• Home
  • Suggest A DIY
  • DIY Newsletter

Knitting

Free Patterns, Tutorials and Project Ideas

  • About CraftGossip
  • Our Network
    • Bath & Body Crafts
    • Candle Making Ideas
    • Crochet Ideas
    • Cross Stitch
    • Edible Crafts
    • Felting Patterns
    • Glass Art
    • Home & Garden Ideas
    • Indie Crafts
    • Jewelry Making
    • Kids Crafts
    • Knitting Patterns
    • Lesson Plans
    • Needlework
    • Party Ideas
    • Polymer Clay
    • Quilting Ideas
    • Recycled Crafts
    • Scrapbooking
    • Sewing Patterns
    • Card Making
    • DIY Weddings
    • Not Craft Ideas
  • Giveaways
  • Roundups
  • Store
  • Search

Knitwear Design Workshop by Shirley Paden

October 2, 2010 by Terrye

More than just a workshop, this is a workbook!  400 pages!

Shirley starts with talking you through how to plan your design. Already have an idea in mind? Do your layouts, plan the different shapes your design can take. What kind of collar do you want? What kind of sleeves? Armhole shapings? Cardigan or pullover? A certain kind of neckband or collar? How do you want your design to lay? Or is it a skirt or dress? With book, you’ll learn all the tricks of the trade for designing with step-by-step instructions for using measurements, calculations, and schematics.

Augh! I give up! No, no, no! With this book, it’s easy. Shirley walks the walk and talks the talk right along with you and breaks it down step by step. Overwhelming you say? Nope, not with this workshop/workbook by your side. It’s easy to figure out exactly how to get that image from your brain, down onto paper with Shirley’s methods.

Then, once it’s on paper, the fun of choosing your yarns begins, and gauges, and how to knit your repeats, shaping… Again, it’s easy with this book.

After your original design is done, you still have to block it. But Shirley hasn’t left in that canoe without a paddle either. She’s got a whole chapter devoted to finishing techniques. From blocking, to shoulder seams, to necklines, armhole seams, side and sleeve seams, button holes and even zippers, this book shows you how. And then, just when you thought you couldn’t possibly fit any more information into a book, there’s an appendix section with abbreviations, a design process checklist, measurement charts, shaping formula variations and more.

If you’re a knitwear designer wanna-be, this is a MUST-HAVE book. Very much worth the money spent. And you can get it directly from Interweave Press, by clicking on this link!

Looking for knitting patterns for knitted Cardigans? Check out these Knitting patterns we found on Etsy.

Looking for pullover and sweater patterns? Check these books out.

«
»

Have you read?

Book Review: Circular Knitting for Beginners and Beyond

When I discovered Kate Atherley’s book Circular Knitting for Beginners and Beyond, I wasn’t sure there was enough to say about circular knitting to fill a book. It’s a pretty short book (144 pages) and includes 10 patterns to practice working in the round on small projects, and it provides a decent introduction to the various ways of working in the round. 

The book covers using double pointed knitting needles, flexible double points and circular knitting needles with cables. It talks about working using the full circumference of a circular needle and various ways to work smaller circumference projects, such as using DPNs, magic loop and knitting with two circular knitting needles. 

In addition there’s a discussion of preventing problems like twists and ladders, swatching in the round without actually swatching in the round, grafting, blocking and weaving in ends. 

More specialized techniques likes knitting from the center out, stranded colorwork, helical knitting and jogless stripes are also explored, as well as working pieces like socks or mitts two at a time. 

There’s also some information about seamless sweaters, including the different sweater designs that can be worked seamlessly (and why you might want seams in your sweaters) and how they are worked from the top down or the bottom up. 

There are 10 patterns in the book, including a basic stockinette stitch cowl and one with a deliberate twist, wrist warmers, mitts and a pair of colorwork mittens, a hat worked in a solid color or in helical stripes, toe up and top down socks and a beret. It would have been nice to have a basic sweater pattern, too, since the book does talk about working larger garments with circular needles, but it’s still a nice collection of basic patterns worked in the round. 

If you’re already comfortable working in the round in different ways, I’m not sure there’s much for you to learn in this book, but it is a good reference for people learning circular knitting or who maybe haven’t tried all the techniques yet or need skill building projects to try. 

About the book: 144 pages, paperback, 10 patterns. Published 2026 by David & Charles. Suggested retail price $24.99.

Categories

Afghans, Blankets, Throws baby hat Baby Patterns Beginner Book Reviews cardigans Christmas Craft News and Events Free Knitting Patterns Giveaways! Hats and Beanies Knit Knitting Patterns Knitting Technique & Tutorials mittens Quick Knits scarf shawl patterns socks Sweaters

RSS More Articles

  • 10 Free Sunflower Machine Embroidery Patterns
  • Beginner Needle-Felted Strawberries: A Step-by-Step Tutorial
  • Celebrating Mexican Independence Day
  • 10 Tufted Wall Hanging Tutorials for Creating Cosy Textile Art
  • 10 Modern Zig Zag Quilts That Feel Fresh and Graphic
  • Colorful Maker Hat Crochet Pattern Review
  • 12 Emulsified Sugar Scrub Recipes That Rinse Away Like Lotion
  • 12 Floral Birthday Cards for Spring and Summer
  • The Pancake Market Bag – Free Crochet Pattern
  • Backpack Cross Stitch Patterns

Pick Your Blog

  • Sewing
  • Knitting
  • Quilting
  • Crochet
  • Home & Garden
  • Recycled Crafts
  • Scrapbooking
  • Card Making
  • Polymer Clay
  • Cross-Stitch
  • Edible Crafts
  • Felting
  • Glass Art
  • Indie Crafts
  • Kids Crafts
  • Jewelry Making
  • Lesson Plans
  • Needlework
  • Bath & Body
  • Party Ideas
  • Candle Making
  • DIY Weddings
  • Not Craft
  • Free Craft Projects

Copyright © 2026 · CraftGossip | Start Here | Contact Us | Link to Us | Your Editors | Privacy and affiliate policy