of shortened rows, I will work an entire row to get my knitting back on track of...
Have you heard of snow washing? A Nordic and cold climate practice since at least the 9th century, snow washing is excellent for your cashmere and other wool fibers. Read on and I'll tell you why plus I'll share my experience snow washing my cashmere and camel items for the first time. I'm in love! Snow washing benefits Snow washing is an efficient, eco-friendly method of cleaning that relies on the snow and cold rather than chemicals, soap, or water to clean woolen goods. The benefits of snow washing to clean your woolens are many. •Easier than hand washing. There's no dripping wet anything involved in snow washing. Snow and cold are used to scrub and sanitize the fiber. Items...
