Knitting

Patterns, projects and techniques

Knitting in the News: Nerdy Knits, Knitting Fails and Charity Projects

by

giant sock knitting failBuzzFeed is not a site I love, but they do sometimes have some fun things related to knitting and crafts. This community post from Allie Dahl collects 19 nerdy knits that you’re sure to want to stitch up if you haven’t already if you’re of the geeky persuasion. You’ll find classics like the Doctor Who Scarf and the Jayne Hat, as well as projects inspired by Star Wars, Mario Kart, Harry Potter and Zelda, among others.

We all know knitting doesn’t always go as planned, and gauge can be a beast. But sometimes you want to show off your new knitting creation even if it’s, if you’re being honest, an utter fail. Check out this collection of projects that didn’t quite turn out as expected (via Mashable), and you’ll probably feel better about your latest knitting problem.

It’s been a cold, hard winter lots of places, and knitters and crocheters in Denver have taken to the streets, leaving scarves around town for people who need them. While most of the people in the story seem to be crocheting, this is something knitters can do, too. Please ignore the reference to needlecrafts being for old people; it’s still a nice story.

And speaking of stitching for people in need, I recently saw a call for handmade hats and booties for the Preemie Project, which gives hats, booties, care items and bereavement items to parents of preemies (as well as those who have stillborn babies or a miscarriage) at hospitals across Iowa. They’re in particular need of hats and booties for 3-5 pound and 6-8 pound babies, and say they always need more items for boys than girls. Click the link for more information.

[Photo of giant sock from Imgur, via Mashable.]

Next Pattern:

Comments

  1. I thought I was the only one who found Buzzfeed irritating! Thanks for sharing the link to The Preemie Project, they have the best measurement chart for preemies I’ve seen.

Have you read?

Yarn Cozy Knitting Patterns

I’ve been toying with the idea of making a yarn cozy or yarn ball holder on the circular knitting machine, but I haven’t gotten to it yet. In the meantime, here are some yarn cozy knitting patterns you can make with knitting needles. Use yarn to hold you yarn!

In its simplest form, a yarn cozy is just a sleeve or a little basket that holds your yarn when you’re working with a center-pull ball so it doesn’t fall apart when you knit. The easiest ones I could find are from Love in Stitches KN, which has a regular size and a mini size. They’re worked with sock yarn and there are options for making them with ribbing, faux cables and with self-striping yarn.

For bigger cakes there’s a project called We call it the “bail holder” from Nicole LeBlanc. This pattern is available on Ravelry and you can use any yarn and make it any size you like. It features an I-cord edging that has a loop in it so you can thread they yarn through the loop to keep it extra contained as you knit.

Another large one that has a slightly fancier pattern is this one by Mareike Meye. You can use any yarn and any gauge, and slip stitch pattern worked in different colors on the sides makes it a little more fun and uses a bit more stash. A strap buttons across the top to hold the ball in place and you can add a buttonhole to the middle of the strap to thread the yarn through. Check this one out on Ravelry.

Adding lace to a yarn cozy makes it fit a wider variety of balls and expand or shrink a bit as needed. Jennifer Sugarman’s Ball Sack uses sock yarn and is made to hold sock yarn. It has the option of making I-cord or using ribbon or cord you already have to make a drawstring at the top. You can find this pattern on Ravelry.

Another lacy option is the yarn ball holder from Frugal Knitting Haus. This one uses worsted weight yarn and has an easy mesh lace pattern and an I-cord drawstring that’s sewn together at the ends so you could loop it over your wrist while you knit if you like. This pattern is also on Ravelry.

Speaking of wrist yarn holders, I also found this one form Knituition. This one uses sport weight yarn and has a spiral rib pattern on the body. The strap is attached to the bag with D-rings, or you could make it a little longer and just sew it into the bag.