- Mix & Match Sizing: Circular Yoke
What is a circular yoke? Circular yokes are most often used with stranded colourwork designs, but they’re increasingly being used with other techniques. When knit top down, they start with… - The Knitting Speed Survey
Skip to the data → This time last year, I was annoyed. (Why is that remarkable, I hear you ask? It isn’t. But I’m still going to talk about it.)… - The Yarn Bleeding Experiment, Part 8
In part 8 of the Yarn Bleeding Experiment, I’m wrapping up the original experiment with the final chapter: Colour Catchers. If you haven’t already, head back and read Parts 1-7… - On Sustainability
It’s almost impossible to miss the conversation currently happening around fast fashion and what an unsustainable, wasteful, exploitative industry it is. I’ve been reading along for a long time now,… - On Test Knits
There’s been a lot of talk about test knitting lately, hasn’t there? Lots of ideas, suggestions, criticisms, opinions. I’ve been following along, listening, and turning things over in my head,… - The Limitations of Size Charts
If you’ve been following my thoughts on inclusive sizing, you’ll already know that my body isn’t shaped the way size charts say it is. (If this is your first foray… - The Yarn Bleeding Experiment, Part 7
This week in Part 7 of the Yarn Bleeding Experiment, we’re testing out adding Fairy liquid (washing up liquid, or dish soap) to the bath. If you haven’t already, head… - The Yarn Bleeding Experiment, Part 6
This week in Part 6 of the Yarn Bleeding Experiment, we’re testing out adding vinegar to the bath. If you haven’t already, head back and read Parts 1-5 first, so… - The Yarn Bleeding Experiment, Part 5
This week in Part 5 of the Yarn Bleeding Experiment, we’re testing out another wool wash – Eucalan! If you haven’t already, head back and read Parts 1-4 first, so… - The Yarn Bleeding Experiment, Part 4
This week in Part 4 of the Yarn Bleeding Experiment, it’s time to start putting things in the water! If you haven’t already, head back and read Parts 1-3 first,… - Designing Idlewild
When buying yarn for a garment project, I almost always add in an extra skein. You see, I can’t shake the worry that after all that work and expense and… - Mix & Match Sizing: Drop Sleeves
What is a drop sleeve? A drop sleeve garment is any garment where the shoulder seam is exaggerated and “drops” off the wearer’s shoulder (like Roseability, shown left). Imagine wearing… - Preview Knitting
Sometimes I’ve got a design that I don’t really need to be test knit. It’s a straightforward pattern, I’ve done something similar before, it’s been tech edited, I know how… - Necklines
“Starting at <point>, pick up x stitches evenly around the neckline.” A pretty standard instruction on a garment pattern, every garment knitter has seen this, or something like it. But… - Finding Your Fit
When I’m browsing garments – whether ready to wear, or patterns – my biggest question is always this: “how will it look on my body?” It can be really hard… - The Yarn Bleeding Experiment, Part 3
This week in part 3 of the Yarn Bleeding Experiment, it’s time to actually do some science! If you haven’t already, head back and read Part 1 & Part 2… - Garments Are Coming!
