Knitting

Patterns, projects and techniques

Win a $150 Prize Package from Red Heart

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red heart tip junkie prize packageTip Junkie is giving away a prize package from Red Heart worth $150, which I expect some of you will want to check out. Anneliese from Aesthetic Nest recently stopped by Tip Junkie to share a scarf pattern and tutorial for working with the company’s new Red Heart Boutique Ribbons yarn, and it looks really cool.

I put a note in the comments, but people keep commenting as if I’m giving this away, so I wanted to make it clear that I am not. Got to Tip Junkie’s website (it’s the first link above) to enter, OK? Thanks!

The prize package includes six skeins of that yarn (ooh, Christmas presents!) as well as two of Sashay and three of Unforgettable. There’s also a yarn cutter pendant, a crochet hook and a pair of knitting needles, a book on learning to crochet and a year’s subscription to Crochet Today! magazine, all loaded up in a Red Heart tote. We’ll ignore the focus on crochet things and use this stuff to knit, right?

To enter, leave a comment on the post linked above by July 31. Extra entries can be earned for likes on Facebook and tweeting about the event. This looks like some fun yarn, and who doesn’t love free? Good luck!

[Photo by Red Heart via Tip Junkie.]

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Comments

  2. Oooooh, this prize sounds absolutely amazing!!! I’m dying to teach myself how to crochet and this prize would be so helpful, I would love to win it!!!!!!

  3. I love knitting and have been wanting to learn how to crochet! This kit would be very helpful with starting out!

  4. I’m a knitter who wants to learn how to crochet. I live in Germany and would love to try some RED HEART yarn, which I can’t get here.

  6. Knitting, crocheting, embroidery, needlepoint, all taught to me by my mom. So necessary to pass these skills on to the next generations. Now sharing with some of my curious friends and their children. It would be wonderful to have a beautiful variety of yarns to teach with.

  12. I would love to win this and share with my mother, she loves crochet and knitting – just love all those colors, I can see me making gifts for everyone – thanks for the chance to win!

  18. Winter is coming and would be great to win! Thanks for the chance to win this wonderful givaway!

  19. I am absolutely addicted to cross stitch and crocheting. Nothing like completing a project, and feeling pride in your work. This prize package would enable me to keep the fingers ‘nimble’ and my heart warm!

  20. School is about to be back in session and I will need to get my knitting going to “de-stress.” This looks like a great gift package to get several projects underway!

Have you read?

Knit a Garter Stitch Blanket with a Twist

When I first started knitting again after a long absence from the craft (which has now been almost 25 years ago!) I really didn’t like garter stitch that much. I found it super boring, somehow even more boring than knitting stockinette stitch in the round, even though it’s exactly the same thing.

Over the years I’ve softened my opinion, and even grown to like garter stitch. There’s nothing wrong with being plain, and actually the texture of garter stitch is more interesting than stockinette.

Also there are fun things you can do with garter stitch to make it more interesting if you want to, such as adding stripes, working on the bias, or doing fun effects to change the look.

That’s the way with the Bernat Twist My Way Garter Knit Blanket. Using combinations of casting on and binding off creates what they call a Swiss cheese effect along two sides of the blanket. This is a lot of fun in the self-striping ombre yarn they chose for the pattern, but it would also be fun in a solid color or making your own stripes.

Despite the dramatic effect, this pattern is rated easy. It’s worked from side to side (if you consider the “cheesy” edges the top and bottom) and has an eight-row repeat that involves binding off and then casting on again to make the holes. They’re kind of like giant buttonholes.

Once you get the hang of it it’s a pretty easy repeat to remember, and it will be smooth knitting as big as you want to make it.

You can download this pattern from the Yarnspirations website for free, or you can buy a kit direct from them that includes the yarn you need (and knitting needles if you need those, too). Bernat Sport Ombre Twist, which is what is used in the pattern, comes in 12 self patterning colors and is a DK weight acrylic yarn.

[Photo: Yarnspirations]