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Yarn Shop Launches Kickstarter for KnitTV

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Ram Wools KnitTV KickstarterThe Ram Wools Yarn Cooperative in Winnipeg has launched a Kickstarter to raise funding for what it calls KnitTV, which would be an open-source, free collection of knitting and crochet tutorials made with the learner in mind.

The yarn shop owners have talked to their customers about what they like and don’t like about videos that are out there now and plan to make their videos different in that they won’t have introductory materials before diving into the tutorial, they will include tight shots of only hands with lots of repetition and they’ll go slow for ease in learning. They also plan to include written materials on the site so you can print out instructions to take with you.

The company is seeking $4,633 (a strangely specific amount) to help pay for setting up a studio and purchase equipment, as well as for the labor needed to set up and maintain the website. The hope is that it will be able to launch in January.

The Kickstarter runs through Aug. 18, and rewards include hand lotion, tote bags, yarn and other goodies. Check it out if this sounds interesting to you!

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Comments

  1. Kickstarter is converting Canadian dollars to US dollars. RamWools goal is $6000 CAD.

  2. No offense, but why cant they just do it from YouTube like everyone else? I mean, Jenny Doan used her own store and supplies until she had made enough from that to get a studio. And the website is free. Just my thoughts.

  4. Thanks for the mention on your site. We really appreciate it! Kim, our videos will be on YouTube, too. That’s the most popular spot. We also want to have printable materials on the site and other goodies.

Have you read?

Knit a Linen Stitch Hot Pad

Linen stitch is one of my favorite knitting stitch patterns that, every time I use it in a project, I think about how I don’t use it often enough. 

It’s an easy stitch to make, with slip stitches done with the yarn held to the front of the work on the right/front side and to the back on the wrong/back side, which makes the strand of yarn a visible part of the pattern. 

It also makes a fabric that is thick and looks kind of like a woven fabric.

I recently used linen stitch to make a double-thick pot holder, which I worked in a kind of interesting way. I didn’t want to have to do any sewing on the project, so I started it from a crochet cast on and picked up stitches from the side of the cast on to make the hot pad all in one piece in the round with the edge sealed. 

This requires working on two circular needles, which is another technique I don’t use that often and am always reminded how much I like it when I do. 

The combination of double thickness and the stitch pattern makes for a hot pad that’s already pretty thick, but I also added a bit of old towel to the inside before I closed up the end to make it super thick and extra protective for your surfaces. 

I found the engineering challenge of this construction method to be a lot of fun, but you could also just knit it as a tube (casting on twice as many stitches as I did) and sew up the ends by hand when the knitting is done. Either way you’ve got a useful and pretty addition to your kitchen, whether you work it in a solid color, stripes or as a stash busting project will all your cotton odd balls. 

You can grab the pattern over at Our Daily Craft, or check it out on Ravelry. 

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