In my previous blog post, Designing for Fat Bodies, I talked about how my approach to designing is directed by my fatness. This is particularly relevant when designing garments, and… - The Yarn Bleeding Experiment, Part 2
The Experiment This week in part 2 of the Yarn Bleeding Experiment, I’m going to explain the experiment itself. If you haven’t already, you can head back and read Part… - Designing for Fat Bodies
Caution: in this post, I talk candidly and openly about my body shape. I use the word “fat” as a neutral descriptor; my body is fat, and that’s okay. I… - How to Swatch
Here’s a knitting confession: I don’t always swatch. If I’m knitting a shawl, for example, and I’m using yarn I’ve used before, it is almost certain that I won’t swatch… - The Yarn Bleeding Experiment, Part 1
Introduction Anyone who’s ever done laundry knows that fabrics can bleed. New jeans, the famous red sock in a sea of white laundry, and – my favourite – hand dyed… - Financial Accessibility Resources Roundup
Yarncrafts can be an expensive hobby, for a myriad of reasons. As a fat knitter I always knew that I had to buy more yarn than straight size knitters to… - The Emergency Blanket
Sometimes we need a knit that has literally no thought. None whatsoever. No counting stitches, no pattern to hold in your mind, no repeats, no selvedge even. And it’s great… - Leopard
Leopard exists because Tyger exists, and Tyger exists because of this magnificent creature. This is Marie. She’s my cat, and I mean that very literally. She’s not our household pet,… - Hello, 2022
It’s 2022. I’m writing this on January 1st, and it still feels like a hugely futuristic date to type out. The last couple of years have really done a number… - Fasten Off 2021
Are you seeing all the posts on socials from designers taking part in the Ravelry gift-a-long? I am, and it’s weighing on me. After all the work we’ve done to… - Introducing Pay It Forward
We have a financial problem in the knitting world. Actually, we have a few, but they can mostly be boiled down into two distinct categories: creators not being valued and… - Clarity
For me, this is heaven – I hope you’ll find some sweetness in it, too. Nostalgia is a funny thing. There’s a certain smell – something like chocolate blancmange –… - The Case for Holding Yarn Double
If you’ve been following my patterns for a while, then you’ve probably noticed already that I have a bit of a thing for holding yarn double, and with good reason.… - Zenith
ZENITH: The time at which something is at its most powerful or successful. The soft curve of a perfect, half-pi shawl. A delicate, dainty duck egg colour. Carefully pre- strung… - Nadir
NADIR: The lowest or most unsuccessful point in a situation. An asymmetrical triangle. A deep, saturated teal. Simple, familiar, repetitive stitches, sitting at odds with each other. Yarn held double… - Paired Patterns: Zenith & Nadir
Zenith and Nadir were designed together, to be a reflection of opposites. I purposefully made them both with the same yarn base and similar colourways to show that one starting… - It’s Been a Year
It’s been a year since I launched my very first pattern, Perforate. Sometimes it feels like time has really flown by, and at others, a year ago feels like another… - That Manifesto, Explained
That manifesto! Wow. It kind of reads like a bunch of technobabble, doesn’t it. If you don’t know what APIs, NFTs, blockchain, etc. are, how on earth are you supposed… - Soulmates
Note: I was gifted the yarn described in this post in exchange for my honest opinion of it. I was not paid to write this blog post and I retain… - Steam Blocking
We’ve covered wet blocking, we’ve covered spray blocking; now it’s time to bust out the iron and try steam blocking! Steam blocking is a great alternative when you’d like to… - Stranded Colourwork
Colourwork knitting is so beautiful, isn’t it? And so versatile. Intricate Fairisle sweater yokes; bold, colour blocked intarsia; even simple stripes can be utterly charming. The first colourwork technique I… - Spray Blocking
If you read my previous post on wet blocking, then you’ll know that it’s my preferred method of blocking, and the one I use most often. The reason for this… - All About Microns
I really love learning things by accident – especially if they’re surprising, or personally relevant, or related to my favourite things. And I just hit the trifecta. So here I… - Choosing Yarn
Every now and again in yarn circles, theres a little flutter of conversation about yarn snobbery. You see, there are people out there – knitters and designers alike – who… - Ravelry Stats
Last week, Ravelry released yet more propaganda, manipulating statistics to make it look like they were wildly popular and successful post-redesign. In a moment of frustration, I posted a series… - Wet Blocking
Okay, it’s time to dive into wet blocking! I’m starting with this method because it’s the one I use most often. I typically knit with natural fibres and often knit… - Blocking, Part 2
Last week, I gave a little introduction to blocking, talking about why it’s sometimes contentious and how miscommunications can happen. Catch up on that here. This week I’m going to… - Blocking, Part 1
