Knitting

Patterns, projects and techniques

A New Knitting Gossiper

by 5 Comments

sarah e white
Hi there. My name is Sarah and I’m pleased to be your new knitting editor here at Craft Gossip!

I’ve been following this website for many years and my “gossip” has been shared on the knitting, felting and sewing pages in the past. You might already know me as the Guide to Knitting for About.com, but if you don’t, that’s OK, too. I’ve been working on that site, full of free patterns, tutorials and reviews, for more than five years, but I jumped at the opportunity to come over here and share even more knitting goodness with you.

I hope to bring you all the best in knitting news, share free patterns and techniques, give away lots of great stuff and get to know all of you, what you’re knitting and what you need help with, too.

When I’m not knitting or reading or writing about knitting, I also love to sew, though I’m not very good at it, and craft with and for my daughter, who’s about to turn three. (Eeek!) I share what we’ve been working on, as well as my unending quest for the perfect homemade playdough, at my blog, which I call Our Daily Craft even though I don’t post every day. I’ve also recently gotten into art journaling and smash books; we’ll see if that lasts longer than any attempt to scrapbook in my life ever has (which is not very long).

I’m the author of one book about knitting and felting, Picture Yourself Felting Your Knitting, and am at work on another one, all about knitting for babies, that’s due out next year.

But enough about me! I just wanted to drop in and say hi before I get busy sharing all the knitting gossip I know. I’m so glad to be here.

Want to keep in touch? Sign up for the Craft Gossip newsletter, or check us out on Facebook, Twitter or Pinterest. You can also follow me on Pinterest, Twitter or Facebook.

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Comments

  1. Welcome Sarah, and please, if you can, pass on my thanks to Terrye for her several years of great work here at CG Knitting. I hope all is well with her, and wish her the best in her future endeavors.

  2. Hello Sarah!
    It is nice to get to know you through your description and the work that you have shown from what you have done so far!
    I look forward to the new knit gossip news delivered by you!
    I wish you lots and lots of wonderful discoveries when each day is filled with excitement!

  3. Welcome, I hope you will add lots of loom knitting projects to the posts. I, and many others, love to knit with a loom because as we get older we just can’t hold onto knitting needles very well any more. With carpal tunnel syndrome and arthritis in the aging population we have to give up knitting or adapt. After dropping needles all the time while trying to make a scarf discovering the round looms was a blessing. Since typing has become a way of life with texting and computing many more people will develop hand problems in years to come. They will be glad you shared info about this great way to knit.

  4. Thanks, everyone! Terrye is doing well, as far as I know. She lives in a pretty remote part of the world and her Internet access is kind of sketchy so she was unable to continue. Pat, I will look for loom knitting information as well. I like to do it but don’t very often, so thanks for the request!

Have you read?

Book Review: Brooklyn Tweed’s Knit & Crochet Blankets

Blankets are a great blank slate project that you can change up in a million different ways. From color to stitch pattern to size, the possibilities are almost endless.

Jared Flood, the designer behind Brooklyn Tweed, was inspired by a log cabin quilt his mother made in 1995 to re-create that design in knitting, which led to more blankets and ultimate Brooklyn Tweed’s Knit and Crochet Blankets, which includes 25 patterns from an array of designers using different skills and techniques to make cozy, pretty blankets.

The patterns are divided into three aesthetic themes: traditions, minimalism and colorplay. The patterns are rated on a scale of one to five, with one being the easiest, and there aren’t any pieces rated five. Two blankets are rated one, 14 are two, eight are three and one is four. 

In addition, three of the 25 patterns are crocheted, but they either use single crochet or granny stitch, so they are pretty easy even if you don’t do a lot of crochet. You can see all the patterns on Ravelry.

Some of my favorites include Rattan by Rastus Hsu, a chunky blanket worked in knits and purls with simple crossing stitches to make a raised woven look; Homewood by Seth Richardson, covers in dramatic, loopy cables; Ainur Berkimbayeva’s Tessellate, one of the beginner projects that doesn’t really look beginner but is totally worked in knit and purl stitches; Warp + Weft by Aist? Butkevi?ien?, which is mostly knits and purls but makes a fun woven look fabric that blew my mind a little bit; and the same designer’s Canyonland, a multicolored blanket with wavy stripes.

The patterns tell you how to resize them for different dimensions and include information on pattern repeats where it is possible to make a totally custom size.

Many different techniques are included here such as cables, lace, shadow knitting, intarsia and other colorwork techniques, as well as modular knitting and lots of sewing pieces together. The patterns are all presented with charts, but there are line by line written instructions available on the Brooklyn Tweed website if you need them.

The book ends with a deep dive into log cabin knitting, telling the story of the quilt Jared’s mom made and how he made it in knitting, as well as the multitude of variations you can make if you want your own log cabin style design.

The back of the book includes a little written information about some of the special techniques needed, but there are no photos.

This is a lovely book full of inspiration for knitting and crochet blankets for any skill level. If you like to make blankets as gifts or aspire to have a handmade blanket in every room of the house, these designs would be a great place to start.

About the book: 192 pages, paperback, 25 patterns. Published 2024 by Abrams Books, suggested retail price $24.99.

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