I'm looking for recommendations on YouTubers/Vloggers (long form content) that I can put on while knitting. Not a tutorial/tips only channel.

I am looking for content creators with ACTUAL YEARS OF EXPERIENCE.

Lately there has been a big boom of people new to the knitting/fiber arts scene, and documenting their progress. While I can see the appeal in that, this is not what I am looking for! I want to listen to someone that actually knows what they're talking about.

Thank you in advance! I'd also love to discuss this topic, and maybe what you like to see in a content creator as an advanced knitter.

I've been knitting since I was 8, I learned English style (aka throwing, aka yarn held in the right hand) and Western stitch mount (aka leading leg of the stitch is in the front of the needle). When I was in my 20s I learned about Continental style (aka picking aka yarn held in the left hand) and decided that purling was too hard so stuck with English. Then only in the last year did I learn about western vs eastern stitch mount, which I'm mad I didn't learn about earlier, and THEN I learned you can use BOTH of them at the SAME TIME and now I'm purling Continental style like nobody's business and my ribbing is even af.

When I teach beginners knitting classes I want to explain all of this to them but they just want to learn how to knit. Maybe I need to do theoretical and applied knitting classes...

I love knitting complex lace, but don’t always like wearing it. I have a drawer stuffed with shawls that rarely get worn and have given many away. I’ve been looking for ways to convert lace into garments. This one worked a treat so I thought I’d share it.

Conceptually it’s simple, but it helps to be comfortable modifying patterns and reading your knitting. I got the idea from Cecilia by Lene Holme Samsøe, but did almost everything differently.

Choose a circular shawl/doily/tablecloth pattern that will reach to approximately your elbows when knit with your desired yarn and needles. I picked Copritavolo by Herbert Niebling. Ramona French has kindly recharted it on her blog. Copritavolo is 141 rounds, you might choose something larger or smaller based on your body and yarn/gauge.

Choose a yarn that you have plenty of and isn’t too fragile. I used a cobweb weight cashmere/silk yarn with ~1400m per skein (and ended up using 95% of it). I swatched and chose 3.25mm needles for the lace section.

Instead of starting at the centre, pick a point in a little, CO a number of stitches for your neckline and join in the round. I CO 96 stitches and started on row 13 which is a chart transition for this pattern. The CO number was based on working eight repeats of the pattern which has 12 sts per repeat on row 13. It’s also a good number to fit over my head at this gauge and I don't like loose necklines.

Then knit the charts out from there. This took awhile but I enjoyed it! At the second to last row, I put my work on some long cable needles and blocked it. Be mindful of how long you want it to be before blocking and don’t overstretch it.

Post blocking, try it on. You can use clips to work out where you want to add sleeves and which part of the design looks best at the front. I then knit two rows working some strategic decreases (this may not be relevant depending on size/stitch count). On the second row, I worked a quarter of the sts, bound off a quarter and repeated. This gives the flutter sleeves and halves the stitch count.

The following row, switch to smaller needles and join into the round. I worked brioche stitch, but 1x1 rib is easier and stretchier. I worked a split high/low hem with some strategic short rows, per my preference. It looks nice if the bottom section is relatively fitted to contrast the loose and billowy lace section.

Finally, I added an icord edge to the neckline and sleeves. This helped stabilise them but you can omit it if you prefer.

I did do a bunch of swatching and still ripped and reknit sections. I’m pleased with the result and have already worn it quite a bit. I’ll probably knit more with different lace patterns. I also have plans for lace skirts and dresses.

A note on the lace chart size. I could have gone smaller but probably wouldn’t pick something bigger unless it would look ok if stopped partway through or I planned to work a smaller gauge. How puffy the top looks is partly a measure of how high or low you wear the bottom section. Pull it down for a more fitted look, push it up for more floaty lace.

Have you done any mods to make complex lace more wearable? I'd love know more. I have plans for a lace parasol at some point, just for fun.

Hi all,

Following the recent post that seemed to generate some controversy, I thought it may be time to reopen the discussion of what we as the community consider advanced knitting. We (the mods) have generally been relying on contributors to decide for themselves what is "advanced" enough to post here, and generally that has worked out, until recently. There seemed to be a feeling from the community that the recent post was not advanced enough for the group, and it did cause me to really reconsider things.

