Knit, Blog & Be Happy!

Some say that Tunisian Crochet, or Afghan Crochet, combines the best of both knitting and crochet. It produces a fabric that is a bit more dense than regular crochet but looks more like something that is knit. It makes an excellent fabric for shawls, scarves, headbands, hats, and home goods. Tunisian Crochet is created on a hook with a long cord and a stopper at the end. Just like crochet, you start with a series of chain stitches, but, like knitting, the next row’s stitches are worked with the hook, but the stitch stays on the long needle; this row is called...

You know we love all things Woolfolk here at the shop. Kristin Ford, the founder of Woolfolk, learned to knit from her grandmother, Katherine Temple Woolfolk, and the rest is history. The yarn is lovely: Tynd, Far, Flette, Luft, Fleck...the list goes on. They have just released a new yarn in time for winter knitting, Fleck Bulky. Fleck Bulky's base is like their other yarns, predominately Ovis 21, an ultimate merino that combines the feel of cashmere with the wear of merino. This base comprises 90% Ovis 21 and 10% Donegal, creating the tweedy fleck. The lofty chainette construction gives the yarn a cloud-like weight,...

The cool weather is upon us, and the fabulous designers we follow on Ravelry are releasing patterns faster than we can build kits on the newsletter. I thought it would be fun to highlight some patterns that have caught my eye. 1.) No Rhinebeck? No Problem! MKAL 3 by SweaterFreak I must admit I am having a bit of FOMO over Rhinebeck. I had a hotel reservation but canceled it about two weeks ago.  Mr. Monarch and I have a lot going on, so the trip did not fit my schedule.  I saw this on MKAL on Ravelry Tuesday evening, and I...

Around my home, Ozetta's Autumn Tales Shawl will forever be known as the "Fall Van Der Valk Binge Shawl." I picked this up as the easy project I carry around to sneak a row in here or there. Well, that did not happen.  I ripped through the project in just a few days! Mr. Monarch is out of town, and my evenings were very quiet, so I tuned into Van Der Valk on PBS. Set in Amsterdam, it was a great watch for me. A few rows turned into a section, and three sections later, I was done. Before I...

I just finished my Fern Lake Baby Blanket, which got me thinking about machine-washing knitted or crochet projects. I am going to put the blanket in the machine but very carefully! Read on... When knitting or crocheting for new parents or a friend who might not want to hand wash something, most people say, "I need a yarn that can be machine washed and dried." The machine-friendly yarns, many of which might have a bit of acrylic or nylon to help offset the felting or shrinking issues with wool. However, hitting the project with a regular washing machine cycle and...