Ask the Yarn Doctors: Tips for using double pointed needles

Using double pointed needles (DPNs) are easier than many knitters imagine. Having four or even five needles on the go might seem like wrestling hedgehogs but most of the time you really only have to think about two needles and can pretty much ignore the others. With DPNs you should concentrate on the two needles…

Peach is the colour for 2024

Pantone, the colour experts, have named their colour of the year for 2024. This year they’ve gone for a classic shade – Peach Fuzz. They say this velvety gentle peach tone represents closeness and connection, and that it’s “radiant with warmth and modern elegance”. We’ve picked out some of our members’ yarns to give you…

Cast on some super-chunky style

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…

Learn at your yarn shop

Have you been thinking “new year, new yarnie skills”? If you’ve decided that now is the time to take on a new knitting or crochet challenge, your local yarn shops might be a good place to start. Whether you are looking for a formal workshop or support as you take on the big project or…

Knit a hat in a day

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…

Express yourself with colour blocks

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…

Ask the yarn doctors: Identifying mystery yarns

I want to organise the odd yarn balls in my stash but not all have labels, how can I check what yarn weight they are? There are a couple of ways you can narrow down the yarn weight of a mystery ball or skein. If you have a needle guage with holes for the different…

Ask the yarn doctors: Knitting from charts

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…

Ask the Yarn Doctors – Knitting on circular needles

I’ve only knitted on straight needles but I’m seeing more and more patterns for circularneedles. Why? And have you any tips? Historically garments have been knitted in the round all over the world but especially in Scandinavia and the Scottish Islands. It was only with the advent of modern manufacturing techniques that they have started…

Ask the Yarn Doctors: What are the best increases and decreases?

When you are deciding on which increases and decreases to use, it often depends where and on what sort of project you are using them. The simplest increase is to make a stitch by putting the yarn over your needle before working your next stitch – we’ve all done it by mistake when learning. The…