November update

Posted on

Dear Readers

After my confessions last month about the Silver Reed LK-150, let me start with some fabulous news. For more years than I can remember, Susan Guagliumi has used and continues to sing the praises of the LK-150. She’s sent us some designs and articles for the magazine, which I’ll start to feature in the New Year. For a while she’s been working on a new video class and it’s now available for streaming at susan-guagliumi.teachable.com. The class is almost seven hours long and includes 42 unique lessons. She’s included all the charts she uses on screen so if you don’t already own the book, you’ll still have everything you need. Without a doubt, it will hugely increase your understanding of the methods she shows us in the book, but it also measures up as a stand-alone course. Her class materials include a number of Open Space sweater designs, as well as exclusive patterns and offers. Susan tells me she has plans for some shorter and less expensive classes in the future. She’s also very good at posting short videos on her blog and it’s the place to go for some amazing hints, tips and ideas such as making your own garter bar. If you don’t already do so, you need to visit https://guagliumi.com where you can sample her new class and find loads of the goodies she shares so freely.

The magazine’s New Year also has treats in store from Nina Miklin. Her new Knit To Finish Book 4 has masses of detail about modern trimmings and applications, such as calculating the exact length of bands and placing buttonholes accurately. The book has 39 colour pages and a colossal amount of information. The cost is £14.50 for a PDF download. Email Nina now for more information or to place an order at nina.miklin@virgin.net. Her website at www.exclusiveyarns.co.uk has details of all her patterns and yarns. Nina has sent us a selection of trims to knit, as well as patterns for hat and snood designs to keep us warm this winter. I’ll feature the first of them next month, so stock up now with her Milan Super Kid Mohair. You’ll need something like 60 to 80 grams, perhaps a little more, to knit some gorgeous last-minute gifts.

Finally, let me mention another new website at http://elainecater.com. It brings together Elaine Cater’s patterns and books and all except two can be downloaded. (Simply Garter Stitch and Simply Slip Stitch are bound books and can only be sent as hard copies.) It’s been a huge amount of work and is the best place to see and order Elaine’s designs. She includes an impressive amount of detail about each pattern and book and you can read more in Newsline.

In six weeks’ time, we’ve to turn ourselves into a kitchen Dream Queen, so let’s chill and do a bit of festive knitting. One thing’s for sure – if we run out of time, boxes of mince pies will be buy one, get one free by then!

NEXT ISSUE

January 2020

Subscription copies sent out Thursday 5th December

On sale Thursday 12th December

Ask your newsagent to reserve a copy now!

December 2019, our new issue

Posted on

Our full-colour December 2019 issue is now on sale. Our cover sweater is a gorgeous quick-to-knit party top. There’s a choice of length and wide size range from bust 76 cm (30 in) to 122 cm (48 in) with an actual measurement of 81 cm (32 in) to 141 cm (55½ in). Our usual mix of over 12 designs includes details for converting patterns for knitting on standard gauge machine​s. Fran McCarthy reminds us how to reduce ur stash and Sally-Ann Carroll is here to help in the countdown to Christmas. Bill King reminds us that many simple ideas are often overlooked as we’re seduced by more sophisticated technology. We make liners for wellie boots to keep feet warm as well as dry and we’ve news of how to by-pass the console to send patterns directly to the E6000. It’s time to look at the double bed version in our Colour Changer series and we always ​include news, books and fashion plus great reader savings on new craft books from Search Press.

December 2019 Subscriptions

Posted on

This is December 2019 and our current issue.

NEW SUBSCRIPTION If you select a new subscription, it will start with the January 2020 magazine, to be mailed out to subscribers on Thursday 5th December. If you’d like to start with this December issue, you need to order a Subscription Bundle.

SUBSCRIPTION BUNDLE If you select a subscription bundle, it will start with our current December 2019 magazine and we’ll send you a copy straight away. Your magazine will then be mailed direct from the printer on the first Thursday of each month and the January 2020 issue goes out to subscribers on Thursday 5th December.

Machine knitting in Cardiff

Posted on

If you live in the area, did you know that there’s a weekly machine knitting class in Cardiff? Rumney Machine Knitters meet every Tuesday morning from 9.30 to 11.30 am at the library in Llanstephen Road, Rumney, Cardiff. It’s a very friendly group of mixed abilities and they’d love to welcome any beginners or new members.

