Knitting Through It

RRP: $17.95

ISBN 10- 0760330050
Knitting Through It is a book filled with inspiring stores for “Times of Trouble”. This book has short stories and excerpts about knitting and how it has been, and continues to be used during Polictical agendas, War and poverty and heart warming stories of personal times of despair where knitting has lifted spirits, helped with rehabilitation and eased pain and anguish.

You do not have to be a knitter to enjoy this book, it has short chapters making it a perfect book to pick up during morning tea or a cup of coffee in the afternoon. It’s not only inspiring it’s educational and leaves you feeling the urge to pick up your knitting.

It will make you stop and appreciate all that you are giving to your knitting. It’s not just about yarn over and under it’s about lifting your hands, using your heart, focusing on the recipient, deep breathing, relaxation, calming your racing spirit and knitting an item out of love, hate, fear, happiness or pain.

Sitting down to knit will never be the same again…..

Next Pattern:

Many times when I write these posts I will say something like “you can use any yarn you want” or “this would be a great stash-busting project.” That’s just how my mind works. And my stash, too, since I probably have sweater quantity of two or three yarns at most, but tons of singles and odd balls and leftovers.

Blankets are generally a really good way to use up those bits, but in this case, I think you’re going to want to plan it out a bit better.

Looking at photos of the Color Study Blanket from Purl Soho, it looks like it’s made with two yarns held together, and that block in the center is worked with one of each color from the adjoining sides to make a mixed up color.

But that’s not actually how it’s done. This is three separate colors (four, really, with the neutrals in the corners) chosen form a yarn with an expansive palette so they play off each other. The project calls for a worsted weight superwash wool, which is a great choice for a blanket that’s both warm and washable.

This pattern was originally designed by Laura Ferguson and was updated by Hiromi Glover. It is worked in one piece in garter stitch intarsia, which is a great way to learn the intarsia technique if you don’t already know it. It comes in crib or throw sizes.

Despite the introduction to this post, I am going to go ahead and say that, yes, of course you could do this blanket with scraps or odd balls or even just choose five colors that don’t blend together so easily. But I really do love the look of the color play, and I think it would be worth your time to find colors that play well together to get a similar effect.

This pattern is available for free from Purl Soho.

[Photo: Purl Soho]

Next Pattern:

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