The Hook and Needle Nook

 Let's dive into the knitty-gritty of shawl shapes! Shawl by our fiber buddy Kristiana in Malabrigo Susuros in the Teal Feather colorway Why Should You Try a Shawl as a Project? Shawls are amazing and versatile. You can make one at any time of the year, for any kind of weather or occasion. If you want to make an outfit shine, a shawl is perfect. At night, when you are knitting and your shoulders and top of your arms get cold, a shawl is a less heavy option than a blanket. Not to mention, if you wear the right shawl shape, it can restrict your movement less than a blanket would. A shawl can keep your shoulders warm, your neck warm, even your head warm, depending on how you wear it. If you get too hot when you wear it, it is easier to remove and carry or put in your bag/purse than a sweater is. You can easily crochet a shawl or knit a shawl. Therefore, this post is not knitting specific. In the summer, when it is hot, you can knit a shawl and not have it be...

We get a lot of questions about what kinds of yarn can work in what kind of project. We wanted to take some time and give some of the insight that we have learned in our knitting, crocheting, dyeing, and general fiber craft experiences. In this spotlight we want to tackle speckled yarn. Speckled yarn comes in a couple of different looks. There are more than a few techniques used to produce it. A yarn can be heavily speckled, lightly speckled, under-dyed another color before it is speckled, or speckled on top of white or natural colors. Different techniques might produce long, large speckles or short crisp speckles. In the past few years, speckled yarn has become more and more popular. It is striking and beautiful, and can really stand out among other yarns on the shelf. But, how functional is it really? Functionality The answer is; VERY functional. Use it to your advantage in almost any kind of project. Get the striking beauty of a variegated yarn, without having to be quite as cogniz...

  Fall is a great time to knit or crochet a sweater. We are geared up for Sweater Weather here at The Nook!!  In less than three weeks, we have the Fall Equinox and the season will change to my favorite time of the year.  The shorter days will bring that nip in the air and I already have sweater dreams dancing in my head!  I have a couple of recommendations if you guys get the itch to knit your own cozy sweater.  Whether you make a cardigan or a pull over, make a knit or crochet sweater, we have ideas here for you. Knit Cardigans                                                    Ramona Cardigan by Elizabeth Smith The Ramona by Elizabeth Smith , is a nice classic Cardigan that you can make really fast, as you use chunky yarn.  Of course, it is very fun to knit!  I knit mine with Malabrigo Chunky in the...

                              You don't have to craft alone! Knit Night Friends are important. Knit night or crafting nights with crafty friends can be a fulfilling part of life. Have you ever gone to an event or meeting where the other people in the room share your interests? If you have, you know how welcoming it can feel. Why is being with a group of people who share your crafting interests is so important? What is so important about fiber arts that they have endured centuries of fads? To start off I would like to share my "joining a knit group" story. I would like to share the reasons fiber buddies are so important to me. Story Time! When I was 24 I had my first child (to be joined later by his wonderful sister). He is amazing, of course. I fell in instant love with this little ball of joy, even though I was getting no sleep. Every one of my waking hours was spent with him. I crocheted...

  By Esther Wheeler We have some simple rules of thumb for picking yarn for shawls. Keep in mind, these are general rules, not hard and fast ones, and in the end the only set rule is to have fun and enjoy your project. These rules can really apply to crocheting or knitting, depending on the tip.                                                     Shawl knitted by Sherry Morrison Picking Yarn for Shawls: Color Choices If your shawl has more than one lace pattern or the lace is a focal point for the shawl, use a light solid for the lace pattern. Consequently, it will pop and draw the eye to your work. It is a good idea to frame the lace with a complementary color, either a solid or a variegated with no more than 2 color changes.                               ...

  The guide to choosing the perfect knitted sock construction for you and your feet! We want to offer our fiber buddies a great understanding of how to dip their toes in the sock-y waters. In this knitted sock construction article, we detail different construction methods, toes and heels. Furthermore, we give some examples of when one might method might work better for you, over another. Knitted sock construction comes with many decisions and choices. Before we start on the construction methods we also want to mention that there are many different needle combinations you might use. Some of these include Double Pointed Needles, two circulars, two at a time, magic loop and more. This is something we will save for a post for another day. The world of sock knitting is vast and we don't want to overwhelm anyone [or write a 12 page thesis :)] Getting Started: Toe-up or Cuff-Down So you want to do a sock, and the pattern is written for both toe-up and cuff down. Which...

  by Tiffany Landres Here at The Nook, we love knitting everything from basic knit-purl scarves, to cozy sweaters, to intricate shawls, and everything in between. One of the constants in almost any pattern (unless you are knitting a straightforward piece like a scarf) is knitting increases or decreases. Most times, patterns come with specific instructions on what type of increase is called for. This is because each type of increase creates a different look on a piece. Some of the differences are subtle and some are obvious. Sometimes patterns opt to let you choose your own increase. These patterns usually just say something like "increase 1 stitch", "make one", or "increase evenly across row". Which increase is most appropriate in these situations? To help our fiber buddies, we are going to detail some of the most used increases, and let you know when you might use each increase. Every garment pattern form lace shawls to sweaters has incre...