November 30, 2013

There will be no knitchat on Nobember 23rd. Instead join Anastaciaknits as she hosts RockandPurl for an hour of knitting bloopers and funny stories on November 30, 2013. As a technical editor and designer, Rockandpurl has seen it all. Don’t miss her wonderful stories and bring a few of your own to share. This is the last scheduled #knitchat. Let’s go out having a blast!

November 9, 2013 Teaching Crochet and Knitting

The topic for our next knitchat will be teaching knit and crochet. Do you share your knowledge with friends and family? Do you aspire to teach professionally at a local yarn or craft store? We’ll talk strategies for teaching in all environments and share resources to help.

November 2, 2013 - Photographing Crochet & Knits

Having trouble taking picture of finished projects for Facebook, Instagram or Ravelry? Looking for tips on lighting or staging? Bring your questions! Found a great solution for getting the right shot with your cellphone camera? Bring your suggestions!

We’ll be talking all things photography and knits on Twitter this Saturday at 11:00 am Eastern / 8:00 am Pacific / 4:00 pm BST. And we’ll be joined by the talented designer, AnneKuoLukito, who will share her knowledge with us. Don’t miss it!

October 26, 2013 - Taming Variegated Yarns

Working with variegated yarn is a subject of great interest to many knitters and crocheters. Variegated yarns look so pretty in the ball or skein but often don’t work up the way one might expect. Show off your “pooling” nightmares. Bring links to your favorite project photos, patterns and success stories. Let’s #knitchat together and whip those colors into shape this Saturday at 11:00 am Eastern / 8:00 am Pacific / 4:00 pm BST.

Our Photographing Crochet and Knits discussion with guest designer Anne Kuo Lukito is being rescheduled. Stay tuned.

October 19, 2013 - Knitting and Crocheting for Teens

This week we’ll be discussing what to knit/crochet for teens. Please bring lots of suggestions and links to patterns and projects which will appeal to the 12- 20 set. Does your teen love finger-less gloves? Tell us about it. Are you a teen who won’t wear knitted sweaters? Give us your insights. Same time… Saturday 11 am Eastern / 8 am Pacific / 4pm BST.

October 12, 2013 - Holiday Gifts and Decorations

The holidays will be here soon, and it isn't too early to start getting ready. So this week’s #knitchat topic is holiday gifts and decorations. Come and share patterns, projects, and gift ideas. Saturday 11 am Eastern / 8am Pacific / 4pm BST. 

October 5, 2013 - Knitting and Crocheting for Men

The topic for #knitchat on Saturday, October 5th is knitting and crocheting for men. Why do many of us find it difficult to make things for men in our lives? What are the important things to consider when taking on a project for a guy? Have ideas and links to share or need some tips? Plus, no discussion about knitting/crocheting for men would be complete without talking about the “sweater curse.”

Join us at 8 am Pacific/ 11 am Eastern / 4 pm BST. Don't forget to include the "#knitchat" hashtag in your posts.

#knitchat September 28, 2013 - Favorite Tools

In the market for a set of DPNs, steel hooks, or stitch markers? Have you found the best swift or ball winder in the world? Then don’t miss this week’s #knitchat as we discuss favorite tools, hooks and needles. Our special guest, Anastaciaknits, will share a few must haves from her own tool kit.

#Knitchat September 21, 2013 - UFOs & Start-itis

This week’s topic will be UFOs (Unfinished Objects) and Start-itis (starting project after project without finishing.) Who has the biggest number of UFOs lurking in their stash? What’s keeping us from finishing what we start? What resources can we use to help us cross the finish line? Bring your motivation mojo and join us lively Twitter discussion.

#knitchat September 14, 2013 - Finishing Techniques

Knitchat will resume on September 14, 2013, and our topic will be finishing techniques. Having trouble remembering the kitchener stitch? Need to sew matching rows to stitches? Looking for the strongest seam for armholes? Please join us on Saturday for an interesting discussion. We want to hear all your questions and advise. Don’t forget to bring along links to your favorite books, videos, and photos. Plus, Two lovely designers have agreed to join our discussion. Please extend a warm welcome to Deniseworld- @denisevoiedevie and audreykerchner - @audreykerchner who will share their insights.

#knitchat - August 24 2013 - Embellishments

Join us on Twitter for this weeks #knitchat! This week the lovely Lynn4MK will be our host and we’ll be discussing Embellishments. All at the usual time : 8:00 a.m. Pacific, 11:00 a.m. Eastern, and 4:00 p.m. UK time. If you find it a struggle to keep up with the chat on Twitter, or forget to always add the hashtag, I use a place called http://twubs.com/ http://twubs.com/knitchat That way the only twitter messages you see are the #knitchat messages.

