Latest blog posts

Reflecting Pool Cowl
noreply@blogger.com (Gretchen Tracy),
Reflecting Pool Cowl There's no denying it: this is one of those yarns that I bought because my raccoon brain demanded it (okay fine, maybe raccoon isn't accurate - it's not shiny although it's colorful. You get what I mean). And, as always with these yarns, as soon as I got it home I wondered what…

Little Birds Hat
noreply@blogger.com (Gretchen Tracy),
Little Birds Hat Yet again the story behind this hat is simple: while at the Edinburgh Yarn Festival in March, I went on a quest to find the perfect silvery yarn for a hat design. After combing through all of the booths, I finally settled on the subtle luster of this 4 ply from Ripples Crafts. Then…

A Is For Ascot
noreply@blogger.com (Gretchen Tracy),
A is for Ascot - toddler size Oh man, this is a project that I finished quite some time ago, but then I couldn't photograph and post it because my wild third child didn't want to get in front of the camera to model. And, of course, as soon as I FINALLY snapped these pics he also let me cut his hair…

Skye Shawl
noreply@blogger.com (Gretchen Tracy),
Skye Shawl Those of you who follow my Instagram may realize that I attended the Edinburgh Yarn Festival last month (not that I posted much - one photo, maybe?). What you may NOT realize is that I also bought a crapload of yarn. Of course, because my mother raised me to value a sweet deal, I bought …

Reverb Shawl
noreply@blogger.com (Gretchen Tracy),
Reverb Shawl First off, I hate to admit how long I've been working on this shawl, because, to be quite honest, I can no longer even remember when I started (nevertheless, I am 98% sure it was last year). And I know that may not sound like *that* long to some of you with years-old WIPs sitting aroun…

Pink Ponytail Hat
noreply@blogger.com (Gretchen Tracy),
Pink Ponytail Hat A few of you have been asking for a ponytail/messy bun hat, and I'll admit there are two reasons why I haven't jumped on the trend. #1 - Hedwig (my fake head) looks absolutely RIDICULOUS when I try to put her lovely hair in any kind of updo, which means that I have to model any ve…

Quatrefoil Cowl
noreply@blogger.com (Gretchen Tracy),
Quatrefoil Cowl What can I say about this yarn? The minute I saw the color I KNEW I HAD TO HAVE IT, even though this yarn weight (worsted) in a mostly-cotton blend can be hard to design for (Why? Because lace isn't very crisp in this weight, the lack of stretch compared to wool makes it less ideal …

Arrowhead Hat
noreply@blogger.com (Gretchen Tracy),
Arrowhead Hat Pictured in Adult Large (that's why Hedwig's in her big hair today) The story behind this hat is simple: I have a friend who stru ggles to find a hat big enough for her hair, and I happen to know a n inde pendent knitwear accessory designer who loves to make people stuff th ey can't s…

Why art has a part to play in tackling climate change
Harriet Hawkins, Reader in Geography , Royal Holloway University of London,
Artwork – from knitting birds and amateur science to listening to the trees – might empower us to remake climate science from below.

Knitting your way to a healthier, happier mind
Jackie Randles, Manager, Inspiring Australia, University of Sydney,
Neural Knitworks, an event first staged for National Science Week in 2014, has since grown into an Australia-wide engagement project promoting connections between knitting and brain health.

Current crafts craze echoes World War I knitting projects
Jane Tynan, Senior Lecturer in Cultural Studies, University of the Arts London,
The rise of stitch and knit clubs, guerrilla knitting, yarn bombing and calls to knit sweaters for oil-spill affected penguins have all drawn attention to craft as a force for social change. Knitting is…

Crafting for good: why we all want to knit for penguins
Alyce McGovern, Senior Lecturer in Criminology, UNSW Sydney,
Last week, a call for knitters to create tiny pullovers for oil-spill affected penguins went viral. Patterns for penguin knitwear from The Penguin Foundation bounced around social media. It was a bit of…

The Hemlock Ring Blanket
Jared Flood,
Walking around Brooklyn the last few days, I've noticed the slightest change in the air. Autumn is beckoning and this knitter can't think of any better reward for making it through another hot summer. My inaugural Fall project is draped over my lap as I type and I find myself ready for cooler winds…

Noro Scarf
Jared Flood,
I know I've said it before, but there are some projects that I think I enjoy photographing even more than knitting (we're splitting hairs here, but there it is). This scarf is surely one of them - and this post is so photo heavy, I doubt the text will be able to hold its own. Pattern: Generic 1x1 R…

The Urban Aran Cardigan
Jared Flood,
Here it is, the post you've been waiting for. the big unveiling. it is with great pride and excitement that i give you ... the urban aran cardigan. Pattern : Urban Aran from Paton's 'Street Smart' (heavily modified) Materials : Elann Peruvian Highland Chunky in Malt Heather Needles : US 10.5 for bo…