Knitting

Free Patterns, Tutorials and Project Ideas

The Fearless Knitter by Jennifer E Seiffert

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This Fearless Knitting Workbook, The Step-by-Step guide to Knitting Confidence by Jennifer E. Seiffert will truly make you a fearless knitter. She starts with the basics such as tools, gauge and how to get it, how to adjust when you don’t get it, where to sit, make sure there’s a cat nearby, you know, all the basics. Assessing mistakes, blocking, seams.. all the stuff a good knitter needs to know.

Next comes the knit and purl stitch and combining them. She talks you through a ribbed sampler and a checkerboard square, and bam! When your checkerboard square is finished do you realize what has happened? You’ve learned to read a chart! She sneaks that one in there pretty good! Raised stitches in a Maple Leaf and Oak Leaf Squares, and next thing you know, you have a couple of really pretty pillows. Shaping, increases and decreases, cables and crossed stitches, you’ll be an expert in no time.

And then, just when you think you can tackle anything, you get to make holes. Intentionally! Lace! You’ve just knitted lace and there’s no stopping you now. Learn how to knit in the round with either circs or dpns; (knitter speak for circular needles and double pointed needles). Put all of that together and tackle the projects at the end, which by now are easy for you.

This hardcover book, with a spiral binding to keep it open, for reference is indispensible for the newer knitter. Even the seasoned pro can learn a few tips (ask me how I know..). From Interweave Press, here: www.interweavestore.com

Comments

  1. hi jen,
    there was no date so this may be a really old blog entry of yours? i feel your sockknitting pain as of this week. i have tried and tried and tried. i think, if anyone says they knit abunch of socks and love it, hold onto your wallet cause they are lying, LYING!
    =)
    xx
    angelina

Have you read?

Classic Dishcloth Knitting Patterns

Fall will be here before we know it, and that means there are holidays coming right behind where we might be entertaining at home. It’s always fun to have a hand knit touch in your home for other people to see, and if you’re going to be in the kitchen all day you might as well have some nice knit dish cloths to use. 

I love this little plaid hand towel from Darling Jadore. Use a little bit of leftover cotton yarn from another project for the plaid portion. It looks like the horizontal stripes are worked as you knit and the vertical stripes are done with duplicate stitch, making this a quick and easy project even newer knitters can make. 

Combine garter stitch and an easy eyelet pattern worked sideways to make the Annette Dish Towel from Cluck Cluck Boots, which is meant to be reminiscent of flour sack towels. It calls for DK weight yarn and you can work it in one color or two (or even three!). 

Add a little more texture with this set of kitchen towels from Whileberry Creative. They’re mostly worked in garter stitch with borders in easy knit/purl patterns, and you can work them in sport or worsted weight yarn. 

Two of Wands Shop has another cute allover knit and purl pattern they call the Seersucker Textured Tea Towel. It’s an easy repeating pattern worked in worsted weight yarn, and there’s a chart in the pattern you can use, but don’t have to, if you want to practice knitting from a chart. 

The Classic Cloth dish towel from Handmade Home by Connie is another one that can use a little leftover yarn in a contrasting color, or you could color block it our use stripes throughout the pattern. This one uses worsted weight yarn and another easy repeating knit purl stitch pattern. 

If you like to hang your towel on the oven handle or elsewhere but it’s always falling off, try the Stay Put kitchen towel from Fancy Step Knits. This project is worked in garter stitch and includes a hole partway through so you can pull the towel through itself over a rod or handle. Stripes are optional but a nice addition.