Stop press They’re holding a hands-on Double Jacquard day from 9.30 am to 4.40 pm on 19th November. For more details about the club or the Double Jacquard day, call Val now on 07818-065392.

November 2019, our new issue

Posted on


Our full-colour November issue was mailed out to subscribers on 3rd October. We’ve a gorgeous chunky sweater on the cover for Silver Reed LK-150 and chunky machines plus a similar jacket design and the usual mix of over 12 designs for all machines including Passap. Don’t forget we include details for converting our patterns for knitting on standard gauge machine​s. Claire Newberry reviews the new DesignaKnit 9, with upgrade details at www.softbyte.co.uk and Sally-Ann Carroll checks out the new autumnal prints and hopes you and your knits are feeling square! Bill King shows us a new twist for this season’s favourite fashion look and we highlight some amazing fibre art Carole Redlich has produced on her Passap. (Check out http://www.caroleredlich.com.au). We always ​include news, books and fashion plus great reader savings on new craft books from Search Press.

Exquisite embroidery on show

Posted on

Saturday 28th September is the opening date of a one-off retrospective exhibition of exquisite embroidery art by Royal Academy artist Teresa Forrest, who is now a resident in Stratton Village in Cirencester.

Teresa’s works have been hung twice in the Royal Academy in 2012.  There will be over 30 pieces on show during the week-long exhibition.

A skyline scene called Oxford at Dawn will be for sale via silent auction during the exhibition and any donations given with the profit from the auction will go to the scholarship fund at Blackheath High School in London, setup by Teresa and her husband Jack in memory of their late daughter.

October 2019

Posted on

Anne Baker’s Karabee Design on the cover is perfect for the new season and we’ve the usual mix of designs for all machines including Passap. DesignaKnit 9 has just been officially launched and it’s the biggest upgrade we’ve known, so we bring you two pages with masses of details. We’ve a special feature on colour and style for crafters and it’s time to embrace the brand-new season and introduce your knits to all the new shades and trends says Sally-Ann Carroll. Bill King returns to one of his favourite stitches this month and shows us some of the endless possibilities. Fay Butcher guides us through reversible Fair Isle for Duomatic and E6000 machines and in Part 3 of our new series we look at using a colour changer with multi-coloured Fair Isle patterns. Joan Lafferty talks about pockets, with step-by-step instructions and photos for knitting one. We always ​include news, books and fashion plus great reader savings on new craft books from Search Press.

Yarn in the city

Posted on
Yarn in the City

This year’s Great London Yarn Crawl (GLYC) takes place from 1st to 8th September 2019

This year’s edition of the Great London Yarn Crawl will be a little different. The week-long event will allow participants to choose their own routes and shop combinations and to spread their visits over multiple days, extending the yarn-y celebration! The fantastic shops involved in this year’s GLYC have come up with some special offers and events for September. Participants must present their GLYC passports to take advantage of any shop offers!


Ticket sales will end at 11.59 pm on Sunday, 25th August. For more details and tickets, visit https://www.yarninthecity.com/tickets-2019

Refuge says: “Part of our goal in putting on The Great London Yarn Crawl in the autumn is to give back to the community. There are a couple of ways we see that happening. The first is by bringing together knitters, crocheters, spinners and weavers and giving them an opportunity to explore new shops and make new friends. The second is by donating to a local charity, specifically one devoted to helping women and children. As both of us are women with children, supporting organisations that help those in need is an important thing for us. After researching the various London-based women-focused charities around, we decided that a portion of the proceeds from The Great London Yarn Crawl event will be donated to Refuge.

In their own words: “Refuge opened the world’s first safe house for women and children escaping domestic violence, in West London, in 1971. Since then we have grown to become the country’s largest single provider of specialist domestic violence services. On any given day our national network of services support over 2,000 women and children. Our life-saving and life-changing services empower women to rebuild their lives, and support children to overcome their traumatic experiences. Refuge is facing unprecedented financial pressure – which is why we need support more than ever before. Thank you to all at Yarn in the City: The Great London Yarn Crawl for your continued support. For more information visit www.refuge.org.uk.”

