Celebrate the 10th Annual Worldwide Knit in Public Day

In the past, Worldwide Knit in Public Day has spread out over a week, because it was often at the same time as the big TNNA show in the states. But that’s already happened this year, so everyone is celebrating together, on Saturday, June 13.

You can find local events wherever you are at the WWKIP Day website, or check with your local yarn store if you have one for any special events that might be going on. (Mine is having knitting on the front porch of their shop, which sounds like a lot of fun.)

Do you normally knit in public? I find it really interesting to see people’s reactions when they see you knitting. My favorite recent one was at a dress rehearsal for my daughter’s play; all the kids were swarming me to see what I was doing!

If you have plans for knitting out on Saturday, I’d love to hear them.

Next Pattern:

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.

Comments

Pat morris says
June 13, 2015 at 6:33 pm
I spent a great afternoon with my daughter and two friends knitting in a park across from American Needle works in Middletown . Then it was off to lunch at a cute cafe right next door to the park. The four of us crossed the street to the yarn shop where we bought our tote bags for the Hudon Valley Yarn shop cruise . I also scored some beautiful lane Cervinia sock yarn.
Then it was off to Warwick New York to get our pass ports stamped at Whistle Stop Yarn . More sock yarn of course….this one Zusammenhalt Opal ,and some much needed stitch markers. We plan to go to at least one or two shops on the cruise each week with side trips into the towns that they are located in. This cruise was a great idea. I knit in public all of the time.

Next Pattern:

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