Knitting

Free Patterns, Tutorials and Project Ideas

Giveaway: My New Book

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colorwork knittingI’m celebrating this week because my latest book has just been released (the technical release day is Wednesday, but my publisher is showing it as in stock).

It’s called Colorwork Knitting, and it features five different kinds of colorwork:

  • working with self-striping yarn
  • knitting your own stripes
  • slip-stitch knitting
  • stranded knitting
  • intarsia

each used on five different kinds of projects:

  • scarves (there’s one cowl, too)
  • hats
  • mitts, mittens or gloves
  • sweaters
  • socks

So in all that’s 25 patterns (all for women) that will bring a lot of color into your wardrobe and some great techniques to your needles. This book assumes you know how to knit but teaches all the colorwork techniques you need, as well as some of the basics of choosing colors. Check out the projects on Ravelry, or flip through the look book (PDF) to see more.

I’m so proud of this book and happy to have it (well, almost) out into the world.

If you’d like a chance to win a copy, leave a comment on this post by the end of the day Sunday, April 5. Let me know what colorwork technique you’re most interested in learning, or what your favorite is, or, heck, just say congratulations. I’ll take it.

Thanks for visiting, commenting and sharing, and good luck!

Comments

  1. Congrats on your new book! I would love to learn all of the different types of colorworks, but I would like to start with intarsia or brioche.

  2. Congrats! Looks like a fantastic book!

    My favorite colorwork is slipped stitch mosaic patterns.

  3. Congratulations on your book, it looks great. At the moment I am very into shadow knitting and slip stitch color work. Thank’s for the opportunity to win your new book.

  4. Congratulations!!!
    I’m most interested in slip-stitch knitting technique..!
    Thanks so much for the giveaway..! 🙂

  9. Congratulations! This book is fantastic! I would love to learn fair isle knitting and finally knit an Icelandic sweater!

  10. My favorite technique is slip stitch-it can do so many patterns and effects! Looks like a great book-thanks for the chance to win a copy.

Have you read?

Patchwork Blanket Knitting Patterns

Any time of year is a good time for stash busting, but if you can combine it with knitting a blanket that will keep you warm when it (finally!) gets cooler that’s even better. Let’s take a look at some fun patchwork blanket knitting patterns. 

If you want to keep it super simple, you can just make blocks of garter stitch and sew them together, like the beginner’s patchwork baby blanket from Mini Baa Baa or the color block blanket from Make and Do Crew. Both projects are worked in strips and sew together, with the baby version calling for two strands of DK or light worsted weight yarn held together and the larger one using bulky yarn. 

Add a little more texture with the mixed blocks of the cottage quilt throw from Mama in a Stitch. This one combines garter stitch and seed stitch and uses worsted weight yarn. She used a crochet join to make the chains on top of the blocks, but you can join them however you like. It calls for eight colors but you can use what you have, and there are three size options. 

Get a real sampler style patchwork blanket with this design from Knit Sew Make. It calls for worsted weight yarn and has four size options. All of the patterns just use knit and purl stitches so this one is still pretty easy for beginners. 

If you want a more complex colorwork project that will keep you entertained all season, try the Peace by Piece blanket pattern from Needle and Feather. This one is made up of two color colorwork blocks and calls for worsted weight yarn. You can choose to use just a few of the blocks and repeat them more often, or make multiples of the whole set. 

The knitted patchwork recipe from Martine Ellis (free on Ravelry) uses mitered squares in fingering weight yarn, so it’s perfect for using up all your leftover sock yarn and mini skeins. This one is a tutorial more than a pattern so you can make your blanket as big as you like or keep going until you run out of yarn. 

Susan B. Anderson’s 100 Squares blanket (find it on Ravelry) has a lot of mitered squares, too, but they’re arranged in fun ways and includes some quilt inspired designs as well. This one also is a bit of method more than pattern but it sure looks like a lot of fun for using all the leftovers. 

Of course you can totally improvise a patchwork blanket using the yarn and stitches you like, but I hope these patterns inspire you to look at your leftover yarn in a new way.