afghan – Page 3 – Universal Yarn Creative Network

This block starts in one corner and increases along the center line, using the backward loop cast-on to grow outward. For many of us, the backward loop was the first cast-on that we learned. Others picked it up in the course of making buttonholes or adding stitches at the underarm of a sleeve.

If you haven’t learned it yet, here’s your chance. Amy shows us how!

Easy as pie, eh?
The center stitch in this block is slipped on every right side row, creating that clean elongated line running through the center of the block. It’s a nice touch for this diagonal block.

As always, you can share your thoughts and work with us here, on Facebook, or in our Ravelry group. Check back in two weeks for a new block that builds on this technique!

September 15, 2014

Afghan Knitalong – Block Fourteen

Block Fourteen is live!

Block two of our month of plaid! Where our last block used stripes raised above the fabric of the square, Block Fourteen “Well Plaid” creates lines of color flush with the rest of the square.

Amy Gunderson achieves this by working one vertical stitch in the row in reverse stockinette, then applying the contrasting color to the purled stitch using a crochet hook. It’s rather ingenious. The video shows how it’s achieved.

Neat, eh? It’s a bit like picking up one laddered stitch, except with an entirely new color of yarn. I love the way this looks!

As always, you can share your thoughts and work with us here, on Facebook, or in our Ravelry group. Check back in two weeks for a new technique and a new block!

September 2, 2014

AFGHAN KNITALONG – BLOCK THIRTEEN

Block Thirteen is live!

Plaid! I don’t know why I didn’t think about this as an option, but I love it. Little squares within the square.

Plaid to the Bone uses elongated stitches to create raised lines that cross the surface of the stitch and give texture. Amy shows us how that works.

Just a few extra wraps, dropped on subsequent rows. Easy peasy. I must confess to having gotten a little sneak at the next block, which is also a variation on plaid, and I can barely wait for everyone else to see it too.

As always, you can share your blocks (and feedback) with us here, on Facebook, or in our Ravelry group. Check back in two weeks for the next block in the series!

August 18, 2014

Afghan Knitalong – Block Twelve

Block Twelve is live!

Love it! Raising Cane (ha!) builds on the single twists of Block Eleven, bringing in a crossover twisted main stem. But this block adds a couple of new techniques.

First, there’s twisting stitches by working through the back loop. Amy Gunderson demonstrates with this video, showing how to work both knits and purls through the back loop to create a twisted stitch that really stands out from its background. This is a very effective technique when used with a smooth yarn like Uptown Worsted.

Next, there’s the matter of crossing over! You may recall that last time we shared a video on adding right and left traveling twists to your knits. This time, we build on that by adding right and left traveling purls. This lets those twisted stitches that pop so well move to outline the leaves.

I don’t know about you, but I learned something! And I’ll definitely keep twisted stitches and right and left twists in my knitting toolbox as a method for outlining other designs or adding more texture to my projects. Very exciting!

We’d love to see your blocks! You can share with us on Facebook, or in our Ravelry group.

Check back in two weeks for the next block in the series, and a new technique!

August 4, 2014

Afghan Knitalong – Block Eleven

Block Eleven is live!

Nifty! This month we’re exploring relief stitches, using twists that travel across the fabric, starting with Block Eleven, “Every Which Way.”

I’m particularly glad to see this technique come up – I still recall doing a hat pattern with all over right twists and left twists. The right twists, I could figure out, but I never got the hang of left twists and had to use a cable needle every time my stitches travelled in that direction. So tedious!

Amy shows us how to work these twists, which I think of as tiny one-stitch cables.

After doing this block, I may take another crack at that hat pattern. Let’s hear it for learning new things!

As always we love seeing your blocks. You can share with us on Facebook, or in our Ravelry group. We’ll see you in two weeks with a new block and a new take on this design element!

Happy knitting!

July 21, 2014

Afghan Knitalong – Block Ten

Block Ten is live!

So colorful! Block Ten “Carousel” builds on the same center-out technique we learned in Block Nine “Best Buds.” I love how Amy picked three colors for her block with high contrast – it’s so vivid!

Amy shares another video with us, this one on knitting in the round using one long circular and the “magic loop” method as opposed to DPNs (double-pointed needles).

