This blocking method is appropriate for scarves and shawls. It stretches the knitting se- verely, opening up the lace pattern and creating a beautifully light and airy texture. Don’t try this on fitted items because it will cause the fabric to lose elasticity. To Block a Scarf or Shawl: 1. Soak the finished item […]
This headband features the ubiquitous snowflake or rose motif combined with fir-tree and zigzag motifs to suggest nature and the life cycles of plants fed by running waters. Made from a double layer of fabric in a soft cashmere-blend yarn, the band is warm enough for the ski slopes yet comfortable enough to wear for […]
Amish “hit or miss” knitted and crocheted table mats inspired this oval design. One long strip of stockinette stitch coiled in an oval shape creates the placemat. Even a beginning knitter can make these simple mats, and more experienced knitters can relax and watch the strips grow on their needles. Try several different […]
Knitted wrist warmers are the perfect accessories for autumn.
Originally published in Black Purl Magazine. When you think of Norwegian knitting do you think of ski sweaters and mittens with snowflake designs on them? If you do, you’re not alone. Several of today’s popular knitting designs originated in Norway in the 19th century and became popular around the world when Dale of Norway started […]
Knitters in New England and Eastern Canada make mittens stuffed with little tufts of wool fleece that can keep hands warm in the coldest, wettest conditions imaginable. These are known as ‘thrummed mittens’, and today a search for this term on Ravelry.com brings up almost 150 patterns. But in the last decades of the 20th […]
“Symbols are a language that can help us understand our past. As the saying goes, a picture says a thousand words, but … which words? Understanding our past determines actively our ability to understand the present. So, how do we sift truth from belief? How do we write our own histories, personally or culturally? And […]
Mention global business and huge corporations come to mind. Slow Color is a global business but the only thing huge about them is their heart and ambitions to change their community. by Donna Druchunas | Images by Slow Color On a sunny, summer afternoon, strolling around a street fair in Boulder, Colorado, I spotted linen […]
Humankind’s fascination with the rare and beautiful is one that transcends time and culture. Since ancient times, people around the world have used fiber and skins from local animals to create garments and blankets rich with warmth and comfort. Then, when European explorers visited faraway lands, they returned home with treasures: luxurious fabrics and yarns […]
Born in 1908,EllaDorothy Sorensen learned many traditional crafts from her Danish mother; her moth- er and father (also from Denmark) had met on board a ship while immigrating to the United States. On her marriage in 1937 to Arthur Reade, Dorothy became an Army wife, which provided her the opportunity to travel widely, an enthusiasm […]