Knit Picks' Podcast

How do we develop a yarn line? Well, if you asked Bob, it would involve a large dartboard and about 200 darts. The truth is that I’ve never been very good at playing darts. The reality is a fine balance of economics and knitting enthusiasm. Much like what every knitter faces every time they choose yarn for a new project.

Vicki Square is quite a world traveler when it comes to appreciating our knitting heritage. Two of her books, Folk Bags and Folk Hats, make up an armchair tour of countries that many of us only dream of visiting. In her most recent book, Knit Kimono, Vicki shares her discovery of how beautifully the shape of kimonos provides a blank canvas for the talents of every knitter from rank beginner to long-time fiber addict.   

Dropped stitches cause much more anxiety than they deserve. First, they are actually very easy to fix. Second, they can help you fix other mistakes that have absolutely nothing to do with dropped stitches in their “error? persona.   

Decreasing is an essential part of knitting a garment that fits well.

Short rows add extra rows of knitting to help you shape your garment just the way you want.

You don’t have to spend a lot of money to get started knitting. And, if you are on a tight budget, there are several ways you can continue knitting a variety of projects.

The more people we teach to knit, the more friends we have and the better the world will be for everyone! I have my own little tricks for gathering new knitters around me and teaching them the joys of making one stitch after another.

What is the deal with skeins, hanks and balls of yarn? Believe it or not, there is logic behind each of these different types of “put ups? as they are called by the spinning mills.

This week we will have our second installment of author interviews. With us for Episode 16 is the delightful Ann Budd. A master knitter, author of numerous books and former editor of Interweave Knits... Ann has done it all! Ann's latest book is a comprehensive look at sock construction, gauge, design and execution.

Several of my friends were freeing themselves of neglected and guilt-inspiring projects this week. It got me thinking about how to handle those knit garments we enthusiastically cast on and then lose interest in for some reason. So often we keep them around with the vain hope that we will fall in love with them again. But, I don’t think that ever really happens. Rather than let your energy be drained by these dead-end projects, get rid of them!! It is so liberating and then you can go on to knit something you truly love.

I use several tricks to make my knitting projects as simple as possible. The key is to break down the stitch count into small manageable pieces so that I can spot a mistake quickly. And, it makes it much easier to carry even complicated knitting along with me without worrying about losing my place in the pattern.

Now that I’ve gotten comfortable with podcasting, I want to jazz up the format a bit by occasionally featuring interviews with fellow fiber enthusiasts. To get us started, Shannon Okey agreed to be my very first guest. Shannon has an inventive and confident attitude towards all things fiber. Her articles at Knitty.com on hand spinning, dyeing fibers in your dishwasher, and fiber festivals are entertaining and stimulating. 

This week I want to talk about one of my all time favorite techniques – steeking. I know there are a lot of knitters who have absolutely no idea what steeking means and others who do know but are terrified of it. Let me give you an outline of how handy steeks can be for knitting in hopes of convincing you to give them a try. Knitting Around by Elizabeth Zimmermann will give you instructions for several ways to use this handy technique.

This week I would like to introduce you to Carissa Barrett, our Educational Content Developer. I like to think of her as our In-House Reference Librarian. Not a far leap for Carissa because she has a degree in library science. She is responsible for all of the informational material you find in The Knitting Room and in our catalogs.

There are so many things happening in my knitting world. I have a plan to kickstart my dyeing agenda. It sure helps to break things down into small pieces and try something completely unique. Unexpected lessons I learned at the Black Sheep Gathering help me choose gift projects with a good chance of turning into something that will truly be appreciated. The Knitterâ??s Almanac Knit-A-Long has gotten off to an energetic start. I am so pleased with my renewed enthusiasm for knitting!

What to do when you are in a knitting slump? After blaming my attitude on a messy house and disorganized yarn stash, I finally came up with an idea that will keep me focused, challenged and knitting for the next year. I will be working through the projects in Elizabeth Zimmermann's Knitter's Almanac beginning with the month of July. If you'd like to knit along with me or just observe, please join the Yahoo group that I created here: Elizabeth's_Year

Let's get out and share the joy of knitting by taking every opportunity to Knit In Public! Every time you pull out your needles you invite people to ask questions and maybe be inspired to give knitting a try themselves. And, you're bound to finish more projects by taking advantage of all that extra time!

This week I would like you to meet Kim Cameron. She is our Inventory Manager who focuses on books and DVDs. Kim loves all sorts of crafts and has been looking forward to sharing a few of her adventures with you. After that, I'll be catching you up on my knitting progress and chat a bit about ribbing.

This week I would like you to meet Diedre Hess. She is our Inventory Manager. Diedre’s love of fiber began on her family’s farm right here in the Pacific Northwest. Her interest in sheep husbandry eventually led her to knitting. We are lucky to have such a well-trained person helping to design yarns and keep track of their travels as they come to us from far away vendors.

Have you ever had the experience of another knitter telling you that you were knitting "wrong"? Well, a listener asked me to talk about the differences between English vs. Continental knitting and it brought back memories of my own encounters with dogmatic knitters. I decided to use the comparison of knitting styles as a way to highlight knitters' individuality and encourage you to embrace whatever method works for you.