My Knitting Nook

Fun Knitting Projects, Books and Patterns

Two Color Knitting Video

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When knitting with two colors, there are several options for holding your yarn to get the best tension and speed.  This video does a good job of showing you how to hold one color in each hand, giving you the ability to knit without dropping one yarn to pick-up another.  This approach is a combination of knitting continental with one color and throwing, or flicking, with the other color.
Fair Isle knitting and knitting with color really opens-up the possibilities for you.  If you’ve been scared to try knitting with two colors, then try practicing with some swatches and you’ll see how fun this type of project can be.

Want to improve the speed and tension of your fair isle knitting? Here are a couple of tricks that I find useful.

Chatoyant Knit Vest

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This beautiful vest really has a designer flair to it.  Nothing boring, or ordinary about it.  But the beauty is that it’s still an easy pattern to knit.  So you get to work on a project that you can whip-up as a gift, or use as an on the go project.  I love the color of the yarn used in this photo.  A pretty purple yarn is a great way to add a splash of color to your outfit, and it’s the perfect choice for an Easter or spring knitting project.

Knit Vest Pattern

Updated 11/23/20: Unfortunately the original pattern I shared is no longer available, but I think that this book may offer a good alternative. I love the wrap shown on the cover.

Knitting Wrapsody eBook & Video Download

The Knitting Book

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If you’re looking for one knitting book that will be your go-to resource for questions, tutorials and instructions, then The Knitting Book by Frederica Patmore and Vicki Haffenden is a great choice.  This book is referred to as the “knitting bible”.  The book covers yarn, techniques, stitches and patterns.  A complete collection of information that allows you to create your own knitting projects and accessories for your wardrobe, or home.

The Knitting Book has an impressive 4.7 star rating and when you dig a little deeper into the reviews, it actually bumps this up to a 5-star book.  One reviewer gave the book 3 stars because as an older reader she thought that the text in the book was too hard to read.  But as far as the material included in the book, this reviewer thought that it was a beautiful book.  It just goes to show you that you sometimes need to dig a little deeper when looking at reviews, because some people take points off for things that really aren’t fair (or that may not be important to you).

The-Knitting-Book

 

What reviewers love about this book:

  • A beautiful, glossy book with tons of information
  • Covers the basics, but so much more
  • Has roughly 20 pages that cover the different methods of casting on
  • Discusses different types of yarns.  You’ll be happy with all of your projects when you choose the perfect yarn to match your needs.
  • Lots of knitting project ideas.  From hats, mittens and scarfs, to tea cosies, bags and baby gifts!
  • Clear, colored, detailed photos to help illustrate everything
  • A great How to Learn to Knit book for the beginner, but full of great information for experienced knitters too.  As a 37 year knitting veteran said, if you only add 1 knitting book to your collection, The Knitting Book should be the one.

 

Saddle Up With a Pretty Cowboy Cowl

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This pretty knit cowl is called a Cowboy Cowl.  It’s a fitting name since the design is more like a kerchief shape than a traditional cowl design.  Although the pattern falls into the easy category, I think that there is enough variety in the pattern to appeal to more experienced knitters as well.

I like knitting cowls because they are easy to take on the go.  And, the finished product is versatile enough to wear with a variety of outfits.  You can use it more like a scarf to keep your neck warm when outdoors.  Or, as an accessory to add a splash of color to an outfit.  From day to night, a cowl can be a festive and fun accent piece to dress-up, or wear casually.  These also make great gifts because you don’t have to worry about sizes as one size fits all.

cowboy-cowl

Tips to Increase Your Knitting Speed

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Learn to Speed Knit!

Do you wish that you could improve your knitting speed so that you could get more projects finished in a shorter period of time?  Here’s a look at some knitting tips for improving your speed. No matter what type of knitter your are…picker, thrower, or lever knitter, having a relaxed posture is one of the most important tips to improving to your speed.  Here are some other tips.

Learn how to increase your knitting speed with Miriam Tegels, the World’s Fastest Knitter!

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