As crafters, we tend to have “patterns” that we gravitate towards regularly, whether that is a sweater or sock pattern you just can’t stop making, a favorite fiber in your yarn, a color family, or a stitch pattern that just makes you squee.
The stitches we choose are just as important to us as shape, fit, and color. They affect, not only the appearance of the finished product, but they also affect the way the fabric lays, the structure of the garment, the warmth… We all know, the sweater that just doesn’t lay right is never going to be worn.
There are thousands of stitches to choose from, and most every knitter has a short list of “old friend” stitches. Stitches that are comforting, interesting, cozy. Stitches that let us keep our hands busy, but still pay attention to the show we are currently binge watching. Stitches that keep our brain just as occupied as our hands, perhaps to take our mind off something else. Stitches that have a tactile personality that we can’t stop squishing between rows.
I asked Beth and Tasha for their favorite “go-to” stitches, a stitch or technique that they would like to try, but haven’t, and what makes them shudder at the mere mention of. I gathered my old friends as well…
2 color brioche
BETH:
She loves two stranded, two hand color work, because she can “fly through it”
She also loves lace stitches, two color brioche, and swing knitting because they hold her interest.
She doesn’t like cables or ribbing because those slow her down and she’s a speed addict! Fast knitting is her comfort zone. If intarsia was the only kind of knitting, she probably wouldn’t be a knitter.
Ninilchik Swancho in Symmetry
TASHA:
She loves stockinette for TV knitting, and the squish of garter stitch.
She uses colorwork to hold her interest and loves texture stitches, as long as it isn’t cables. Ribbing also makes her list, but only in small doses!
Two color brioche is on her “I wanna try it” list.
Tasha’s colorwork sweater
HEATHER (me):
I’m the only one that loves cables, the more complex, the better! I also love color work and two color brioche to hold my interest. While I second Tasha’s ‘stockinette for TV time’, it does bore me to tears if there is too much of it. I love lace knitting, especially when you add beads!
Example of Swing Knitting
I would love to try swing knitting, a short row technique, but haven’t yet. Most of the swing knitting patterns involve garter stitch, which is my BLECH stitch. I do not enjoy the look or the process of garter stitch. I seem to be in an exceedingly small pool of knitters with that opinion.
Feather and Fan edging
We would love to hear from you, what are your favorite stitches or techniques? Is there something that makes you want to run away screaming? How about your knitting ‘bucket list’, what’s on it?
Speaking of things that make you go “hmm???” Is there something you’d love to see a tutorial on? Let us know!!
Colorwork is popular with all of us and we’ve done a few tutorials on it – Here is one on basic 2 color knitting and a follow up on how to catch the strand in the back. If you haven’t tried it yet, these might be helpful.
Happy knitting,
Beth, Heather, and Tasha
Copyright Beth Lutz
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