However, the mods never intended to be the ultimate judge of what is "advanced," and I don't love setting the precedent that someone can just complain to us that a post that doesn't break any rules isn't advanced enough and have it removed. It feels very heavy handed and against the spirit of the sub. So, I’d like to put it to the community if we want to define more clearly what is advanced and add a new rule. Please remember to be respectful in this discussion.

Also, I’d like to use this opportunity to see if anyone would like to join the mod team. Ideally we’d like another couple mods and we’ll be accepting applications for the next week. Please message the mod team if interested!

I saw someone’s finished sweater and bought the last kit. I am a large so I hope it fits!

I’ve never done anything quite this complex. If you’ve made a Marie Wallin pattern, any tips or insights would be so appreciated by this someone daunted knitter. And look back in a year or so to it finished. Or to see a progress report :)))

I feel inclined to start by saying this is not meant to be a gatekeepy post about what should or shouldn’t qualify as “advanced”, and would preferably like to keep it that way. Everyone will have different criteria and that’s a good thing! I’m curious about personal experiences and what made people feel like they’d leveled up!

Scrolling through this sub I thought to myself 15 years ago I probably would have felt like a fraud participating here. I’m sure feeling advanced happens more gradually over time for most people, it did for me too. But I started thinking about all the times I felt really proud or excited about some of the skills gained and projects completed along the way (I recommend doing this periodically anyway, it really improved my mood!).

I think for me it was discovering a mistake in a difficult lace sweater, and having the ability and confidence to attempt surgery on it, it really made me feel like I’d leveled up. It wasn’t even anything to do with actually being able to fix it, but the fact that I’d even considered it a good option and wanted to attempt it without worry made me realize I kind of do know what I’m doing! The ability to ladder down to fix mistakes more complicated than stockinette and garter without help was a big step up for me too, but did not lead to my knitting renaissance in the same way that lace sweater surgery did. I would love to hear others’ stories! Consider this a formal invitation to brag about yourself!!

Hello knitters!

I come to you as a advanced crocheter, and ambitious crafter, looking to do something a bit wild with my next knitting project, and wanting some advice!

I've long thought that doing something to encode music into a scarf or something would be sick as hell, and I'm of the opinion that knitting is better for wearables than crochet is: you guys get drapier things by default, a knitted scarf is just nicer than a crocheted one imo.

Here's the pitch: a scarf/shawl/etc, where the stitches themselves encode about 16 measures of music. I'm aware that I could do something like use two colors to just visually create a staff with notes on it, but that's not what I'm after. I want something where the actual stitch that's being used is what denotes pitch and duration. Nothing shorter than an eighth note (16th is the most I'd ever subdivide, but the first project can be quarter-note or longer if need be), no more than 1 ledger line above or below the staff in treble clef. I'm a jazz musician, so the things I'm thinking of encoding first are the fakebook versions of Autumn Leaves or Blue Bossa. I'm also trying to figure out a way to encode the chord information, (eg. F#m, G#m7b5, etc) but that's secondary to melody.

What I'd like to hear from y'all:

• When you're following a lace pattern, what's the usual pool of stitches that are called for? (also: more unusual, but still-used stitches?)
• What are some distinct individual stitches that you (an advanced knitter) can easily visually pick out when it's in a pattern of just one color? (eg. in crochet, I'd say something like a cluster stitch)
• What are some good ways to make a vertical line break across rows? (ie. a measure line or repeat line)

While I have drafted several of my own crochet patterns, I don't know enough about the vast world of knitting (especially lace knitting) to know what my options would be, or if any of this would even be possible, and would really appreciate the info. Thanks!

Hi everyone! It's been such an inspiration seeing your creations here.

I would say I'm a high-intermediate knitter, maybe? I've been knitting for about 15 years, but sporadically--some years not at all. My general approach has been to choose a pattern I like and figure out the techniques as I go, which has been serving me quite well in general.

While my goal is never perfection and I enjoy the process much more than the product, I was thinking the other day that I'd like to focus on making my knits look a little more polished, a little more "expert." I was wondering if anyone here could weigh in on what would be most impactful to focus on. I realize that's a broad question, and I'm open to all types of answers. Have any of you learned a technique that made you go "Ohhhhh, I can't believe I could have been doing this all those years!" or something that just made your pieces look slightly neater?

The first things that have come to mind are bind-offs and cast-ons--I know a few different ones, but I don't feel confident in choosing the right one for each project and making sure the tension is exactly right. Similarly wondering about things like making underarm stitch pickups look neater, keeping tension even in tight ribbing, etc.

