Girlfriends Knitting

Radiant Raffia Giveaway Thank you, Bloomsbury! I was so excited the other day to open my email and find a lovely inquiry from Emily at Bloomsbury Publishers (@Bloomsburybooksus) asking if I would like an advanced copy of Radiant Raffia by Olga Panagopoulou . Of course, I jumped at the chance, but not before getting a special treat for YOU as well! But more on that in a second. This beautifully photographed book includes 20 Inspiring crochet projects made with natural yarn. Wait, crochet? Not knitting? Yep! Crochet! My original fiber art. When I was about 5 years old, my grandmother taught me crochet. She was an avid crocheter. Though she never wrote her own patterns, she could take any doily she found and recreate it without a pattern. She taught my mom, who made all the blankets we had in our house and many I now have in mine. Then, my grandmother taught me. As my grandmother was one of my all time favorite people, her favorite hobby, crocheting, is very dear to my heart and reminds ...

7 Books for Learning How to Knit There has been a resurgence of crafts and learning how to make things ever since the pandemic locked us in our houses for over a year in 2020. One of those crafts is my personal favorite - knitting. I have spent over a decade teaching people to knit and spreading the love of all things fiber arts and now, it seems everyone knits, or wants to! I have searched the interwebs and have found seven books that I believe will help you learn my favorite craft. But let's get our crafts straight first. Every time I am knitting in public, I inevitably run across someone who says, "Oh, my grandma crochets." I usually respond with, "Mine did, too, and taught me how as well. But this is knitting." At that point I usually get a confused look and a quick end to the conversation. Your average non-fiber artists do not know the difference between knitting and crocheting. There are many examples in movies and television, as well as advertising, wher...

How do you decrease in knitting?  K2tog and SSK explained  When you first learn to knit, you start off with simple straight lines, back and forth. You learn to knit and then to purl. You learn that combining knit and purl stitches can create ribbing. But eventually most of us get bored with various sized rectangular items. There are only so many scarfs, dishcloths, and blankets one can make. If you want to learn how to create sweaters or hats or socks, you will have to learn how to shape garments by increasing and decreasing the number of stitches. A decrease is when you combine two or more stitches, thus reducing the total number of stitches you have. When shaping items, such as the top of a hat, you have to combine decreases to have the desired effect. In fact, there are many different types of decreases to further customize the look a pattern designer wants to achieve. In this article, we will look at two basic decreases. If you are a seasoned knitter, there will be very fa...

Do you think through a project before you get started? Do you think about each step and the amount of time and effort those steps will take and whether or not you have that time or are even willing to put in that effort? Clearly, I am not one of those people who do those things, or I would not have picked not one, but TWO projects that had 5879 ends to weave in. But more on the second one in a minute. First up, the Frankenscarf that I designed and knit for the month of July. Before I complain too much about end-weaving, let me just say that I love this project and had a blast designing and knitting it. 5 out of 5 stars. However, it should come with a warning that the number of ends will grow rapidly. As it is designed for you to change yarn often, you will have two ends to weave it at each yarn change. For a scarf that ended up being 6 feet long, that equated to 2.5 hours of end-weaving. (Yes, I actually did time it.) If you are not familiar with how to change yarn in a project, I have...

*This article has affiliate links to the items I used on Amazon. Clicking on links is at no cost to you, but I may earn a small commission. After you are gifted a hand-knitted item, you should learn how to properly care for it. I had a wonderful time teaching Evie how to wash and care for her new socks. Of course, Mama will still do that for her for a while, but she can now help me. It was also a fun way to spend time together and bond over my love of knitting and her love of socks! If you haven't seen the video, here it is. @girlfriendsknitting Today I am teaching my daughter how to care for her new handknit socks. #knittersoftiktok #knittok #girlfriendsknitting ♬ original sound - Girlfriends Knitting In the video, I used my very own homemade hanger. However, there is a better way. Check out this sock blocker set with hangers that are even adjustable! Here is also a link to the assorted set of Soak wash that we used. This product is great because it does NOT require that...

  🧶💕 Exciting News from Girlfriends Knitting Shop! 💕🧶 Hey Knitting Enthusiasts! We've got a special treat for you! 🎉 For a limited time, when you spend $50 or more at Girlfriends Knitting on Etsy , you can use the promo code "SAVE5" during checkout to get an incredible $5 off your order! 🛍️ Explore our handpicked collection of high-quality yarns, knitting patterns, and knitting accessories—perfect for your next knitting project or to add to your knitting stash. Whether you're a seasoned knitter or just starting your knitting journey, our shop has something to inspire every creative soul. NEW!! We now have knitting stickers! I have also added a print of the Frankenscraf image. 💡 How to Get Your $5 Discount: Add $50 or more worth of knitting goodness to your cart. Use the promo code "SAVE5" during checkout. Watch $5 magically disappear from your total! 🪄✨ Don't miss this fantastic opportunity to stock up on your favorite knitting supplies and treat...