One of the most popular knitting books this Christmas is a book for knitting Christmas decorations. Here’s one of the best reviews I read… 55 Christmas Balls to Knit: Colourful Festive Ornaments * Tree Decorations * Centrepieces * Wreaths * Window Decorations by Arne & CarlosSearch Press 2011ISBN: 978-1-84448-781-3   This book was first published in Norway in 2010 and was a huge hit. Under the title Julekuler it sold 37 000 copies, and was on the Norwegian bestseller list for four months. To follow up this success, versions of the book are now (October 2011) available in Finland,... (Read More ...)

Are you having a relaxing Labor Day weekend? I often have mixed feelings about long weekends. Yes, many folks find them a great way to relax.  There’s another side to long weekends though. Sometimes you’re the person who is left behind.  For example, you may be the professional or family caregiver who works through the long weekend when everyone else takes a break.  And so a long weekend can be a source of stress including caregiver stress. Is knitting one of the ways you reduce stress? After a long working day of a long weekend, I often found it helpful to relax.  For many years... (Read More ...)

The first time I knit lace, I didn’t know it was lace. Good thing too, because I’m sure the idea of lace knitting would have stopped me. Not that it seemed too hard. No, at the time I associated lace knitting with doilies and  lace collars & cuffs on elderly relatives. Image via Wikipedia My first lace project? An afghan for an elderly friend. With that simple lace pattern, I became fascinated with using increases and decreases to create patterns in the knitted fabric. In other words: I discovered lace knitting. As a first project, an afghan is not the wisest choice. Even in... (Read More ...)

I’m a fan of hand knit dishcloths. Every time I use one, I’m amazed at how long they last.  And how much better they are at scrubbing than manufactured dishcloths. Although they can be fancy with embossed-looking images, they don’t have to be.  A knitted dishcloth pattern can be as simple as garter stitch. I just finished knitting one in about three hours. Grandma's Favorite Knitted Dishcloth I used a dishcloth pattern that’s been around for years. It’s called Grandma’s or Grandmother’s Favorite Dishcloth. Its name suits. It’s a quick and easy knit. All you need to know is... (Read More ...)

The past few months, I’ve been knitting more socks. Including my latest one: Knitting socks includes using various knitting techniques — and different sock knitting instructions. My own adaptions, of course. Sock knitting does lead to odds and ends of sock yarn. Too small for a large project. I just can’t bring myself to toss out perfectly good yarn. Even if it is only an ounce or less. Periodically, I look for ways to use my stash of leftover yarn. After a long cold winter, when the colors outside are mostly browns and grays it’s nice to pull out some colorful yarn. And... (Read More ...)