We all like to be an expert; it’s great to be acknowledged for our expertise and knowledge.  It really is an ego boost to feel like the authority on some subject.  But it’s comes at a price.  If you set yourself up as an authority it makes it a whole lot harder to keep learning.  Almost as though you can’t show any chinks in your armour of knowledge.

But it is just not possible to know everything!  Life and learning is an on-going process, constantly evolving.  It is so important to keep your mind open to new ideas and allow yourself to learn, to be humble and accept suggestions.  Ego is a terrible thing; I suspect it actually hides big insecurities in all of us.  It is hard to keep your mind open, to be able to take well-meaning suggestions without flinching.

This of course goes well beyond just my design work right though all of life.  After my fourth child was born and he was having various sleeping problems related to his ears the most common refrain I heard was ‘well you know what you’re doing, you’re an expert at this’.  Total nonsense.  With each child I’m a complete beginner.  I’ve never met them before, I don’t know who they are yet.  The same goes for every new design.  I’ve got a stockpile of background knowledge but every one is started anew, from scratch, and to make it special you’ve got to allow yourself to go back to basics in the hope that you’ll rediscover something amazing.

So here’s to a new year of learning and fresh discoveries for all of us!

Like most knitters I get into a knitting rut.  When I have an idea I want to get started straight away…this means that I rely on well know cast-ons and techniques that I can do by rote without having to research anything.  I’ve shaken things up here a little over the last few weeks.  I’ve decided to tackle areas that either I avoided or tried briefly and bypassed to save time.

The first of these was toe up socks.  I know it’s not a very unique construction technique but I avoided it like the plague.  I had two reasons for this, the first was my inability to master Judy’s magic cast on from photos and the other was my dislike of the gusset less short row heel.

My desire to master toe up this time came about because I wanted to knit some long thick boot socks for one of the boys.  I wanted to make the leg as long as possible and the only way I could really do that and not run out of yarn was working toe up.  So I decided to tackle the problem head on.  The first problem I had was with the basic construction technique.  The idea of a short row heel was great, looks lovely but both me and my son have high arches.  A sock without a gusset just doesn’t work!  Trying to pull it over the heel is quite frankly a nightmare.  So I started my search on ravrelry for a basic toe up sock with a gusset.  I landed on this pattern which fitted the bill.  It’s a super easy pattern to follow, however I wonder if there is a seamless way to finish the heel without having to pick up stitches at the back of the heel?  I think I’ll have to mull that construction over for a while, there may be some odd sock construction patterns in my future!

My other problem was of course my inability to master Judy’s Magic Cast On first time around from photos.  I decided to tackle the cast on from a different angle, in motion, and searched you tube for some videos.  This one was great and after watching it through a couple of times I had it down perfectly.  It’s such a simple variation on the invisible cast on (using the tail of yarn instead of waste yarn or a needle) but the result is so beautiful I just want to use it on everything!  There are so many possibilities that I can’t wait to use it again.

Here’s a little look at those plain vanilla toe up thick boot socks I made for the boy….

The second cast on I worked with this month was the bellybutton cast on.  I was using this for a center out shawl.  Previously when I’ve designed center out shawls me (and other knitters) have struggled for the first few rounds until there is enough stitches to easily work the little circle.  There always has to be a better way of doing things so I again started searching.  The concept for this cast on is so simple that it’s one of those ‘why didn’t I think of that myself’ moments!

One of the easiest ways of knitting a small circumference easily is with an I-cord.  You just use one needle and pull the stitches tightly to close the loop.  This cast on uses this basic principle.  All you do is work a small I-cord with waste yarn, then change to your working yarn and dpns (or magic loop) and you can start knitting your shawl or whatever you’re working in the round.  Then when you’re finished you remove the I-cord, draw the tail through the live stitches and pull it tight – just like the top of a hat.  You end up with a lovely tidy center to your shawl that is super easy to construct.

So today’s blog post is all about finding better solutions to your knitting – if something isn’t working for you find a new way to do it!

