In the final post on my series about knitting on a budget, we’re going to cover patterns. Given that I’m a designer I do appreciate the time and skill it takes to craft a beautiful pattern, and I’m happy to pay designers for their time. But I understand that everyone doesn’t always have the means to do so (and I also like getting a good deal on patterns once in a while). So here are my top tips for finding free and affordable patterns!
Read MoreIn the last few years, gradients have become increasingly popular in knitting. If you’re unfamiliar with gradient knits, they’re items that are worked in a series of different colours blended together another at the edges. The trick to a good gradient is two fold. First off, you want to arrange your colours so that the ones that are closest tonally are next to each other. Secondly, you want to use a knitting technique that creates a section in between two adjacent colours that is a mix of the two. Read on to find out how to knit gradients into almost any item you’re making!
Read MoreNotions are the knitting supplies with which you can take the most shortcuts and save the most money. Since we’re all crafters at heart, making your own DIY notions or getting creative with every day items is very satisfying. In this post I’m going to walk you through how to make your own stitch markers, as well as ways to find alternatives for some other notions and accessories you may need while you’re knitting.
Read MoreAside from yarn, needles are the one thing you definitely need when you’re knitting. The problem is that unless you always stick to one weight of yarn, you invariably end up needing needles of different sizes. Because of this, taking advantage of sales and discounts is a good idea, but there are also a few ways you can cut down on the number of needles you need to buy in the first place.
Read MoreKnitting can seem like a ridiculously expensive hobby. But there are a lot of ways of making it into a more manageable one. In this blog series I’m going to share what I’ve learned about how to save money on knitting, and am kicking it off with every knitter’s favourite guilty pleasure: yarn.
Read MoreBack in 2011 I started a blog, but in the last few years it’s been sorely neglected. So a few weeks ago I sat down and decided to do something about it, and the results are both my new website and the fact that you’re reading the first blogpost I’ve written in over a year. It’s pretty exciting!
Read MoreInspiration comes from the strangest and most unexpected places sometimes. The story of the Something Strange blanket began with a text message from my gorgeous friend Sarah, asking me if I could recreate a blanket from the TV show Stranger Things as part of a project she was working on.
Read MoreWhen I learned to make mittens, the tutorial I found involved creating a thumb without a thumb gusset. I didn't know this at the time but it turns out this is called an afterthought thumb - probably because you do minimal work to set up for it! Read on for a step-by-step photo tutorial on how to knit this delightful mitten thumb.
Read MoreDouble brim beanies are lovely! With double brims, you can use any stitch you want without the ends curling up, and they create a nice thick fabric so they stay snug even without being ribbed. This tutorial will show you how to create a double brim beanie - the materials you need and step-by-step instructions with photos for how to make your brim.
Read More
