Knitting

Free Patterns, Tutorials and Project Ideas

Giveaway: Knitting Skill Books from Leisure Arts

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Win two Leisure Arts books to help you build your knitting skills.

Congratulations to Jen!

I know a lot of my readers are newer knitters, or even just people who are interested in knitting but maybe haven’t picked up needles yet. Or maybe you’re an experienced knitter but you want to share the love with someone else.

Either way, this week’s giveaway is a great one for newer knitters. It includes two little books from Leisure Arts: Learn to Knit, Now! and Expand Your Knitting Skills.

Learn to Knit, Now! includes instructions on how to make a slip knot, perform the long-tail cast on, knit, purl and bind odd, as well as tips for reading patterns and seven projects to try. The projects are skill building so as you work through the book you’ll learn how to sew a seam, work ribbing and perform other pattern stitches. Links to video tutorials are included if you need more help.

Expand Your Knitting Skills offers 17 patterns for knit accessories that go beyond the basics and include such skills as knitting cables, working in the round, picking up stitches and creating a ruffled edging for your knit project. The projects are mostly hats and scarves, but there are also mittens, fingerless gloves and a knit bag to try out your new skills on.

I will pick one winner to receive both books from people who leave comments on this post before the end of the day Sunday, January 12. I’d love to know if you’re a new knitter or who you would gift these books to in order to encourage their knitting.

Thanks for visiting, commenting and sharing and good luck!

Comments

  1. I’ve never learned to knit but it has been on my “bucket list” for a long time now. I really would love to have a portable crafty hobby.

  2. I tried learning from a book years ago, but haven’t knitted anything in about 40 years. Would love to get back into it.

  3. I’d like this, I learned as a kid, but never made anything and am now picking it back up because you can make so many lovely, original things.

  5. I am interested in knitting. My mother knits and I would love to learn so I can knit with her. She was recently diagnosed with stage 4 cancer, so I am looking to do things with her that aren’t strenuous.

  6. My daughter and I have been knitting for a few years now and we try to convert everyone! These would be great.

  7. Been knitting for a while but can always learn something new

    Hope to find some projects to donate to charity for kids and adults

  8. I learned to crochet as a child and learned the very basics of knitting in a therapy class many years ago. I would love a refresher course and maybe really make something!

  9. I was taught to knit by my grandma in elementary school. Hadn’t done it in ages but started again before Christmas. I’m hoping to do more … have grand kids I can make things for now.

  10. I love knitting and have my granddaughter age 10 and her mother knitting. I am thrilled they have taken up knitting and are working on some lovely projects. We would love to share these books and hone our knitting skills. It would great for us to knit a similar item in different yarns and have the completed articles to enjoy and discuss as a family project.

  11. I was pretty dire at knitting as a child however, as an adult, browsing web pages has inspired me to start again. My skills are very basic but I see so many beautiful and colourful yarns that I can’t wait to transform them into a piece of hand knitting art work. I would love to develop my skills & produce items for the more needy people in my local community.

  12. I can’t start or finish a knitting project, but I can do basic knitting stitches. I need these books so I can surprise my Mom with a handmade knitted gift next Christmas. She would be so surprised because she knows I’m not much of a knitter and she always has to finish most of my creative projects. Thank you for the opportunity to win these great books.

  18. These book would be so helpful to me. I am a beginner and need all the help I can get!
    Thank you for the opportunity to win the books!

  19. I would gift these to my friend’s daughter who is just starting out and enjoying knitting and crocheting.

  21. learning to knit from the net so many sites and information,..doing ok so far so many ideas to choose from, I need to learn to knit faster to get my results ASAP!

  22. Knitting has always eluded me. I can crochet but every time I pick up knitting needles it ends in anger, cursing and a terrible scene! Lol. I’m determined to master knitting and I’m hoping this book will be the one tutorial to get me there!

  23. Hi – i learned to knit as a child and haven’t done it in a LONG time and wasn’t really good beyond the basic stitches. But i wanted to get back into it to teach my girl scout troop so we can do blankets for the homeless and pediatric wards. I have 13 girls who all want to learn and I’d love to be able to teach them properly. Thank you for this opportunity.

  24. I learned to knit at age 10 but haven’t knit in years and never got past making a messed up mitten. This book sounds like something that would help me learn all over again and to teach my granddaughter. Thank you so much for this offer.

  25. I would love these books so I can give them to my granddaughter. We live in different states so I can’t be there to help her. Thanks for considering me!

Have you read?

Learn a Flower Bobble Technique to Knit a Fun Shawl

Generally I like knitting patterns where I feel like you can use whatever yarn you have (because my stash is big enough and I want to use it, thanks) and make a successful project. This is one of those times when a special yarn makes the process that much easier. 

The Floral Bouquet Shawl from Xandy Peters uses a specific extended color pooling yarn from Feisty Fibers, which allows you to place the bobble flowers with increasing frequency as you knit the project. 

It starts with a solid color yarn, then the two color yarn is added in, and you make a bobble whenever you encounter the color pops. This would be hard to replicate with other yarn that doesn’t have the extended color pooling built in.

The background of the shawl is ribbed, making the project reversible. 

The shawl uses fingering/sock yarn and comes out to be an asymmetrical triangle that’s 54 inches/137 cm long and 36 inches/ 90 cm deep and 60 inches/150 cm across the top edge. 

Xandy says the pattern is for intermediate to advanced knitters. Knowing how to work traditional bobbles would probably help, but there’s a great video tutorial for how to work the floral bobbles so you can practice on other yarn or even incorporate the bobbles into other projects. 

The bobbles are five-petaled flowers but they also kind of look like starfish to me, which could be fun on a child’s cardigan or other pattern. They’d also be fun on the leg of a sock or around the brim of a hat for extra whimsy. 

The pattern includes photo and video tutorials, and written and charted instructions. It also includes tips on what to look for if you choose to use different yarn for the project, and instructions on how to dye your own yarn to use in the project. 

If you want to give it a try, you can find the pattern on Ravelry. 

[Photo: Xandy Peters]