Knit Picks Podcast

Episode 213: Inspiration for Fingering Weight Yarns

This week, Kelley dives into her stash in search of inspiration for her collection of fingering weight yarns. And with a mission to make more than another pair of socks, Kelley peruses Ravelry in search of unique and versatile patterns that are perfect for lighter fingering weight yarns. Continuing on this theme, Kelley reviews the books Sock-Yarn Shawls by Jen Lucas and The Knitter's Palette by Kate Haxell. Finally, Kelley shares her enthusiasm of searching out new projects to cast on after...

Episode 211: Interview with Spilly Jane

This week, Kelley gets a chance with Canadian knitter and knitwear designer, Spilly Jane! Obsessed with color and texture, Jane habitually translates songs, food and architecture into elegantly quirky handknit socks and mittens. Learn more about how Jane first started knitting and what started her mitten obsession, in addition to getting the inside scoop on her design process for her well-loved patterns.

Episode 209: Interview with the TECHknitter

This week, Kelley chats with the TECHknitter about her "chart chart" technique and all things lace. Kelley first begins by giving a brief overview of lace knitting and its components, along with the different ways that lace patterns can be presented. Kelley goes over both written and charted directions, before introducing the TECHknitter's "chart chart" method. Learn more about this compelling way to knit lace as the TECHknitter chats about the history of lace and charting methods, as well...

Episode 207: Interview with Edie Eckman

Love to crochet small motifs, but never sure what to do with all of your small crocheted creations? Get a dose of fresh, creative inspiration on this week's episode with Edie Eckman! A designer and author for both knit and crochet, Edie chats with Jenny about her new book Connect the Shapes Crochet Motifs, which brings you a whole new collection of interesting crochet shapes and a myriad of ways to connect them. Learn how Edie got her start crafting and how she translated her passion for...

Episode 205: Illuminated Lines Pattern Collection...

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Episode 203: Fiber Lesson

This week, Kelley talks about different fibers and blends to explore their qualities. Learn about what makes wool so wonderful, why alpaca is so warm, how silk gets it's shine, and what mercerized means for cotton. This handy guide to fiber basics is sure to help you as you plan out your next project. Next, Kelley reviews some of her favorite audiobooks that she has been listening to lately. Finally, Kelley catches you up with what is on her needles.

Episode 201: Crafting for the Holidays

This week, Jenny and Stacey chat about what is on every knitter and crocheter's mind this time of the year - holiday crafting! Both Jenny and Stacey share a list of their favorite knit and crochet designs for the holiday season. Find out what makes or breaks a project when it comes to crafting for the holidays and what go-to books are a must have for any knitter or crocheter this holiday season.

Episode 192: For the Love of Cowls

In this week's episode, Kelley chats about her love of cowls! In addition to covering a brief history of the cowl, Kelley talks about several different varieties of designs that are based in the basic cowl shape - including neckwarmers, infinite scarves, and other styles that experiment with unique ways of closing the loop. This allows designers even more creative freedom 800x600 Normal 0 false false false EN-US X-NONE X-NONE MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 /* Style Definitions */...

Episode 190: New Summer Yarn Extravaganza!

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Episode 188: The Afterthought Method

Afterthought pockets and heels are exactly what you might expect them to be - pockets and heels that are worked after the fact. This week, Kelley delves into the afterthought technique, explores its many different uses for this trick, and covers the basics of how to work an afterthought heel. Next, Kelley shares her favorite form of entertainment while knitting - audiobooks, of course! Kelley chats about her love of all things audiobooks, including Audible and her favorite narrators and...

Podcast 186: Interview with Allyson Dykhuizen from Holla...

This week we bring you another bonus mini-episode of the Knit Picks podcast! Stacey gets a chance to catch up with designer Allyson Dykuizen, who began designing under the name "Sweatshop of Love." After spending some time teaching and designing, Allyson decided to broaden her design skills by creating Holla Knits - a collaborative collection between designers that focuses on a young, fresh, and modern aesthetic. Hear more about the designers and ideas behind Holla Knits as well as how...

