The Hook and Needle Nook

  Crocheting can be a lot of fun. Once you get the foundations down, you can really get going with a nice freeform yarn craft. Check out the video above to see how to start a crochet chain!  There is a little bit of a stigma that Crochet is just granny squares and hats, and you definitely can crochet both of those things. However, crochet is an extremely versatile fiber craft and you can get amazing results with a hook and yarn. You can shape things in extremely creative ways to make a beautiful sweater or shawl, or you can keep it traditional with something like an Afghan or baby blanket.  One of the best benefits of crochet is that you can finish projects very quickly. In addition, you can stop what you are making suddenly, if you decide you are at a place you would like to end. There is a lot to be said for crochet.  Let us know if you are interested in crochet classes, as we are starting to put them on the schedule. You never know. It might be your next favorite ...

  Colorwork in knitting creates an absolutely gorgeous product, but it can sometimes be a little bit intimidating. I know that I have worked a couple of hats and socks in my day in which the colorwork had me scratching my head.  Sometimes, it seemed like my fair isle colorwork would end up too tight, and then too loose because I was trying to overcorrect the tightness. Here are a couple of quick tips to help with tension in a Fair isle or intarsia project.  Tip #1: Use a needle one size bigger. This tip is super simple. Whatever needle size you are using on the non-colorwork parts of your project, switch to one size bigger for the colorwork portions. This makes it so you can knit to your regular tension, without worrying about the colorwork pulling as much.  Tip #2: Don't forget to S-T-R-E-T-C-H your stitches out As you are pulling one color behind another, you might find you have a tendency to scrunch the stitches on your right needle up. Employing this method means...

  When working a large afghan, blanket, sweater or poncho in crochet, you often have to change to a new ball of yarn. By nature, it seems that I always have to use multiple balls of yarn for large crochet projects.  Anyone who knows my knitting and crochet style, knows that I don't love the finishing work. The worst of it, to me, is the weaving in ends. I have always looked for ways to minimize how many ends I have to weave in.  The felting method is my absolute favorite method when it comes to animal fibers and non-superwash wools. I have even been able to get this method to work with some of them. So, I thought I would share this method with you, in hopes it helps. This method will work with changing between one color and the next OR if you run out of one ball of yarn and are adding another ball of the same color. Felting Method: When you come to about 5 inches away from your next ball change, take the end of your yarn and pull the plies apart.  Make sure that all ...

 By Tiffany Landres If you are anything at all like me, you would rather start a new project than weave in the ends of your current project. And, even if you aren't as much of an end weaving hater as I am, there are just those projects that seem to have far too many ends to manage. You may think that there is nothing you can do to make those ends disappear. Well, the truth is, you don't have to be Houdini to manage this feat of magic. You just need a little advice. There are two ways that I use to get rid of my ends when I have to change colors frequently; the felting method and the Russian joining method. Videos of both methods can be found below! The felting method really requires you to have some kind of feltable animal fiber. You may be able to sneak by with a superwash wool or alpaca (if you are willing to spend a little more time on the felting process), but this is best done with a non-superwash wool than any other fiber material. When you get to a color change, calcula...

Knitting and crocheting socks can be very fun, and with sock calmness just around the corner, we are gearing up for a great time! Sock Calmness is The Nook's way of getting to crochet and knit socks with our fiber buddies, without all the madness that comes with competitions such as Sock Madness. We wanted to get together in person (with masks, of course) and over Zoom, to make a staple accessory, socks. Fiber Buddies who would like to participate can learn more and sign up here . However, in essence, each person gets to pick their own pattern to work on, and gets a couple of perks and discounts on sock yarn. Since everyone gets to pick their own pattern, we thought we would lend a little hand with some great sock suggestions. From knit socks to crochet socks, and from easy to challenging, we have a couple of suggestions. Easy/Beginner Patterns Knit We will start here with two classic socks that are simple for beginning sock knitters: Ol' Reliable Top Down Socks by Tanis Laval...

 by Kathy Conway Hi, my name is Kathy and I am a bead-aholic.  There.  I confessed it!! First of all, let’s face it.  We could all use a little bling these days.  Being addicted to beading has its benefits. Because of it, I have lots of ear rings, and necklaces. Most importantly, I have some super knitted items which I have bedecked with lovely, beaded accents that make me smile!! Knitting with beads is so much fun. How do I add beads to my knitting projects? There are several ways and all of them are fun, and believe me, I have tried them all!   Put them on your yarn before starting your project.  As you knit, scoot a bead between the stiches as you need to.  Add them over a stitch by using dental floss. Sew them on after the project is completed.  Attach beads to small lobster claw clasps and clip them onto the garment.  You can position them to add weight on the edge of your work, like the bottom of a shawl or to...

Making a nice comfortable pair of socks starts with picking the right yarn. After knitting several pairs of socks for myself and others, I have some yarn favorites that have worked best for me. Color Choice The first thing to consider is color. If you are a beginner, pick a light solid color. Sound too boring? Speckled yarn works as well. However, solid yarn can be the best bet when knitting your first set of socks. If you are an advanced knitter, pick any color or dye style you like! Keep in mind, if you like to knit at night, picking a lighter color or investing in a good Ott light can be game changing! Socks are great fun to knit. However, if you knit socks in the dark, be prepared to tink or frog back the next morning. Rule of thumb: Use light yarn or work in plenty of light and all will be well. Fiber Content Merino Nylon Blends As far as fiber content is concerned, the yarn blend most widely regarded as best for knitting socks is 75% Superwash Merino ...