Finding the perfect summer cardie

The lovely warm weather over Easter started the UK Hand Knitting team thinking about summer cardigans. These are such a useful item in a warm weather wardrobe. Something that looks good with a range of clothing, that isn’t too warm but is comfortable when a breeze strikes up or the sun goes down and is…

Our patterns are now available through our website

For many years the UK Hand Knitting member companies have been producing knitting patterns to help support the work of the organisation promoting knitting and crochet. The patterns are available as printed leaflets through yarn shops but we know that many of you often look for patterns online. So we have updated our website to…

Time to support your local yarn shop

A good yarn shop is a fabulous thing. Some of us seek them out wherever we go in the UK or abroad. Beautifully displayed yarn, informed and informative staff (when travelling they can be a great resource on local yarn) a chance to see new patterns that might otherwise pass us by, and other knitters…

Transitional yarns for this spring

While some of us will wear knitted garments all year round it is important to find the right type of yarns for each season. Over the next few months we are likely to a have a mix of chilly days and those moments when you might just want a cardigan to pull on to go…

Knitting and Crochet in Art

There is often a debate about what creative activities are art and what are craft. Some people arbitrarily draw lines that put knitting and crochet strictly in the craft category. But as photography has proved, some pursuits can be both depending on how they are used. We’ve been on the look out for art projects…

In praise of knit-a-longs

Have you ever taken part in a knit or crochet along? We’re big fans here and think they are a great example of how online technology can be used to good effect for crafters. In a knitalong (KAL) (please mentally insert crochet if that is your preferred yarn craft), a group of people will generally…

Get cosy by joining the blanket trend

Are you knitting or crocheting a blanket? Blankets are one of the big knitting and crochet trends right now with lots of patterns and knits available. They are particularly appealing at this time of year because you get more cosy as your blanket grows. With so many blanket styles available  - striped, log cabin, patchwork,…

Top tips: Adding life lines will save knitters from a lot of stress

You most often come across the term “life line” in knitting when you are working on a lace shawl or similar but it is a technique that can help you in all sorts of knitted projects. A life line is a simple but very handy tool in your knitting life. It is an additional line…

Living coral – the colour for 2019

The colour gurus at Pantone have made their annual announcement of the Colour of the Year. This year it is the orangey pink “Living Coral”. This is a colour that they think will show up in lots of fashion and design from dresses and handbags to posters and logos over the next 12 months. The…

Have a knitting and crochet planning day

In many businesses being the person who goes into the office between Christmas and New Year can be a quite a good experience. You get peace and quiet to sort out your emails, clear out unneeded paperwork and generally prepare for the next few months. If you are off over the holiday period, you can…