Oolong knits

I'm making an exception here by choosing this pattern for candy, because, honestly, I don't think this scarf is wearable. Still, I'm sure, plenty of people will disagree with me. However, even I must admit the final effect is striking. This is the Pincha shawl by Pinpilan Wangsai. And, yes, another free pattern.

Last week, when I described what I called the no-join join, I mentioned different methods to weave in the ends without going into any details about them. Today I'm writing a very short post just to give you a tip on one of those methods. Skimming is an alternative to the more traditional weave-in methods and TECHknitting has written a good post describing it. Note that this technique, as described in that post, is done in the wrong side of the work where it is quite visible. Therefore, as described, this method is only useful for pieces where the wrong side is never shown when in use (sweaters, hats, gloves, pillows, etc, etc.). Why do I keep saying as described, you wonder. Because I have seen a similar technique being used where the yarn is skimmed diagonally and in such a way as to be more invisible. I do not have a video or photo tutorial to show here, but, if you use your imagination and try it out on a swatch, it's pretty simple to figure out. In addition, I cannot ...

Patons's must have cardigan is a very traditional cable cardigan, but these timeless classics are timeless for a good reason. Moreover, this is a free pattern, so what's not to like.

It's hard to believe I've never written a post about joining new yarn to a project. Or to be precise, I wrote a post about the magic knot , but that is hardly a good post, because there are many more ways and arguably better ones to join yarn. As usual in knitting, that means there is no single way that is better than others. It depends on many factors. Some methods are discrete, but arduous and a project may not require the extra work, some methods work very well for certain situations and not at all for others, some people prefer one method, others hate it, etc, etc. What methods do I prefer? I'll describe the methods that are worth knowing in greater detail below, but let me give you an overview first. If working ribbing, because in this case it's so easy to weave in the yarn through the side of a column of knit stitches in a almost invisible way, I use the no-join method. I also, out of pure laziness, often use the overlap (when joining the same yarn) or the weave...

Risttee by Aleks Byrd. Wow! What an unusual stitch. According to the designer this is done combining twisted stitches and colourwork for a quilted effect. The yarn used, John Arbon Textiles Knit by Numbers , is so gorgeous. Just check out its maker's webpage . Amazing shades.

If you live in the UK (or in many other countries) and tasted the tasteless $&!t they sell in supermarkets by the name of kefir, you don't know what you've been missing. Real kefir is delicious and full of cheesy taste. It's a great drink for the hottest summer days, when you're feeling dehydrated. Cold and full of nutrients to bring you back to shape (you can add a bit of salt, in that case). I always loved kefir, but, since moving to England, I'd given up on drinking it after tasting store bought one. Then, while visiting a friend abroad, I learned that you can make it at home, it tastes much, much better that way, and it is really, really easy to make. Even easier than yoghurt. How does kefir compare to yoghurt? Like yoghurt, kefir results from the fermentation of milk by live culture. The difference is that they're different live cultures. Nutritionally, they are both made of milk and thus quite similar. In terms of taste, kefir has a stronger ...