I received a custom order this week for a green and purple striped hat. While I was knitting it, I decided this might be a great time to show other knitters how to knit stripes with NO jog at the beginning of the round. The little blue and purple sample on the left was knit normally and the green and purple hat on the right, was knit with this trick! The one on the right has a much smoother transition at the beginning of the stripes.

Image #1: Begin by starting your new color row and knitting it until the end. (Stripes must be at least 2 rounds in size for this to work. If they are single round stripes, helix knitting is a better option to create smooth stripes, but that is a topic for another day haha)

Image #2: Remove the stitch marker and slip the next stitch PURL wise. 

Image #3: Place the stitch marker back. This is the new beginning of the round.

Image#4: Continue knitting until its time to switch colors again!

This trick works because while knitting, the fabric is built up in a spiral fashion. Stripes show this off because each color is built up a little higher than the last. This trick smooths that out so it is not as noticeable. 

JUST AN FYI

The app I used to knit my rainbow sweater is officially launched in the App Store (I use an iPhone, I’m not certain if there’s an android version)

It’s called Bellish and it’s pretty neat. You start by choosing the base/silhouette

So far they only have raglan style. You go on to pick your neck shape (v neck, scoop or regular) and the sleeve length (there’s 3).

Next you pick if you want color work or any lace, then you pick the yarn weight (fingering, dk or worsted). And finally you pick your size: goes from a 30 inch to a 54 inch bust.

Then the app spits out your pattern for you with all the right measurements! There’s a little row counter and highlight function to keep track of where you are at and the app remembers after you close it.

I found it really helpful and great because I hate carrying around a bunch of paper and my phone goes with me everywhere anyway. It’s also a fairly new app and they’ve worked really hard to add lots of new features (since I was a tester) so hopefully if people use it they can add more base patterns like set in sleeves or cardigans!

None of this is a promo or anything, I just really loved this app and hope it’s useful to other people.

So the new Ravelry design launched a week ago. The actual design doesn’t bother me; they can make it look however they want. I think it is a little too childish, but, whatever. This is what bothers me, a lot:

You can’t have the first word on your Twitter bio be ‘inclusive’ then be this fucking ableist. I’m disappointed and I’m sad, because I loved Ravelry. I would really never have believed that they would act, and respond, like this.

Yes, they’re a small team and they worked hard on this etc etc etc. But they are MAKING PEOPLE ILL. If they’d immediately rolled back the changes and said ‘we’re so sorry, we fucked up’ then that would be something. But no apology, and only the barest minimum attempt at mitigation. It’s all very, very poor.

Please be advised that the Ravelry website is currently a risk for people who have seizures/migraines/headaches/vertigo and be wary.

So far on tumblr, I’ve seen next to no discussion about these issues, and they’ve been happening for a solid week now. A quick search of “ravelry” on here shows me petty preference posts (“ooh new yarn emojis!!” or “omg I don’t like the colors, just because”) but people are nearly silent about the legitimate accessibility problems the site’s new contrast and white screen space is causing. I’ve read multiple reports of flare ups, from seizures to migraines to blurry vision, caused by even a couple minutes of exposure to the site.

So far Ravelry has “pulled a tumblr.com” by acting like the change is irreversible, and they’re using silence in response to pushback as a professional facade.

There’s more active discussion mostly on instagram and twitter, so finding your fiber craft circles there can help you see the broader scope of the issue. Better yet, make some noise on here and don’t let this become a haven for people whose only concern is aesthetics.

Actual friends of mine have been affected by this.

Reblogging again bc I rediscovered something from instagram. User evanitaewm has ravelry theme fixes in their linktr.ee (in their bio near top of page) that may be helpful

I have to admit that I’ve been pretty silent here on tumblr….because I’ve been dealing with things going on Instagram but @subversivelystitched is totally correct-we need to talk about it here.

The redesign has sent several people into full blown seizures. Has sent people to the hospital (which is bad enough on it’s own) but is even worse right now as hospitals are epicenters for Covid19.

Ravelry took forever to respond to any of these (100% legitimate concerns) and when they did respond, it was with a half-assed non-apology that pointed out how “good everything was for 92% of their users”. Which is crap.

And before anyone comes on here and says “but it’s a free website, you can’t expect them to hite someone for accessibility programing”. The website makes revenue- they get a percentage of sales from the patterns that designers sell on their platform. People have always donated to website as they loved the Ravelry team and the community they have built on there.

So yes. I will hold Ravelry up to the higher standard. Even as they continue to fail. There is no excuse to continue to cause pain and harm when literally hundreds and thousands of people have been publicly voicing how it’s hurting and the very easy way to fix it : roll back to the old design until the new one is fixed.

Additionally, the Ravelry team has made it increasingly difficult to give proper feedback and have shut down the thread on Ravelry, even has gone so far to block and delete certain vocal people on there. That is a clear sign of them not wanting to listen.

With it being that time of year I just wanted to say that you are not obligated to knit/crochet handcraft any item for anyone if they are going to give you grief over it or have given you grief for it in the past.  It is okay to say no and it is okay to say nothing. It is okay to not make gifts for anyone when you know it’s not going to be appreciated. 

Create things for yourself, create to be happy.  You don’t need anyone’s permission to do so. 

This isn’t just limited to knitting or crocheting. Whether it’s handmade art or store-bought gifts, make sure the recipient appreciates you and the love you offer them.

ALSO: If you’ve previously made someone an item and they treat it like shit or don’t wear it, don’t make any more for them.

Knit a Pair of Selbu Rose-Inspired Halloween Skeleton Gloves With This FREE Pattern! 👉 https://wp.me/pjlln-bGM

the hag in folklore actually is symbolic of men being afraid that when women get older we’ll realize how shit they really are and eat them which is fair and they should be

Nice way to save your yarn from unraveling 👌🏻

Fucking. Genius!

A note to people who are friends with creators of any sort that want something from them:

1. Whatever they make requires time, effort and resources.

2. As their friend, you should want to fully support them.

3. If you ask for the Friends and Family Discount™, you’re not really a friend and you probably don’t deserve it.

4. NO THEY DON’T WANT TO DO IT FOR FREE WHAT ARE YOU FUCKING STUPID PAY THEM PAY THEMMMMMMM

Excuse the messy room and the lackluster photos (I was moving 🤷🏻‍♀️), BUT this scarf/shawl was my first project that completely followed a pattern! But patterns aren’t the real accomplishment here. The love and the justice that these colors demand bring me both hope for the times ahead and joy in the moment. In my specific experience, it was remarkable to see my carefully crafted scarf worn as an outward and visible sign of grace and justice and loving commitment in my church conference. Both culturally and religiously, the rainbow demonstrates mutual love and mutuality in, for, and with all the cosmos. Happy Pride Month!

That’s gorgeous! What yarn is that?

Comfy Skull

Alexander McQueen Skull Knit Jumper

This is the most amazing sweater in existence.

If you knit, or can sweet talk someone who does, a person on ravelry charted this pattern to knit it (in black) for her son: http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/cabled-skull-chart-for-pullover

*adds to ravelry library for future reference*

[image: cream cable-knit jumper; the cables on the front of the jumper make a picture of a skull]

I guess I’ll need to make this at some point xD

Turn Your Brain Waves Into a Scarf With ‘Neuro Knitting' 👉 https://wp.me/pjlln-26A

@knitforbrains

Mad Blood by Mary-Anne Mace on Ravelry

A Cautionary Tale

The Cable Cross Cap: free, quick, and fun.

More on our blog.