Do you wince when you see someone "acting" knitting or crochet in a TV show or movie? A needle or hook is stabbed randomly at a piece that up to that point has been beautifully produced by someone who knows what they are doing. The random stabbing is accompanied by some yarn pulling or waving,… Continue reading Good knitting on TV and in the movies
At this time of year, we are more likely to turn to yarns with cotton, bamboo or linen fibres for their light airy qualities. However, the characteristics of these fibres that give the yarns these qualities can give us problems if we don’t care for them properly. The biggest issue with washing garments using these… Continue reading Caring for your summer knits
I don’t know about you but bright yellows make me smile. It is a mood lifting colour so as it is one of the shadess of the season we are set for a very cheerful summer. And it isn’t just us and the fashion magazines that love yellow this year. Two of the most memorable… Continue reading Sunshine yellow yarn for summer
We regularly talk about knitting groups on this blog. We are big fans of knitters and crocheters meeting to craft together, share knowledge or just to squish each other’s yarn. Groups can be merely social or come together for a major project or to focus on creating items for charity. But it isn’t just us… Continue reading Why your GP might recommend a knitting group
The UK Hand Knitting team are big fans of knitting in public. Wherever we are, if there is a chance for a sit down (or even a wall to lean on), it is likely a project or two will appear - and we are really happy to chat to people about what we're doing. So… Continue reading Get ready to knit in public
The last few sunny days have made us put away the big woolly projects in favour of small items and cotton yarns, avoiding that lap blanket insulation some projects create. One good option for warmer weather knitting and crochet is to make children's and baby items which are also quick makes so will be ready… Continue reading Inspirations – summer style for kids
Following on from our look at instructions like “at the same time” or “on every following”, this time we are going to give you some tips for dealing with the term “evenly”. Increasing evenly You occasionally still find this instruction in new patterns but it is more common in older ones. You will be asked… Continue reading Don’t be tripped up by pattern instructions – part 2
Yarn Shop Day 2018 on Saturday 12 May is set to be a wonderful celebration of the importance of bricks and mortar yarn stores to the knitting and crochet community. Where would we be without our local yarn shops? Not only are they the places where crafters can explore the range of yarn available, compare… Continue reading Support your local yarn shop this May
With the arrival of a new member of the royal family, babies and baby knits are coming up in conversation. We are fans of knitting for babies for several reasons. A gift were you have thought about the style and colour choices of individuals and taken the time to make something individual is generally greatly… Continue reading Baby patterns fit for a prince
We are always on the look out for knitting and crochet problems that you need help with and several people have asked our advice on making sure they understand pattern instructions correctly. We’ve picked out a few instructions that can trip people up. “Decrease on every” This instruction (and similar ones of increases) are quite… Continue reading Don’t be tripped up by pattern instructions – part 1
