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Knitting Podcaster KnitPurlGirl Has Died

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knitpurlgirlKarrie Steinmetz, better known to the fiber arts community by her online handle and podcast name KnitPurlGirl, died unexpectedly on Monday, according to reports around the Internet and on the Friends of KnitPurlGirl group on Ravelry.

Karrie had been blogging about knitting since 2008, and most recently posted an encouraging and helpful post about the act of podcasting about knitting.

I didn’t know Karrie personally but from what I’ve read about her online those words encouraging and helpful seem pretty darn apt. She seems to have been one of those people who was always cheerful and supportive of her fellow knitters and who was always willing to help, educate and share.

She was active in the knitting community on her own blog, on Ravelry, Twitter, Plurk, Google+ and Facebook, and leaves behind many knitting friends who knew her in person as well as those whom she connected with online who also felt the warmth of her friendship.

The cause of death was unknown, but a post on her Ravelry group said her husband was expected to post on her Facebook page in the next couple of days.

My warm wooly thoughts go to all her knew her. What a loss to the knitting community.

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Comments

  1. I’m so sorry to hear about her death. I am a member of her Ravelry group and listens to her podcasts. It will be a loss to the knitting community.

  2. I AM SO SHOCKED TO HEAR THIS SAD NEWS!I MYSELF DID NOT KNOW KARRIE PERSONALLY EITHER,BUT WAS QUITE FOND OF READING AND ENJOYED HER MANY POSTS AND BLOGS!MAY HER FAMILY AND CLOSE FRIENDS BE COMFORTED AT THIS EXTREMELY TRYING TIME AND MY HEART AND PRAYERS GO OUT TO THEM IN HOPES THAT IT WILL HELP IN SOME SMALL WAY~GOD BLESS THEM ALL!

  4. Such a loss to her family and the knitting/crocheting/podcasting community. My thoughts and prayers are with her family, friends and those who loved her.

Have you read?

Knit a Garter Stitch Blanket with a Twist

When I first started knitting again after a long absence from the craft (which has now been almost 25 years ago!) I really didn’t like garter stitch that much. I found it super boring, somehow even more boring than knitting stockinette stitch in the round, even though it’s exactly the same thing.

Over the years I’ve softened my opinion, and even grown to like garter stitch. There’s nothing wrong with being plain, and actually the texture of garter stitch is more interesting than stockinette.

Also there are fun things you can do with garter stitch to make it more interesting if you want to, such as adding stripes, working on the bias, or doing fun effects to change the look.

That’s the way with the Bernat Twist My Way Garter Knit Blanket. Using combinations of casting on and binding off creates what they call a Swiss cheese effect along two sides of the blanket. This is a lot of fun in the self-striping ombre yarn they chose for the pattern, but it would also be fun in a solid color or making your own stripes.

Despite the dramatic effect, this pattern is rated easy. It’s worked from side to side (if you consider the “cheesy” edges the top and bottom) and has an eight-row repeat that involves binding off and then casting on again to make the holes. They’re kind of like giant buttonholes.

Once you get the hang of it it’s a pretty easy repeat to remember, and it will be smooth knitting as big as you want to make it.

You can download this pattern from the Yarnspirations website for free, or you can buy a kit direct from them that includes the yarn you need (and knitting needles if you need those, too). Bernat Sport Ombre Twist, which is what is used in the pattern, comes in 12 self patterning colors and is a DK weight acrylic yarn.

[Photo: Yarnspirations]