Foot warmer

Posted on

Dear Anne

I thought I’d send you the sock pattern our club has been using. We’re making socks, hats, bonnets and cardigans for our local SCBU. I’ve enjoyed knitting tiny garments and all the nurses are so grateful. The socks are a big hit, as they stay on! I use 4-ply acrylic and find it washes well in hot water. Seeing the pattern for the prem baby cardigan in the April issue, gave me the push to drop you a line. Thank you so much to Phoebe for sharing your pattern with us all. Yours sincerely, Dorothy

Four ply baby’s sock

Using MY and Tension 0, cast on 15 sts at left and right of centre 0 in 1×1 rib. Set RC at 000. Using Tension 1, K 10 rows in rib. Transfer sts for stocking stitch. Set RC at 000. Using Tension 6, K 10 rows. * Push 15 Ns at left to HP and cont on rem 15 sts at right. Push 1 N to HP at same side as carriage on next 10 rows. 5 sts rem in WP in centre. Push 1 N back to UWP at same side as carriage on next 10 rows *. Cancel hold and with all Ns knitting, K 12 rows. Rep from * to * once more then using WY, K a few rows and release from machine. Unravelling WY as required, graft toe stitches.

You might like to know that if you double up all the stitches and rows in the baby’s sock pattern, it makes bed socks for the elderly in care!

October update

Posted on

Dear Readers

I’ve fallen in love all over again with a knitting machine. A while back I introduced our grand-daughter to a toy model and each time she comes, she slings it under her arm to do some knitting. A short time ago she asked if this was the machine I knitted on. I’ve been really interested by your recent letters about tension dial settings and wondered what yarn thickness we could push through a Silver Reed LK-150. Here was an opportunity!

My machine was in pristine condition in its box, so my grand-daughter and I went on a voyage of discovery. I set it up, whilst she rummaged through my yarn stash. Out came a ‘cake’ of multi-coloured King Cole Carousel DK, with an instant request for a new scarf and hat. With barely time to do some basic maths, I’d cast on 92 stitches in 2×1 rib and we’d knitted the turn-back brim on Tension 3 with the top on 5. I made the hem, changed to stocking stitch on Tension 5 and 70 rows later we’d made a hat. The remaining yarn in the cake gave us 282 rows for a scarf. With ends pulled in on a bodkin and the hat seam sewn, the set was ready for school and she was eager to knit a scarf for daddy. One 200 gram cake of King Cole Carousel Chunky over 49 stitches on Tension 10, with the top still on 5, knitted 262 rows and made a scarf five feet long. The yarn is a lovely blend of 70% Premium Acrylic, 30% Wool and beautifully soft.

For anyone with doubts, my machine knits from a standard hand knitting tension of 5 stitches and 7 rows to an inch around Tension 3, to the classic chunky tension of 7 stitches and 10 rows to two inches at Tension 10. What more could any machine knitter ask for? In all truth I panicked at first with the chunky yarn and set off for some ribber weights, convinced that the slightly ‘hairy’ texture of the yarn would clog up the needles. Oh ye of little faith! The carriage took it all in its stride. Apart from me casting on with waste yarn, my grand-daughter stood between my legs with a hand at each side of the carriage and knitted all 262 rows. Yes, it’s basic beyond belief compared to punchcard, electronic or Passap machines – but it’s an absolute joy. Beautifully textured hand-knitting yarns slide through with ease. Complete with accessories, what more could any standard gauge knitter want than this absolute treasure?

When the Silver Reed LK-150 was first launched my first reaction, which remained ingrained for far too long, was that it ‘wasn’t proper machine knitting’. Since then I’ve eaten my words many times; it’s an absolute gem. Incredibly light to use and with nice big needles we can see easily, it sure packs a punch! If you’re asked what you’d like for Christmas this year, start an LK-150 slush fund and ask for contributions. I promise you’ll have hours of fun and rediscover the joy of machine knitting. Until next time, start saving and knit happy!

NEXT ISSUE

December 2019

Subscription copies sent out Thursday 7th November

On sale Thursday 14th November

Order a subscription now and it will be delivered straight to your door.