Learn How to Knit without Looking, Just Like Nicholas Hoult

Much to my geeky husband’s chagrin, I’m not at all interested in the new “Mad Max” movie, and I hadn’t been paying attention to any of the press surrounding it until I saw this story in which actor Nicholas Hoult declares his knitting prowess by saying he doesn’t even have to look when he knits any more.

Hoult told a German magazine that costar Charlize Theron taught him how to knit.

“There are even a few photos of me in leather pants and war paint, knitting. I’d get really mad if I lost my place,” he said. “These days, I don’t even have to look down anymore. By the end of the year I’d made some knitted Christmas presents. And: I was much better than Tom Hardy,” another star in the movie.

Apparently, he knit before, as this story from 2013 explains, but he says he gave it up though he was “obsessed” for a time. Welcome back, sir.

If you want to knit as well as Hoult, it’s not really that difficult to knit simple things without looking. Elizabeth Zimmermann put it better than I ever could in her book, Knitting Around, so I’ll let her explain:

What? You can’t knit in the dark?
Stuff and nonsense; anybody can. Shut your eyes. Knit one stitch. Open your eyes and look at the stitch; it’s all right. Shut your eyes and knit two stitches. Open them. Shut them. Knit three stitches. Falling off a log is no comparison.

And once you can knit without paying much attention, you can knit while watching TV and movies. Though maybe not “Mad Max.” I hear it’s pretty intense.

Do you look at what you’re doing when you knit? Have any tips for knitting without looking?

[Photo via Xpose.ie]

Looking for more Christmas themed Knitting patterns? Check out some of our favorite Knitting patterns on Etsy and

These Christmas Knitting Pattern Books on Amazon

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Blankets are a great blank slate project that you can change up in a million different ways. From color to stitch pattern to size, the possibilities are almost endless.

Jared Flood, the designer behind Brooklyn Tweed, was inspired by a log cabin quilt his mother made in 1995 to re-create that design in knitting, which led to more blankets and ultimate Brooklyn Tweed’s Knit and Crochet Blankets, which includes 25 patterns from an array of designers using different skills and techniques to make cozy, pretty blankets.

The patterns are divided into three aesthetic themes: traditions, minimalism and colorplay. The patterns are rated on a scale of one to five, with one being the easiest, and there aren’t any pieces rated five. Two blankets are rated one, 14 are two, eight are three and one is four.

In addition, three of the 25 patterns are crocheted, but they either use single crochet or granny stitch, so they are pretty easy even if you don’t do a lot of crochet. You can see all the patterns on Ravelry.

Some of my favorites include Rattan by Rastus Hsu, a chunky blanket worked in knits and purls with simple crossing stitches to make a raised woven look; Homewood by Seth Richardson, covers in dramatic, loopy cables; Ainur Berkimbayeva’s Tessellate, one of the beginner projects that doesn’t really look beginner but is totally worked in knit and purl stitches; Warp + Weft by Aist? Butkevi?ien?, which is mostly knits and purls but makes a fun woven look fabric that blew my mind a little bit; and the same designer’s Canyonland, a multicolored blanket with wavy stripes.

The patterns tell you how to resize them for different dimensions and include information on pattern repeats where it is possible to make a totally custom size.

Many different techniques are included here such as cables, lace, shadow knitting, intarsia and other colorwork techniques, as well as modular knitting and lots of sewing pieces together. The patterns are all presented with charts, but there are line by line written instructions available on the Brooklyn Tweed website if you need them.

The book ends with a deep dive into log cabin knitting, telling the story of the quilt Jared’s mom made and how he made it in knitting, as well as the multitude of variations you can make if you want your own log cabin style design.

The back of the book includes a little written information about some of the special techniques needed, but there are no photos.

This is a lovely book full of inspiration for knitting and crochet blankets for any skill level. If you like to make blankets as gifts or aspire to have a handmade blanket in every room of the house, these designs would be a great place to start.

About the book: 192 pages, paperback, 25 patterns. Published 2024 by Abrams Books, suggested retail price $24.99.

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