Knit and crochet to reduce waste

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…

Monogamous knitting or the multi-project life

One of the great things about knitting and crochet is that we all take different approaches and enjoy different things while all still relying on the same basic stitches. What makes you happy from your yarn craft won’t necessarily be the same as your best knitting friend. And that is true of how many projects…

Count your rows accurately

We’ve come across some online discussions about counting rows recently and realised there is a lot of confusion about what or where to count so we’ve some tips to help. Count the bumps rather than the Vs If you try to count the Vs of your stitches (left in picture), you run the risk of…

Working with Bamboo and Cotton Yarns

There are some gorgeous cotton and bamboo yarns around at the moment, but how much do you know about these fibres and the best ways to work with them? It is worth knowing a little about where these yarns come from and how they are made up, so you can get the most out of…

Toy making tips

Do you knit or crochet toys? From tiny amigurumi characters to teddies in chunky as big as a toddler, making toys can be a great deal of fun and a great way to use up odd balls or leftovers of yarn. They are often greatly appreciated gifts. We know of knitted animals that have been…

The right method can revolutionise sewing up your knitting

We’ve noticed quite a few knitters commenting that although they have done lots of knitting over the past two or three months, they don’t have many finished objects. This turn out to be because they hate sewing up. When we ask why people detest sewing so much, some people say they find it boring but…

Join the men’s cable jumper trend

One of the biggest talking points from the recent Hollywood movie Knives Out was the cable sweater worn by Chris Evans which has proved a big hot despite the hole. It seems that men’s cabled jumpers are suddenly very popular as a result, so we’ve found some patterns for you to enjoy. They are all…

Love your needle stash as much as your yarn

We were asking on social media recently about how many hooks and needles people have and how they store them. The answer to the first part seemed to generally be “a lot” while the storage options included jam jars, pringle tubes, Tupperware boxes and biscuit tins as well as handmade needle rolls and special cases.…

Your best knitting advice

We recently asked on social media for the best knitting advice you’ve ever been given. Here is a selection of your replies that we think other people might find useful. If you can knit and purl, you can complete any pattern. Rebecca Field Always plan to learn from your mistakes. Mistakes will make your project…

Wrangling your yarn stash part 2 – tracking

We recently posted about ways to store your yarn but if you have a large stash it can be difficult to remember what is in it or where you have safely placed that particularly beautiful purchase. Regardless of whether you have gone down the ziplock bag, shelving or storage unit option, you need a tracking…