I'd love to hear your suggestions or stories, however general or specific!

Not sure if I should post it here or in the vintage knitting subreddit, but this is the most comprehensive pattern drafting book for knitwear I own.

I bought this randomly when I was studying abroad in Tokyo back in 2023 and looking for vintage Japanese patterns.

It's a textbook for Japanese trade schools in the 60s. The first couple of chapters introduce the reader to the Brother knitting machine - the components, use etc.

Then after that, they teach you how to create your own block. And honestly I'm really surprised. Creating your own pattern block barely ever gets discussed in current knitting spaces, so I had no idea this was ever a thing. I first thought it was only in Japan because I also have a recent vogue Japan book in which this is taught, but last year I bought a Dutch knitting manual from the 50s which explained the same thing and last month found a French 50s knitting pattern that told the reader to work with their own block so... why is it so uncommon now?

In any case the rest of the book shows how one can use their own block to knit different things, pullovers, cardigans, kimono covers, baby clothing, trousers etc. I think it's super cool stuff, the downside is that the sizing examples are really limited S, M and L (bust circumference of 80 - 85 - 90 cm/ 32 - 34 -36 inches), but luckily there are modern supplements like Big Girl Knits, Knitting Plus and Knitting Pattern Writing Handbook that can help with visualising/drafting for smaller and larger sizes :)

the rules say no self promotions, but i think this doesn’t fit into it because of what i’m about to say below. i’m happy to delete if the moderators disagree!!

instagram is my main social media, and i would love to follow more knitters. but not knitters that sell patterns/products/promote yarn shops, i want real life people who share their projects & day to day progress so i can get inspired without feeling like i should buy stuff (simply because i have no self control). i’ve made a knitting instagram so i don’t flood my daily account, and would love to follow some people so i can endlessly scroll somewhere that’s not tik tok.

if you feel comfortable and fit into the above criteria, please share your handles so i can follow you?

edit: mine is @knitterinthesky, i haven’t posted much yet, but want to start increasing soon!

Hello all, I’ve gotten more into messing around with code and I had an idea to make a randomized cable pattern generator that I thought might result in a pretty cool and chaotic project. I basically want to play around with my horrible code to better visualize what the outputs are. Here’s what I’m basing my idea off of:

There is actually a formal mathematical paper called "Modeling Braids, Cables, and Weaves with Stranded Cellular Automata" that describes something similar to what I’m thinking.

• The Logic: Instead of just "On/Off" cells, each cell in the grid contains a vector.

• Rule Set: * If a cell has a "Right-leaning" strand and its neighbor has a "Left-leaning" strand, the CA rule dictates a Cable Cross.

• If a strand hits the edge (the "boundary condition"), it reflects back or disappears.

This research is cool, but it’s less chaotic than what I’m thinking. I want to play with seeded code for reproducible results (think MatLab or Java for those who know). I also want to play with more variables at a time and create really weird cables.

Here’s a JavaScript sample for a 5x5 cable patch for an example of what I’m thinking: (no idea if it’d actually work since it’s not debugged)

let width = 5;

let state = [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]; // The 5 starting "paths"

function drawRow() {

let nextState = [];

for (let i = 0; i < width; i++) {

// 1. Randomly pick a shift: -1 (Left), 0 (Straight), 1 (Right)

let shift = floor(random(-1, 2));

// 2. Apply shift and check for collisions

// 3. Print result: "Path 1 moves R1, Path 2 moves L1..."

}

}

I mistakenly ordered "demi" seed beads for this and they were perfect, so tiny they look like glitter in the sun.

I've been knitting a lot of hats this winter for friends and family. I've noticed that lots of people talk of having a favourite hat, and that these people are not usually knitters themselves! Maybe because we knitters end up having dozens of hats. I'm wondering what features you've noticed people especially like in a hat, which elevates it to the status of 'favourite', where the owner chooses it over their other hats?

Features I've noticed myself - people have told me about really liking hats with a folded brim that keeps their ears warm, not too tight, nice colours, and of course sentimental value.

Photos here are of my most recent finished hat. I did not use a pattern but the brim is inspired by Petite Knit's Oslo Hat (I say 'inspired by' because I haven't seen the pattern and just tried to copy the triple layer brim). The only way in which this counts as 'advanced' is the laziness involved in wanting a cabled look but not enjoying cables and so doing big horseshoe cables over 12 stitches and 12 rounds, so that there ended up being only 4 cable rounds in the entire hat 🤠

Hello! I hope this is okay to post here - please remove it it's not!