Update - August 17 2013 #knitchat -Topic: What's On Your Needles?

We had a great time in #knitchat all talking about what we’re knitting. As some were coming and going, some were on their phone so couldn’t link, there wasn’t much link sharing. I did however find a few patterns that were mentioned so here are the links
:
Wingspan shawl
http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/wingspan-2
Boneyard shawl
- http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/boneyard-shawl
Simple Socks
- http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/simple-socks-2
Lacecap- http://www.knitty.com/ISSUEsummer03/PATTlacecap.html


Yarns mentioned :
Madeline Tosh
- http://www.ravelry.com/yarns/brands/madelinetosh
Malabrigo
- http://www.ravelry.com/yarns/brands/malabrigo-yarn
Cephalopod -
http://www.ravelry.com/yarns/brands/cephalopod-yarns

August 10 2013 Topic - Plus Size/Curvy Knits

Hi Everyone! EllieRaine will be your host for todays #knitchat

Todays #knitchat is all about knitting for the plus size or how I like to call it “Curvy” sizes.

We have the wonderful designer Sandie aka KnitzyBlonde joining us.

Sandie was once the fashion editor of BBW magazine (Big. Beautiful, Woman), as well as Dimensions Magazine. Both focus on plus sized and supersized women.

She has been designing plus sized clothing for many years and is still very passionate about it.

Some come along and share your favourite patterns, ask the designer questions, and most of all chat, learn and have fun!!

See you at the usual time of 8am PT / 11am ET / 4pm UK

#knitchat topic for July 27, 2013: An Interview With Kate Atherley

I am thrilled to announce that we have a change in topic for this coming week`s #knitchat. Instead of discussing our favorite yarns and fibers,  which will be moved to a later date,  we will be having an interview with knitting pattern tech editor Kate Atherley.  As soon as I put the word out, she stepped right up to the plate,  and volunteered for next week.

Kate is Knitty.com’s Managing Technical Editor, and a seasoned designer and teacher in her own right. Her first book "Beyond Knit & Purl" was praised as the 21st century "Knitting for Anarchists", and her second book “Knit Accessories: Essentials and Variations” was published in late 2012 to great acclaim. Her "Basic Ribbed Sock" is in the top 10 most popular socks in Ravelry, and her "Bigger on the Inside" shawl caused a minor sensation when it was released in the spring of 2012. She taught five sold-out classes at Sock Summit 2011, and she regularly teaches at stores and events across North America, including Vogue Knitting Live and Interweave KnitLab. Her work has appeared in many books and magazines.

Everyone come prepared next week with your questions for Kate. I, for one, want to know just what a tech editor does, what it takes to be one, and find out what she looks for in a good knitting pattern.  Maybe she can even give us some tips on getting started writing our own patterns.

Topic for July 20, 2013: Favorite Knitting Techniques

Knitting techniques,  there are as many of them out there as there are knitters. Everyone has a favorite technique for binding off and casting on, for doing color work, for heels and toes on socks... the list is endless.

What are your favorite knitting techniques?
Are there certain ones that you return to time and again?
Are there some techniques that you don't understand but would try if you had the right teaching resources?
What technique do you absolutely hate, and would rather not knit than use it?

Don't forget, coming up in August, we have our Fetching Mitts KAL. Check the sidebar for a link to our Flickr group to share your projects.

Help, I've Lost My Knitting Mojo!

It's happened to all of us at some point. You just can't settle into your project,  any project,  or, even worse, everything you knit is riddled with mistakes,  and frogging becomes your nrw best friend.

How do you break the spell? Where has that knitting magic hidden itself? Join us this Saturday,  July 13, with your best tips,  projects,  and magic formulas to get that mojo back, and we'll help pull each other out of the knitting rut.

July 6, 2013 An Interview with the Fabulous Heather Ordover

This week, we have the great pleasure of having Heather Ordover of CraftLit and What Would Madame deFarge Knit fame. Stolen straight from the CraftLit website,  here are a few words about Heather:

Heather Ordover is host of CraftLit and Just the Bookspodcasts, editor of the What Would Madame Defarge Knit?® book series, knitter, mother, writer, and educator.

Her teaching experience focuses on writing and rhetoric at secondary and university levels—her educational program design and curriculum writing at secondary and university levels focused on ELA and project management.

Her adventures have taken her from winning awards for teaching at a NYC high school (as well as at the University of Arizona), to teaching knitting, to writing patterns and knitting books. She lives with her amused husband, two goofy sons, a cat, a few fish, and far too many devoted mosquitoes.