Today I want to talk about something a little contentious: blocking. If you ask a group of knitters whether they block their knits or not, you’re almost guaranteed to get… - Merino Lurex Sock
by Wild Bobbin Yarns Every once in a while, I fall for a yarn that’s outside my comfort zone. That’s what happened with this one: whilst merino is definitely my… - Notions
You’ve got your pattern, you’ve got your yarn. Time to get knitting! But of course there’s one or two other things we need, aren’t there? Even if it’s just scissors… - Calculating Yarn Weight
A question that I see crop up fairly often is how to calculate the combined weight of two strands of yarn held together. Or, sometimes, a knitter wants to achieve… - Yarnie Crossword #1
I absolutely LOVE puzzles. Quizzes, escape rooms, logic puzzles, crosswords, Scrabble, Words with Friends, Cluedo, whodunnits – they’re all great fun and I love doing them. Working something out and… - Well in Hand: First Look
Well in Hand, my very first collection, was released on Monday. If this is the first you’ve heard of it – well, where have you been?! Never mind – pop… - Christmas Eve Cast On
The Christmas Eve Cast On is a lovely little tradition that has been going for a few years now. The specifics of the concept vary between different social spaces, but… - Fasten Off Yarn-a-Long 2020
Have you heard about this yet? No? Well you should rectify that immediately! In short, the yarn-a-long is a social stitching event with a focus on accessibility and community. Every… - Hearth
As I’ve mentioned before, I have all my best ideas in bed. Hearth is another one of those ideas. My daughter likes company at bedtime. Either parent will usually do,… - Highland
by Giddy Aunt Yarns If you were to ask me what kind of yarn I like, I’d tell you that it’s hand dyed, tonal, and soft. Super soft. I’m not… - Well in Hand: Coming Soon!I am utterly thrilled to announce that my very first collection, Well in Hand, will be released this December! Well in Hand is a collection of 8 fingerless mitt patterns,…
- Saving Dasher
Years and years ago, when my baby was an actual baby and I didn’t even know how to knit yet, I crocheted her a toy horse. Her favourite thing at… - Rebel
One of my favourite possessions is my leather jacket. It’s warm, it’s got lots of pockets, and every time I put it on, my husband gets this look and tells… - Adapting Perforate
Usually on the Wednesday after a pattern launch I’d be telling you all about the inspiration for the pattern, where the idea came from, and how it all came about.… - Picot Hem
During testing for Keighley, a couple of knitters who hadn’t done picot hems before said that they needed a bit more guidance on this technique than the pattern provides. Since… - Keighley
I am so very proud of these mitts. When I accidentally came up with the Kiss Stitch, I looked at it and immediately knew it had to be a pair… - Kiss Stitch
I find it quite funny that at the very beginning of my designing career I’ve come up with not one but two stitch patterns which are, as far as I’m… - The Case for a Gauge Library
Gauge swatches. Just in saying that, I bet most of you have had some sort of reaction, whether positive or negative. For some reason, swatching for gauge is seen as… - Happy Little Penis Stitch
Oh, this pattern. What an experience. I often have good ideas right as I’m falling asleep. Somehow that moment between awake and asleep is where I have the right combination… - Granny Square Day 2020
Every year on August 15th, crocheters take to Instagram to post a close-up photo of a granny square they have made. Started by Susan Regalia in 2014 and now run… - Perforate
Content note: I talk about food (but not weight, restrictions, or dieting) in this post. Have you ever heard the term “same food”? I hadn’t until about a year ago,… - One Wonderful Block
On my computer, I organise my patterns by status. There’s a folder for ideas, a folder for WIPs, a folder for released patterns, and a folder for patterns which are… - My Body Model
Today I’m excited to share the guest blog I’ve written over at My Body Model! When I first decided to start designing patterns, I knew I wanted to do garments,… - Pharma
Ah, the one with the controversial name. This little pouch came out of necessity. I am a person who likes to be prepared; back in the day when I was… - Henley
Here’s something you might not know about me: my car is a 1990 Mini Mayfair. Yes, we have a family car that’s modern and amazing that we use for the… - Airtable
Since many of us are no longer able to use Ravelry as we once did, Airtable is fast becoming a popular place to log our stashes. It’s got a free… - Journalling
One of the things I really have to do as a designer is take copious notes as I go. I need to write down every detail – which cast on… - Hello!
Welcome to the blog, where I’ll be ranting writing about what I’m up to. I’ll be sharing details of my knitting and crochet projects, new pattern releases, squishy yarn acquisitions,…
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