Knitting

Free Patterns, Tutorials and Project Ideas

Knitting Podcasts

by

[tag]Podcasting[/tag] is not an old internet capability, but relatively new. In 2003 regular podcasts started showing up on well-known Web sites and software support for podcasting spread throughout the internet. Wikipedia describes podcast as a media file that is distributed by subscription (paid or unpaid) over the Internet using syndication feeds, for playback on mobile devices and personal computers. The term “podcast” is derived from Apple’s portable music player, the iPod. Though podcasters’ web sites may also offer direct download or streaming of their content, a podcast is distinguished from other digital audio formats by its ability to be downloaded automatically, using software capable of reading feed formats such as RSS or Atom.

Now, what does that mean to me as a knitter? Many [tag]knitting podcasts[/tag] are appearing all over the net. Your favorite author or yarn shop may be uploading to the internet a podcast. [tag]Knitty[/tag] has a very good article by [tag]Rhonda Bell[/tag] listing many sites to download your favorite designer’s words about their craft. [tag]Unwound[/tag] offers podcasts on her site and also lists the content and pertinent links to the information so you know before you download what her podcast contains.

What do you need to listen to a podcast? Your PC will do just fine with Windows Media Player downloading and playing the podcast for you. If you have an mp3 player, you can transfer the podcasts to it and listen anywhere. Itunes has knitting podcasts at their site, but I personally have a Zen mp3 player. I use juice to find my podcasts or the website for the company that manufactured my player.

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.