- Ravelry - If you are a knitter, crocheter or spinner, you should be part of this site. It has so much to offer. You can search for patterns by yarn weight, category, yardage, designer or any combination. Many of the patterns may even be available for purchase right on the site. There are groups and forums for just about any niche, from iPad lovers, podcast groups, location, etc. You can frequently see yarn reviews, ask questions about patterns that are stumping you, and sometimes just vent. (be sure to check group rules). But most importantly you will probably meet new people who share your love of fiber.
- How to Weave In Ends As You Knit - This is a trick frequently used in colorwork but it works for any stockinette. I use it all the time and it saves me a lot of time. It's a technique where you weave in your tails as you are knitting. The site has a ton of pictures so it may take time to load if you have a slow connection but I think it's really well done. (It's shown in "throwing" style but there is a link to continental style in the first paragraph)
- Knitting Help - This is a website every new knitter should know about. It has video tutorials of every basic technique you can think of. Various cast-ons, knit stitch, purl stitch, increases decreases, circular knitting, cables... it's all here. Plus they have an iPhone app that lets you take these great videos with you.
- TechKnitting - So you made a mistake? You want to know WHY you do something? You are looking to try a new way of doing a technique? The TechKnitting blog is your key. You will want to utilize the indexes noted on the sidebar to find items more easily. The Unified Index is sort of a glossary view.
- Knitting Calculators - Need to decrease or increase evenly across a row? Estimate yardage for a project? Space buttonholes evenly? This site has calculators for all these scenarios and more.
- Ultimate Knitting Resource Guide - More great resources from around the internet
Lace Knitting
- Add Beads to Lace Knitting using a Crochet Hook - Adding beads to a lace knitting project as you go seats the bead fully on a stitch so it is equally visible on both sides of your knitting. This site has a good picture tutorial of that process.
- Add Beads to Lace Knitting using Super (Dental) Floss - Don't like the crochet hook method but like the look? You might want to try the dental floss method.
- How to Read Charts (pdf file) - Struggling to read that lace chart? Wondering how to know which is the right or wrong side? I found this to be one of the most complete free resources I've seen. Since it's a pdf you can print it out or easily store it on your mobile device
- DragonflySoars Lace Blocking Demo - This is a video of me blocking my Wendy Johnson Summer Mystery Shawlette. It was created primarily for a friend of mine but I'm sharing it with everyone. It was my first time trying to do an "action" video so please forgive the technical difficulties with the sound
Sock Knitting
- Silver's Sock Class - Silver has three versions of sock techniques. Cuff-down on double points, one sock on two circular needles and two socks on one circular needle.
- DragonflySoars Afterthought Heel Tutorial - This is a tutorial on how to cut open a true afterthought heel without waste yarn. It does not tell how to knit the heel after it's opened but there are many other videos for that. One in particular is from The KnitGirllls (about 11 minutes in, Leslie is at the same point with her sock as I end here)
- Toe-Up Techniques
- Magic Cast-on (picture tutorial from Knitty) - This is a cast-on for the toe of your sock that makes it look like you magically created one smooth piece of knitting. The technique can be used as a provisional cast-on in other situations but toe-up socks is where it started.
- Magic Cast-on (YouTube video tutorial from TheKnitGirllls) - Same technique as above but in a video tutorial for visual learners.
- Fleegle's Toe-Up No-Flap, No-Hassle Sock Pattern
- Jeny's Surprisingly Stretchy Bind-Off - Created as a complement to the magic cast-on, this bind-off is a bit tricky but stretchy.
- Sewn Bind-Off - This version uses a tapestry needle, if you use it, the key is loose stitches, do not pull tight!
- DragonflySoars Russian Bind-Off- I made this tutorial because I really feel that this one is one of the easiest stretchy bind-offs to do. It doesn't require a tapestry needle or tricky maneuvers to remember. The tutorial is in a separate video below the podcast
- Cuff-Down Techniques
- TillyBuddy's Very Stretchy Cast-On (YouTube link) - This is my favorite cast-on for the tops of socks, it's unlike any others I've seen. This is the short version of her demonstration, you can search her channel for the longer one.
- Short Row Heel tutorial with wrap & turn - Short-row heels can actually be done for either style of sock but the picture tutorial uses a cuff-down sock for demonstration. This is the website that I learned the technique from.
Mother Bear
- Mother Bear Website - This is the website for the main project. You will need to go here to purchase the original pattern
- DragonflySoars Mother Bear (as written) video tutorial - This is a tutorial explaining the steps of the mother bear pattern exactly as they are defined in the original pattern available from Mother Bear Project. It does not give pattern details so please order your pattern from the site above.
- DragonflySoars Mother Bear in the Round video tutorial - This is a step-by-step picture tutorial for how I knit the Mother Bear
pattern in the round using toe-up sock techniques. Techniques used are
magic loop, Judy's Magic Cast-On, two-at-a-time sock knitting and
kitchener stitch. While the video does not go into the details of these
techniques, helpful links can be found below or on the side bar.
Note: This version does not match the in the round pattern found on Ravelry, but it's how I knit.
