Knitting

Free Patterns, Tutorials and Project Ideas

When Bad Things Happen…Book Review

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When bad things happen to good knitters:
This book is a complete survival guide for first-time knitters – and more experienced knitters – who need help in the middle of the night with project errors.

Call them knitting nanas, call them knitting fairy godmothers, authors Marion Edmonds and Ahza Moore are here to hold your hand and tell you everything is going to be all right. Whether your knitting pattern appears to have been written in Aramaic, you’ve dropped a stitch (or a whole bag full of stitches), you’ve forgotten to increase, you’ve been knitting in the wrong pattern sequence for 4 rows, or you can’t get your head through the neck hole of your newly knit sweater, Marion and Ahza will give you level-headed advice on what to fix, how to fix it, and when you can just fudge it. With 119 years of knitting experience between them, they’ve seen it all and fixed it all. For beginners and more experienced knitters alike (the more experienced you are, the more elaborate the mistake), When Bad Things Happen to Good Knitters should be in every knitter’s yarn bag.

About the Author
Between them, Marion Edmonds and Ahza Moore have 119 years of knitting experience. As partners in KnittingTogetherNYC, they have made knitting their livelihood, giving private knitting lessons and teaching at SoHo’s Purl yarn store. They contributed patterns to Last-Minute Knitted Gifts by Joelle Hoverson and develop patterns for magazines. This is their first book.

source: Amazon.com

Have you read?

Free Knitted Crown Pattern for Kids and Adults: A Sweet Handmade Dress-Up Idea

There’s something wonderfully charming about a knitted crown. It’s playful, useful for the dress-up basket, and just the sort of small project that gives a leftover ball of yarn a proper purpose. Much better than letting it roll around the cupboard for another three years.

This free knitted crown pattern for kids and adults combines a simple garter-stitch band with shaped triangular points. The mustard-gold colour gives it that storybook crown look, although pink, purple or woodland green would be equally lovely.

A Manageable Next Step for Beginner Knitters

The construction is the appealing part of this design. Everything is knitted flat, so you won’t need double-pointed needles or experience joining stitches in the round.

You knit the band first, then work each crown point separately over a group of 12 stitches. Paired decreases gradually narrow each triangle, giving you a small, repeatable section to concentrate on.

I’d describe this as a confident beginner knitting project. You’ll need to know how to knit, work two types of decreases, hold unused stitches and sew a simple seam. There are several yarn tails to weave in, so a little patience with finishing will help.

Three Sizes With Room to Personalise

The pattern includes three sizes, with seven, eight or nine crown points. Choose by the wearer’s head measurement rather than age, and check your gauge carefully. Yarn stretch will make a noticeable difference to the fit.

For birthdays, an embroidered initial would be a sweet finishing touch. Contrasting yarn diamonds could suggest little jewels without adding hard embellishments.

What to Know Before Casting On

This is a soft knitted crown, so expect gentle points rather than a rigid costume accessory. A springy wool or wool-blend yarn should give the shaping more support than a very drapey yarn.

The stitch calculations have been checked, but the design has not yet been sample-knitted. The accompanying image is an illustrative mockup, so the finished texture and proportions may vary with your yarn and tension.

For a small handmade birthday accessory or a cheerful addition to the dress-up box, this is an appealing idea. And if an adult needs a matching crown for supervising the royal household, the larger size has that covered too.