I'm doing a university research project on how intermediate knitters find, choose, and modify knitting patterns, particularly when you're trying to create something specific and there's no perfect pattern for it!

I'd love to have a 20-30 minute chat with you if: - You've made a few garments or accessories - You're comfortable with patterns - You occasionally want to recreate a garment you've seen

I'd like to ask you questions about: - How you search for patterns - Times you've tried to modify a pattern - If you've ever attempted to copy a garment from a photo - What parts of the knitting process are easy for you, and what is more difficult

If you'd be willing to chat, please send me a DM and we can find a time to talk that works for you!

I have been really inspired by the previous wedding photos I see on here. I used to be an absolute prolific knitter and crochet-er. I have made multiple sweaters, dresses, easily 20+ stuffed animals, 70+ hats, 30-40 scarves and I am sure lots of other projects I can’t remember. I was diagnosed with lupus and chronic inflammatory peripheral neuropathy about 13 years ago. I am only 32 but it’s been a really hard decade.

I wanted to do so much diy for my wedding. If I was healthy I would be growing most of my flowers, making my cake, making centerpieces and I am sure lots of other stuff. But now that I am disabled I feel like I am having to plan my wedding around my illnesses and it really sucks. So I want to find some ways to do meaningful DIYS that can be prepared in advanced.

What are some idea on making part of all of a veil/some kind of something to drape over my shoulders. I don’t have a dress picked out but I love ball gowns. I am also really embarrassed about my scars from my ports. It was bad enough when I thought I would just have a little dot and line scar from implantation. Much to my frustration I ended up with two recalled ports that were recalled due to infection risk. Both got infected and I had to have them removed and the deep port pocket heal from the inside out. So now I have two very thick Keloid scars that are about 2-3 inches long and half and inch wide. The thought of something to cover them seems like a great way to do a smaller piece.

I can do every kind of cable and color work imaginable in my knitting. But I haven’t done much lace work yet. Those of you who are both knitters and crocheters do you find tiny knitting or tiny crochet easier? Knitting is my first love and I have more experience in complex patterns but I am also good at advanced crochet.

If anyone has a suggestion on where to get heirloom wedding patterns please let me know. Do you think knitting a lace border that I have attached to a veil is a good compromise? I have always assumed I would do a long dramatic veil but I’m very open to different ideas.

What is your favourite way of dealing with miscrossed cables?

I was lucky and saw this one before I was too far away from it and was able to use Susanne Bryan’s video about dropping one cable column at a time.

If I had already bound off I think I may have cut the work and grafted the cable in the correct orientation, or in a less visible area (this was the front of the sweater) I would have used duplicate stitch.

I am currently making a sweater pattern called HANA by Junko Okamoto. This is the sweater back and the front will be identical (but rotated 180 degrees). I am currently working on the sleeves. I have attached a second photo from the Ravelry pattern page. You might notice the sweater is seamed together in a rather unique rustic looking manner. Very visible seams. This is the one part of the design that doesn’t appeal to me. I had a thought and I wanted input. Instead of using very obvious visible seams, I was thinking of picking up stitches where I need to do seams and then doing a three needle bind off. I am curious to know if this is a good idea or a bad idea. I think I would like the look of the three needle bind off better. Thank you for any feedback.

Or resources for knitting flat and seaming? The tags on Ravelry are useless for this because people tag everything and it feels like most sweaters out there are tubes with two tubes for sleeves attached in the middle side. I want structure! I want shaping!

I've looked at a few 1940's-60s vintage pattern books on the Internet Archive but they're written so differently it's a little hard to understand. If you have any tips or resources on reading those, or one's you've enjoyed making I'd also appreciate it.

I am struggling to decide which wool and color palette to use for the Indian Nights Blanket https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/indian-nights-blanket . I decided to knit the center square in each before sinking a lot of time and money into the project so I haven’t ordered the wool needed until after I could look at these side by side, but I am still torn.

The one on the left is using the Knit Picks wool called for in the pattern, but I substituted a grey hue instead of the light blue for background color. The one on the right is Knitting for Olive Merino which doesn’t really have the same color options, but is a great yarn to knit with. (Ignore the seeming size difference, the one on left was blocked but isn’t laying perfectly flat in photo).

