Some of you may have noticed that we’ve recently added a new video section to our website. You can find a handy link in our top navigation bar right after Classes & Events.

We have over 140 product, technique, and behind-the-scenes videos to watch with convenient links to other related videos and products in each description. Some video highlights you’ll find are:

• Newest Videos – Keep an eye out here to catch all of our latest videos like our Year-End Sale preview and the new WEBS Blooper Reel from the past two years.
• Knitting Videos – From beginning knitting to advanced techniques, you’ll find a collection of knitting videos to help you with your latest project.
• Crochet Videos – Great videos from learning how to single crochet, to Tunisian crochet, to finishing can be found here.
• Weaving Videos – Learn how to warp a loom back to front from WEBS founder Barbara Elkins.
• Spinning Videos – Learn how to spin with a drop spindle.
• Valley Yarns Videos – Dive in to what makes Valley Yarns so special with yarn reviews and our latest Valley Yarns designs.
• Product Review Videos – Find out more about some of our favorite or newest yarns, tools, and accessories that we carry.
• Classes & Events Videos – A look at some of the fun things happening at WEBS.
• Inside WEBS – Go behind-the-scenes of WEBS – America’s Yarn Store to learn more about the people, store, warehouse, and more.

If you’ve ever knit or crocheted lace before, your finished project can look like a crumpled mess when it’s done. It doesn’t really come to life until you’ve blocked it. Blocking is where the magic happens.

You can see in the photo to the right that my Shetland Trader Aestlight Shawl before blocking is oddly shaped. The points are curled, and the Bird’s Eye lace pattern doesn’t pop like it should.

After blocking, the top of the shawl is flat, the points are crisp, and the Bird’s Eye lace really opens up. The shawl fabric also becomes much more drapey and the yarn (Valley Yarns Charlemont) is even softer after blocking.

If you’ve ever pinned out a lace shawl or scarf to block, you may have found it frustrating pinning, adjusting, repinning to get your project to be the size and shape you want. You can use blocking wires to speed up this process. Blocking wires are thin, rigid wires that don’t rust. Instead of pinning the sides of a project with pins, you can run these wires through the edge stitches.

After attaching blocking wires to the sides of your project, you can pull out each side and place pins in just a few spots along the wire. Then if you want to adjust how far out to block a side, removing and replacing just a few pins is so much quicker than 20+ pins.

We’ve put together a quick video to guide you through the steps of how to use blocking wires.

I loved knitting the Aestlight Shawl, my first attempt at a lace shawl. Share your favorite knitted or crocheted lace shawl pattern in the comments. I’d love to add some more lace projects to my Ravelry queue.

Happy Knitting & Crocheting!

– Dena

If you’ve ever knit in the round only to discover way too late that you had a twist in your cast on stitches, then you might like to try this week’s tip from Kirsten Hipsky.

Work a few rows back and forth (flat) before joining in the round. It provides a much more stable fabric that’s easier to divide among double pointed or circular needles. It’s much easier to spot a twist before joining to knit in the round, saving you from having to start over. Since you’re already going to have to weave in the end from the cast on edge, you can use this tail to sew your small seam of flat knitting.

Watch Kirsten’s video tutorial on How to Knit in the Round on Circular Needles for more information on this knitting technique.

Have you ever twisted your cast on stitches when joining in the round? What other ways do you use to make sure you don’t have a twist when knitting in the round?

Have you ever dropped a stitch when knitting lace?

Do you get lost in your lace patterns? Today’s tip is one you don’t want to miss.

When knitting lace, it can be a big pain trying to fix mistakes when yarn overs are involved. Sometimes you might even find that you get so lost or confused in your lace pattern that it seems easier to just frog the whole project and start over.

But if you use a lifeline, or safety line in your knitting, it can take away a lot of the stress and frustration of mistakes. A lifeline is a way of marking a particular point in your knitting where you can easily rip back to in case you make a mistake. Think of it as knitting insurance.

This video shows you how to insert a lifeline in your knitting and how to rip back to a lifeline if needed.

Use thin, smooth yarn in a contrasting color for lifelines. I like to use crochet thread or cotton weaving yarns. But in a pinch, dental floss also works really well. I mostly use a lifeline in lace knitting, placing it in the last repeat of my pattern. But you can use a lifeline in any knitting project such as cable work or other complicated stitch patterns.

