Craftzine.com blog: Knitting Archives

Archive: Knitting

July 2, 2009

Wind-Powered Knitting Machine

This rad wind-powered knitting machine knits a long tube while the wind blows. It uses a vintage sock knitting machine. I love it as a visualization of how windy it's been in the last few hours/days. Via knitgrrl.

Finger Knittin' Good

CRAFT Summer Camp

Finger Knittin' Good
By Vickie Howell

Fingerknittingmain
In the past, I've had little luck getting my sons interested in learning to knit. Even when presented with jazz hands, in their eyes, my needles make much better swords than crafty tools. Alas. When summer vacation hits, however, a mom has to get creative in order to keep the kids busy. It's time to approach the situation from a different angle: keep the knitting, but ditch the needles!

Finger knitting is a great way to keep little hands busy, while creating long cords in a flash! Kids dig it because it's faster and less cumbersome than traditional knitting. Once knitted, the cords can be made into things like googly-eyed snakes, purse handles, gift ribbons, or my son Tanner's favorite project du jour, the Twisty Scarf, which we'll show you how to knit. Hey, don't just sit there, let your fingers do the knitting!

Read full story

June 27, 2009

Summer Shimmer Scarf Pattern

Summer-Scarf-2-425
I love knitting things that take only 1 skein and this Summer Shimmer Scarf by Jen at The Purl Bee looks like a great knitting project you can finish up this weekend.

June 26, 2009

CRAFT Pattern Podcast: Weeeds

CRAFT Pattern Podcast

Craftpodcast Weeeds
Today is a big milestone with our CRAFT Pattern Podcast's 100th pattern! Do-do-do-dooooo! (That's a horn toot, by the way.) To celebrate, Anna of Mochimochi Land has created for us a new pattern called "Weeeds". This little knit duo popped up in the backyard garden and look how adorable they are!

If you like these patterns, you can check out the adorable ones she has in her shop. Also, bookmark the Mochimochi Land blog where Anna shares news on patterns, tips, and lots more!

Download the Pattern PDF | Subscribe in iTunes

June 25, 2009

Petite Purls: Kids Knitting Patterns

Haltermelon 01
How adorable is this knit pattern to make a haltermelon for a little girl? This is just one of the many cute kids knitting patterns on the new site Petite Purls. [ via Twitter @plainsight ]

June 16, 2009

How-To: Knit a Bikini Top

In this Threadbanger video learn to knit a bikini top just in time for swim season!

Knitted Mustache Pattern

Here's an attractive alternative to the paper mustache-on-a-stick for your upcoming mustache party: this knitted mustache pattern by Instructables user Holly2.

June 12, 2009

Knitted Poufs Patterns

Pickles Puff1
Heidi and Anna at Pickles have some free knitting patterns to make these knitted "poufs", aka stools. (The ladies are in Norway and "puff" means stool in Norweigian). Try your hand at knitting Puff Daddy (gray stool above) or Puff Daddy's Baby (cream stool below). You can also check out the Pickles Etsy shop for cute handmade baby goods and patterns. [ via Casa Sugar ]

Pickles Hele3
.

June 11, 2009

Summer Knitty

Knitty Sum09Cover
The summer issue of Knitty is up now and I'm loving the cover project, the deadliest crab. You'll find some great summer fashions in this issue where I'm loving this tangy cardigan for it's design and lovely turquoise bamboo yarn.

Annettebeauty

June 10, 2009

Common Sense Knitting and Crochet Exhibit in Austin

Austin artspace, testsite, has recently opened up an interactive exhibit with Brooklyn-based artist, Sheila Pepe. Pepe is known for her intense crochet-based installations, and Common Sense follows suit.

In the rooms of testsite, Pepe will install massive networks of crocheted yarn- skeins of yarn available for constructive re-use by testsite's visitors. Throughout the exhibition's duration, visitors are "encouraged to become interpreters, collaborators, to sit down and literally unravel Pepe's crochet stitches, and then use the same yarn to knit items for personal or domestic use, i.e. scarves, hats, socks, mittens, slippers, purses, cosies, potholders, etc. This collaborative effort removes art from a solitary, hermetic experience to one that is social, communal, and interactive--a renewal of old-fashioned notions of togetherness that are being embraced by current generations." Over time, during open hours as well as a variety of workshops, participants will dismantle Pepe's installation and creatively repurpose its materials towards practical ends.

As the installation physically deteriorates over the course of time, traces of its presence will remain: wall drawings from Pepe's ongoing Doppleganger series, created by the artist in collaboration with Dunbar. These sketches, "made according to a sequential method of intuitive object making, shadow casting, and interpretive drawing," create a playful, impractical counterpoint to the more utilitarian function of the dismantled and repurposed yarn.

There are several workshops going on throughout the month-long exhibit, including weekly open knitting instruction. Jenny Hart, artist and founder of Sublime Stitching, will be speaking at the exhibit this weekend on the subject of the role of functional media as art. For more information and a complete schedule of related events, see the testsite website.

June 4, 2009

The Knitting Orchestra From Art Yarn

The Knitting Orchestra from Art Yarn had its first performance Monday night in Manchester, England.

The Knitting orchestra is a curious experiment looking at all those parts between making a stitch, the rhythmic patterns, the gestural actions and an investigation into the many varied yarns, needles and techniques that can be used in knitting and crochet activity.