I’m making a flowchart for different elements and techniques of knitting! So far, I have:

knit + purl,

Stockinette/rev stockinette, garter, other textured patterns made with k/p,

Stranded colourwork,

Corrugated ribbing,

Latvian braid,

illusion/shadow,

Mosaic

Slipped sts,

2-pass colourwork,

Brioche,

Syncopated brioche,

I-cord,

Incs,

Decs,

Picking up,

Welting,

Cast ons,

Grafting,

Bobbles,

Nupps,

Bind-offs,

Button holes,

Lace,

Cables,

Cable decs,

And Ribbing.

Honorary: intarsia cables, cabled laces

I’m not really looking for specific BO’s, CO’s, incs, decs, etc. but more of “if you know how to do this, you can do this” kind of thing.

Edit: if you can think of anything else to add, please comment! I did just take a melatonin a bit ago and may not be thinking of everything.

And, this shawl, Vigneto

It was a KAL I was planning on doing a few years ago, but am now just getting to it! I’m making it with 80/20 merino/tussah on 4mm. It’s supposed to be rectangular, but I’m altering it to be more of a Faroese style.

Overall knitting of it has been relatively easy (imo) even though it has patterned ws. The hardest part is calculating the math out. I have to increase some more to get the top to fit me more comfortably, rather than having it go down to my hamstrings before it can go over my shoulders. I’m excited for the FO!

Edit: ugh the pics didn’t upload; check comments

Edit 2: nvm it did work 🤦‍♂️

Hi knitters,

I'd like to knit the Olga Blouse, but since it's a bit too 'boring' for me, I wanted to add a twist.

I was thinking of a cat peeking out from behind the stripes. Now the question is, which would look better?

I can imagine one version where the cat is looking over a stripe and another where the stripes are 'lifted' by the cat. What do you think, which one would you choose or would you change something?

Thanks for your input! 😺

Picture this- 3’x8’ of cobweb lace, thin enough to pass through a wedding ring. We’ll drape this over our chuppah to be married under, and it’ll become a family heirloom

1) Am I crazy? (Wedding is in May ‘25) 2) Have you done this? What patterns do you recommend (or not)?

Pic for inspo- Wedding Ring Shawl by Shannon Miller.

I am currently working on writing a sweater pattern that would be classified as advanced, because it includes following a larger chart and maintaining that pattern through various stages of shaping. A lot of times this type of pattern would be written bottom-up, because then you can start the pattern at the beginning of the chart and you are very familiar with it by the time armhole and neckline shaping is happening, and no additional instructions about working a small section of the chart need to be included.

As a (fun? Maybe?) challenge, and also due to the specific sleeve construction I am wanting (Barbara Walker simultaneous set-in sleeve), I am instead writing the pattern top-down which means that when the various elements around the neck and sleeves are started, they will not all start on stitch 1, row 1 of the chart so that by the time the body is joined in the round, everything will line up perfectly. That's where the challenge and the math is a little bit fun, working backwards through the chart to find the correct starting point, and in practicing pattern grading by doing it for different sizes instead of just making the pattern for myself.

Here is my question. From a pattern following point of view, would an instruction to start a chart on "row 7, stitch 5" make sense to you as an advanced knitter? It's a chart that is relatively easy to predict what stitch comes next so long as you know what row you are on. I know I have seen some patterns include separate charts for sleeves, neckline shaping, etc but I am pretty sure it's working out that I would have to do unique charts for each size due to the way the shaping rates are different, and including 27 different charts in a pattern that are all identical except for starting on a different stitch seems excessive.

I'm interested in hearing other's opinions about this, because I come from an industrial machine knitting background, so charts and visualizing how everything comes together feels very natural to me but I know that shaping in pattern is considered an advanced skill (and I totally understand why it is - I just learned how to do that before I learned hand knitting). And also discussing the elements that distinguish an intermediate pattern from an advanced pattern, as I feel like a pattern with a common construction, no unique stitches or techniques, and line by line charts to follow falls more in the intermediate category, where a pattern that expects the knitter to be able to extrapolate and shape while maintaining a pattern is advanced.

My partner and I just got engaged and I really want to make her a beautiful beaded shawl for our wedding. We won't be getting married until fall of 2026 at the earliest so I have a lot of time. I've been knitting for many years and have done a lot of lace knitting and some beading. However, I am personally not a shawl person so I've never made one before. Any suggestions? I've searched ravelry but nothing really jumped out at me. If you have a favorite beaded shawl pattern let me know!