NYC Knitters: Check Out Vogue Knitting Live!

If you’re a knitter in the New York area you might want to consider paying a visit to Vogue Knitting Live when it opens its doors at the New York Marriott Marquis from Jan. 17 to 19. This star-studded event is sure to be a lot of fun.

Celebrity names like New York Times bestselling author Barbara Kingsolver; face of Reebok’s yoga lifestyle line and best-selling author named “Yoga Rebel” by the New York Times, Tara Stiles; Project Runway designer Suede; and renowned M.D.s and authors of The Creativity Cure: How to Build Happiness With Your Own Two Hands, Dr. Carrie Barron and Dr. Alton Barron will give classes, keynote speeches and demos for all to enjoy. The event also includes:

• A marketplace featuring thousands of products with interesting hard-to-find fibers like possum, yak, qiviut and buffalo, accessories, patterns and more
• Couture fashion shows spotlighting today’s latest fashions and colors
• An inspirational knit art gallery with fun items like Mochimochi Land’s knitted toys
• Hundreds of classes, workshops and demos for all skill levels taught by industry celebrities
• Raffles ans giveaways
• Free knit and crochet lessons and technique-driven demos
• Celebrity book signings
• Exclusive gala dinner and cocktail party events

Tickets are available online or at the door, with one-day marketplace tickets going for $15 online and $20 at the door; two-day marketplace tickets are $20 online and $25 at the door. Kids under 12 are free, students save $5 on admission and $15 on classes.

One of these days I’m actually going to make it to one of these events, but in the meantime I’d love a report if any of you attend or have gone to one in the past!

Next Pattern:

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.

Next Pattern:

Have you read?

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