knitting

If you’re looking for free knitting patterns, you can find them literally all over the Internet. Just type in “free knitting patterns” to your favorite search engine, and you should come up with plenty of worthwhile results.

Remember, though, there’s a reason a lot of these patterns are free! A lot of times, they come from new designers, and they may have design or pattern problems. I have discovered several different free patterns that are incorrect, with no updates or changes, so sometimes, you really have to work at it to get these patterns to come out right.

That’s not to say you should ignore free patterns online. Check out some of my favorite web sites to find some of the best free knitting patterns, and then go get knitting!
• http://www.knittingpatterncentral.com/ Knitting Pattern Central
Great resource for all kinds of patterns. They list them by type of project, and they are always updating them.
• http://www.lionbrand.com/content-knittingPatternIndex.html Lion Brand Yarn Patterns
• http://www.dailyknitter.com/ The Daily Knitter

These are just a few of the many online resources for free patterns. Check them often for the newest patterns and trends in knitting!

Felting really isn’t that hard, it’s just a little time consuming. Basically, you knit your item out of wool, throw it in the washing machine on a hot wash, and allow the item to shrink and felt. Of course, there’s more to it than that!

First, you should place your item to felt in a mesh lingerie bag, or a pillowcase with a zipper before you put it in the wash. Then, you should add just a drop or two of wool wash or dish soap to the washer. (DON’T add more than a drop or two). Run the washer on a hot water wash, and keep checking your item every five minutes or so.

Every yarn felts differently, so remember that you have to check often to get the item to felt the way you want it to. Most people don’t want to see any stitch definition at all after the item is felted, but that’s up to you.

Don’t let the washer go into the spin cycle. If the item needs more time felting, drain the washer and then run it through another hot cycle or two. Don’t place the item in the dryer, allow it to dry flat, and block if necessary. That’s basic felting!

It’s starting to get to the point when working with wool might be a little too warm, but wool yarns are still some of the most popular yarns for all around knitting. In the summertime, knitting with a lightweight wool blend is an alternative to knitting with heavier, bulkier wools. Try an angora/wool blend, or a merino wool for an ultra-soft bag, scarf, or lightweight shrug.

Wool is the only yarn used for felting, too. Felting produces a thick firm fabric that you can even cut safely, so it’s a great fabric for warm, winter items like hats, slippers, and vests. It makes great bags, too, and if you use a lighter weight wool, those bags can see you right through spring and summer, too!

If you’ve never tried felting, don’t be intimidated. First, find a good quality wool, and knit your garment. Remember it’s going to have to be a lot bigger in order for it to felt successfully. Next time, we’ll talk about how to felt your finished garment!

What’s your favorite thing to knit? Lots of people love scarves, and they are a great place to start if you’re a beginning knitter, but there are plenty of other items out there to get started on, too.

I like to knit things for the home, and I’ve worked on afghans and throws, kitchen dish cloths, and even items to hold baked goods in the past. Right now I’m working on a pillow or two for the living room couch.

I love to knit scarves and accessories, too. If you’re a beginner, hand warmers, scarves, and even wraps and ponchos are easy, and most of them are quick, too, so you can have a feeling of accomplishment and pride when you finish your first project.

I’d recommend starting out with large needles (size 10 or so), and relatively bulky yarn for your first project. That helps you see the stitches a little bit easier, and it will get you used to working with yarn and needles. As you progress, work your way into other yarns and smaller needles, it will come easy to you once you’re used to it.

Have you tried knitting socks? Don’t be intimidated by those double-pointed needles (dpns)! Once you get used to them, you may like them better than straight needles!

I find my favorite yarn really depends on the season. Right now, I’m knitting a pillow with a Caron Simply Soft yarn, and I absolutely love it. It has a wonderful, rich sheen, and the yarn is very easy to knit. I’ll post a photo of the pillow when I finish it, but you might want to try this yarn for lightweight summer garments, throws, or just about anything. It’s a worsted weight and is machine washable too.

I’m also really fond of a Knit Picks yarn called “Shine.” It comes in worsted and sport weights, and I knit a Cookie Cozy (I’ll post pictures) with it that turned out really nicely. Again, it has a wonderful, rich sheen to it that a lot of cottons don’t have.

In the winter, I really like working with wool and wool blends, and superwash sock yarns, too. I’m starting to get into doing some lace patterns, and I picked up some close-outs at Knit Picks (knitpicks.com) that I worked into a couple of hand warmers that I love.

So, what’s your favorite yarn? Let me know!

I’m sure if you’ve surfed the Web at all, looking for knitting information and patterns, you’ve come across the term LYS. It stands for “Local Yarn Shop,” and those shops should be your first stop to learn about the many different types of yarn that are available today.

LYS’s can’t possibly carry all the types of yarn that are available online, it’s not possible. But they can help you familiarize yourself with different yarn contents, like wool, cotton, silk, and alpaca, just to name a few. They can also help you learn about the different plies and weights of yarns, from ultra-laceweight to super chunky.

Each yarn has a specific purpose, and before you become an accomplished knitter, you need to understand yarns, how they relate to needle sizes, and how both needles and yarn relate to gauge. (More on gauge later). So, take a trip to your LYS soon, and discover the wonderful world and variety of hand knitting yarns!

Let’s talk today about needles. What kind of needles do you need in your knitting arsenal? Well, that depends on what you’re going to knit and how large your knitted design will be. If you’re doing a large item like an afghan or throw, you’ll need a large, circular needle to hold the stitches.

Many people prefer knitting just about everything on circular needles, because you don’t have to worry about an empty needle lying around when you’re not knitting. I really like circular needles, and I invested in a set of the interchangeable needles from Denise, that come in a kit with different length cords. That’s a great way to make sure you always have a needle in any size.

However, now, I have fallen in love with wood and bamboo needles. They are quiet, they warm to the temperature of your hands, and they just seem to flow with the yarn when you knit. They are lightweight, too, which is very nice when you’re working on a large piece. I am slowly gathering a set of circular bamboo and wooden needles in different sizes, and I have an entire set of double pointed bamboo needles as well. Once you try them, you may never go back to your metal or plastic needles again!

Welcome to the Today.com Knitting Blog! If you love to knit, this is the place to find new knitting tips, tricks, patterns, and information. I love to knit, and have been knitting since I was a little girl (no, you’re not going to get me to say how long THAT is).

When I first started knitting, it was a very different craft than it is today. Back then, there were two basic kinds of yarn, wool and acrylic, and most everything was made in acrylic yarn. The needles were metal, plastic, or even bone, and patterns were basic to over the top advanced.

Boy, have things changed! When I first picked up a set of needles a couple of years ago, I couldn’t believe the way yarns and needles had evolved! Now, there are so many yummy yarns, I can’t stop buying them, and the needles, well, let me say, I’ve become addicted to wooden and bamboo needles, they just handle like a dream.

So, welcome to the world of knitting, welcome to MY world! We’re off on a journey of discovery, creativity, and relaxation, and I hope you’re ready to join me!