Most of my lace designs feature stitch patterns with ‘rest rows’, i.e. without increases or decreases on the wrong side (WS) rows (or similarly, every second round in a hat or cowl worked in the round). But two of my recent lace creations, the Beanstalk Shawl and Ensata Scarf, require working increases and decreases on every row. This is where the purled decreases p2tog and ssp come in, which are worked on the WS and look just like k2tog and ssk when viewed on the right side (RS) of the fabric. P2tog is the more straightforward of the two, while ssp involves a few steps.
Read MoreHow to knit marlisle colourwork in the round
My Oil Paint Cowl showcases a type of colourwork knitting that’s similar to stranded knitting (or fairisle), but has some unique properties of its own. In ‘marlisle’ colourwork, the foreground pattern is stranded in the usual way, but the background is marled, i.e. it’s worked with both colours of yarn held together.
Read MoreHow to work mini-cables without a cable needle
Simple mini-cables, like those featured in my Beeswax Hat, Cowl, and Mitts, are easy to work without using a cable needle. If you're a cable lover, this is a brilliant trick to be familiar with - especially if you have a tendency to leave your notions bag in another room!
My favourite method is the 'slip and switch' method, which mirrors the movements of k2tog and ssk decreases. The difference is that after rearranging the stitches, you work them individually instead of decreasing them together.
Read MoreHow to block scalloped edges
The scalloped edges of my Beeswax Shawl are one of its most special features, formed by working increases or decreases at the ends of certain rows. I was determined to preserve these rippling edges during blocking, and I came up with the following method which worked very well. This method could be adapted for any shawl with a rippling edge, if you want a very even ripple and/or dislike using lots of pins.
Read MoreMagic loop: yes, it is!
After my success with two-colour brioche for the It's New To Me KAL back in October, I decided to keep up my upskilling momentum and try another new technique that I've been vaguely meaning to try for years: magic loop!
If you're not familiar with it, magic loop is a method of knitting a small circumference in the round; an alternative to using double-pointed needles (which I'm prone to dropping).
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