Catch Up with Season 4 of Knit and Crochet Now!

November 20, 2013 by Sarah White 3 Comments

The fourth season of “Knit and Crochet Now” is currently airing on public television stations across the United States (check here to see when it airs near you), so it’s a perfect time to check in with in-house knitting expert Kristin Nicholas.

Kristin is known for her love of color knitting (though she admits this season she’s not a fan of lace knitting!) and is able to explain knitting projects in ways that even newer knitters can understand.

I’ve watched a couple of episodes of this season so far and it looks like a great one. Check out an interview with Kristin Nicholas below and stay tuned next week for an excellent giveaway related to “Knit and Crochet Now.”

And if you want to learn more about Kristin check out the interview I did with her a couple years ago for About.

Sarah: How did you get involved in the program?

Kristin: I’ve been in the needlework business for almost 30 years. I was the Creative Director of Classic Elite Yarns for 16 years. One of the first people I met was Candi Jensen. She was the Creative Director of Crystal Palace Yarns. We hit it off and have been friends ever since. When Candi became the Producer of “Knit and Crochet Now,” she asked me if I wanted to be a “knitting expert.” I had never done much television but I decided to give it a go.

Sarah: What’s your favorite part of the show?

Kristin: No favorite part, but my favorite project from Season 4 is the wreath with the sunflowers. The flowers come from my latest book 50 Sunflowers to Knit, Crochet and Felt.

Sarah: Do you have a favorite project from the last season or a favorite technique to teach?

Kristin: I enjoy teaching colorwork. I find so many knitters are fearful of working with two colors at a time. It isn’t hard but there are some tips I share that make it more successful. I demoed a simple kid’s vest with a chevron Fair Isle Design.

Sarah: Anything else crafty on the horizon for you?

Kristin: Right now I am working on a book called Crafting the Colorful Home (Roost Books, 2015). It has 20 DIY projects including knit, crochet, fabric painting, printing, interior decoration, felting, and embroidery. I am really looking forward to its release, once it gets finished!

Sarah: Anything else you’d like my readers to know?

Kristin: I live on a working sheep farm with my family. We have over 300 sheep and lambs. We also raise chickens and have 3 Border Collie dogs to help move the sheep around. I have my own line of yarn with Classic Elite Yarns which is sold by Annie’s. I write a popular blog called Getting Stitched on the Farm where I chronicle our life on the farm and what I create.

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Comments

Paula says
January 25, 2014 at 5:37 pm
I am looking for the free pattern for episode 410. Wreath with knit flowers and crochet flowers. If the free pattern is here I can’t find it.
Sarah White says
January 26, 2014 at 9:38 am
You can find them at this link: http://www.knitandcrochetnow.com/knit-and-crochet-now-season-4-free-patterns/ you have to register (it’s free) to download.

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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