Knitting

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In troubled times, stitch for others

Many aspects of everyday life are changing: more darkness, colder weather and snowfall, less fun money and more bills. It's enough to make me want to stay home, hunker down and knit. I want to share ideas for getting out of the doldrums by focusing less on what we don't have and more on what we do have.

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Push yourself this fall learning, improving needlework skills

Baby, it's getting cold outside, and I'm thinking about warm sweaters, shawls, hats and gloves. October is all about knitting and crocheting, and the Craft Yarn Council of America encourages you to pick up your needles and hooks this fall with special events.

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Software can help knitters learn to design own patterns

I've been watching the campaigns on TV, and I've noticed that an important strength in the candidates is their tremendous self-confidence. Confidence is an important tool for needleworkers too.

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Extend your knitwear with a few classic fashion tricks

Cooler weather makes knitwear feel cozy and appealing. As you dig out the winter clothing, take a good look at your knitwear. In addition to cleaning it, mending snags and tightening loose buttons, it might be time to revamp your sweaters. You might also think about a fresh new look to knit or crochet for this season.

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Silk is gold standard for Chinese textiles

The 2008 Olympics in Beijing have allowed Westerners to view some of the ancient Chinese culture. Architecture, dance and music are just a few of the wonders, but none is more breathtaking than the colors and textiles of the costumes.

10 tips for excellence in knitting or crochet

Hints toward success on competition

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How to go for glory at the fair

I have accepted the Olympic Challenge, and since my cast-on during the opening ceremony Friday, I have been knitting away and watching the competitions in Beijing. As I watch athletes compete for that elusive gold medal, it has made me aware of what it takes to make a winner.

10 tips for excellence in knitting or crochet

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Share Olympic fever with competitive event for knitters

The air is electric with excitement over the Olympics. If your favorite sport is knitting and you are happy to be a fiber-loving couch potato rather than an athlete, you might be surprised to learn that you can still participate in the Olympics. That's right: There is an event for knitters.

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Alaska knitters click out clothes for needy babies

Summer is a time for fun, picnics and good friends. When you are a knitter in Anchorage, summertime fun, good picnic food and warm friends who also love yarn can be found at the July guild meeting.

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It's not too soon to start knitting project for state fair

July is the heart of summer, and that means it's fair time. I can remember the hot, sticky evenings in North Dakota when the place to be was our county fair. Strolling down the midway and eating cotton candy sure was exciting, but I could hardly wait to see the exhibits in the 4-H tent.

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Knit back-to-school projects this summer for needy kids

Summer is here, or so I've been told. The weather sure is more like sweater weather than swimsuit season, though maybe that's not such a bad thing.

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Natural fibers offer Alaska knitters sustainable options

Ah, it's good to see the green leaves of summer. I have mentioned before that one can see green everywhere -- even in your local yarn store.

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'Plarn' recycles plastic bags, offsets rising yarn prices

With the price of gas so high, many of us are staying home more these days. I know I am getting a lot more knitting done as I try to stretch my budgeted gas money. But even as I knit up the last of my good stash, I am finding the high price of gas is a reality I can't avoid.

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Trace knitting history back to medieval times and beyond

Have you ever wondered just how many years people have been knitting? When I am knitting, I often think of this long line of knitters stretching back hundreds, even thousands of years.

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Find sense of community with click of your needles

This week I was reminded that everyone has a different idea of the meaning of "community."

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Knitters make personal statement about peace, justice

I have found that our fellow needle enthusiasts are far from quiet when it comes to politics.

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Recuperation unleashes a pent-up passion to knit

Toward the end of March, I became a casualty of winter's icy streets when I took a spill, landing hard on my right hand.

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Russian knitter to share beauty of Orenburg shawls

Alaska has a unique heritage that combines the diverse cultures of North America and those of Russia and Asia.

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Alaska home to one of nation's top crochet instructors

March seems to be the time of year when all the stored-up winter energy spills out into a frenzy of activity. I can certainly feel my creative juices thawing out, and after viewing the fabulous wearable art at the Alaska Fiber Festival last weekend, I am full of ideas to knit and crochet.

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Knitting Grounds yarn shop offers a cozy setting for fiber artists

It's exciting that we have so many talented fiber folks in Alaska.

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March will host nine-day fiber festival, high-caliber workshops

March is synonymous with famous wintertime events in Alaska. The start of the Iditarod in Anchorage is perhaps the most anticipated of all of them. But did you know that the fiber community has its own extravaganza?