Masud Rana’s Post

Flat knitting and knitting in the round: two complementing techniques, and philosophies! Learn more here!

Yin & Yang; Heads & Tails; Knit & Purl... There are two basic and complementary stitches in knitting: Knit and Purl. The heads and tails of knitting. 🙂 🙃 The Yin and the Yang. ☯️ 𝗞𝗻𝗶𝘁 is the 𝑛𝑎𝑚𝑒 𝑜𝑓 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑔𝑎𝑚𝑒. It is a bit like a chicken and egg thing; I wonder if it gave its name to the craft or the craft to the stitch. The 𝗞𝗻𝗶𝘁 𝘀𝘁𝗶𝘁𝗰𝗵 is the fundamental element; once you master it, you are a knitter. It makes a little V-shaped stitch on the HEADS side. In French 🇫🇷, interestingly, it is called "𝑙𝑎 𝑚𝑎𝑖𝑙𝑙𝑒 𝑎̀ 𝑙'𝑒𝑛𝑑𝑟𝑜𝑖𝑡" (the right side stitch). 𝗣𝘂𝗿𝗹 is the exact opposite. No kidding. A purl stitch is made by doing exactly the same moves, each in reverse! The 𝗣𝘂𝗿𝗹 𝘀𝘁𝗶𝘁𝗰𝗵 is the exact complement of the Knit stitch. It makes a little bump-shaped stitch on the HEADS side. In French 🇫🇷, interestingly, it is called "𝑙𝑎 𝑚𝑎𝑖𝑙𝑙𝑒 𝑎̀ 𝑙'𝑒𝑛𝑣𝑒𝑟𝑠" (the wrong side stitch). Is that it about the Yin-Yang analogy? 𝐺𝑙𝑎𝑑 𝑦𝑜𝑢 𝑎𝑠𝑘! Not quite... Interestingly... playfully... The other side of each stitch creates the other's texture! Read one more time! (and check out the pics!!). The V-shaped on one side gives the bump on the other. Read one more time! (and check out the pics!). Add the cast-on and bind-off moves, respectively, the row zero and the closing / taking off of the needles. Everything else in knitting is and will remain a variation, a twist, or a combination. 4 knitting moves give you the key to opening all the doors of knitting creativity. Like 26 letters make up all the poetry and literature. 📚 Like 7 keys in music make up all the tunes and symphonies. 🎶 Like 3 primary colors give us all the sunsets and paintings. 🎨 💬❓Give it a try! Videos and tutorials are available on the Brooknit Bonneterie website (Knitters Help page) or directly on the YouTube channel (links in comments) 🧶 Let’s knit a better world 🌎 Move the needles, one stitch at a time! 𝑃𝑆1: 𝐼 𝑡ℎ𝑜𝑢𝑔ℎ𝑡 𝑎𝑏𝑜𝑢𝑡 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑎𝑛𝑎𝑙𝑜𝑔𝑦 𝑜𝑓 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑣𝑖𝑛𝑦𝑙'𝑠 𝑟𝑒𝑐𝑜𝑟𝑑 𝑓𝑎𝑐𝑒𝑠 𝐴 & 𝐵, 𝑏𝑢𝑡 𝐼 𝑚𝑖𝑔ℎ𝑡 ℎ𝑎𝑣𝑒 𝑐𝑜𝑛𝑓𝑢𝑠𝑒𝑑 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑦𝑜𝑢𝑛𝑔𝑒𝑟 𝑚𝑖𝑛𝑑𝑠. (𝐼'𝑚 𝑛𝑜𝑡 𝑜𝑙𝑑, 𝐼'𝑚 𝑣𝑖𝑛𝑡𝑎𝑔𝑒). 𝑃𝑆2: 𝑅𝑖𝑔ℎ𝑡 𝑜𝑟 𝑤𝑟𝑜𝑛𝑔 𝑎𝑡𝑡𝑟𝑖𝑏𝑢𝑡𝑒𝑠 𝑜𝑓𝑡𝑒𝑛 𝑑𝑒𝑝𝑒𝑛𝑑𝑠 𝑜𝑛 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑝𝑜𝑖𝑛𝑡 𝑜𝑓 𝑣𝑖𝑒𝑤, 𝑎𝑛𝑔𝑙𝑒 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑝𝑒𝑟𝑠𝑝𝑒𝑐𝑡𝑖𝑣𝑒... 𝑒𝑣𝑒𝑛 𝑖𝑛 𝑘𝑛𝑖𝑡𝑡𝑖𝑛𝑔!

