Hi there, knitters! Happy 2023. I’m honored to share that it’s been an incredible few months since my latest book, “Patty Lyons’ Knitting Bag of Tricks,” came out in October. Firstly, I want to send a heartfelt “Thank you” to everyone who has picked up the book so far. Your support means the world!
Because your comments have been so wonderful to read, I decided to pop on here and share a few things people have told me they’ve learned from “Patty Lyons’ Knitting Bag of Tricks: Over 70 Sanity Saving Hacks for Better Knitting.” (If you haven’t, please consider posting a review on Amazon!)
#1 Understanding the Why
I’m so happy to see that a lot of you have really gelled with this idea again and again. When it comes to knitting, I always say that once we understand the WHY we can figure out the HOW to do it—or how to do it better than we did before.
“My DH is a new knitter, and he has an engineer’s brain, so he needs to know ALL.THE.THINGS about knitting… the how, what, why of it. I recently lost my book… finally located it in the DH’s knitting bag, full of post-it notes and page markers. Along with the book were two very large knitting needles and a spool of cord. When I asked about said needles and cord, he replied that he wanted to knit with the cord, like Patty, so he can see what each stitch is doing and how the stitches relate to one another.” —needlesnspindles
“As a process knitter, you’ve made my life so much easier because understanding the why gives me the confidence to fix things and to do them correctly in the first place.” —whitstitcher
Love to hear it!
#2 Don’t Fear the Gauge
Do not, I repeat, do not let your knitting smell your fear! You can conquer the dreaded G-word! Remember: The reason we swatch is not to match gauge; it’s to make a fabric you like and to know its gauge.
Here’s what some lovely readers learned about gauge:
“She (Patty) lays out how to demystify it and have SUCCESS in your projects by using some simple math.” —BBMadness7
“My knitting is so EVEN now! I get close to gauge and it’s predictable. Because the needle does the work.” —meganjapig
#3 How to Build a Better Fabric
We are not machines and we do not always knit using the optimal technique… and that’s okay! It’s all about how you use your needle and where you form your stitch. Plus, inconsistencies can be a great thing!
“It’s made me think about the fabric I’m creating when I knit, and how the stitches work together, something I’ve not really thought of before.” —jennyb
#4 Secret Solutions to Pesky Problems
New knitters are often told you should always or never do certain things. The truth is, that’s rarely the case. On the flip side of “understanding the why,” I encourage you to find your own way of doing things by simply asking, “Why not?” If it works, it works!
“It has given me many useful hacks for improving my knitting, including how to ensure that annoyingly little gap in German short rows disappears.” —Aleesi
“What’s my most favourite? SSK, as well as the how to shorten the yarn from a knit to a purl so no ladders form.” —shelleyquarles
# 5 How to Fix Mistakes
Believe me, I’ve made a lot of knitting mistakes in my day, and I’ve lived to tell the tale! Remember: Reframing your “mistakes” is a great way to become more resilient. Ask yourself, “Did I really make a mistake or did I simply invent a new stitch?”
“My favorite Patty quote is ‘Every mistake in knitting is an advanced technique you didn’t mean to use at that particular time.’” —Linda
It’s true! Don’t be scared of so-called “mistakes!” Challenge yourself to PLAY with your knitting.
If you haven’t already, I hope you’ll pick up a copy of “Patty Lyons’ Knitting Bag of Tricks: Over 70 Sanity Saving Hacks for Better Knitting” for yourself or a loved one who knits. With over 200 pages of knitting pointers (coupled with easy-to-follow illustrations) you’re bound to find some valuable advice that guides you to where you want to go with your WIP. Get your AUTOGRAPHED COPY when you order directly from my website here! Enjoy!
