Sorry it has been a while. Life and all that… Anyway, I’m here now because I’ve been knitting on a very, very old project, and I thought you might like to hear about it. Way back in the mists of time, I was the technical editor on The Knitter magazine. I worked there for two years, before leaving to start my freelance technical editing business. While I worked on the magazine I dipped my toe into writing knitting patterns and designing for the first time. In June 2010 my Golden Wheat Shawl was published in issue 20 of The Knitter. It was my eighth design and to this day remains the one that I ..read more

Why, as makers, do we find it so hard to present a finished project without pointing out the (perceived) flaws, and things we would do differently if we made the thing again? Why is it so uncomfortable to show what we have made, and to simply be proud of it? Even as I’m writing about this, I’m feeling slightly cringe that this will come across as fishing for compliments. Or that I’ll be judged as showing off. Ugh. I made jeans. I’ve never done it before, and I spent a long time thinking that it was going to be really difficult. In fact I purchased the kit to make these Ames Jeans from Guthrie ..read more

Whether you are working stripes or stranded colourwork, this is a brilliant tip to help you put a colour change in exactly the right spot. It’s best used on superwash an other non-felting yarns. If you are working with a yarn that felts I don’t think you can beat splicing. Anyway… Here’s the video tutorial to show you the way, simply click on the image to be taken to YouTube: This join is called the clasped weft join, which is way harder to remember than how to do the join itself! If you just want to know how to do the basic join, our video for that is here: Clasped weft join. I’ve been work ..read more

Some people write New Year’s resolutions, others choose a word for the year, and most people don’t do either! I was feeling particularly philosophical on New Year’s Day this year, and decided that I would try to “set the tone” for the year. I spent the day doing a little of a few things that I hoped I would do more of through the year. I tried to create a tasting platter for the year to come, if you will! I sowed broad bean seeds in our greenhouse. We didn’t manage to grow any vegetables in our garden last year. It was one of the things we let go in order to focus our energy where it was most ..read more

I do love a knitting tip, don’t you? I am slowly emerging from hibernation, and definitely not yet ready for a full return to work, but I’ve been knitting, and I’ve been thinking about knitting, and today I’m going to share with you my latest knitting tip obsession: the clasped weft join. Don’t let the name put you off! Remembering the name of this trick is much harder than actually doing it! This join is perfect when you are working with a yarn that doesn’t felt. It’s quick and easy to do, and is almost invisible. You end up with two small ends that you can weave in later, or simply trim back ..read more

It’s hard to believe that we’ve nearly completed a year of Confident Knitting! It’s been amazing to see the myriad beautiful projects started and the new skills mastered by so many of you. We hope the book has given you a big confidence boost! Today, I’d like to show off some of the beautiful customer projects shared over in The Knitalong Hub this winter … from hats to homewares, some fabulous projects have come out of our last three knitalongs! We welcomed December with Gudrun Johnston’s fun colourwork design, the Stellar Hat, learning all about how German twisted and long-tail cast on can se ..read more

How are things in your corner of the world? I always find this time of year a bit funny … no major holidays to look forward to, spring not yet arrived … a time of year where you need to work a bit extra to find some excitement, perhaps? If this rings true to you, you might like to know that this month’s Confident Knitting designer Carol Feller is about to kick off a mystery shawl knitalong. I think it sounds like just the thing to see off any late winter doldrums and occupy anyone looking for a new challenge post-Confident Knitting. SiOG Stripes, a previous mystery shawl knitalong pattern fro ..read more

We’re slowly winding things down at Arnall-Culliford HQ, but before we sign off, we want to finish celebrating the amazing skill building and beautiful knits that have continued to come out of the Confident Knitting knitalongs! Today, it’s all about your CK Autumn projects. We kicked off the season with Jen’s fabulous Moorland Socks, and, wow, lots of you were big fans of the garter stitch short row heel (as I am!). HollyR made a pair not just for her self, but her two little ones too! I love this trio of stripey socks. (Yarn by Fab Funky Fibres). Left: VintageRosies’s Moorland Socks; right ..read more

Have you knit many projects where you hold two yarns together? Whether you’re exploring the wonderful world of marling with one of Ceceila Campochiaro’s patterns from MDK Field Guide No. 19: Marls or have jumped on the “put a strand of mohair with it” train, you may have noticed it’s relatively easy to miss out one or other of the yarns you’re knitting with while making a stitch. Now, is this the biggest deal in the world? No. Because you’ve been knitting with two yarns, you are not in danger of the stitch unraveling all the way down the column of knitting. If you don’t feel like fixing it, yo ..read more

This month, it’s all about i-cord in our final Confident Knitting knitalong. I-cord is one of those techniques we return to again and again … it creates beautiful detail that can really elevate a project! The Prime Blanket, February’s Confident Knitting pattern. Photo © Jesse Wild. Carol Feller has used an i-cord cast off to grace the edges and pocket of an heirloom-quality blanket for this month’s Confident Knitting project, the Prime Blanket. But an i-cord cast off can be used in so many situations … to finish a shawl, add polish to a sweater hem, adorn a sleeve cuff, the list goes on! We h ..read more