What goes around comes around. I'm not talking about betrayal and forgiveness here... Not about the cycle of seasons, roundabouts, or clocks... It's down on knitting techniques! 🧶 🛠️ Last week, I posted about my obsession with circular needles. Ref to the post on circular needles: https://lnkd.in/epXBUJ_Q In that post, I mentioned that circular needles are adaptable because appropriate for both knitting in the round and flat knitting. So, let's clarify those two concepts briefly: 𝗙𝗹𝗮𝘁 𝗸𝗻𝗶𝘁𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 = 𝗯𝗮𝗰𝗸 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗳𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗵.➡️ ↩️ ➡️ 𝗞𝗻𝗶𝘁𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱 = 𝗶𝗻 𝗮 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗻𝘂𝘂𝗺. 🔄 📗 𝗙𝗹𝗮𝘁 𝗸𝗻𝗶𝘁𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 is the common image we have about knitting. Two straight needles, a 𝑟𝑖𝑔ℎ𝑡 𝑠𝑖𝑑𝑒, generally the front and visible side of the item, and a 𝑤𝑟𝑜𝑛𝑔 𝑠𝑖𝑑𝑒, most often the hidden part. The principle? Knit one side, turn around, knit the other side ➡️ ↩️ ➡️ You have a "Right side" and a "Wrong side". Wrong side because you essentially knit the opposite of what you want to see. Nothing "wrong"! It is how to knit for flat pieces, like a shawl, a scarf, a cardigan... and more! Nothing to worry about, most patterns will just tell you what to do! 📘 𝗞𝗻𝗶𝘁𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱 is more "you get what you do". There is no turning around. You keep going. Your stitches will come back to you circularly.  🔄 You can use either double-pointed needles or circular ones. 𝑌𝑜𝑢 𝑘𝑛𝑜𝑤 𝑤ℎ𝑒𝑟𝑒 𝐼 𝑠𝑡𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑜𝑛 𝑡ℎ𝑖𝑠. It is ideal to make "tube" types of garments or pieces without having to seam: like a beanie, a cowl, sleeves, socks... headbands, and some sweaters are designed this way. And of course, our 𝑛𝑜𝑤 famous cocoon! 💬❓Want to see how that works? How do you join in the round to make this circular motion? The secrets are in the recorded video tutorials, freely available on the Brooknit Bonneterie LLC's website and our YouTube channel. It's easier than you think! I promise ✋ (Links in comments) 🧶 Let’s knit a better world 🌎 Move the needles, one stitch at a time! 𝑃𝑆1: 𝑉𝑖𝑑𝑒𝑜𝑠 𝑎𝑟𝑒 ℎ𝑎𝑛𝑑-𝑚𝑎𝑑𝑒, 𝑙𝑖𝑘𝑒 𝑒𝑣𝑒𝑟𝑦𝑡ℎ𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝐼 𝑑𝑜: 𝑎𝑢𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑛𝑡𝑖𝑐 ℎ𝑜𝑚𝑒 𝑚𝑎𝑛𝑖𝑐𝑢𝑟𝑒, 𝑎𝑢𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑛𝑡𝑖𝑐 𝐹𝑟𝑒𝑛𝑐ℎ 𝑎𝑐𝑐𝑒𝑛𝑡... 𝑇ℎ𝑒𝑦 𝑎𝑟𝑒 𝑠𝑜𝑟𝑡𝑒𝑑 𝑏𝑦 𝑙𝑒𝑣𝑒𝑙, 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑎𝑟𝑒 "𝑜𝑛 𝑝𝑜𝑖𝑛𝑡" 𝑡𝑜 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑠𝑢𝑏𝑗𝑒𝑐𝑡". 𝑃𝑆2: 𝑇ℎ𝑒 𝑡𝑒𝑐ℎ𝑛𝑖𝑞𝑢𝑒𝑠 𝑦𝑜𝑢 𝑢𝑠𝑒 𝑣𝑒𝑟𝑦 𝑚𝑢𝑐ℎ 𝑑𝑒𝑝𝑒𝑛𝑑 𝑜𝑛 𝑤ℎ𝑎𝑡 𝑦𝑜𝑢 𝑎𝑟𝑒 𝑘𝑛𝑖𝑡𝑡𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑎𝑛𝑑 ℎ𝑜𝑤 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑝𝑎𝑡𝑡𝑒𝑟𝑛 𝑖𝑠 𝑑𝑒𝑠𝑖𝑔𝑛𝑒𝑑 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑤𝑟𝑖𝑡𝑡𝑒𝑛.

