handmade by stefanie

When you go yarn shopping, have you ever noticed that there are different shapes and sizes for the skeins of yarn on the shelf? Yarn for knitting or crocheting is most commonly sold in three different forms: balls, skeins, and hanks. As the name would imply, balls are a nice, round shape, and you can begin working with the yarn directly from them. Similarly, skeins also come ready to knit (or crochet); the yarn in a skein is more loosely wrapped than a ball, to create a more oblong shape. Hanks of yarn are wound into a large circle and then twisted; these yarns need to be wound into a ball before use. Left: mini skeins from October House Fiber Arts; Right: Katahdin from Miss Babs There are three ways to wind hanks of yarn into cakes which can be used for knitting or crocheting, and I'll give you an overview of each one on today's post! To get started, open the hank and remove any ties that might be securing the skein (these are often on hand-dyed yarns to pre...

Last week, I shared a Brioche Cowl I recently knit in a new yarn called Boca Chica Fingering. This week, I'm sharing the basics of brioche knitting with you so that you can give this fun knitting technique a try! Getting Started There are tons of fabulous (free!) patterns on Ravelry to help you master the basics of brioche knitting. Here are a few to try while you practice this technique: Brioche for Beginners by Emma Galati Basic Brioche Scarf by Heidi Gustad Lacy Brioche Scarf by Kirsten Hipsky Brioche Stitch Pot Holder by Vickie Howeel Easy Brioche Scarf by Ewelina Murach Terminology As I said last week, if you can yarn over and knit or purl two stitches together, you absolutely CAN knit a gorgeous brioche project! You'll just need to familiarize yourself with the terminology commonly used in brioche knitting patterns. Here are the 3 most important terms to know for brioche knitting: The Brioche Knit Stitch (BRK): knit the stitch that was slipped in...