Knitting

Patterns, projects and techniques

Meet Knit Picks’ Newest Needle

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knit picks sunstruckI’m a big fan of the Knit Picks interchangeable knitting needles. Both the original nickel-plated Options and the wooden Harmony needles are in regular rotation in my house (so much so that there are very few of them actually in their holders right now!) and are usually the first needles I will look for when starting a new project.

Knit Picks has just announced a new member of its knitting needle family: Sunstruck, which is the same laminated birch wood as the Harmony needles, just in a blond finish. The lighter color should make it easier for you to see your stitches when you’re working with dark yarns, and they have the same quality and performance as the original Harmony needles. (They’re also available in straights and fixed circulars, but I’ve only used their interchangeables.)

I haven’t gotten a chance to check these out yet, but I’ll give you a full report as soon as I do!

[Photo by Knit Picks.]

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Comments

  1. I love my Harmonies interchangeable needles, too. I have the Options, also but I use the Harmonies the most. The different colors on the needles does make some of stitches hard to see in certain colors and yarns. I love the different colors, they are so pretty. I will have to try a pair of these.

  2. I really like my bamboo but would be eager to try yur Sunstuck needles. I have made over 125 prayer shawls for local nursing homes so I knit every day.

Have you read?

Knits with Sheep

It felt like it had been a while since I’d done a roundup of knitting patterns involving sheep, and if search is any indication, that is true. I found a roundup of patterns for knit sheep from a few years ago, but the only one with v I could find is from 2015. So it’s definitely time to revisit this fun genre of knitting patterns.

This all started with a headband. Alyssa Kaat’s Icelandic Sheep Headband (free on Ravelry) to be specific. Ravelry showed it to me as a pattern highlight and I couldn’t resist taking a closer look. It’s worked with two colors of worsted weight yarn and alternates sheep with stars around your head.

Another great sheepy headband is this one from Loch Fyne Crafts on Etsy. These sweet little sheep are worked in bulky yarn and you can make the background look like field and sky or work it in a solid color.

Or make a headband (or a hat, cowl, or all three) covered with a flock of sheep with this set of patterns from New Age Knitting CA. These pieces also use the field/sky coloring, but you can use whatever colors of worsted weight yarn you like.

Speaking of hats, there’s also the sheep hat from Lynann Knits Designs. The sample was worked in Icelandic wool to make the sheep and the hat extra fuzzy and warm, but any worsted weight yarn will work.

There’s also the Wandering Sheep hat from Kat Hudon (on Ravelry), which features a fun collection of speckled sheep that can be worked in different yarn weights to make different sizes of hats for kids and adults.

And lest you think sheep need to be knit in traditional stranded colorwork, check out the Rebel Sheep Mob blanket by Deborah Moore. This one is worked in mosaic knitting using fingering weight yarn. In mosaic knitting you’re only working with one color per row so it’s pretty easy. You can find this pattern on Ravelry.

I can’t possibly share sheep knitting patterns without mentioning the amazing Black Sheep Shadow Shawl by Mark Jamieson. Shadow knitting is a technique I want to do more of, but it involves working two rows alternating in two different colors and the pattern emerges when you look at the design from an angle. It’s so cool and the sheep on this one are amazing! It’s not a beginner project but well worth the work. You can find it on Ravelry or at the designer’s website.