When most people envision knitting, they often picture a cozy scene—a rocking chair by the fireplace, the soft glow of flickering flames, and a grandparent’s hands deftly maneuvering through yarn and needles, producing yet another scratchy woolly item that, while warm, may not always be the most fashionable or comfortable to wear. This traditional image, while endearing, can overshadow the evolution of knitting as an expressive and sustainable art form. I wanted to change the narrative by blending the warmth and nostalgia of knitting with modern sustainability practices. By meticulously sourcing the softest, coziest fibers available and integrating them into a unique zero-waste knitting process, I’ve created a collection of garments that not only feel good but are also gentle on the planet. The outcome? An inviting, versatile range of sweaters and other enticing knitwear that I hope will become your wardrobe staples. I’ve often found the repetitive nature of the workweek draining—Monday through Friday can feel like a never-ending cycle of responsibilities. The simple act of getting dressed each morning can sometimes drain the joy from starting the day, making it all too easy to succumb to the comfort of cozy pyjamas. The struggle to convince myself to leave my warm cocoon of blankets for a stiff, uninspiring outfit is something many can relate to. I started to ponder: how can I transform this daily task into something I look forward to? How can I carry the serene comfort of my cozy morning bed into the hustle and bustle of my day? In my quest for a solution, I discovered that I wasn’t alone in this sentiment. Many people share the experience of transitioning into their day with a sense of disconnection and lack of enthusiasm for their attire. I aspire to help others break free from the monotonous routine of daily dressing, encouraging them to seek joy and self-expression in what they wear. This desire inspired me to develop knits that embody the essence of a keepsake sweater—an item traditionally handcrafted with love by a special person, symbolizing treasured moments, personal favourites, and fond memories. As someone who finds great joy in reminiscing, I see it as a beautifully optimistic act. Memories can be a rich source of inspiration, and I often draw from my past travels, experiences, and favourite places when creating my garments. Each sweater is imbued with meaning; each colour and design reflects a moment in time that, while in the past, still holds a special significance. This results in pieces that not only provide warmth but also imbue everyday life with a subtle, cherished uniqueness for each wearer. I hope that these knits will serve as a comforting reminder of fond memories, making getting dressed a more delightful experience.

