Didn't you know I could knit?

My dog is great and leaves my yarn and knitting alone (even if the ball falls on the floor.) The cat in this picture isn't as good at learning boundaries...

Didn't You Know I Could Knit?
Giclee Print
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Crochet Ball Sack

There are other examples of the Wall Street bull being crochet yarn bombed, but this one takes the bull by the balls!

Photo credit sexyninjamonkey via a Creative Commons License

Color Pot Poles

Beautiful. I'd like to invite the Twilight Taggers over to decorate my house.

Photo credit Twilight Taggers photography. via a Creative Commons License
Outside 1000 Pound Bend cafe
Little Lonsdale Street
Melbourne VIC Australia
December 2011

Long Tail Cast On

The cast-on method I use the most frequently is the long tail cast on. I suppose everyone's favorite cast on depends on the one that they learned first, and I learned this one when I was 10 years old. This video may come in handy if you are trying to teach someone how to knit, or start knitting yourself.

Knitted Red Blood Cells

"Knitted Red Blood Cells" is the title of this photo, but it looks like there are more than just red blood cells here...

Photo credit haykirstin via a Creative Commons License

Knit Vases

I recently discovered these "knit vases" from Crate and Barrel. Too bad they are no longer available for sale.

"The cozy familiarity of classic cable stitching is newly reimagined in matte white embossed porcelain to "wrap" fresh flowers. -Porcelain -Watertight" - Crate and Barrel website

KnitPicks Blog

I recently started following the KnitPicks blog, and I have to say it is a fantastic resource. I started following to find out about sales and contests, but I've realized that they share a lot of information that isn't just promotion of their yarns. They share amazing videos and good ideas for inspiration of projects. You should check it out!

Chlorine Ball

Over at ChemKnits, I design a number of science related knitting patterns. This knit Chlorine Ball is one of the most inventive science patterns I've seen in a while. It is a cat toy designed with the valency electrons of chlorine in mind!

Photo credit Devon via a Creative Commons License

QR Scarf

How is this for a cool scarf? Once again, I'm bummed that I didn't think about knitting QR codes first.

"We have teamed up with our friends from Kaywa, Zurich Switzerland, to create a special range of scarves featuring messages in the unique QR-code."

Knit Penguin Sweaters

There is a cute picture going around of penguins wearing sweaters, but they weren't dressed up just to be cute. There was an initiative in New Zealand to make sweaters for penguins affected by an oil spill. The organisation now has enough sweaters, but I still wanted to mention the cause.

Thank you, Jessica, for sharing this link with me!

Knit Penguin Ornament

Vintage knitting patterns are so much fun. The following penguin ornament is one of my favorite knitting projects ever. Unfortunately the pattern isn't available online anymore, but I have it printed out.

Seriously, isn't he cute?

Photo Credit ChemKnits

Knitting in St. Peter's Square

Old Italian Women Knitting While They Socialize in the Colonade of St. Peter's Square, Vatican City
Photographic Print
Bourke-White,...
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Coat Check Scarf

What do you do with your gloves when you go to a resteraunt? Do you keep them with you at the table or put them in your coat pockets and hope they don't fall out in the coat check.

With the following scarf, you have no reason to worry. The Coat Check Scarf is a cowl formed by a long pocket so you can safely put your mittens or gloves inside the scarf over a hanger.
You can purchase this pattern for $2.50 through Ravelry.

The Knitting Connection

"The Knitting Connection's mission is to support children and families with crafted items utilizing the artistic talents of volunteer knitters, crocheters, and quilters. We connect people from the community to support each other during their time of need. This link, from one end of the spectrum to the other, forms a bond of support, understanding, and love."

I think that if you are in Massachusetts, you can get donated yarn to knit projects for the charity. They collect knit projects to distribute to different people in need in November of every year. There is an annual party so directors of shelters can thank the knitters in person.

Thank you Alan, for sharing this with me! (He met someone on the MBTA on her way to the Knitting Connection and she explained the cause to him.)

A Simple Flower

This knit flower overlooking Seattle is simple, but is a very sweet yarn bomb.

Photo credit GreenPlacticAmy via a Creative Commons License

Knitting Design Books

Once you have been knitting long enough, you find yourself slowing starting to adapt patterns until you are coming up with your own original designs. While this process can happen naturally, you may have some desire to jump start the design process. Well never fear, I have assembled a list of many knitting design books that can help you with adaption and starting from scratch.

