There is a number of different ways to slash your landsknecht/trossfrau decorations, the fastest is to simply cut out the pattern in the fabric. Cut out slashes require a fabric that doesn’t …
This Easy Knitted Heart Pattern creates a sweet shape that lays flat in garter stitch. It is knitted top-down on straight knitting needles. Begin by making two humps with knitting increases. The middle section is just a few knitted rows. Finish by creating the decrease rows that taper down to the bottom of your heart shape.
Knitters who have made their fair share of garter stitch scarves, ribbed hats and stockinette…
This free seed stitch washcloth knitting pattern lets you learn the seed stitch and make a useful washcloth for the bathroom.
This Irish Moss Stitch Knitting Pattern is a popular vintage design. This 4-Row Repeat Knit Stitch Pattern has a really great texture... it's nice and squishy, too. This knitting pattern is an easy-level project created with a simple combination of knits and purls.
'Tis the season to learn how to knit. In our opinion the best fall accessory is a hand-knit piece, and there's no better time to learn how to make your own. It can feel confusing in the beginning but have no fear we all started there.
Not too long ago, I noticed that you don't see too many top-down sweater patterns knitted in stitches other than stockinette, garter stitch, or maybe seed stitch if they're getting fancy. Why don't we ever see a fisherman's rib, or some simple lace in a top-down sweater, for example? My theory about this is that it seems too hard to keep up the stitch pattern, when you keep increasing stitches along the raglan seams every other row. Hm. I started puzzling over how one would carry the stitch pattern across those pesky ever-growing seams. Could it work? I decided to consult The Oracle (also known as Barbara Walker's classic book Knitting from the Top). The answer is an emphatic yes, and though I didn't quite understand Walker's explanation, her hints were good, and eventually I found my way. So here's what I learned. You can use this technique to design your own garments, or to adapt an existing pattern for a top-down garment that was written in stockinette stitch, and make it fancy. There are a couple of important things to know. First of all, you don't actually carry the pattern across the raglan seams. You start the stitch pattern over afresh after each raglan seam. This flash of insight made the whole thing work for me. The rest is just logistics. But a second, and really important point, choose your stitch pattern carefully. Choose a stitch pattern with relatively few stitches in the repeat. A 14-stitch repeat won't look very good. A 3- to 5-stitch repeat will work just fine. Let's use a sample pattern and walk through how to do this, step by step. We'll make a simple top-down baby's cardigan, except we're going to dispense with the plain stockinette stitch, and knit it up in a pretty stitch called "elongated rib check." Elongated Rib Check (multiple of 4 st) Rows 1-6: * P2, K2; Repeat from * to end. Rows 7-12: *K2, P2; Repeat from * to end. Here are the original directions for casting on (these should be familiar if you've ever knitted a top-down cardigan): Beginning at neck edge with a 24 in. circular needle, cast on 2 st, place marker, cast on 10 st, place marker, cast on 16 st, place marker, cast on 10 st, place marker, cast on 2 st. You will have 40 st. Odd rows: Kfb, *Knit to 1 st before M, Kfb, slip M. Repeat from * to end, Kfb the final stitch (inc 10 st total). Even rows: Purl across. Repeat these two rows until there are 22 st between the back markers. At the end of this last increase row, cast on to the end of the needle 3 st. Next row: Purl to end, cast on 3 st to the end of the needle. Continue increasing as before, except without increasing on the first and last stitch of every row (inc 8 st every odd row). Here's the step-by-step to transforming this top-down stockinette sweater to a top-down sweater with our chosen stitch pattern: 1. Supplies. You will need lots of stitch markers in 2 different colors (color A and color B). 2. Take notes. Keep notes on how you modify the pattern so that you'll be able to adapt as you go along. 3. Knit a swatch. This is no joke! You need to knit a nice big gauge swatch in order to a) learn the stitch pattern and get comfortable with it; and b) check your gauge, since it is very likely to be different from the sweater's stated gauge in stockinette stitch. You may need to adjust your needle size accordingly. 4. Casting on: As you cast on, you may need to modify the number of stitches in each section in order to accommodate the stitch pattern. Since the stitch pattern in our example is a multiple of 4, each section should contain a multiple of 4 st, plus 2 (one for each increase stitch). If the front sections are just a stitch or two each, as in our sample pattern, adding too many stitches will mess up your sizing. In this case, you will just ignore those sections for now, and do not begin the stitch pattern until you've knitted enough increase rows that there are enough stitches in the section for one pattern repeat + 2 extra stitches. So for our example: CO 2, Place marker A, CO 10, place marker A, CO 18, place marker A, CO 10, place marker A, CO 2. You will have 42 st. Make a note of the fact that you modified the instructions to have 2 extra stitches between the back 2 markers. after casting on - looks just like any old top-down sweater. 5. Knitting in the stitch pattern. As you knit along, you'll start the pattern row over in each section. But you also need to differentiate between the stitches that are used only for increasing, and the stitches that can actually be knit in the stitch pattern. So as you knit row 1, you'll add a second set of markers, Marker B. Row 1: Kfb, place marker B, Kfb, slip marker A, *Kfb, place marker B, patt to 1 st before next marker A, place marker B, Kfb, slip marker A. Repeat from * to final marker A. Kfb, place marker B, Kfb of last stitch. Row 2: Purl to marker B, *Purl to marker A, purl to marker B, patt to the next marker B. Repeat from * to final marker B. Purl to end. after row 1 - 2 sets of stitch markers (A is red; B is blue) 6. Maintaining the pattern as the sweater grows. On every increase row, you'll gain more stockinette stitches in the little sections between marker B and marker A. Once there are enough of them, you can add them to the pattern section by moving the marker. In this case, you will need 5 stockinette stitches (a multiple of 4 + 1). Once there are 5 stitches between marker A and marker B, on the next increase row, carry the stitch pattern through those 4 stockinette stitches, moving the stitch marker 4 places and leaving one stockinette stitch behind for the increase. 