I’m really happy to be able to tell you that my two craftsy classes are now live!

The first class is Celtic Cables and it will work you through how to work cables and read cable charts.  In addition to this you’ll get the exclusive Portulaca Cardigan that was designed just for this class.  The class is set up like a full cardigan knit along (KAL) working you first through measuring yourself and choosing the perfect size.  Then helping you decide if there are any small adjustments you’d need to make for your body size.  From there we’ll work through every step of the cardigan, swatching, casting on, working the body, sleeves and then joining it all together for the yoke.

If you’ve never incorporated cables in garment knitting this is a great introduction or perhaps this is your first cardigan?  The class is nicely set up for helping knitters along – you watch the video and then you can ask me and your fellow knitter questions.  You can also jump in and help other knitters out if you’ve got answers or suggestions for them.  All projects that knitters are working on can be linked to the class so you can see what other knitters are doing in the class as well.

The second class is actually a free class on Short Rows.  As many of you probably know already I’m fairly fond of short rows.  There are many, many ways of working short rows and in this class I talk about a few different ways of working them.  But more importantly I talk about how to break a short row down so you can see exactly how it works and what you’re trying to do with it.  This can make a lot more sense of short rows!  The final two classes cover different things you can do with short rows.  We look at shoulder slopes and set in sleeves using short rows as well as creating short row bust shaping.  Now do be aware that as this is a free class I won’t have any interaction in the class.  You can still talk with other knitters in the comments though and discuss how you’re using short rows in your projects.

I’m putting together a quick blog post for all my Ravi Knitters out there.

There are a lot of questions about how to work the short rows.
Any method you want to use that you get the desired results is just fine.
If you use w&t method you can either pick the wraps up to work with the stitch or it is also possible to leave the wraps where they are.  In garter stitch they are somewhat hidden by the purl bump on the RS of the work.
When I was working the yoke I was happiest personally with the Japanese short rows.  The tutorial shown here in my blog is for st st and we are working in garter so it will work a little differently.
I’m putting up a series of photos below showing how I worked the Japanese short rows in garter and how I picked them up.
If you change the way you work the short rows as you are creating the yoke that works fine, I actually did that with the cardigan so that they got neater as I worked!

Japanese Short Rows In Garter Stitch, worked on the WS

There are two different methods of working this both of which give nice results.  In the method shown in photographs below I’ve described how you work it if your ‘pin’ is hanging to the RS of your work.  Below I’ve also given a written description of how to hid the wrap if your pin hangs on the WS of the work.

Work in garter stitch on the WS of the work to the position of the first short row.

Work to position you want the short row, place pin around yarn which will hang on the RS of the work

Turn work to the RS, slip 1 st from left needle to right needle, bring your working yarn to the back of the work and you can see your pin hanging in front of your right needle.

Finish working to the end of the RS row. For this pattern you will repeat this several times until you have 5 safety pins across your knitting. At this point you will work a complete WS row picking up all the wraps.
When you reach the first wrap you need to pick up on the WS row it will look like this.

WS of work when you reach the gap created by the short row. You can see that your pin is behind the right hand needle on the RS of the work.

Pull the pin up so that it sits on the left hand needle and remove the pin from around the yarn.

Knit this loop with the next stitch on your needle.

You will now continue knitting until you reach the next wrap you need to pick up.

This is how the 'double stitch' created by the wrap looks on the RS of the work.

Note: To actually see this you’ll have to turn your work as you’re working on the WS!

Alternative method which hangs the pin on the WS.

1. Knit on the WS to your ‘gap’.

2. Turn your work the the RS, sl 1 st from left needle to the right needle, bring your working yarn to the correct position at the back (WS) of your work and then place the pin on your yarn.  This will place your pin on the WS rather than the RS of your work.

3. Continue to work your short rows until all are completed.

4. Working on the full WS row where you have to pick up wraps work to the position of the first gap, your pin will be under the right needle on the WS of your work (which is the side closest to you).

