Does your knitting ever grip you to the point where you can't imagine that you'll ever want to work another technique? I still remember the fever of tubular cast ons that I went through after first discovering this beautiful way of starting a 1x1 or 2x2 rib. No other edgings were contemplated for quite a while. Eventually it fades, and something else will come along to inspire and excite me, but when I'm deep in the obsession, nothing can dissuade me. I seem to be in the middle phase of helical stripe fever. I've worked obsessively on the first few projects that use the basic technique, and now I want to apply it to every other project* in grabbing distance.
Read moreHelical stripes beyond Hyacinthus
Three weeks onto A Year of Techniques and many, many Hyacinthus wrist warmers have been cast on. You will have seen a few examples in the yarn choice post from a couple of weeks ago and you can see the range of projects here.
Helical stripes aren't just for a single pattern though, so I've picked out a few from our KAL on Ravelry to highlight the range of applications.
Read moreNew things
We have added to the range of products in our shop. Have a look at what interesting and fun things we have found.
Read moreYarn choice and helical stripes
How does yarn choice affect helical striping? Read on to find out....
Read moreDoes style matter?
Jim thinks he knits inefficiently. What do you think?
Read moreHelical stripes and the Hyacinthus armwarmers
On your marks... Get set... Go!
Here is the first pattern for A Year of Techniques! We hope that you will have a ball learning how to work helical stripes, while you make these handy armwarmers. Spring is starting to be in the air here in Somerset, and around the town there are signs of bulbs poking up through the soil. Hyacinths are among my favourite spring bulbs, and the shades of this incredible Zauberball seemed to match the pot I've had on my windowsill this month. Some mornings there is still a bit of a bite in the air while I'm on the school run, or sitting working at my desk, so my Hyacinthus armwarmers are getting plenty of use. Hyacinthus is the genus name for hyacinths - when I'm not browsing Somerset villages for pattern names, my horticulture and bird books come in handy!
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