Technique ·
The secret to mastering 2-Color Brioche Knitting
Two-color brioche knitting is reversible, squishy and free of floats, and I share what makes it tricky and why learning it in the round helps.
Technique
One method, explained plainly.
September 2026
Technique ·
To Seam or NOT to Seam? That is the Question
Four designers argue for seamed and seamless sweaters, and I share a ten-second way to decide which one to knit for your next sweater.
January 2026
Technique ·
Why "Complicated" Knitting Projects Are Simpler Than You Think
Most knitting projects are built from simple shapes like rectangles, triangles and tubes, and seeing those shapes makes a complicated pattern feel simple.
Technique ·
You Already Know How to Knit a Sweater
A basic sweater uses six skills you already know from hats and socks, so you are probably closer to knitting a sweater than you think.
Technique ·
Your brain lies to you about cables (and other "hard" knitting techniques)
Cables, Estonian lace, short rows and stranded colorwork look hard, but each is one simple move repeated, and this shows what these techniques really are.
August 2025
Technique ·
Do you really need to knit a gauge swatch?
A gauge swatch helps you get to know your yarn, practice new stitches and save time, and it is the first step toward knitting without a pattern.
October 2024
Technique ·
Brioche: Like knitting a cozy cloud
Two-color brioche knitting is reversible, double sided and squishy, and I think it is much easier to learn in the round than when knitting flat.
Technique ·
5 Colorwork Knitting Techniques You've Never Heard Of
Five colorwork knitting techniques you may not know, from typographic and Twigg stitch knitting to bargello, fusion and fission, and roosimine.
September 2024
Technique ·
3 Ways to swatch when knitting in the round
Three ways to swatch for knitting in the round, so your gauge reflects knit stitches only, using a tube, a speed swatch or a fake in the round swatch.
Technique ·
Tvåändsstickning: Knitting from both ends in Sweden
Tvåändsstickning, or twined knitting, twists two strands of yarn on every stitch to make warm, waterproof colorwork mittens, slippers and coats.
August 2024
Technique ·
What is a Latvian braid?
The Latvian braid twists yarns into a horizontal row of arrows, often seen on mittens and hats, with a tutorial link and two Latvian-inspired picks.
Technique ·
Fair Isle or Intarsia? Which is better?
Fair Isle and intarsia compared, covering how each colorwork technique works, their pros and cons, and whether you can knit Fair Isle flat.
Technique ·
Why STEEKING makes everyone nervous
Steeking means cutting your knitting on purpose, and this covers how a steek is reinforced, where it began in Shetland, and its benefits and drawbacks.
July 2024
Technique ·
What is Shadow Knitting?
Shadow knitting, also called illusion knitting, hides an image in striped fabric, and here are how it works, its history and how to read the charts.
June 2024
Technique ·
What the Heck is Helix Knitting?
Helix knitting, or helical stripes, lets you knit stripes in the round with no jog by working two or more spirals, and suits socks, hats and scarves.
April 2024
Technique ·
5 Reasons Sweaters are the BEST Knitting Project Ever
Five reasons to knit a sweater, even in spring and summer, from the skills it builds and the patience it teaches to what it costs.
March 2024
Technique ·
4 Keys to Master Knitting From Charts
Four tips for knitting from charts, from reading the basics to thinking in stitch blocks, plus three books and tools to practice with.
Technique ·
Discovering the Daring Delight of Knitting Drop Stitches
Drop stitch knitting makes light, airy fabric from extra yarn wraps, and this covers the basics plus wavy, crown and Indian cross stitch variations.
Technique ·
Knitting Increases You've Never Heard Of
Four newly invented knitting increases from Assia Brill, including the Twincrease and T-Increase, for symmetrical shaping in raglan sweaters and lace.
February 2024
Technique ·
Knitting Decreases You've Never Heard Of
Three knitting decreases you may not know, an alternate SSK, a ribbed double decrease and a centered single decrease, plus why decreases shape garments.
Technique ·
Is knitting cables really that hard?
Every cable knitting pattern comes down to swapping stitches, and six simple choices decide how a cable looks, so cables are easier than they seem.
Technique ·
The Truth About Twisted Knitting Stitches
A twist stitch is a two-stitch mock cable and a twisted stitch is worked through the back loop, so here is how each is done and used.
January 2024
Technique ·
Knitting Slipped Stitches & 5 Ways To Use Them
Five ways to use slipped stitches in knitting, from slipping knitwise or purlwise to selvedge edges, mosaic colorwork and the bamboo stitch.
Technique ·
Fix your ribbing with these knitting tips
Four ways to fix sloppy ribbing by tightening the slack between knit and purl stitches, from tugging your purls to the after slip rib.
Technique ·
The 10 Levels of Knitting Mastery (Part 2)
Part two of my Knit Rank system for knitting skill levels, covering levels 4 to 7, from a striped hat to cabled mittens and a raglan sweater.
Technique ·
The MOST important knitting skill of ALL time
Reading your knitting, from telling knits from purls to counting stitches and rows, is the one skill I think every knitter needs to master.
November 2023
Technique ·
7 Stretches to Soothe Knitters Hands
Seven simple stretches for knitters' hands that take under three minutes and can ease tension and pain before and after a knitting session.
Technique ·
The myth of getting gauge
Matching gauge is harder than patterns suggest, so here are three reasons a gauge swatch won't match and why swatching is still worth your time.
