Knitting in the News and on the Internet

It’s been a while since I shared any knitting news, and quite a bit has piled up, so let’s get to it.

Over the holidays you might have missed BuzzFeed’s take on 22 things that happen when you get into knitting. it’s actually a pretty accurate summary of how it goes, from the difficulty of getting started to wanting to knit all the things for everyone all the time to realizing yarn isn’t cheap to becoming a crafty zealot.

In other fun knitting-related roundups, Bored Panda collected a bunch of fun winter scarves, knit, crocheted and sewn. You’ll want to check these out for their sheer creativity, there are foxes, cockatoos, a knit USB cable scarf and the most amazing Hobbit-inspired scarf you’ve ever seen (shown above, you can also check it out on Ravelry).

The Toast has a list (it’s probably just as well they don’t all show pictures) of things you can actually find knitting patterns for that includes such silly things as broccoli, a sweater for a rat (which doesn’t seem silly if you’re the rat, I suppose), an alien autopsy and a couple of projects dealing with parts of the male anatomy. And Mashable has a photographic collection of 15 great achievements in knitting, ranging from spectacular yarn bombs to an anatomically correct knit skeleton with organs and a knit periodic table (some of these, of course, are actually crochet).

A company in the Netherlands knit a giant cozy for an Eames chair. Just because it was there. And a writer from Maine shares the story of how knitting brought her back from anxiety and depression.

Bulky knits are still going to be hot (see what I did there?) next fall and winter, according to the fashion shows in Italy, so keep out that big yarn and needles! And don’t miss the display from Spinrite at the Craft and Hobby Association: a knit celebration of Narnia called Yarnia. Too cool.

If you ever see knitting in the news and what to share, submit a link!

[Photo via Bored Panda.]

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.

Next Pattern:

Have you read?

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