Episode 184: Interview with Hunter Hammersen

In this week's episode, Kelley reunites with author and designer, Hunter Hammersen, to chat about her latest book - The Knitter's Curiosity Cabinet. Similar to her first book Silk Road Socks which features sock patterns based on oriental rugs, Hunter shares her inspiration for creating a collection of designs inspired by curiosity cabinets. Hunter not only chats with Kelley about just what exactly a curiosity cabinet is - but also how they inspired her new book and how she was able to...

Episode 182: Rocky Shores eBook Interview with Kerin

This week, Jenny gets a chance to catch up with Knit Picks designer Kerin to talk about the newest eBook Rocky Shores! Filled with traditional designs with a modern twist, the eBook includes patterns for the women's garments, a men's vest, a wrap and a purse. Hear all about the design process, inspiration, and challenges that Kerin was faced with as she goes through and talks about each of the featured designs - a must listen for fans of knitting history and traditional techniques!

Episode 180: Springtime Stashbusters

Episode 178: Live from TNNA!

Last weekend Alisha, Stacey, and Jenny attended The National Needlearts Association winter show held in Phoenix, Arizona. This industry trade show is put on several times a year and lets venders, yarn shop owners, and designers connect with each other as well as find new and exciting yarns and accessories. As much as we enjoyed the warm weather and sunshine, we also loved chatting with all of the friends that stopped by our booth! While being around so many wonderful designers, Jenny was...

Episode 176: The Process of Product Development

Kelley shares the story of Knit Picks and how the company first began through the evolution of product development from selecting the first yarn lines to developing new needles and tools to enhance your fiber craft. Continuing with the theme of product development, Alison chats with Teri about the newest Knit Picks yarn, Brava! Teri has wool allergies that make it impossible for her to enjoy all of the lovely natural fibers available at Knit Picks, which is exactly why she was so excited...

Episode 174: Spinning with a Wheel

This week, Kelley talks about the other half of her fiber life - creating handspun yarn with a spinning wheel! Hear all about Kelley's advice for those new to spinning with a spindle or a wheel in addition to all of the possibilities you can create by making your own yarn! Kelley also reviews the books, Learn to Spin by Anne Field, and Color in Spinning, by Deb Menz. Next, Kelley talks about all of the wonderful fiber options you have for spinning and reviews several Knit Picks roving...

Episode 171: Rigid Heddle Weaving

This week is all about weaving with a rigid heddle loom! Hear all about Kelley's adventures in weaving as she chats with Jenny about rigid heddle looms. Kelley also shares great advice for new weavers and why is it great for using up both larger and smaller amounts of yarns that you might have hiding in your stash. Kelley also reviews two of her most loved weaving books along with her favorite tool for planning out projects, the Ultimate 3-in-1 Color Tool. Finally, Kelley catches you up on...

Episode 169: Everything Old Is New Again

It seems that this year, there has been a resurgence of popular and much-loved knitting books that are finally back in print! Kelley shares how learning to spin led her down the path of knitting and the books that passed on endless amounts of techniques and knowledge. Kelley then reviews four of her favorite books that are finally back in print and ready to be enjoyed by a new generation of knitters: Aran Knitting, The Book of Fair Isle Knitting, and Charts for Color Knitting, all of which...

Episode 167: Interview with Anna Hrachovec

This week, Alison interviews Anna Hrachovec, author of the books Knitting Mochimochi and Teeny-Tiny Mochimochi. Both of these books are filled with fun, brilliantly imaginative and innovative toys to knit, with the second book focusing on super-small scale toys that can be knit in only an hour or two! These teeny-tiny toys are often only an inch tall and use only a few yards of yarn. Anna chats about how she began knitting, what her creative process is for coming up with ideas, how she...

Episode 165: Transitions

Kelley makes a big annoucement about the transitions that have been happening at Knit Picks!

