October 2005

Demystifying Knitting Machines

Many hand knitters toy with the idea of buying a knitting machine at one time or another. Whether you are attracted to a machine for making exquisite fine gauge knits or you are lured by the promise of speed, a knitting machine can be an

September 29, 2005

Tools

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Debra’s Garden Needle Gauge Pendant

One of the most useful gifts you can give a knitter is a needlesizer. Oh sure, a few hundred yards of qiviut would be nice, but like a good knife or a Phillip's screwdriver, a needlesizer is one of those gadgets we always need. Why? Well,

August 6, 2005

Tools

Pakucho Organic Cotton

For all the progress we've made over the centuries—the gadgets, the inventions, the miracle potions and cures—there are still some things upon which we really can't improve. This yarn is a perfect example. In Peru, rural artisan and Indian farmers are using pre-Columbian farming techniques to

June 9, 2005

Foxfire Fiber Upland Wool and Alpaca

For the last 10+ years, Barbara Parry and her husband have been establishing a flock of Cormo and Border Leicester sheep at their 220-acre farm in western Massachusetts. More recently, she began documenting her daily life on the farm in her blog, Sheepgal—it's one of my daily

April 23, 2005

A Treasury of Magical Knitting and a Second Treasury of Magical Knitting by Cat Bordhi

Cat Bordhi likes to think outside the box—or in this case, loop. She turned sock knitting on its heels using two circular needles in her book Socks Soar on Two Circular Needles. The book was so successful that it briefly surpassed John Grisham on Amazon's list

April 7, 2005

Books

Alice Starmore Hebridean 3-Ply

I have a confession to make. When I'm feeling low and have already eaten all the chocolate in the house, I take myself to Virtual Yarns and pretend I'm shopping for a new project. I can spend hours there browsing through dozens of stunningly complex and

March 31, 2005

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Karabella Yarns Aurora Bulky

One of my very favorite Merino yarns, Aurora 8, has a large and loyal following. It has the sponginess of a well-yeasted bread dough, paired with the exquisite softness of merino. It knits up quickly and easily. Karabella Yarns upped the ante by releasing a bulky version

January 13, 2005