I hung out at the handful of salt booth at the Dwell on Design show here in Los Angeles in June. I liked the artists and crafters they carried and profiled. So today I noticed they were writing about one of my favorite companies in the world, Bullseye Glass, and I had to pass this on to all of you. I write about Bullseye all the time as well as spread the word about special glass and classes and sales…I could go on (and usually do). So it’s nice to see someone else talking about them too. They’re bringing up the fact Bullseye has moved in the Bay Area having opened their Emeryville location. Have you gone yet? You can get a brief look over at handful of salt but definitely go by there when you get up to Northern California.
Have you read?
Learning to Knit? Try a Garter Stitch Washcloth
I used to always teach people how to knit by giving them bulky yarn, teach the knit cast on and have them knit a scarf (like this garter stitch scarf). That’s still a great first project, but I acknowledge people might get bored knitting all that garter stitch before they can say they’ve finished their first knitting project. Plus they might not want to wear something that comes out a little wonky, as first knitting projects often do.
These days I’m more likely to recommend a garter stitch washcloth to a new knitter.
Washcloths are usually made with medium weight cotton yarn, which is one of the easiest yarns to find at big box stores and craft stores, and it’s usually inexpensive and comes in lots of fun colors. You only need one ball of yarn and one pair of needles to make one, so there’s not a lot of outlay in terms of supplies.
Everyone can use washcloths, and even if you drop stitches, add stitches, have weird tension issues or all of the above, it will still work as a washcloth. And you can keep that first thing you made to see how much progress you make in just a couple of projects.
And if you still want more garter stitch when it’s done, you can move on to a scarf (or even a sampler scarf if you want to try some new stitches).
That post linked above is a great one for a brand new knitter or someone who just needs a refresher, because it walks you through everything you need to know how to do to make it. There’s also a full video tutorial for people who would rather see moving images rather than still pictures.
What was the first thing you made when you learned to knit? Or if you’ve taught someone to knit, what first project did you give them? I’d love to hear about it!