Dear Olive, How do I know which length circular needle to use for my project? And how do I know when it’s time to switch to a longer or shorter needle? Sincerely, L.M. Dear L.M. (Length Matters?) This is a great question – and you’re not alone in asking. Knitters often ask me about […]
Do you wear the shawls you knit? It turns out that many of us love to knit shawls but we don’t actually wear them. Are there gorgeous shawls hiding in your closet that have never seen the light of day? 🌞 If you’ve been hesitant to wear your shawls because you’re worried about the Shawl […]
How to Hack Color Confidence Color sense may seem like something you’re either born with – or not. But the truth is color confidence (as with most things) comes with practice. We forget how important it is to practice, don’t we? Kids know about practice. When we’re small we’re taught to practice our handwriting, to […]
Creating Custom Pins Enamel pins are all the rage these days, aren’t they? I’ve wanted to order custom pins for ages, and finally took the plunge with a company called WizardPins. This is a sponsored post, but here’s the thing – I won’t share anything with you unless I use it myself and believe in […]
Knitting is Like a Recipe There are few things I love as much as knitting – but, my goodness, do I love to cook and bake. A few months ago a friend gave me a sourdough starter, and I’ve spent the whole time since then trying to master the art of a good sourdough loaf. […]
How to Use a Pattern Coupon Code (On Ravelry or Olive Knits.com) Coupon codes make it possible for designers to offer special perks and discounts to their customers, but these discounts come with a few challenges. Knowing how to use a coupon code correctly saves time and money for everyone involved. Here are the steps […]
The world is both on pause and on hyperdrive. Yet, my fingers are stitching at their usual pace. My knitting needles tick-tick-tick in rhythm as my hands move them through the dance of stitches that will become a sweater. Everything is different around me, but this is the same. These fingers. This wool. This movement. […]
Stash (noun): An accumulation of yarn – usually kept at home – which includes future projects, impulse buys, prize/gift yarn, yarn we’ve forgotten about, yarn we can’t stop thinking about, and – most of all – no regrets. When it comes to yarn stash, we have a lot of feelings. “I should use my stash.” […]
There’s a lot to love about a hand knit shawl. Besides the fact that shawls are generally pretty quick to knit (and easy to wear throughout the year), one of their super powers is that you can *almost* completely ignore gauge. Technically – even if it’s only deep down – I know you already know […]
For all of the potential health benefits of knitting, finding (and staying in) your fiber flow isn’t always as easy as we we’d like to think. There are those dropped stitches, after all. Backward cables. Gauge issues. Color choices. Sizing and ease worries. Isn’t knitting supposed to be fun? YES, my friend. It sure is. […]