I don't have time to knit. The worst excuse ever not to knit. 🏅 When we say we don't have time, it's only that we don't make it a priority. I get it. Really! YOU DO YOU. You're missing out, but I respect your choice 😆 For most of my life, knitting was not only not a priority; it was not even on my radar. Now, it is true that knitting requires patience, and it does take time. Which, as we know, is all relative, and every project takes a different amount of time. So, how do you start? 🎬 𝐺𝑙𝑎𝑑 𝑦𝑜𝑢 𝑎𝑠𝑘! At Brooknit Bonneterie LLC, I have developed DIY knitting kits, for every level, every commitment type, and every style. They all contain all you need, but only what you need, if you need! My designs call for simple yet entertaining and playing with texture! Enough repetition to gain pace, with changes of styles to fuel your curiosity. 🚲 For the one who has n͟e͟v͟e͟r͟ ͟t͟o͟u͟c͟h͟e͟d͟ ͟a͟ ͟n͟e͟e͟d͟l͟e͟. We have the 𝗗𝗶𝘀𝗰𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆 and 𝗛𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗯𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗸𝗶𝘁: Learn fast, practice the ABCD of knitting (4 moves), and show-off your stitches in no-time! 🚙 For the one who knows but is l͟o͟o͟k͟i͟n͟g͟ ͟t͟o͟ ͟p͟r͟a͟c͟t͟i͟c͟e͟ ͟a͟n͟d͟ ͟p͟l͟a͟y͟, or off to a new c͟h͟a͟l͟l͟e͟n͟g͟e͟, in level or duration, we have different kits: the 𝗙𝗮𝗶𝗿𝗲 & 𝗦𝗾𝘂𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗯𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗸𝗲𝘁 and 𝗽𝗶𝗹𝗹𝗼𝘄𝗰𝗮𝘀𝗲, the 𝗠𝗲𝗹𝗶-𝗠𝗲𝗹𝗼 𝘀𝗵𝗮𝘄𝗹... or the 𝗘𝗮𝘀𝘆 𝗗𝘂𝗼 (cowl+beanie)... 🚀 For the k͟n͟i͟x͟p͟e͟r͟t͟ (yep - made up word), look at the 𝗠𝗮𝗴𝗶𝗰 𝗣𝗮𝗻𝘁𝘀, technically more challenging. What's in those kits? 📦 𝐺𝑙𝑎𝑑 𝑦𝑜𝑢 𝑎𝑠𝑘! The yarn, printed instructions (with space for your notes 🗒️, and QR codes to videos🎥), notions (small accessories you might need: tapestry needle, cable needle...), a cotton bag to pack and reuse for laundry, an optional pair of circular needles, tags and cards, and lots of love 💕. Need a knitting teacher? ---> I'm here! Come back tomorrow, and I'll tell you how I can help! 🧶 Let’s knit a better world 🌎 Move the needles, one stitch at a time! PS1: You have a stash of yarn? A favorite yarn? Download only the patterns! PS2: Time perspective here: a 10-hour knitting project is done in a week of knit-flix for 2 hours a day! PS3: If you are considering some handmade, original, full of love Holiday gifting, it's the perfect time to grab a kit! --- This is what's in the cocoon kit - Foggy Lake color ---

There is no knitting police. Nowhere to be found. Trust me! What does it mean? 𝐺𝑙𝑎𝑑 𝑦𝑜𝑢 𝑎𝑠𝑘! It means there is no right or wrong way of knitting, only 𝗬𝗢𝗨𝗥 way! When you learn the basics, you will gain ease, fluidity, and pace as you practice. 📈 Stitch after stitch, you will adjust the position to the most comfortable for 𝗬𝗢𝗨. I teach a knitting class with kids. It is fascinating - for many reasons. One that stands out though, is how they quickly make it their own. Initially, I was guiding them precisely on the position of their hands and fingers. 💡Only to realize that what works for me might not be the best for them. I stepped out a little, only making recommendations and suggestions: "Try to hold the needles a little closer to the tips, see if it helps" "Try to make the stitch a little less tight, so it will work better on the other side" As a result, they have found their way through the stitches: 🔑 One uses her left index finger to hold the stitches on the left needle. 