Episode 163: A Summer of Lace

With the weather finally warming up here in the Pacific Northwest, knitting lace have been on everyone's mind here at the office. On a recent trip, Kelley was fortunate enough to be sitting next to a fellow knitter on the plane back to Portland. She got the opportunity to share her love of knitting with her new knitting pal and Kelley recaps her reasons to knit lace as well as why new knitters shouldn't be afraid to tackle lace projects. Next up, Kelley presents three different books on lace...

Episode 161: Stitch Dictionary Secrets Revealed

Jenny chats with Kerin about the wonders of stitch dictionaries! If you are new to stitch dictionaries, you will learn all about what they are, how to use them and the history of stitches throughout different cultures. Kerin also shares her own tips and tricks to successfully designing with different lace, cables, textures and colorwork stitches.

Episode 159: Interview with Lisa Shroyer

Kelley interviews Lisa Shroyer, editor of Knitscene magazine and author of the new book Knitting Plus - an amazing reference guide that walks you through several sweater styles and how to modify each to make it flatter your figure, along with 15 beautiful patterns.

Episode 157: Interview with Linda Permann

Alison chats with crochet designer Linda Permann, author of Crochet Adorned and Little Crochet - which just was released last week! Hear all about Linda's design process from beginning to end in creating this beautiful book as well as tips and tricks that crocheters of all level will find helpful.

Episode 155: Interview with Hunter Hammersen

Kelley interviews Hunter Hammersen, author of Silk Road Socks - a beautiful book that takes a look at the history of Oriental rugs, design elements unique to each style of rug and translates them into 14 stunning sock patterns.

Episode 153: Entrelac-tastic!

Alison interviews Rosemary Drysdale, author of Entrelac: The Essential Guide to Interlace Knitting. Hear Alison and Kerin chat about designing with entrelac, how to use this technique as well as handy tips and tricks. Stacey interviews IDP designer Michele Bernstein about how she got her start designing and the inspiration behind her Lacy Entrelac Infinity Scarf. Books Reviewed Alison reviews the book Entre to Entrelac by Gwen Bortner.

Episode 151: New Yarn, Chroma!

Alison and Christina discuss the development procees for Chroma colorways; Kerin and Stacey suggest patterns and designs that go well with Chroma; Jenny reviews the book Knitting Noro.

Episode 149: Fiber Festivals

Alison and Kerin chat about the Oregon Flock and Fiber Festival along with other yarn-related gatherings.

Episode 147: Designer Inspiration

Kelley chats with designers Nina and Kerin about their inspiration and development process for new fall kit patterns.

Episode 145: Color Confidence

Kelley gives a lesson on selecting colors for knitting projects, then talks with Knit Picks designer Kerin about color.

Episode 143: Interview with Kristin Omdahl

Kelley chats with Kristin Omdahl, author of Crochet So Fine, Wrapped in Crochet, and The Art of Knitted Lace.

Episode 141: Changing Direction

Kelley talks about when you're just not feeling right about a project and switching to a new pattern.

Episode 139: New Tools for Spring

Kelley and Tina go over the new tools that have arrived for Spring 2010.

Episode 137: Tips for Reading Patterns

Kelley chats with designer Kerin about tips and tricks for reading knitting patterns.

Episode 135: Interview with Chrissy Gardiner

Kelley chats with knitwear designer Chrissy Gardiner, author of "Toe-Up! Patterns and Worksheets to Whip Your Sock Knitting Into Shape."

Episode 133: New Spring Yarn Preview

Kelley and Tina chat about new yarn lines, such as Stroll Tonal, Shadow Tonal, and Simply Cotton in new heathered colors.

Episode 131: Meet Customer Service!

Kelley chats with Millie and Jared about working in Knit Picks Customer Service. She also talks with Knitting Superhero Jeanne about knitting through hard economic times.

Episode 129: Color in Design

Kelley chats with Christina, the new Catalog Manager for Knit Picks, about selecting colors and projects for the print and online catalogs.

Episode 127: Refresh Your Stash

Ready for a new year of knitting? Kelley and Tina chat about different ways to reorganize the yarn and projects in their stashes.

