Articles

I wrote most of these articles in the late 1980s. They were published in The Keyplate News and other BOND knitting machine publications of the time, but the information is still relevant. They are yours to enjoy and share with your knitting friends. Print them out, post links to them on your blog or in knitting forums, or put posters of them on your local telephone pole. There are only two rules: you may not sell them to make money; you must keep my name on them as the author. Beyond that, enjoy and spread the knowledge!

Lace, The Artful Arrangement of Holes  True lace for machine knitters.

Entrelac technique looks more complicated than it is. This is for machine knitters, though hand knitters might like the simple diagrams. The “Breaks All the Rules, Can’t Possibly Work, but it Does (and beautifully) Cast-On” works well here. You can review that cast-on with this video  and this article.

 Part 1: The Truth About Gauge , Part 2: The Vagaries of Gauge  If you do not understand what gauge is and how to use it you cannot make sweaters that fit. It’s a simple subject and worth its weight in gold to learn.

Cardigan Bands  This article was written for cardigan bands knitted on the BOND family of machines, but  these can be adapted to any machine or to hand knitting. The point is to get the edges to lie flat no matter what tools you use.

Easy Hats on the BOND Here’s a simple  pull-on hat “pattern” that I wrote years ago for the CAPS FOR KIDS program. It’s visual in style, like Sweater 101 and Afghan 101. I like to work from a picture format, especially on the machine when things are flying by so quickly.

 Building a Sweater on a Knitting Machine  helps you think beyond a pattern so that you can knit efficiently, with the fewest number of steps that yield an attractive result. The sequence of building a sweater is the same one I used in the video class, Your First BOND Sweater.

The Breaks-All-the-Rules, Can’t-Possibly-Work-But-Does (and Beautifully) Cast On will make your BOND knitting life 10 times easier. Well, maybe 2 times easier but it’s still a great skill to have. You can also see it demonstrated on video.

This video on How to Knit Fishtail Lace teaches you a lot about lace knitting in general, things like three kinds of double decreases and how to read a lace chart (my style anyway).  Here’s a pdf of the chart you see on the video so that you can print it out and have it at home: Fishtail Lace.

Here are two videos on knitted modular scallops: The Knitted Scallop (Modular Knitting)  and Knitted Modular Scallops Part 2. And here is the pdf that is the written directions to with them: Modular Knitting, the Scallop.






8 comments

  1. I am new to knitting and starting with knitting needles. Will this help me to. I like the videos put would like to know if you dont have them in just plain knitting or can i buy them i can purl and knit cast on cast off. Knit to together I am from South Africa and also Afrikaans so if i see a video i learn more like the pattern and then the video with it like you have in the Bond knitting machine so if i buy the book will i be able to knit and understand it for a beginner. Sorry English not so good.
    Thanks

  2. Hello Annelize,
    My book is for anyone who wants to make simple, classic sweaters that fit. It does not matter if you knit the sweater with two needles or with a machine. It works with both. I have more videos coming soon that will be based on the book. With both the book and the videos you should be able to make sweaters the right size.

    I hope this helps you. And, yes. The book is very good for a beginner.

    Cheryl

  3. Can I reuse the yarn from my gauge swatch in ther sweater even though it has been blocked?

    This may be the wrong place to ask this question, but I couldn’t find a place to coment after your gauge swatch video.

    Thanks for your help, Beverly

  4. Hi Beverly,

    I thought sure I replied to this earlier but apparently I haven’t. I was hospitalized with a high fever/ viral infection and I was definitely in fevered dreamland there for a while. Yes. You can reuse the yarn but you have to unravel it, make it into a little skein and soak it in warm water (and white vinegar if it’s wool) for an hour or so and then roll it in a towel and hang to dry. You need to get out all the kings.

  5. Hi Cheryl, I love your videos, you are a great teacher!! I was watching your video on modular knitting, love the idea of using up scraps. You had mentioned about written instructions. I would love to have them. Please reply. You do inspire me. Thank you
    Patty

  6. Thanks Patty. I just uploaded it. Go to the Articles page . . . down at the bottom . . . and you’ll find the link.

  7. Hi
    I saw your video on the scalpalls and in really think that it will look good as a mermaid blanket .
    My daughter really wants me to make one for her but I have no idea how to make it.
    Do you think that you can post a tutorial on that ?
    Thanks a lot
    Fabi

  8. No Fabi. That would mean I would have to write a whole pattern, which is a very big project, and there are already patterns out there. I suggest you look on Ravelry for Mermaid Blanket and check out Google too. Good luck.

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