“Knitcation” Planned in Nuevo Vallarta

We all know about staycations, but have you ever heard of a knitcation? I don’t know if the folks putting on this giveaway made up that word or if other people have used it in the past, but it’s a wonderful term for a knitting-related vacation.

And this trip to Nuevo Vallarta, Mexico, slated for September 14-20, certainly sounds like an amazing experience. It would be awesome enough to gather with other knitters for this seven day, six night trip to a fabulous resort (attendees will have private rooms in a shared villa with kitchen and wifi) with three pools, a spa and beach access. Add to that the amazing swag bags, which will include yarn, books and other goodies (they’re sponsored by the likes of Bijou Basin Ranch, Quince & Co., Three Irish Girls and Never Not Knitting, among others), and three workshops from designer Stephen West, and you’ve got a great opportunity for learning as well as meeting new friends who are as passionate about yarn as you are.

The classes will include a top-down shawl workshop, a lesson in different ways to play with color and how color choices affect the look of a design and a tips and tricks session with West and his design partner Malia Mather.

No word on how much this extravaganza will cost, but there’s an e-mail contact on the site if you want more information.

[Photo of the resort via Knitcation.]

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.

Have you read?

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