May 18, 2009

Knit Replia of a Village

Cory on BoingBoing writes:

The ladies of the Afternoon Club in Mersham, England, knitted this complete replica of their village over the course of 23 years. It's to be sold in pieces to benefit the local hall.

May 4, 2009

How-To: Knit a Bangle Wristwarmer

Michelle of A House Called Nut posted this simple tutorial for whipping up bangle-style wristwarmers. It calls for small amounts of yarn, making it perfect for scraps!

April 27, 2009

Knitting in Code with Beth Goza at Ignite Seattle 6 on Wednesday, April 29

Igniteseattle6 Bethgo
CRAFT friend Beth Goza (@bethgo) is doing a "Knitting in Code" at 9:45pm at Ignite Seattle 6 on Wednesday night.
Beth writes:

Remember the joy of writing your first Hello World application? Do you still have a copy somewhere so you can gaze upon your coded baby steps into the world of binary goodness? In knitting, creating something beautiful is just like binary, with a series of knits and pearls you can dream up the most sophisticated of patterns. In the spirit of hi-tech meets hand-tech, I will show you how to convert your binary Hello World app into a pattern of stitches (think knit =1 purl = 0), so that you can create, mount, frame and hang your Hello World genius for all to see.

See the full Ignite Seattle 6 schedule.

Crochet or Knit Swatch Planter Propagator

CRAFT: Crafting with Nature

Crochet or Knit Swatch Planter Propagator
By Kristin Roach

Swatchplanter10
The downside of using random containers for planters is that they often look a bit, well, reused. I love my yogurt and all, but not so much that I want to look at 5 containers all around the apartment with plants sticking out of them. Enter swatches: another essential great thing. We all knit and crochet them so our projects turn out just so, but what to do with them afterwards. I have tried and failed to keep a swatch journal — it just gets so thick. Instead I've been using swatches for coasters, but how many coasters does one really need? Eight, tops. Recycled planter cozies! Perfect! You can use up 5 swatches in one go and the end result is a cutely snuggled plant in a great fiber-fantastic planter!

Read full story

April 22, 2009

Ask CRAFT: Knitting Machines

Susan from Minnesota writes in:

I am going to be the new proud owner of a used knitting machine that I am getting through our local "Freecycle." I am a knitter, but have never worked on a machine. Do you have any information, websites or references you could share with me?

I recently acquired a knitting machine myself, and I had to do a lot of research about them before picking one, then had to bid on many eBay auctions to get one I actually wanted. The most important resource for you as a new owner is the manual for your machine. Mine came with the complete manual, and I look at it at almost constantly while using the machine. It should explain the workings of your machine in great detail. If yours didn't come with its manual, you may be able to download it from online. Try typing the make and model number into a search engine, for example "Brother KH930E manual," and see what comes up.

There's a great roundup of knitting machine resources on about.com, actually, which links to the best pages (some quite old, but then again, so are these knitting machines) with resources for machine knitters. The woman I got my machine from on eBay restores machines with missing parts and then resells them, and is extremely knowledgeable on the subject. Her name's Patricia, and if you send her a message on eBay I'm sure she'd help you out.

If you have a question for Ask CRAFT, email me at becky@craftzine.com or drop us a tweet!

More:

CRAFT Video: Machine-Knitted QR Code Scarf

April 20, 2009

Periodic Table of Knitting

3426931424 01393653A1 O

Mary Joy writes:

I'm currently putting together a Periodic Table for Knitting. I got the idea when I saw two other periodic tables based on typefaces and game controllers. Knitting's symbols and abbreviations are interconnected and so the periodic table's hierarchical organization is a perfect fit for it.

It's halfway done at this point; I expect to finish it by end of April. Quite a few knitters have already contacted me about making posters, t-shirts, knitting charts, etc., and I hope to have something available soon!

April 18, 2009

Debbie Bliss Knitting Magazine

Debbiebliss Knittingmag
I've been a huge fan of Debbie Bliss yarn for years now. Baby Cashmerino is my favorite yarn to knit with. So when I came across this post on Decor8 reviewing Debbie Bliss's new knitting magazine, my heart skipped a beat. I loved the preview of all the gorgeous photos where you'll find snippets of inspiration even if you aren't a knitter. Ok, I'm off to the book store to snag a copy now!

April 17, 2009

Help Knit the Skye Bridge

CRAFT reader Ruth Ellis writes in:

As part of the Homecoming festival (a year of events to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the birth of Robert Burns and to encourage people worldwide to get in touch with their Scottish heritage) a textile art group from the North West of Scotland are inviting Scots, ex-pats, Scotophiles and anyone else that's interested to take part in an ambitious guerilla knitting project to cover the Skye Bridge, which links the Isle of Skye with the mainland, in knitting. Contributions of knitting are welcome until September 2009 - more info on the dimensions of knitting pieces required and how to get involved can be found on the Knit the Skye Bridge website.

April 7, 2009

Vogue Knitting Pattern Sale

Vogueknitting Sale
Now through Thursday, April 9th all patterns on Vogue Knitting are $1.99. I'm loving this A-line Skirt and Bobble Tote. Happy shopping! [ via Lime & Violet ]

Knitting Home | Next >

Craft: