Okay, so I know it’s June. If you’re in the northern hemisphere, mittens are probably the last thing on your mind. Especially when those mittens are knitted with that woolliest of woolly wools, Lettlopi. But let me make the case for knitting the Trinket Mittens in summer to you. They’re small. They’re fast. They’re fun. They’ll get your creative juices flowing. And, come autumn, you can pull them out with the satisfaction of the Very Prepared. And of course, for those of you in the Southern Hemisphere, High Mitten Season is fast approaching! I’ve knitted two pairs of Mary Jane Mucklestone’s Trinket Mittens (so far), so today, I’m bringing you some of the tips and tricks I’ve garnered over four fabulous mittens!
Read moreThere's more than one way to start a toe-up sock! (Crochet Provisional Cast On and Grafting Video Tutorials)
I love that my day job focusses on helping knitters learn new techniques. And I find it particularly fun when I can suggest using techniques in a way that might not be immediately obvious. Today, I’ve got a pair of video tutorials for the crochet provisional cast on and grafting, skills that you’ll use individually time and again over the course of a knitting career. But they’re also a pair that work together particularly well. I’ll dive into some of their more common uses in today’s post, but I also want to highlight a perhaps less obvious application: they make a great way to start toe-up socks if Judy’s Magic Cast on isn’t your cup of tea.
Read moreReport from the Field (Guide)
Friends, it all started innocently enough, with a scarf cast on. I had a few balls of Lopi and the newest MDK Field Guide, and the Destination Scarf was going to do double duty as a tutorial sample and a bit of relaxing telly knitting.
Read moreGetting Going with Magic Loop (Two Video Tutorials!)
Chances are, if you’ve read this blog before, you’ve heard of magic loop knitting. It’s a nifty way of using a long-ish circular needle to knit a small-ish circumference item. Now before we go any further, I’m going to level with you. I used to hate the magic loop. Many years ago, I was a knitter who found The Way I liked doing things and stuck with it, and The Way I Liked To Knit Small Circumferences was with two circular needles. I’d given magic loop a cursory try, but it felt awkward and ungainly, with kinks of cable everywhere. So I happily stuck with my totally serviceable but rather expensive habit of knitting small circumferences on two circular needles until one day, I was commuting to work on the bus, and the bamboo tip of one of my circular needles broke. I was faced with two choices: sit the rest of the bus ride without knitting or face my magic loop demons. I’m sure you can guess which one I chose.
Read moreMDK Field Guide No. 17: Lopi is Here!
Are you ready for an adventure? Travel might still be a bit of a distant dream, but hey, we’ve got our knitting needles to transport us! Fresh off the press and piled high in the online shop, we’ve got a little book that’s your ticket to an Icelandic knitting adventure: Modern Daily Field Guide No. 17: Lopi .
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