Some knitting needles (Addi Lace Click Long Tips and Knitter’s Pride Interchangeable Needles) even include a hole or slot where you can thread a lifeline through. You’re able to then insert a lifeline into a row as you knit, saving you the step of threading a lifeline through your stitches with a tapestry needle.

If you knit with interchangeable knitting needles, you could use a spare cable as your lifeline. After knitting the row where you want a lifeline placed, replace the needle tips with end caps or stoppers. Connect the needle tips onto a new cable and continue knitting, leaving the old cable in your project as a lifeline.

Lifelines make lace knitting much more fun and relaxing for me. How have lifelines saved your knitting? Share your lifeline tips and stories in the comments.

Happy Knitting!

-Dena

Inspired by the recent “Sh*t People Say” videos, we thought it would be fun to do one for knitters too.

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After putting our Sh*t Knitters Say video up on YouTube this past Friday, we’ve had a lot of questions asking what Emma is wearing or knitting in the video. Below you’ll find a bunch of handy links to all of the sweaters, hats, and mittens making an appearance in the video.

Winged Knits Idlewood sweater by Cecily Glowik MacDonald in Malabrigo Rios, Glazed Carrot
Persephone Cable Fingerless Mitts by SmarieK in Plymouth Yarn Happy Feet (multi) and Reynolds Soft Sea Wool (edges)

Madelinetosh Tea Leaves Cardigan by Melissa LaBarre in Madelinetosh Tosh DK, Tart
Ida’s Kitchen hat by Kirsten Kapur in Madelinetosh Tosh Sport, various colors

Valley Yarns Loire Cardigan by Kirsten Hipsky in Valley Yarns Northampton Bulky, Gold Heather
Scalene shawl by Carina Spencer in Plucky Knitter Primo Fingering (green) and Plucky Knitter Superwash Merino (grey)

Valley Yarns Little Whiskers Hat by Kirsten Hipsky in Valley Yarns Greenwich, 04 Crimson & 15 Silver

Bella’s Mittens by Marielle Henault in Berroco Vintage Chunky, Fennel

Paulie cardigan by Isabell Kraemer in Plucky Knitter Primo Fingering, Bourbon & Headboard

Shetland Trader Vaila pullover by Gudrun Johnston in Madelinetosh 80/10/10 Worsted, Flashdance

Did we miss anything? Let us know in the comments if there’s anything else you saw in the video that you’ve got to know what it is.

Happy Knitting!

-Dena

This week the staff at WEBS is buzzing about…

1. I love Day Beret pattern from Knitbot’s Snack Size Series. I knit it to go in our holiday catalog and it was so fast. I think I started it on Wednesday and finished it by Friday morning. It’s great to knit over a weekend and add to your box of stashed gifts. I loved working with The Fibre Co. Acadia yarn too. I normally am not a fan of yarn with slubs, but for some reason, paired with the simple hat, I really liked it. I can see knitting another one (or three) in other colors, and maybe even playing with stripes! > Mary K.-H.

2. This knitting technique video I shot with Tina teaches you how to knit cables!  I’m about halfway through my first pair of Kelbourne Woolens Give a Hoot Mittens using Valley Yarns Northampton and I’m just about ready to knit my first cable ever!  This will be a great resource for me as a new knitter. > Lindsey P.

3. I’m excited to try the SMC Tweed Deluxe. It has and interesting crochet chain construction around a separate fiber core. As a crocheter the idea of crocheting a chain with a crochet chain yarn is so meta! > Sara D.

4. Lorna’s Laces Shepherd Worsted – Every time my sister comes up to visit she gushes about this yarn. Color #630 Bittersweet is her favorite and it’s definitely mine too. It’s super soft, holds up well and it’s great to work with, so it’ll be fun to whip up a Christmas present for her out of this yarn. It’s so soft against the skin, I think a cowl would be perfect. > Grace H.

5. Right now, what’s on my mind is the 8th Annual Hot Chocolate Run for Safe Passage! We’ve got a lot of WEBS staffers signed up for it and Cara and I are trying to gather a contingent of staffers to knit while walking it. > Kirstin H.