Big knits are, well, big this winter. From influencers and celebrities appearing in Hope Macaulay’s giant jumpers – handmade by knitters in Northern Ireland – to the fab knitwear sported by Claudia Winkleman on The Traitors, the bigger is clearly the better. TV star Zara McDermott in a Hope Macaulay sweater and Claudia Winkleman shows… Continue reading Cast on some super-chunky style
We have launched more patterns to help support our work in promoting yarns shops and encouraging people to knit and crochet. There are cosy accessories like the purple set above (pattern 254) and snuggly ponchos (253) and cute heart sweaters (252). Other new leaflets include a crocheted hat and mitts set, and a knitted blanket with… Continue reading Cosy and cute new UKHKA patterns
There are lots of lovely thick yarns around and it is honestly easy to make a hat in a couple of evenings. We even know of one knitter who made three superchunky hats in a day last winter when overseas visitors turned up without sufficient cold weather clothing. You’ll find plenty of simple superchunky hat… Continue reading Knit a hat in a day
Who wants to have some fun with colour? The colour block and asymmetric stripe trends are perfect for knitting given the wide range of yarn shades out there and because you can adapt sweaters and cardigans to add colour sections. There are some great patterns out there – we’ve picked a few to inspire you… Continue reading Express yourself with colour blocks
I don't understand charts. Where do I start? Charts are simply another way of providing knitting instructions and if they are well drawn they should to some extent be a diagram of how your knitting should look. The most straightforward charts to understand are those for colourwork. Each square on the chart represents a stitch… Continue reading Ask the yarn doctors: Knitting from charts
A knitted tank top or vest with jeans is the stylish look going into autumn according to the fashion mags – check out this piece about model Kendal Jenner from Harpers Bazaar (ignore the fact they can’t tell knitting from crochet). You could start wearing tops like these by themselves and then add a tee… Continue reading Look on trend with a knitted tank top
One question that regularly comes to the Yarn Doctors is about different patterns using different abbreviations for cables. There are several styles of notation for creating cables which can seem confusing but, despite this, the actual way of making cables remains the same. All cable instructions ask you to put a certain number of stitches… Continue reading Decoding cable patterns
Summer knitting is always a topic for debate. Some people think that working with yarn is a cold weather only activity while others of us wouldn’t be without our needles and hooks regardless of what the thermometer says. That said, casting on an over-sized chunky cardigan may not be the ideal option for a sunny… Continue reading Summer accessory knitting
We recently showed you some of the fantastic recycled yarns on the market, but you can also use your crafting skills to reduce the amount of single-use items you consume. One of the most famous eco-knitting projects is to create “plarn” (plastic yarn) by cutting up plastic bags and then knitting or crocheting up into… Continue reading Knit and crochet to reduce waste
When the chilly weather arrives at this time of year, sometimes you want to be able to work up a new woolly in no time flat. This is when a super chunky yarn comes in very handy indeed. Super chunkies are knitted or crocheted on 10mm or 12mm needles and hooks which means your work… Continue reading Super chunky knits
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