🔑 One uses her right thumb to hold those on the right needle. 🔑 One wraps the yarn with her left hand. There are no two identical knitters 💎 It makes 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆 𝗸𝗻𝗶𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗮𝗻 𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗶𝘀𝘁 and every 𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗱-𝗸𝗻𝗶𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗶𝘁𝗲𝗺 𝘂𝗻𝗶𝗾𝘂𝗲. 💎 Nobody will ever give you a ticket, or judge your work for your methods. Knitting is a whole world of accepting differences and being curious about them. 💬❓Jump on the needles! At Brooknit Bonneterie LLC, we have the kits, the videos and ME! I will guide you through the stitches to get started. Eventually: 𝗬𝗼𝘂 𝗱𝗼 𝘆𝗼𝘂 - 𝗮𝘀 𝗮𝗹𝘄𝗮𝘆𝘀! 🧶 Let’s knit a better world 🌎 Move the needles, one stitch at a time! 𝑃𝑆1: 𝑇ℎ𝑒𝑟𝑒 𝑖𝑠 𝑎 𝑐𝑜𝑛𝑐𝑒𝑝𝑡 𝑜𝑓 "𝑟𝑖𝑔ℎ𝑡" 𝑎𝑛𝑑 "𝑤𝑟𝑜𝑛𝑔" 𝑡ℎ𝑎𝑡 𝑎𝑝𝑝𝑙𝑖𝑒𝑠 𝑡𝑜 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑠𝑖𝑑𝑒𝑠 𝑜𝑓 𝑦𝑜𝑢𝑟 𝑤𝑜𝑟𝑘 𝑤ℎ𝑒𝑛 𝑓𝑙𝑎𝑡-𝑘𝑛𝑖𝑡𝑡𝑖𝑛𝑔 - 𝑑𝑖𝑓𝑓𝑒𝑟𝑒𝑛𝑡 𝑠𝑡𝑜𝑟𝑦... 𝐼 𝑝𝑜𝑠𝑡𝑒𝑑 𝑎𝑏𝑜𝑢𝑡 𝑖𝑡 https://lnkd.in/eVShdWNy 𝑃𝑆2: 𝑇ℎ𝑒 𝑡𝑒𝑐ℎ𝑛𝑖𝑞𝑢𝑒𝑠 𝑦𝑜𝑢 𝑢𝑠𝑒 𝑣𝑒𝑟𝑦 𝑚𝑢𝑐ℎ 𝑑𝑒𝑝𝑒𝑛𝑑 𝑜𝑛 𝑤ℎ𝑎𝑡 𝑦𝑜𝑢 𝑎𝑟𝑒 𝑘𝑛𝑖𝑡𝑡𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑎𝑛𝑑 ℎ𝑜𝑤 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑝𝑎𝑡𝑡𝑒𝑟𝑛 𝑖𝑠 𝑑𝑒𝑠𝑖𝑔𝑛𝑒𝑑 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑤𝑟𝑖𝑡𝑡𝑒𝑛. --- Pic of two of my students learning side by side, making it their own way---

I CANNOT COUNT MY DAY COMPLETE, TILL NEEDLE, THREAD AND FABRIC MEET It is very important to know your BASICS, whichever field you belong to. Knowing your craft always gives you an extra edge. SO…To start off with the Basics….I mean ‘BASICS’ What is the First word that comes to our mind when we think of FASHION? . . ‘CLOTHES??’ Well then what about CLOTHES?? How are they created??What goes into the process of creating a garment?? No matter how complicated the final garment is there are three main components to it: Fabric, Pattern and the most important - ‘THE NEEDLE’ Have you ever thought that this small piece of metal has a family of its own? With each member serving a distinct identity and purpose. To everyone related to the field of fashion, directly or indirectly and most importantly all the students out there, looking to start their career in fashion designing or currently pursuing fashion designing…This is a #mustread Here are some of the basic types of needles. They are divided into two main categories and have respective subtypes: 1. Machine needle: It is the needle that is attached to the sewing machine. They come in varied sizes and types depending on the type of fabric to be stitched, weight of the fabric and thread type as well... While there are approximately 14 types of machine needles, let’s have a look at some of them: a. Universal needle b. Metafil needle c. Wing needle d. Leather needle e. Microtex needles 2. Hand needle: It ranges from hand needles for general sewing to hand needles for creating various handicrafts, textiles, accessories and garments. a. Tambour needle b. Punch needle c. Aari needle d. Crochet hook e. Knitting needles Which needle type did you hear about for the first time? #mustread #education #educator #fashion #fashioninfluencer #fashiondesigning #knowyourcraft #designer