August 2023
Technique ·
What is an Estonian nupp?
The Estonian nupp is a bobble stitch from Haapsalu lace shawls, and here is how it began, why it is hard to purl together, and two tips for knitting it.
Technique ·
4 Types of Advanced Knitting Stitches
Four types of advanced knitting stitches, wrapped, clustered, gathered and threaded, with examples of each and what makes them tricky.
Technique ·
Barbara G. Walker: Master of Knitting Innovation
A tribute to Barbara G. Walker, who changed how knitters build garments with Knitting from the Top and her Treasury of Knitting Patterns books.
Technique ·
7 Things I WISH I knew when I started knitting
Advice for new knitters from my own start in 2010, on cast ons, circular needles, charts, Continental style, sweaters, yarn buying and daily habit.
July 2023
Technique ·
Growing a garden of knitting skills
Knitting skills grow like a garden, and I use my neglected community garden plot to show why daily practice, community and patience build a knitter.
June 2023
Technique ·
What does it mean to "FROG" your knitting?
To frog your knitting means ripping it out, and I cover three reasons to do it and why mistakes and starting over are worth embracing.
Technique ·
How to measure gauge for knitted lace
Three tips for measuring gauge on knitted lace, from making a big swatch and blocking it to measuring full pattern repeats instead of four inches.
May 2023
Technique ·
4 keys to getting started with knitted charts
Four simple tips for knitting from charts, from reading the basics to starting with a symmetrical pattern and printing your chart out.
Technique ·
How to save your knitting from disaster
A lifeline is a strand of waste yarn run through a row of stitches, and here is how to add one so a mistake in lace or brioche is easy to fix.
Technique ·
Did you know there are 4 ways to Yarn Over?
There are four ways to work a yarn over, depending on whether you move from knit or purl stitches, and here is how to make each one.
Technique ·
5 Inspirational knitting quotes to warm your soul
Knitting quotes from Stephanie Pearl-McPhee, the Yarn Harlot, on why knitters knit, patience and mistakes, shared to lift your spirits.
April 2023
Technique ·
3 little known knitting techniques
Three little known knitting techniques I found while researching, tuck stitch knitting, fusion and fission knitting, and Estonian roosimine inlay.
Technique ·
Cat Bordhi: Sock Knitting Trailblazer
A profile of Cat Bordhi, who changed sock knitting with socks worked from the heel out on two circular needles, with how I met her and her legacy.
Technique ·
The Anatomy of a Knitted Sock
A diagram and plain guide to the parts of a knitted sock, from cuff and leg to gusset, heel flap, instep, sole and toe, so sock patterns make sense.
Technique ·
Mosaic Knitting: Colorwork made easy
Mosaic knitting is an easy way into colorwork using slipped stitches, one color at a time and no floats, with books and sites to learn from.
March 2023
Technique ·
Do you follow these 9 inspiring Instagram accounts?
Nine Instagram accounts for knitters to follow, from indie dyers and colorwork and mitten designers to Purl Soho and a pair of dogs in sweaters.
Technique ·
Use these 5 tricks to improve your cast ons and bind offs
Five tricks for cleaner cast ons and bind offs, from casting on over two needles to the infinite long tail and a neat last bound-off stitch.
Technique ·
3 Beautiful Decorative Bind Offs
Three decorative bind offs for finishing a project with more personality, the two color, picot and Icelandic bind off, each with a video tutorial.
Technique ·
These 3 Cast Ons are PURRRFECT for Ribbing
Three cast ons for ribbing, the Italian tubular, alternating cable and 1x1 rib, with notes on what each does best and a tutorial for each.
Technique ·
These Cast Ons & Bind Offs go together like Milk and Cookies!
Three cast on and bind off pairs that match, from the crochet cast on with the suspended bind off to long tail with a sewn bind off, plus I-cord.
Technique ·
5 Cast Ons Every Knitter Should Know
Five cast ons every knitter should know, from the backward loop to the Italian cast on, and what each one is best for in your projects.
Technique ·
How Hazel Tindall Knits 262 Stitches in 3 Minutes
How Shetland knitting with a knitting belt let Hazel Tindall beat a world record, and how to try lever style knitting with circular needles.
Technique ·
Why THIS Irish knitting method is the FASTEST
Irish cottage knitting, also called lever knitting, is a very fast hand knitting style, and this covers its history, how it works and its benefits.
Technique ·
These 3 things will make you a faster knitter
Three ways to knit faster are raising your tempo, moving your hands less with Continental or lever knitting, and knitting every day to finish projects.
February 2023
Technique ·
5 Types of Colorwork Knitting
Five types of colorwork knitting from beginner to advanced, from duplicate stitch and stripes to mosaic, Fair Isle and intarsia, with pros and cons.
January 2023
Technique ·
What is the stretchiest bind off?
The yarn over bind off is the stretchiest of 20 methods one knitter tested, but Lori's Twisty Bind Off is her pick for the best stretchy bind off overall.
Technique ·
Are store bought knits really cheaper?
Hand knitting a hat can cost about a third of a similar store-bought one, and that is one of three reasons I think knitting by hand is worth it.
Technique ·
Up or Down? Which Sweater Construction is Best?
Top-down and bottom-up sweaters compared on fit, finishing and familiarity, so you can pick the construction that suits your next sweater.