This week, Jenny and Stacey chat about what is on every knitter and crocheter's mind this time of the year - holiday crafting! Both Jenny and Stacey share a list of their favorite knit and crochet designs for the holiday season. Find out what makes or breaks a project when it comes to crafting for the holidays and what go-to books are a must have for any knitter or crocheter this holiday season.
In honor of the 200th Knit Picks podcast, Kelley revisits one of her favorite episodes from the very beginning – deserted island knitting. Back in 2007, Kelley used this idea of being stranded on a deserted island to create her list of must-have knitting supplies. To start, Kelley shares two of her favorite blogs whose stories come awfully close to Kelley’s deserted island scenario. Both The Sailing Knitter and Island and North Country Life are blogs that follow the lives of two women traveling ...
Not ready to let go of your summer knitting just yet? Keep your lace projects inspired with this week’s podcast as Kelley chats with designer Anna Dalvi, author of the books Shaping Shawls and Ancient Egyptian Lace & Color . Anna talks about her love of shawls, her design process, and shares a few of her favorite mythological stories that inspired her designs.
This bonus Halloween episode is full of adorably scary projects! First, Stacey talks with Anna Hrachovec of Mochimochi Land about her newest book Super-Scary Mochimochi . This latest collection of patterns still highlights the cute and clever knitted tiny toys that Anna is known for, but with a scary and creepy twist! Hear all about Anna's design process for this book, what some of her favorite patterns are, her inspiration for the designs, along with fun behind-the-scenes stories. Next up, Stac...
In this week's podcast episode, Kelley gets a chance to talk with designer Audrey Knight about her newest book Reversible Scarves ! Audrey began knitting in 2004 and quickly began exploring the world of designing. Hear all about her transition from knitter to knitwear designer, and how she came up for the idea for her book which features reversible patterns that are sure to "cure the wrong side blues" as Audrey says. Kelley walks through each chapter of the book, and chats with Audrey about the ...
This week, take a tour of Scandinavia as you hear all about Kerin's inspiration for Northern Lights , a new collection of patterns inspired by the region and its cultures that are steeped in a rich history of knitting. Featuring six stunning patterns, Kerin walks you through the traditions of Norway, Iceland, Finland, Denmark, the Faroe Islands, and Sweden as she shares the stories and ideas behind each of the patterns. Naturally, Kerin put her special twist on each of the patterns by melding th...
Always on the lookout for new and interesting ways to use technology to organize her fiber life, Kelley shares her enthusiasm for a handful of knitting apps! Kelley reviews three apps for android users that help you stay on track throughout your knitting project and keep you connected to your Ravelry account - no matter where you might find yourself knitting! Kelley first reviews Ravulous, a handy app that links to your Ravelry account so you can manage your stash, search through patterns, and u...
Kelley and Alison sit down to chat about all of the exciting new things that have been happening around the office - in particular, all of the wonderful new yarns available for fall! First up is Palette, our fingering weight colorwork yarn that is now up to 150 colors! A staple yarn of the Knit Picks family, Kelley reminisces about the debut of Palette and how it first debuted with 30 colors. Next, Kelley and Alison introduce a yarn line new to Knit Picks this fall - Galileo! Hear all about this...
This week, Kelley gets a chance to catch up with designer Mary Scott Huff. One look through her book The New Stranded Colorwork and you can clearly see that Mary's passion is definitely colorwork knitting. Which is exactly why she's the perfect person to write a book of the techniques for color knitting! Her new book Teach Yourself Visually Color Knitting highlights Mary's expertise on the subject alongside clear, concise images that will help new knitters learn to master colorwork. Kelley talks...
In this week's episode, Kelley chats about her love of cowls! In addition to covering a brief history of the cowl, Kelley talks about several different varieties of designs that are based in the basic cowl shape - including neckwarmers, infinite scarves, and other styles that experiment with unique ways of closing the loop. This allows designers even more creative freedom in order to come up with even more fun ways to wear cowls. And of course, Kelley also mentions that cowls are the ideal way f...