🚨 WARNING! A knitting event has side effects! 𝑇𝑟𝑢𝑒 𝑠𝑡𝑜𝑟𝑦! At a knitting event, at its core, people knit. Obviously! Beyond the stitches are a few side effects, that you may not expect. I have seen it before my own eyes during the different classes, workshops, Sip'N'Knit... 𝟭- 𝗛𝘂𝗺𝗮𝗻 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗻𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻. We all love a good story! It always amazes me how everyone has a story about knitting. People love bringing up those memories as much as they love hearing others' stories, anecdotes, and journeys. 𝟮- 𝗘𝗺𝗽𝗼𝘄𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁. You succeed, and you are happy to help! Every time. The knitters ahead of the others are always happy to chime in and help. Even the beginners who just got it slightly faster than others. Eventually, everyone succeeds. Bright eyes, large smiles, feeling of satisfaction and self-accomplishment! "I did it"! 𝟯- 𝗖𝘂𝗿𝗶𝗼𝘀𝗶𝘁𝘆! What kind of needles? Bamboo? Plastic? What knit of yarn? Pure wool? Chunky? How can I make cables? How do you join in the round? There is always something next! It is 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗳𝗲𝗰𝘁 𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗶𝘁𝘆 for a group, even with different skills and knitting levels, ages, genders, or abilities. The approach is simple. 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝗻𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 + 𝗘𝗺𝗽𝗼𝘄𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 + 𝗖𝘂𝗿𝗶𝗼𝘀𝗶𝘁𝘆 = 𝗠𝗼𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻! Even when it's not related to day-to-day work, the feelings that a recreated spread to all domains in life. 🗣️ 𝗧𝗘𝗟𝗟 𝗠𝗘! As we approach the Summer break, how will you welcome your team back to work in September? Escape rooms are so 2017... 😆 Fill out the form with what you need, and I'll craft your perfect workshop! 🔗 𝑙𝑖𝑛𝑘 𝑖𝑛 𝑐𝑜𝑚𝑚𝑒𝑛𝑡 🧶 Let’s knit a better world 🌎 Move the needles, one stitch at a time! 𝑃𝑆1: 𝐻𝑒𝑙𝑝𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑜𝑛𝑒 𝑎𝑛𝑜𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑟, 𝑖𝑡 ℎ𝑎𝑝𝑝𝑒𝑛𝑠 𝐸𝑉𝐸𝑅𝑌 𝑇𝐼𝑀𝐸! 𝑊𝑖𝑡ℎ 𝑎𝑑𝑢𝑙𝑡𝑠 𝑖𝑛 𝑆𝐼𝑝'𝑁'𝐾𝑛𝑖𝑡 𝑜𝑟 𝑤𝑜𝑟𝑘𝑠ℎ𝑜𝑝𝑠, 𝑎𝑠 𝑤𝑒𝑙𝑙 𝑎𝑠 𝑤𝑖𝑡ℎ 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑐ℎ𝑖𝑙𝑑𝑟𝑒𝑛. 𝑃𝑆2: 𝑇𝑒𝑎𝑚 𝑏𝑢𝑖𝑙𝑑𝑖𝑛𝑔, 𝑐ℎ𝑎𝑟𝑖𝑡𝑦 𝑒𝑣𝑒𝑛𝑡, 𝑏𝑟𝑒𝑎𝑘-𝑜𝑢𝑡 𝑠𝑒𝑠𝑠𝑖𝑜𝑛𝑠, 𝑟𝑒𝑢𝑛𝑖𝑜𝑛𝑠, 𝑓𝑟𝑖𝑒𝑛𝑑𝑠 𝑔𝑎𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑟𝑖𝑛𝑔, 𝑏𝑎𝑏𝑦 𝑠ℎ𝑜𝑤𝑒𝑟? 𝐼'𝑚 ℎ𝑎𝑝𝑝𝑦 𝑡𝑜 𝑏𝑒 𝑐𝑟𝑒𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑣𝑒 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑐𝑎𝑡𝑒𝑟 𝑡𝑜 𝑦𝑜𝑢𝑟 𝑛𝑒𝑒𝑑𝑠! --- New knitter satisfaction extract below 😜 . I've never experienced the not-so-enthusiastic vibes from the other man ---

