A New Perspective on “More Yarn”
I am (and always have been) a minimalist at heart when it comes to everything but cookbooks and knitting supplies. For whatever reason, I just can’t seem to cut back in those two areas. I use what I have, but I still can’t help but wonder if I’m overdoing it sometimes. If you’ve ever had […]
How to Eat an Elephant (for knitters)
I’d love to knit that, but… it would take forever. If you’ve ever said these words, this post is for you. I recently started a project that seems like it’s taking a really really long time to knit. At least by my standards. I’m the knitter who likes to zip through a sweater over a […]
Knitting with Colors You Love
What’s a color you love but can’t wear? We all have at least one. There are some shades that just don’t seem to work for me, and no matter how much I love them, I had resigned myself to admiring them on others and avoiding them for myself. But it turns out that the old rule […]
What to Do When You Can’t Get Gauge
If you’ve ever sat down to knit a gauge swatch – and I hope you have – you may be able to relate to the maddening experience of trying to get gauge. It might seem like a bit of a mystery, but gauge is really just a simple case of math and measurement. If you […]
The Best Yarn You Can Afford (knitting on a budget)
I grew up using two kinds of yarn: unmarked mystery balls from my grandmother’s stash, and pastel acrylics that I bought with babysitting money from the quasi-craft section at the hardware store in my small town. True. Story. I wasn’t born a yarn snob. In fact, it wasn’t until my twenties that I accidentally discovered […]
The 2nd Annual 4 Day Sweater KAL
It’s been a bit of a tornado here at Olive Knits headquarters (and by “headquarters” I mean my house), and much of it can be attributed to two things: I’m writing a book with a very aggressive deadline. I had the bright idea to host another 4 day sweater knitalong. Frankly, the book project should […]
How to Block a Sweater
Twenty years ago I knit my first adult sweater. It was a vision in moss stitch, knit in classic, undyed wool. The word “heirloom” hung in the air. But when it was finished I noticed it pulled terribly on the bias, and every time I stretched it where I wanted it, it bounced back into […]
The Return of the 4 Day Sweater
The 4 day sweater is back and you can find it here. Last year scores of knitters climbed aboard the party bus of the 4 Day Sweater KAL. Were you one of them? Here’s how it went down: I spontaneously knit a sweater in 4 days (you can read about it here). Knitters across the […]
Knit Tips: Sweater Growth
If you’ve ever blocked a hand-knit sweater and ended up with super long sleeves or more length in the body than you planned for, you’ve probably had this thought: How do you know how much it’s going to grow when you block it? That’s a great question, and while it’s not a simple answer, there […]
Attached: Knitting gadgets, and the crafters who love them
There’s a certain kind of cable needle I like. It’s the one my grandmother gave me when I learned to knit (back in the olden days) and it’s still the one I like best of all the cable needles in the whole wide world. It’s this one. For some reason, I have the hardest time […]