This week, Kelley shares her excitement for finding the perfect summer bag! Finding the ideal summer bag or tote for your knitting can be a hard task and not only depends on how you will be using the bag, but also what kinds of projects you are looking to carry with you. Kelley reviews a variety of her favorite Namaste bags to help make your search a bit easier. Next, Kelley shares her favorite books that are not just wonderful reference books for experienced knittres, but are also perfect for h...
This week is all about our new summer yarns! Kelley chats with Jenny about two new additions to our line of special reserve yarns – Preciosa and Bare Hare. In addition to gushing over the softness of each and the amazing, saturated colors of Preciosa, Kelley and Jenny chat about tips for working with these new yarns and fun project possibilities. And if lace is your go-to summer project, Kelley and Jenny review new color additions to our selection of lace yarns including Alpaca Cloud, Shadow, Sh...
This week, Jenny chats with designer Nora Bellows, author of the new book Noni Flowers! Hear all about how Nora's family, gardening, and flowers have influenced her process and designs, in addition to how Nora made the transition from teaching college classes to designing knitting patterns. Nora also reveals a behind-the-scenes look into the process of writing her book, how she began designing the collection of knitted flowers, and what sparked the idea for creating the unique photography of the...
Afterthought pockets and heels are exactly what you might expect them to be - pockets and heels that are worked after the fact. This week, Kelley delves into the afterthought technique, explores its many different uses for this trick, and covers the basics of how to work an afterthought heel. Next, Kelley shares her favorite form of entertainment while knitting - audiobooks, of course! Kelley chats about her love of all things audiobooks, including Audible and her favorite narrators and titles. ...
Kelley catches up with designer Kathleen Taylor to talk about all things fair isle! As author of the book Fearless Fair Isle Knitting, Kathleen Taylor chats with Kelley in depth about the different techniques for successful fair isle knitting in addition to common mistakes and issues that newcomers to fair isle might encounter. Kathleen truly has a fearless approach to fair isle knitting and has honed in her techniques specifically for knitters new to fair isle through years of teaching. Also, h...
This week we bring you another bonus mini-episode of the Knit Picks podcast! Stacey gets a chance to catch up with designer Allyson Dykuizen, who began designing under the name "Sweatshop of Love." After spending some time teaching and designing, Allyson decided to broaden her design skills by creating Holla Knits - a collaborative collection between designers that focuses on a young, fresh, and modern aesthetic. Hear more about the designers and ideas behind Holla Knits as well as how Allyson b...
As the days get both longer and warmer, more and more cotton yarns have been coming to mind for warm weather projects. This week, Kelley catches up with Alison to review the variety of cotton yarns that are available through Knit Picks! Get inspired for your next summer project as Kelley and Alison discuss the different properties, characteristics and uses for Knit Picks cotton yarns. Not only will this mini crash-course in cotton yarns help you pick out the right yarn for your next project, you...
In this week's episode, Kelley reunites with author and designer, Hunter Hammersen, to chat about her latest book - The Knitter's Curiosity Cabinet. Similar to her first book Silk Road Socks which features sock patterns based on oriental rugs, Hunter shares her inspiration for creating a collection of designs inspired by curiosity cabinets. Hunter not only chats with Kelley about just what exactly a curiosity cabinet is - but also how they inspired her new book and how she was able to translate ...
This week, we bring you an extra special, bonus mini-episode of the Knit Picks Podcast! Alison catches up with designer Joan of Dark (aka Toni Carr), author of the new book Knits for Nerds! Hear all about the process and inspiration behind this collection of knitting patterns that your inner nerd will adore. Joan also reveals a few fun facts behind the book, Knits for Nerds and shares details behind a few of her favorite designs.
This week, Jenny gets a chance to catch up with Knit Picks designer Kerin to talk about the newest eBook Rocky Shores! Filled with traditional designs with a modern twist, the eBook includes patterns for the women's garments, a men's vest, a wrap and a purse. Hear all about the design process, inspiration, and challenges that Kerin was faced with as she goes through and talks about each of the featured designs - a must listen for fans of knitting history and traditional techniques!