This is the method I personally use for most of my socks and projects in the round. For a small square like this, there’s not necessarily an advantage to circular vs. double-pointed needles, it’s all a matter of personal preference. Give them both a try and see which one works best for you!

We have a bonus video as well, on weaving in ends to eliminate those pesky pointy corners, using last week’s block as an example.

Enjoy this second chance to knit from the center out. We’ll be back again in a couple of weeks with our next technique!

July 7, 2014July 7, 2014

Afghan Knitalong – Block Nine

Block Nine is live!

How are we doing, gang? I loved cables, but I’m rarin’ to go on a new technique!

This time, Amy introduces knitting in the round! Today’s counterpane block “Best Buds” goes from the center out, using the lace techniques and M1 increases we’ve already learned from previous blocks.

Amy shares this helpful video on starting your square on DPNs (double-pointed needles) and increasing as you work out. It’s not something we’ve done before in this afghan, but it’s a very useful trick! We’ll also be sharing videos this month on weaving in ends, and on other ways to work center-out. I’m grabbing my DPNs and casting on. It’s so exciting to move in a new direction – literally! See you next time!

June 9, 2014June 10, 2014

Afghan Knitalong – Block Seven

Block Seven is live!

Cables! I love ’em. They can give flow and movement to a piece that is hard to achieve any other way. But they’re also one of those things that some knitters never try, just because they seem intimidating. Nothing could be further from the truth!

For Block Seven “Echolate” we’ve got a video to walk you through the process of knitting both right and left-leaning cables using a cable needle. If you don’t have a cable needle, grab a spare double-point and use that instead!

In this block, I’m particularly fond of the little rippling cables at the left. I may incorporate that into more of my knitting!

This block also calls for a few M1 (make one) increases on row 7. As a bonus, Amy Gunderson has put together a short video demonstrating exactly how this kind of increase works. Easy peasy!

We hope you enjoy this foray into the world of cables. We’ll see you in a couple of weeks with another block that builds on this technique.

Happy knitting!

May 26, 2014May 26, 2014

Afghan Knitalong – Block Six

Block Six is live!

Block Six, “Slip Step,” looks more complicated than it is, which I call the best kind of knitting. It uses the same slip stitch technique as in Block Five, just patterned a little differently. You can totally do this!

One of the themes of this knit along is “learning.” The blocks showcase techniques that may be new to some of us. And for us in the office, they’re highlighting some areas that we now know we need to work on.

Which brings us to Chandra.

Chandra in accounting is just learning to knit, and like a trooper she is knitting along with the rest of us. She’s so proud of her squares, and rightly so! So when she asked a co-worker about blocking, she dutifully followed the instructions that would make her block really stand out. Unfortunately, it’s not standing out in quite the way she hoped.

Luckily, Chandra has a GREAT sense of humor, so she is fine with her square being used as a teaching tool here. Somewhere in translation, instructions about exposure to heat and moisture were translated into “boil your square for 30 minutes.” At right: Chandra’s poor, poor, bedraggled Square One. Chandra, good sport that she is, willingly let it be photographed and immediately cast on for a new square. Way to pick yourself up and keep going!

Based on this experience, we realized that maybe a little instruction on blocking would be in order. In the video below, we’re using a garment steamer and have the square laid out on a foam block of the type used in nursery flooring. The foam is handy for pinning things down without damaging the floor, and the blocks interlock into a variety of shapes for larger scarves and shawls.

Whether it’s a triumph or… less of a triumph, we’d love to see what you’ve done. Share it here, on Facebook, or in our Ravelry group. We’ll see you in two weeks with a new block and a new technique!

May 12, 2014May 12, 2014

Afghan Knitalong – Block Five

Block Five is called “Check It” (link here).

How’d we do with lace? I have to say, that last square went pretty quickly for us in the office, with no major malfunctions. I feel like we’ve mastered that technique. Good thing, too, since we’re on to something new!

Block Five is called “Check It” for obvious reasons – it uses slipped stitches to create a colorful checkerboard. It’s a clever way to create blocks of color without a lot of picking up and dropping of yarn as you go. As usual, Amy Gunderson has provided us with a video to demonstrate.