You can run over to CraftLit and stick a book in your ear by going here CraftLit

Do you have any questions for Heather that you would like to see in the interview? Put them in the comments section.

June 29, 2013 Passing it On

After a wonderful chat on June 22, we asked for some suggestions for upcoming #knitchat sessions, and we got some great ones.  Next week's topic will be ways we pass on the knitting bug to others.

We already talked a little about knitting in public, but that is certainly a good way to generate interest,

Q1. Do you go around prepared to teach?  I frequently carry around some extra yarn and needles for just that purpose.  What about you?

Q2. Do you have any special tips or tricks for getting a beginner started? 

Q3. What is your all time favorite beginner project?

Q4.  How do you handle someone you are trying to teach who is other hand dominant than you?

Q5. Supplies: do you start people out on straight needles or circular needles?  What weight yarn works best for a beginner?  What type of fiber?

Don't forget our interview coming up on July 6 with Heather Ordover from Craftlit.

I’m very excited to announce that Heather Ordover,the host of my favorite podcast, Craftlit, will be joining us for an interview on July 6, 2013. If you have any questions for Heather, please post them here.

Taken straight from the CraftLit web page:

CraftLit®, a podcast for busy people who love books, has been hosted by Heather Ordover since 2006. The show started specifically as a way to get classic literature to people who were busy working with their hands. The hour-or-so weekly episodes are Audiobooks with Benefits™—an episodic audiobook that also includes background and insights modern readers sometimes need to make a classic book come to life. Not just rehashing the literary criticism du jour, Ordover guides you through the book with a wink and a smile so you are able to get the jokes and not just giggle uncomfortably while fiddling with your drinking glass. 
In 2011 she spun CraftLit off into Just the Books—all the lit, none of the craft, a version of the show that runs in parallel with CraftLit but appeals to those in the audience who appreciate her “teach to the joke” story commentary but aren’t interested in the crafty chat.

Upcoming #knitchat KAL for August: Fetching

A suggestion was made during today's #knitchat to try a group KAL, so I propose we try Fetching fingerless mitts.  They are easy enough for a beginner, but spicy enough for someone with experience, small and portable for summer, and they'll be ready just in time to wear in September.

Fetching Mitts on Knitty.com

If this goes well, and folks want to try another KAL, we'll be looking for suggestions, so don't forget to get your favorite patterns out there.  If we have a second KAL, we'll vote on a pattern.

#knitchat Topic for June 22, 2013: Summer Knitting

I think for most of us, summer knitting presents a bit of a challenge. Between the heat, and the fact that we are always on the go, our choice of projects and yarn may change from our cozy winter norms.

Join your host Lynn (@Lynn4MK) on Saturday, June 22, at our old, and apparently more convenient, time of 11am EST over on Twitter, to discuss how to beat the heat with your summer knitting. Come armed with tips, yarn choices, and project selections. Feel free to share discussion points here in the comments section, and over on the Ravelry group. Join in by following the hashtag #knitchat over on Twitter. New to Twitter chats and need help joining in? Just ask!

Knitting in Public

As we all certainly know, this week was World Wide Knit in Public Week, and this seemed like a timely moment to discuss this topic. I myself am a frequent public knitter, and I have to say, this practice has exposed me to some very interesting questions and comments. Some questions we will discuss:

1. What types of places do you find yourself knitting?
2. What is the funniest thing anyone has said to you about your knitting?
3. Do you ever end up giving spontaneous knitting lessons? Do you leave the house prepared with materials to teach interested people?
4. Do you have any Knit in Public events going on near you? What kinds of things do you think would pique the public’s interest?
5. What makes a good portable project to take on the go? What are your favorite patterns that lend themselves to public knitting?

The Return of #knitchat

After a brief hiatus, #knitchat is back with some new players. A few people got the idea to start a revival, including our original hostess, @cloudynatknit.  I'm @spinningmommy, and you can find me at my other blog, Fiber Junky,  and our other another new players are @amcmoore and @youmyknitta.

We are excited to be starting #knitchat back up, and hopefully you will be excited to participate!  The big question is, what would you like to discuss on #knitchat?  Let us know either here in the comments section, or feel free to pm us your thoughts.

In the meantime, next week we will be discussing lace.

Question 1: What do you like or dislike about knitting lace?

Question 2: What are your favorite tips, tricks and tools for knitting lace?

Question 3: Do you have any favorite lace patterns or projects that you would recommend to other knitters?

Feel free to put any links or tips that you would like to share with other knitters in the comments section.

Until next week's #knitchat, may your yarn be plentiful and your needles nimble.

Kim AKA @spinningmommy