5. Slip 1 st p-wise from left needle to right needle.

6. Pull pin with wrap to sit wrap on the left needle and remove the pin (this will be pulled up on the WS of the work).

7. Sl stitch back again from the right needle to the left.

8. Knit the wrap and stitch together.

This will give you a similar result and will again ensure that you only have the ‘double stitch’ showing on the RS of the work and not any extra loops of yarn.

Last week I was travelling. I hinted a little about it but I didn’t want to say too much about it before I went. Now that the work has been done I get to tell you a little about my amazing week!
I was in Denver for the week recording not one but TWO classes with Craftsy. I’m still pinching myself that this is really happening; the last few days have almost felt like an out of body experience :)
I’ll tell you a little bit about my travels, plus I think I’ve fallen for Denver in a big way!
This is the view from my hotel window; I was staying right in downtown Denver.

My first day was to myself so I got to wander around a little, and found myself some cowboys in the park….

At the other side of the park the Denver Art Museum had the Yves Saint Laurent retrospective which I spend a few hours wandering around.  Apart for getting to see all the clothes first hand I think my favourite part of it was just watching YSL sketching.  He had such fluidity and he was talking about the fact that he doesn’t start with an idea in his head, he just waits for the idea to appear on the paper as he was drawing.  From there he only worked on live models to see the movement and drape of the clothing so he could make changes.

After my initial play/adjustment day it was down to work.  When you’re not used to having hair and make-up done every day it’s quite a treat to start the morning being pampered!  I then also got a chance to peek on the set.  I sent a big box of knits and yarn over before me so all the mannequins were pre dressed with my garments.

As you can see the set up that craftsy have for their recording is pretty amazing.  Multiple cameras, lights everywhere and some fantastic dedicated staff.  I was pretty blown away (and terrified!!).  It took a day or two for me to settle into the recording routine.  Even though I’ve taught many classes doing it on camera is a whole different ball game!  By the time we finished the two classes I was really happy with how they  turned out and more relaxed about the whole process.  The platform that Craftsy use is a really great way of teaching online.  They use streaming video so even with poor broadband coverage you can watch it without trouble (like in our useless broadband area).  The videos are easy to mark for your own notes and you can comment/post photos/ talk with the instructor throughout the class.  Talking with knitters and helping them through patterns is very enjoyable for me so this set-up seems ideal.

So now to tell you a little about the classes.  The first class I designed a brand new cardigan for, it’s got many cables, waist shaping and is of course seamless.  In the class I run through how to measure yourself, how to work cables and read cables charts and each step of the cardigan is knit through.  So if you’ve been nervous about tackling your first big project (or cables) it might be a good class for you!  I’ll post a few photos of the cardigan in the next few days.

The second class is a free class on one of my favourite subjects; short rows.  I talk through several different methods of creating them and then show some different ways of using them (including a bust shaping worksheet).

So lots of knitting to come for you all!  I think the classes will be up in the next few weeks but I’ll post to let you know when exactly they’ll be up.

It was an amazing opportunity to work with craftsy, everyone I worked with was just superb and I am dying to see how the classes turn out (although cringe at the thought of seeing myself on film!).

To finish the week off with a bang I got to have a book signing on Friday night at Fancy Tiger Crafts.  I got to meet tons of great knitters over the course of the evening and really got to finish my week in style.  If you’re ever in Denver I’d highly recommend making a stop here, it’s an amazing shop with the loveliest shop owners :)

I couldn’t help taking this one last shot – in the airport they have signs for Tornado shelters….

Some of you may have already noticed (especially if you get the newsletter) that Ravi, the 100th Patten KAL is up!  In case you were wondering where the name came from, it’s named after a Hindu God of the sun.

I’m amazed that I’ve managed to hit 100 patterns, this knitting design started so small and just seems to keep gaining momentum.  I feel lucky every day to be able to work at something I love so much and I want to give a big thank you to all the knitters out there who support me and enjoy what I’m producing.  It’s because of you that I can make my living from this and I never stop appreciating that.