Episode 125: Knitted Gifts - Ideas and Care

Kelley shares some alternative ideas for knitted gifts, then chats with Nina and Kerin about how to help gift recipients take care of their new knitted treasures.

Episode 124: Essential Knitting Toools

Kelley talks with Tina about the best tools to have in your knitting bag (or bags, if you're Tina!).

Episode 123: Learning to Love Blocking

Kelley gives a lesson on blocking, then chats with Nina and Kerin about the ways that knitwear designers use blocking to suit their needs.

Episode 121: Felting Frenzy

Kelley chats with Knit Picks designer Kerin about felting your knits and reviews the book "Shibori Knitted Felt" by Alison Crowther-Smith.

Episode 119: Hats, Hats, Hats!

Kelley chats with Nina about different types of hats, then Angela interviews new knitter Brett about his adventures in making his own hat.

Episode 117: Impractical Knits

Kelley chats with Stacey, Angela, and Marci about the delight they find in knitting impractical, whimsical projects.

Episode 115: Hems for Sweaters

Ready to start a new fall sweater? Kelley chats with Nina about different hems that you can use.

Episode 113: Knitting Gifts

Kelley chats with Tina and Alison about gift knitting - who to knit for, how to plan out your knitted gifts, and other tips to keep your gift knitting on track.

Episode 111: Knitted Toys

Kelley talks with Knit Picks designer Kerin about tricks and techniques for knitting toys, then brings in Judy from Connecting Threads for tips on stuffing.

Episode 109: New Knitters

Kelley gives new knitters tips for choosing (and using) patterns, then chats with Nina about the new Learn to Knit kits.

Episode 107: Pool Party

Kelley gives tips on working with multicolor yarn and talks with KP employees about the phenomenon known as "pooling."

Episode 105: New Zephyr Needles

Kelley and Tina chat about the new Zephyr interchangeable needles coming out in August 2009. Also, Kelley talks with Jen Wheeler about her "Cry on Kelley's Shoulder" knitting problem.

Episode 103: Fall Yarn 2009

Kelley talks with Tina about the new yarn lines coming in Fall 2009. She also interviews Melissa about the process of designing hand painted yarns, talks with Nina about her Mr. Foster pattern modifications, and discussions the development of the Palette yarn colors with Kerin.

Episode 101: Knitting Repair

Take a deep breath and gather your courage! Kelley talks you through fixing mistakes and missteps in your knitting. You can do it!

Episode 99: Which Yarn Should I Use?

Don't want stretch? Need drape? Thinking of substituting wool for cotton, or alpaca for linen? Kelley gives advice on how to match fiber type to project.

Episode 97: Converting Flat Knitting to Circular Knitting

Kelley gives tips on the how & when of converting a pattern that has pieces knitted flat and seamed to a seamless, circular work of art.

Episode 95: Steeking V-Necks and Scoop Necks

Kelley helps demystify steeking and talks through how to apply the technique to V-neck and scoop neck openings on sweaters.

Episode 93: Intarsia and Nona's Garden

Kelley chats with Kerin, a designer for Knit Picks, about intarsia and the new Nona's Garden Shawl kit in City Tweed.

Episode 91: I-cord Revisited

Built-in and applied I-cord are great techniques for giving a polished look to your projects. Kelley gives tips on making it perfect — don’t be intimated!

Episode 89: From Mittens to Gloves

Kelley talks about moving into different kinds of mittens and gloves and adds yet another project to the infamous Excel spreadsheet.

Episode 87: Interview with Wendy Bernard

Kelley chats with designer Wendy Bernard about her book "Custom Knits."

Episode 85: Slipping Stitches

Kelley talks about the different ways to slip stitches in your knitting, then discusses techniques that use picked up stitches for various effects.

Episode 83: Cast On for Any Occasion

Kelley goes over common cast on techniques and describes the best uses for each.

Episode 81: Entrelac Made Easy

Learn technique tips for entrelac. Kelley and guest entrelac-er Karen talk though the best yarn and projects for experimenting with entrelac.

