How To: Cast Off Knitting

02/29/2012

 
For my leap day tutorial, I'm going over the last of the four basic knitting elements: the cast off.  I'm very excited to be able to share the basics!  And luckily, this is one of the easiest - but most time consuming - elements to knitting.
Step One: Knit 2 stitches.
Step Two: insert left needle into the first stitch (the stitch on the back) on the right needle.
For the rest of the tutorial and the short video, click Read More.
 

Yarnwork: Baby Crochet Animals!

02/24/2012

 
Picture
This is the last thing I'm adding for my baby shower gifts is a set of crochet animals.  For each set, I do three animals - it's just how I've always done it.  That way, they play off each other, and I feel an even greater sense of accomplishment with getting them sent out.

These are still some of my favorite my favorite things to make!  I love doing the details with the fins and adjusting how I attach fins to the body.  With some of the refinements I've made over the past several sharks, they just keep getting easier.


For the rest of the crochet animals and the entire set, click Read More.
 

Yarnwork: Baby hat

02/23/2012

1 Comment

 
Picture
For my cousin's baby shower which is just two short days away, I've been working feverishly on a few projects (not the least of which is helping demolish her basement, refurbish furniture for the baby's room etc), but one of the things I've made for her is this little baby hat.

I made it to match the booties that I finished last week.  It is done on all the same blues and greens.  What I like about this blue, is the faint variegation in the yarn.  There are hints of yellows, greens, and reds throughout.
Click on "Read More" to check out more about the techniques I used to create this little hat.
1 Comment
 

How To: Purl Stitch

02/22/2012

 
My tutorials are still in the very basics of knitting. So this week, I did how to do a purl stitch.  The purl is the backside of a knit, and is often referred to in patterns as the "wrong side". 
Step 1: Put the right hand needle into the right side of the stitch in front of the left hand needle.
Step 2: Wrap the end of the yarn around the right hand needle counterclockwise so the yarn goes from the back of the needle to the front.
Click "Read More" to check out the rest of the tutorial, as well as a short video on how to do the purl stitch.
 

How To: Knit Stitch

02/15/2012

 
For my second tutorial, I'm showing how to do a knit stitch.  Knit stitches are definitely the foundation, and the best stitch to use with my cast on method.  There are two main stitches used in knitting: knit and purl.  So, this helps set up the foundation for all future projects.

So, here is my four step process for how to do a knit stitch:
Step One: With the stitches that need to be worked on the left needle, put the right needle into the back of the first stitch.
Step Two: Take the end of the yarn and wrap it around the right needle counterclockwise - this helps keep even tension throughout the stitches.
Check out the rest of the tutorial and a short video after the jump!
 

Yarnwork: Baby Booties

02/14/2012

 
Picture
My cousin has been pregnant for a while now - alright, about seven and a half months - and her baby shower is coming up!  So, I've been trying to decide what I should make for her.  While this isn't the only thing I plan to make, it is the first installment of my gift for them.

I rarely knit booties, and this is only my second pair.  But, they turned out pretty cute.  The basic design is a very simple knit boot in the round.

The rest on these booties (and a much better picture) will continue after the jump!
 

How To: Cast On Knit Stitches. The easy way!

02/08/2012

 
I have been wanting to put up some tutorials for a while on some of the basics of knitting techniques.  So, I thought I would start at the beginning of any project and go over how to cast on with knitting.  I do plenty of both knit at crochet projects, but I definitely have a great passion for knitting.  It's definitely something I have been hoping I could share.

I started with how to create a slip knot.  This particular kind doesn't create a hard knot - if both ends are pulled simultaneously, the knot will come apart.
Step 1: Holding the end of the yarn in one hand, use your free hand to create a loop.
Step 2: Pass the long side of the yarn through the loop, creating a secondary loop.
Step 3: Pull the new loop so the first loop is tightened into the knot.
For the rest of the tutorial, and a short video, continue after the jump!
 

Exactly Handmade

02/01/2012

 
Today is the big day!  The day I made the switch from a small, personal blogger to trying to go to something bigger.  I have a passion for the handmade, and I wanted to take this blog from something small and ambiguous, to something a little more directed.Exactly Handmade? I wanted something that described exactly what I was going for.  Almost all of the combinations using the word "Handmade" were already taken (And at least on Twitter, "ElectricKatie" is taken by someone in Massachusetts.).  I'm not sure where the Exactly part came from: My father-in-law's dad calls my mother-in-law "Exactly Boss."  I suppose that could be what put the idea in my head, but whatever it was that inspired the new name, I'm glad.

Check out more after the jump!