7. The front edges. In every top-down sweater, there's a point when you stop increasing on the first and last stitch of every row, and you cast on a few stitches at the needle tips to make the front edges meet, across the low point of the neckline. This is the final part of the sample pattern, above. This is the final adaptation you'll have to make. Our sample pattern says to cast on 3 stitches. You should cast on as many stitches as it takes to complete a pattern repeat, as close to the recommended number as possible. So if you have, say, 20 stitches in your first and last sections (NOT counting the stockinette stitches between marker B and marker A), you would cast on 4 for a total of 24 stitches, which is a multiple of 4. If you're making a crew-neck rather than a cardigan, you'd be joining the front edges here. In that case, cast on the correct number of stitches to make the stitch pattern flow correctly from one side to the other when joined, sticking as close to the recommended number of cast-on stitches as you can. From this point, there's nothing else special that you need to do - just continue the sweater as directed, taking any of your modifications into account when stitch totals are given, and transforming the little growing pockets of stockinette stitch between your markers into fancy-stitch as they pile up. I know it might sound weird to have these areas of stockinette stitch breaking up your stitch pattern, but in a finished garment you really don't see it. I used this technique in the Plum Blouse that I finished recently - here's a close-up of the shoulder seam. If you were to use a stitch pattern that required a 18-stitch repeat, it would definitely not work. But for stitch patterns that use a 3 to 5-stitch repeat, this is a great way to make a simple top-down design a lot more interesting.
"Stitch a sweet needle book from the scraps you can't part with. The pattern includes templates and full instruction for a palm size needle book with 4 pages including the cover and heart at the center. The little book will certainly hold your pins and needles and tools or it could tell a story, mark an occasion, like a birth or anniversary, or be a sort of travel journal, the pages filled with little things found along the way and saved."
The Raspberry Knit Stitch Pattern creates really pretty bobbles with a simple 4-row repeat. Get free Instructions with video tutorial.
Traditional Japanese boro cloths have a beauty like no other. Each cloth tells a unique story of its journey through life with patches carefully sewed on and reinforced with stitching, often over generations of a single family.
I’m pants at taking modeled shawl photos, y’all. What is so hard about it? So here it is recumbent: grandma’s shawl for her 90th birthday, nearly six weeks late by the time it gets to Texas. It had been awhile since I knitted a shawl and I forgot how long it takes. Plus they trick […]
Katie Treggiden speaks to Emily Mae Martin of TOAST who is leading in bringing repair culture into clothing, homewares, and accessories.
Sleeve designs can be a little bit intimidating. Drafting them is kind of a science on its own, and it’s hard to imagine what shape you need to start with if
Let’s start with the first of basic stitches for this week! The RUNNING STITCH probably is the most simple and basic embroidery stitch. Yet you can achieve the most intriguing […]
Learn different ways to start and end your embroidery stitches without using knots. I show you various methods for different stitches!
Hand embroidery begins with a few basic stitches. Once these stitches are mastered, it’s very easy to move into other specific embroidery techniques. Here, you can see diagrams of different stitches, with an explanation of how to execute them. The stitches are categorized by “stitch families” – for example, outline stitches, chain stitches, detached stitches, ...
Long and short stitch is the key stitch used in the silk shading technique. While simple in concept, it's taken practice to get to grips with it.
In today’s tutorial you’ll learn how to complete a back stitch. A back stitch in cross stitch is a series of straight lines typically used as a way to outline a pattern. It is also a great method for stitching letters and numbers. It’s the perfect companion to the cross stitch and it’s a must-know...
In this post, I'm going to share how to cross stitch on clothes in 7 simple steps. This tutorial could also work for cross stitching on towels or blankets etc.
These 8 fun and challenging decorative embroidery border stitches would look fantastic in your next hand embroidery project.
Cross stitch is a fantastic, relaxing hobby! Learn how to cross stitch with this easy, beginner friendly tutorial from Purple Leaf Designs - try it today!
FREE hand embroidery needlebook tutorial - choose a goose or lavender to embroider on your book and have a wonderful keepsake for your needles
Top-stitching is a really handy technique, especially for sewing projects like a tote or any other sort of bag. Learn how to top stitch here!
Finish your hand embroidery piece with edge stitching with this tutorial. This sewing technique is a beautiful way to display your art.
In this post, I'm going to explain what these 88 cross stitch terms and acronyms mean. I will also link to any tutorials I have that explain things in more detail.
What is the chain stitch and how do I use it? The chain stitch is made up of several interlocking loops, or single chain stitches....
Click through to see our tutorial on how to make your own hand embroidered denim jacket, with these steps from one of Team LC’s editors.
What is the stem stitch and how do I use it? The stem stitch is a traditional outline stitch in hand embroidery. It has a...
In this post, I'm sharing all the cross stitch tips and tricks (for beginners and beyond) that have been sent in by the Hannah Hand Makes community.