Episode 79: New Year's Resolutions

Kelley shares some of her 2009 knitting resolutions and talks about her favorite organizational books and techniques.

Episode 77: Chat with Lucy Neatby

Kelley talks with knitter extraordinaire Lucy Neatby. Along with designing patterns and operating Tradewind Knitwear Designs, Lucy has a series of highly instructional knitting DVDs.

Episode 75: Interview with Nancy Bush

Kelley chats with acclaimed author and designer Nancy Bush. Nancy is the author of classic knitting books like "Knitting on the Road," "Folk Socks," and the new "Knitted Lace of Estonia."

Episode 73: Post-Holiday Project Tackle

Kelley talks about ways to plan and organize big, challenging projects, which are perfect for the post-holiday slump.

Episode 71: Interview with Franklin Habit

Kelley chats with Franklin Habit, author of the popular "The Panopticon" blog and author of "It Itches," a compilation of knitting cartoons and essays.

Episode 69: Kelley and Tina Talk Tools

Kelley and Tina talk about their favorite knitting tools and offer extra tips and tricks for using them.

Episode 67: Ethnic Knitting Interview

Kelley and our in-house designer Kerin Dimeler talk about ethnic colorwork and knitting styles, from Fair Isle to Lithuania.

Episode 65: Interview with Cheryl Brunette

Kelley chats with Cheryl Brunette, author of "Sweater 101," about how to make sweaters that fit well and look good.

Episode 63: Little Knitting Mysteries

Kelley demystifies common knitting questions, such as the difference between k2tog and ssk.

Episode 61: Interview with Maggie Pace

Kelley chats with Maggie Pace, author of "Felt It" and "Felt Forward."

Episode 59: Lace Tips and Tricks

Don't be intimidated by lace knitting - pull out your pointiest needles and take things one stitch at a time.

Episode 57: New Fall Yarn!

Kelley and Tina talk about the new fall yarn lines, detailing the color selection process and discussing different commercial dyeing techniques.

Episode 55: Interview with Gale Zucker

Kelley talks with Gale Zucker, photographer for "Shear Spirit."

Episode 53: Interview with Margaret Hubert

Kelleychats with Margaret, author of "Knits for Men," about her adventures in designing patterns and writing books.

Episode 51: We love our sock blanks!

We love our sock blanks!! And, after several months of secretive planning and knitting, Tina and I are thrilled to be able to share a few of our experiences as we worked out the details and then enjoyed our own dyeing and knitting pleasures.

Episode 49: Chat with Kathleen Gormley

Kathleen is an avid knitter whose day job is a director/script supervisor for Recorded Books Productions. I couldn’t resist asking her to join me on this podcast so I could indulge my curiosity regarding the making of audio books.

Episode 47: Interview with Joan McGowan-Michael

Joan combines her extensive training as a designer and her love of vintage garments into a delightful collection of projects based on “nethergarments?.

Episode 45: Charts vs. Written Instructions

Charts vs. written instructions – relax, one is not better than the other. The key is to understand the pros and cons of each method and then adapt instructions to your personal preference.

Episode 43: Chat with Kathleen Taylor

Chat with Kathleen Taylor. Author of Yarns to Dye For, Knit One, Felt Too, and I Heart Felt.

Episode 41: The Many Shapes of Shawls

Lace shawls come in several shapes. These shapes aren’t just a question of fashion. Some are easier to knit while traveling and some are easier to knit because they are long strips of repeated lace patterns. Before you choose your lace project be sure to think about your knitting surroundings (traveling or staying home) and how you would like to use your finished shawl.

Episode 39: Knit up or pick up?

Part of the “charm? of knitting is learning the secret language and secret handshake. Just a little joke. Well, it does feel like that sometimes. “Pick? up and “knit? up are a perfect example.

Episode 37: Needle sizing

What is the deal with needle sizing? Depending on where you live, there will be a particular way that the sizes of knitting needles are categorized. It all seems a bit confusing, but it is actually quite simple.