So back to that KAL, if you’re taking part (0r want to know what it’s all about) you can visit and join the dedicated group over on Ravelry.  So far we’re in discussions about yarn, colors and gauge so come over and check it out.

It’ll be a few more weeks before the first clue comes out.  That will give everyone a chance to get their yarn and swatches ready.  Once the first clue is up the price of the pattern will go up to the full price (right now it’s discounted for the sign up period).

On Friday I’m going to be traveling for work (can tell you all about it in a short while!!) for the week.  I’ll be back and fully functioning by Tuesday the 5th of June. I will be checking emails when I get a chance but I’ll be working long days with intermittent internet access so it won’t be as frequent as normal.  So please be patient if responses take a little time!

I’ve been experimenting a little with my Ipad to record some video tutorials for you. For anyone who has an Ipad you may know how awkward trying to do this is! It’s big enough that you have to lean over it to record just your hands, and to make matters worse, the camera is on the side so you have to work way over to that side to make your hands centered!
So with much effort and I bring you my first two video tutorials for cable cast on and alternate cable cast on.

These cast ons are really useful – I find that I use the cable cast on primarily for underarm areas or the front of the neck when working top down. It tends to leave less gaps than the backwards loop method. I have shown this cast on with the new stitch slipped knit wise from the right hand needle to the left hand needle. I have sometimes done this purl wise and I’m not sure it makes a huge difference? Any opinions out there on this? Would love to hear, just leave a comment letting me know how you slip this stitch after it is created.

I stumbled upon the alternate cable cast on when looking for a substitute for tubular cast on. When working 1×1 ribbing (k1, p1), I just love how a tubular cast on looks. The cast on flows effortlessly into the ribbing and creates a smooth continuous edge. It however takes forever to create, making it hard to suggest in patterns!A  couple of summers ago Woolly Wormhead mentioned alternate cable cast on, which I then promptly forgot only to rediscover it again in the last few months when I wanted a tubular substitute.

So let me introduce you to my Cable Cast On video and my Alternate Cable Cast On video, enjoy!

It has been quite a few months since I have done any teaching, life (and work!) has been so busy that it just hasn’t been possible to take on any more.  However last week (which was excellent timing) I was almost finished my author review for the book and Cathy from The Crafty Alley invited me to teach a colourwork class.

So if you want to come learn some colourwork with me get in contact Cathy and go book yourself a place in Killarney on the 2nd of April.  You can see some more details about it here.  Don’t be afraid of giving it a try if you’ve never worked with multiple colours before.  Once you can knit then you’ll be able for the class, I intend to start at the beginning with the basics.

If you follow the link through to my class page you might notice a little mention of Knit Nation at the bottom.  I’m very excited to be teaching at Knit Nation in London this July.  The class schedule is yet to be announced but you can sign up for their newsletter here and as soon as the details are you you’ll know about it.  There are so many people I know going to this weekend that it is sure to be an amazing few days, come join us!

Thank you everyone who entered my competition over the last few weeks.  Both of my sons chose random numbers and to select my prize winners and here there are:

First prize (Four Elements pdf and yarn) went to Owlmania, I have your email address so I’ll go and send the booklet pdf immediately to you.

Next price (Four Elements pdf) went to Suzanne Maughan which will go straight out to you!

The discounted booklet price will remain until the 1st of November (the start of our KAL) and I hope to have individual pattern pdfs up for sale also for Talamh, Gaoth and Uisce in the next few weeks.  They’ll be at my usual pattern price of €5.95.

Now for the winner of our Four Season KAL….it was overwhelmingly for Talamh.  I’m delighted about this as it is fun to knit and easy to wear!  Come over to my Stolen Stitches Group in Ravelry for lots of support, happy knitting.

Just a quick reminder that I’m doing a class in Crafty Alley next Saturday the 9th of October.  This class will work though my Captiva Wrap pattern which is a great pattern to learn new techniques from.  It has some basic lace, short rows and the chart comes in both written and charted form so knitters who want to learn how to read a chart can learn with this.

So if you want to come along for the morning get in contact with Cathy, I think there are a few places still left.