MEET THE MAKER Seeing as I’ve introduced my new branding and new look Needles & Fred, it’s time for me to introduce myself! I’m the Fred part of Needles & Fred. My husband named my small business for me, so all credit goes to him, my silent partner and yarn unwinder! So, who am I? What I am is passionate about crochet, I discovered this craft in 2017, after struggling with knitting. It seemed that working with one crochet hook, was easier than working with two knitting needles. My dad taught me to knit when I was about seven, but I never really ventured past making scarves. I picked up knitting needles again when I was in my late thirties, after my mum bought me and my sisters a scarf knitting kit for Christmas one year. I made a very wonky scarf, but I loved making it and found the whole process very therapeutic. However, once again, I didn't really stray outside making scarves or square and rectangular shapes that could be sewn together as garments. My mum suggested I tried crochet instead. She set me up with a 4mm crochet hook, some yarn and an old 'how to crochet' book that she'd found on her bookshelf. I struggled to start with because all the illustrations were right-handed and I'm left-handed. I found it difficult to convert the images to left-handed, so I finally Googled 'left-handed crochet' and found the most amazing, easy to follow tutorials from Bella Coco Crochet and I was literally hooked. I started off with 'all the gear, no idea' but I started to study the art of crochet properly, learning the basics from foundation chains, increasing, decreasing, gauge and so on. I followed as many online tutorials as I could and bought books to study and try new techniques. I also took a diploma course in crochet! I now want to turn this passion into my day job, making beautiful unique pieces for people to buy and enjoy themselves, and writing crochet patterns for other crocheters to enjoy. It’s a real process, but I am really enjoying it so far. I have a wonderful team of pattern testers behind me, guiding me all the way and helping me to improve my writing and crochet techniques. I am always crocheting for someone else, so sometimes I have to stop and remind myself to make something for me. So far, I've made a lovely Mandala cardigan to wear and am currently making a poncho that might be finished by the time I'm sixty! I always have at LEAST four projects on the go, and you can guarantee you'll find some sort of crochet paraphernalia in any room in our house and be careful you don’t sit on a stitch marker! #meetthemaker #meetthemaker2024 #crochetersoffacebook #dowhatyoulove #lovewhatyoudo #craftingcareer

Knitting isn't just a hobby; it's a diverse world of techniques and textures. Here's a look at the different ways fabrics are knitted: ▪️Hand Knitting: A traditional craft technique where yarn is manipulated with needles to create fabric. Perfect for personalized, unique pieces and slow fashion enthusiasts. ▪️Machine Knitting: A textile production method that uses automated equipment to efficiently create knitted fabrics and complex patterns at a rapid pace. Ideal for mass production and intricate designs. ▪️Weft Knitting: A method where yarns run horizontally, interlocking in a series of connected loops to create a fabric that is flexible and comfortable. Commonly used for T-shirts, sweaters, and other apparel. ▪️Warp Knitting: A technique where yarns run vertically through the fabric, producing highly durable and less stretchy textiles. Often used for lingerie, swimwear, and technical fabrics. Understanding the different types of knit can help you make informed decisions when choosing fabrics for your next project.