Episode 35: Casting on for new adventure

Casting on is the beginning of every knitting adventure. But, just like a travel adventure, how you get started depends on where you are going. Plane, train or automobile? Cabled, long tail or invisible cast on?

Episode 33

Designers are individuals. We love their unique projects but sometimes their unique way of communicating can make us crazy! The thing is, patterns are just like novels. An artist throwing their view of the world out there counting on the kindness of strangers. You, the reader, or knitter, have the responsibility to participate in process. You interpret the writing in order to enjoy the story. As you work through a pattern it may be easy to understand, confusing or frustrating. It all depends...

Episode 31: Cables

January’s project from Elizabeth Zimmermann’s book the Knitter’s Almanac is an Aran sweater. So, that is how I am beginning my year! As I worked out the design for my cardigan, I realized cabling would be a nice topic for the beginning of our knitting year together. It does feel nice to shake away the lethargy of Christmas vacation with a challenge.

Episode 29: New Year's Resolution #1

I love the New Year! I get all wrapped up in making new plans and setting new goals. The majority of my plans fall by the wayside but enough of them actually work out to keep me going through the same routine every year. Well, almost the same routine. This year, after some inspiration from the fantastic designs in Kristin Nicholas’ book, I am going to re-work my knitting stash. That’s right! Every ball and skein is going to get dragged out and re-assigned to something productive! I know it...

Episode 26: I-Cord Magic

The funny thing about knitting is how little things can make a huge difference in the ease of knitting and in the look of a finished project. One of the most under-utilized and misunderstood techniques is the simple i-cord, or idiot cord -a tube of 3 stitches that can be used on its own or applied to a garment in a variety of ways. I’ve given you a couple of examples, but if you would like to see i-cord used to its full potential you can refer to some of the projects in Elizabeth...

Episode 25: Knitting in Circles

Double-pointed needles, two-circular needles or one long circular needle? In the old days, you didn’t have the luxury of matching a knitting style to your project or your individual idiosyncracies. Now you can choose classic DPN instructions from books like Sensational Knitted Socks. Try using two circular needles using Cat Bordhi’s Socks Soar on Two Circular Needles or even just one long circular, or Magic Loop, with the help of Bev Galeskas. What are the pros and cons of each method? How...

Episode 24: How do we develop a yarn line?

How do we develop a yarn line? Well, if you asked Bob, it would involve a large dartboard and about 200 darts. The truth is that I’ve never been very good at playing darts. The reality is a fine balance of economics and knitting enthusiasm. Much like what every knitter faces every time they choose yarn for a new project.

Episode 22: Dropped Stitches

Dropped stitches cause much more anxiety than they deserve. First, they are actually very easy to fix. Second, they can help you fix other mistakes that have absolutely nothing to do with dropped stitches in their “error? persona.

Episode 20: A short talk about Short Rows

Short rows add extra rows of knitting to help you shape your garment just the way you want.

Episode 18: It's easy to share the joy of knitting

The more people we teach to knit, the more friends we have and the better the world will be for everyone! I have my own little tricks for gathering new knitters around me and teaching them the joys of making one stitch after another.

Episode 16: Chatting with sock knitting evangelist Ann...

This week we will have our second installment of author interviews. With us for Episode 16 is the delightful Ann Budd. A master knitter, author of numerous books and former editor of Interweave Knits... Ann has done it all! Ann's latest book is a comprehensive look at sock construction, gauge, design and execution.

Episode 14: Keeping Track of Stitches

I use several tricks to make my knitting projects as simple as possible. The key is to break down the stitch count into small manageable pieces so that I can spot a mistake quickly. And, it makes it much easier to carry even complicated knitting along with me without worrying about losing my place in the pattern.

Episode 12: Let's talk about steeks!

This week I want to talk about one of my all time favorite techniques – steeking. I know there are a lot of knitters who have absolutely no idea what steeking means and others who do know but are terrified of it. Let me give you an outline of how handy steeks can be for knitting in hopes of convincing you to give them a try. Knitting Around by Elizabeth Zimmermann will give you instructions for several ways to use this handy technique.