With spring just around the corner, there are lots of new yarns popping up here at Knit Picks! First, Alison chats with Jenny about all of the fun that was had while developing the fifteen new colors of Chroma. Hear all about the colors that almost didn't make the cut, how they were saved and which shades are quickly becoming staff favorites. Next up on the list of new yarns is Aloft! Jenny and Stacey chat about why they just can't make up their minds and choose a favorite of Aloft's five new co...
This week, Kelley gets inspired by stashbusting! As Kelley organizes and sorts through her stash, she imagines the possibilities that go beyond one-skein projects and instead, combine several leftover yarns together for a bit of springtime stashbusting. Next, Kelley reviews several patterns that she found while browing around Ravelry by search for "stash" and "stashbusting". She reviews some of her favorite patterns that she stumbled across, all of which make the most of using up many yarns toge...
Love the look of lace but intimidated by the techniques? Let Kelley guide you through the process of knitting lace as she goes over the quirks of lace knitting in addition to tips and tricks for successful lace projects. Next, Kelley chats about one of her favorite things to do while knitting or spinning - listening to audiobooks! Kelley gives an overview of audible, an audiobook service, as well as several reviews of recently completed audiobooks she has enjoyed listening to while crafting. Fin...
Last weekend Alisha, Stacey, and Jenny attended The National Needlearts Association winter show held in Phoenix, Arizona. This industry trade show is put on several times a year and lets venders, yarn shop owners, and designers connect with each other as well as find new and exciting yarns and accessories. As much as we enjoyed the warm weather and sunshine, we also loved chatting with all of the friends that stopped by our booth! While being around so many wonderful designers, Jenny was able to...
Kelley talks about one of her favorite things – sock knitting! Listen along as Kelley shares all of the reasons why socks make the perfect travel companion. Kelley also offers words of advice and encouragement for those new to sock knitting. Next, Kelley follows up her chat on socks with three wonderful book reviews – The Knitter’s Book of Socks by Clara Parks, Sock Knitting Master Class by Ann Budd, and Socks a la Carte Colorwork by Jonelle Raffino and Katherine Cade. Finally, Kelley catches yo...
Kelley shares the story of Knit Picks and how the company first began through the evolution of product development from selecting the first yarn lines to developing new needles and tools to enhance your fiber craft. Continuing with the theme of product development, Alison chats with Teri about the newest Knit Picks yarn, Brava ! Teri has wool allergies that make it impossible for her to enjoy all of the lovely natural fibers available at Knit Picks, which is exactly why she was so excited throug...
This week, Alison gets a chance to chat with Alasdair Post Quinn, author of the new book, Extreme Double Knitting! Know for his innovative spin on double knitting, Alasdair's patterns show off color and double knitting in unique and creative ways. Hear all about how Alasdair first got into knitting, what drew him to double knitting, and the chain of events brought about the idea for a book on double knitting. After working on his book for the last few years, Alasdair is currently focusing his cr...
This week, Kelley talks about the other half of her fiber life - creating handspun yarn with a spinning wheel! Hear all about Kelley's advice for those new to spinning with a spindle or a wheel in addition to all of the possibilities you can create by making your own yarn! Kelley also reviews the books, Learn to Spin by Anne Field, and Color in Spinning, by Deb Menz. Next, Kelley talks about all of the wonderful fiber options you have for spinning and reviews several Knit Picks roving blends. Fi...
This week, Kelley chats with Kim about her newfound love of colorwork knitting and all fo the fun projects she has been creating using this technique. Next up, Kelley reviews the books, Exploring Color in Knitting by Sarah Hazell and Emma King as well as Mastering Color Knitting by Melissa Leapman, both of which are helpful resources for any colorwork knitting project. Kelley also shares a helpful tool for colorwork knitting that you can take with you no matter where you go - Color Snap! This is...
This week, Kelley catches up with Hannah Fettig of Knitbot and Alana Dakos of Never Not Knitting, authors of the new book Coastal Knits! A collaboration between two good friends who just happen to live on opposite sides of the country, Hannah and Alana created a collection of patterns that are inspired by the coasts that they reside on. Hear all about the long-distance teamwork of these two designers and how they made Coastal Knits a reality in just under one years time.