Happy Designing!

Forming Knitting Fabrics

While I may not be able to view the short 1979 documentary from Czechoslovakia, Forming Knitting Fabrics - Technology for a Knitting Future, I certainly believe there is a lot of future in knitting!

A Knit Brain

I would like to think that I have knitting on the brain, but I have never thought to create a knit brain!  

 

Photo credit Estonia76 via a Creative Commons License

Wooly Thoughts Illusion Knitting

Do you like illusion knits? Well www.illusionknitting.woollythoughts.com has complex illusion projects (including many works of art), and you can purchase the patterns so you can make them yourself!

Vintage Patterns

I love vintage knitting patterns. Not just the patterns themselves, but there is something really special in the magazine covers and photographs accompanying the patterns. Someday, when I can have my own knitting studio (likely just in my dreams), I would love to cover the walls with vintage knitting pictures.

1950's Teen's Knitted Beret and Pixie Hood
Giclee Print
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Huge Crochet Balls

Huge Crochet Balls - I have no idea what these balls are, or how they were made... Does anyone have any idea?

Photo credit Queenieandthedew via a Creative Commons License

The Knitting Needle Computer

A hand-operated indexing system: "the knitting needle computer". Nurs RSA. 1986 Jun;1(5):35

I cannot access the full article, but it is fun to speculate what it could be about from the title. I doubt this is about knitting design, but I'm not sure what knitting needle could refer to for a computer system. Knit fabric is really organized (very grid like....)

Knitting for Charity

Knitting for Charity is a great project for any knitter. You can use this as an opportunity to go through and clean out your yarn stash, and you can make something handmade for someone in need. Over the years I have knit headbands, hats and afghans for charity. I am in the process of looking for a new charity to support, since I have moved away from Boston. (Although there is a new Boston Charity I discovered that I will feature here in a few days.)

What kinds of Charity do you knit for? Do you have any recommendations for the Chicago area?

Knit and Crochet Goes Cerebral

Starting today, a new exhibit Sticks, Hooks, and the Mobius: Knit and Crochet Goes Cerebral opens at the Williams Center for the Arts Gallery at Lafayette College in Easton, Pennsylvania. This exhibit will run through February 5 and contains "science-based “geek” knit and crocheted art works, a yarnbombing, and a collaborative installation of indigenous plants."

I am happy to add that some of these science based "geek" knit projects featured in the gallery will be designs by ChemKnits (specifically some molecule knitting charts.) Keep an eye out for me!

Yarn Bombed Tank

Where on earth do you find a tank that you can yarn bomb?!? Does anyone see the irony here?

Photo credit Queenieandthedew via a Creative Commons License

How Do They Knit a Chain-Link Fence?

How Do They...? How Do They Knit a Chain-Link Fence? This 4-min 1998 documentary shows how chain link fences are made. I never thought of these fences as knit, but if you were to pin out all of your knit stitches into squares... this is what you would get!

Photo credit valli_mark via a Creative Commons License

Illusion Knitting

Yesterday I showed you a masterpiece of illusion knitting. The technique is simple, you just need to knit and purl. To learn more about illusion knitting, you should check out the following tutorial. This tutorial demonstrates how you make a simple illusion project, and soon you will be converting simple knitting charts into fabulous illusions.

Illusion Einstein

Illusion Einstein - I love illusion knitting (where you see the pattern from looking at the design at an angle.) The following tapestry apperas to be hanging in a museum exhibit

Photo credit haykirstin via a Creative Commons License

Guerilla knitting in Freudenberg

This is a pretty involved yarn bombed pole. Normally you don't see so much colorwork in these pole cozies.

Photo credit Rolf-Dieter via a Creative Commons License

Parisian Statue Leg Warmers

The setting of this yarn bombing project is amazing. Amazing photograph, too.

Photo credit Queenieandthedew via a Creative Commons License

A Scarf for a Dinosaur

It's cold in New England for a T. Rex. So of course it would be more comfortable with a nice, soft scarf around its neck.

Photo credit Chris Devers via a Creative Commons License

Happy New Year, everyone! Don't let the passing of the Christmas season stop your knitting. (And anyway, it is never too early to start knitting for Christmas 2012!)