Beautiful Basketweave (by Aubrey Mayes)

One of my favorite stitch combos is the Basket-weave Stitch. I couldn’t believe that something so pretty was SO simple! The Basket-weave Stitch is a great stitch to add a little extra flair to some of the more commonly knit objects, like scarves, and adds great texture without adding extra thickness.

All there is to the Basket-weave is switching between Garter Stitch and Stockinette Stitch.

To start the Basket-weave, you’ll want to Cast On in a multiple of 8 stitches (I suggest against a variegated yarn, as it can look a bit too busy. Some variegated yarns that are different shades and values of a single color can work, but you have to be careful.).

Row 1: Knit all stitches.

Row 2: Knit 4, Purl 4, Repeat until end of row.

Row 3: Knit all stitches.

Rows 5 and 7: repeat row 2

Rows 4, 6, and 8: knit all stitches.

Row 9: Purl 4, Knit 4 Repeat until end of row.

Row 10: Knit all stitches.

Rows 11, 13, and 15: Repeat row 9.

Rows 12, 14: Knit all stitches.

Row 16: Repeat Row 2.

Continue the repetition until your project is complete! Yes- it is that easy!

 

 

Hosting a Knitting Party (by Aubrey Mayes)

One of the best ways to socialize with fellow crafters is to host a knitting party (or a crochet party- we’re not prejudiced!). So go ahead- invite your stitch-y friends and eat, stitch, and be merry!

“So what’s the difference between a knitting meeting and a knitting party?”

At a knitting meeting, your group is usually meeting at a public place at a set time and date. The menu is limited to what the venue offers, and there’s often a lot of other noise at the venue, which can break both concentration and conversation. On the other hand, a knitting party is a special time in between meetings that can liven up your stitching routine in addition to your social routine. You can get together and enjoy some great food and drink, conversation, and get some extra stitching in.

Step One- Choose a Theme

The first step to good entertaining is always to pick a theme. Sure, we know its a knitting party, but are we talking about brunch, dinner, or even cocktails? Indoors or outdoors? Is this a Christmas party, a Tim Burton marathon party, or a tiki party? Once you have the theme, its smooth sailing!

Step Two- Pick a Date/Time and Send Out Invitations

When deciding on the date, you’ll want to pick a date and time that will be fairly convenient for your guests. If there are a lot of parents in the group, you’ll want to make sure its not close to graduations, soccer games, or award ceremonies. (Try to avoid the last week of May and the first week of June, and try to pick a time after 6 pm on weekdays. Mornings will be best for weekends and stay at home moms.) The best times for weeknights will be after the average time people get off work, and mornings or evenings on weekends (Most errands are done in the afternoon). After the date and time are selected, send out invitations. You can buy them pre-made, or if you have scrapbook supplies handy,  you can make them. Include date, time, location, theme, and RSVP. Slipping in the theme is as easy as picking up invitations with a coordinating motif. For instance, for a beach themed party, you could pick up invitations with seashells. Feel free to use yarn as an accent on the invitation to give it a stitch-ier look!

Step Three- Menu!

To create your party’s menu, you’ll want to take several factors into consideration. These factors are time, season, theme, and guests. Time will dictate the type of meal. For instance, a party that starts around noon would make a fabulous brunch, 2 or 3 would be good for cookouts, 5 or later would be best for dinner, and 7 or later for cocktails. You’ll want to make sure to use foods that are of good quality and in season, since those will taste the best and will give you more bang for your buck. When it comes to theme, you can find recipes for any occasion- Harry Potter themed recipes, beach themed recipes- you name it they make it. Possibly the most important factor to consider is your guest list. You’ll want to make see if any of your guests are dieting, diabetic, vegetarian/vegan, or have allergies, and you’ll want to make sure there are alternatives for any guests with any dietary needs. Also, be sure to pick desserts and finger foods that won’t bother anyone’s knitting!

Step Four- Decor

When it comes to decor, you have to be careful. Make sure it looks appropriate for the theme, but be careful not to go over the top, especially when it comes to table setting if your guests will be stitching at the table. Its best to have a dining area separate from the seating area if the party is taking place indoors. But similar to the invitations, if you can dream the theme, there’s an infinite amount of decorations that you can purchase and make.

Step Five- Party Time!

Now that the party’s all planned, its time to put your plans to good use and have fun with it! Be sure to have food prepared when your guests arrive (unless its a barbecue or similar type of party), and whatever you do, don’t stress yourself out! The most important part is to enjoy all your hard work and the company of your knitty friends!!

 

Here are some great resources:

Williams – Sonoma: Essentials of Breakfast and Brunch

Ruth Lively: Cooking From the Garden

http://www.the-leaky-cauldron.org/  (for Harry Potter themed parties)

http://allrecipes.com/Default.aspx

Be sure to (thegypsy@naughtyknitterz.com) if you have any quesitons!

Four Fabulous Tricks for Knitting in the Round (by Robyn Devine)

It may seem like an advanced move, but knitting in the round can be mastered by beginner knitters with ease. And by adding it to your knitting bag of tricks, you will open up an entirely new world – one of hats, sweaters, and socks!

Getting started with knitting in the round can seem tricky on the best of days, but with just a few tips and tricks you can be joining to work in the round in no time at all. When I began my circular needles journey, these four tips helped me immensely.

Trick #1 – Make sure your circular needle is shorter than your finished circumference. If you’re knitting a hat for a 20” head, grab 16” long circular needles. If you’re knitting a sweater for someone that’s 36” around, be sure you’re not using your 40” long needles. Seems self-explanatory, but I spent many frustrated hours fighting with needles that were just a bit too long for projects I was working on. When in doubt, go a bit shorter – you’ll never regret it!

Trick #2 – Cast on one extra stitch. When you join for working in the round, knit that last stitch you cast on together with the first stitch you cast on. You will have the correct number of cast on stitches, and you will have a much less noticeable join for your work.

Trick #3 – When casting on a large number of stitches, to ensure you don’t twist them (and create a Mobius on accident!) knit the first few rows of the pattern before joining. You’ll have a much clearer view of joining your stitches together, and you can use your tail to sew up that open spot later.

Trick #4 - Use a different color stitch marker to mark the beginning of the row. When you are using stitch markers to mark decreases, increases, pattern changes and the like be sure your “beginning of the row” marker is a different color, shape, or size. This will help you more easily distinguish it from your other markers.

With these four simple tips, you will find yourself knitting around and around before you know it! You can use this new-found skill to whip up some sweaters for all the folks in your life, hats to keep their noggins warm, and maybe even donate a few things to a local charity!

The Basic Knit Stitch (video)

Hey there Naughty Knitterz! Learn how to make the knit stitch used in knitting in this free online instructional video on how to knit.