Tricot 101

Lorsqu'on tricote en rangs raccourcis, la technique la plus commune pour éviter les trous consiste à enrouler la maille suivante avant de tourner. Si vous tricotez des patrons en anglais, vous aurez probablement déjà vu l'abbréviation "W&T" qui signifie "wrap and turn". En français nous traduisons normalement par "E&T"; c'est à dire "enrouler et tourner" COMMENT ENROULER LA MAILLE AVANT DE TOURNER La partie qui consiste à enrouler la maille est plutôt facile à faire. Selon moi, la partie la plus délicate est certainement lorsqu'il faut tricoter la maille enroulée alors qu'il faut la tricoter avec le fil qui l'enroule.  Lorsque vous enroulez une maille, que ce soit sur l'endroit ou sur l'envers du tricot, gardez toujours à l'esprit qu'il faut d'abord déplacer la maille sur l'aiguille droite. Si vous êtes sur l'endroit, glissez d'abord la maille sur l'aiguille droite, ramenez ensuite le fil devant le tricot, remettez la maille sur l'aiguille gauche, puis replacez votre fil à l'arrière pour ensuite tourner votre travail sur l'envers. Si vous êtes sur l'envers, placez d'abord la maille sur l'aiguille droite, déplacez le fil vers l'arrière le tricot, remettez la maille sur l'aiguille gauche, puis replacez votre fil devant pour ensuite tourner votre travail, prêt pour un rang endroit... Rappelez-vous simplement de toujours déplacer votre maille en premier et vous n'oublierez jamais d'enrouler une maille avant de tourner!Cependant, il est très important de savoir à quoi ressemblera votre tricot si la maille n'est pas enroulée correctement. Sur l'endroit (voir la photo ci-dessous), vous pouvez voir où se trouve la maille enroulé; il y a une barre horizontale sur la première maille à gauche (je suis à une maille à droite de la maille enroulée). COMMENT TRICOTER LA MAILLE ENROULÉE, ÉTAPE PAR ÉTAPE: ÉTAPE 1: Tricoter jusqu'à la maille enroulée et sans tricoter cette maille, déplacez-la sur l'aiguille droite. ÉTAPE 2: Insérer l'aiguille gauche à l'intérieur de la boucle formée par le fil qui enroule la maille et relever cette boucle sur l'aiguille droite. ÉTAPE 3: Pousser cette boucle par-dessus la maille de façon à ce que cette boucle ressemble à une deuxième maille distincte de la maille enroulée. ÉTAPE 4: remettre les deux "mailles" sur l'aiguille gauche en les glissant comme pour les tricoter à l'envers, sans les tordre. Tricoter ces deux "mailles" ensemble normalement et comme vous pouvez le voir sur la partie droite de la photo ci-dessus, la maille enroulée est invisible invisible! Relever la boucle autour de la maille est plus facile sur l'endroit du tricot que sur l'envers. Si vous ne relevez pas la boucle de la bonne façon sur l'envers du tricot, vous allez certainement le remarquer sur le côté endroit. Suivez les instructions ci-dessous et vous obtiendrez des rangs raccourcis parfaits. Tout d'abord, la boucle qui enroule la maille est un peu plus difficile à repérer sur l'envers du tricot. J'ai encerclé la maille enroulée dans la photo ci-dessus. Pour bien repérer votre maille enroulée sachez qu'il y aura toujours un espace entre la maille enroulée et la maille APRÈS la maille enroulée. Pour être plus sécure, vous pouvez placer un marqueur sur la maille enroulée pour vous assurer de ne pas la dépasser. ÉTAPE 1: Tourner légèrement le travail de façon à voir la maille enroulée du devant. Insérer l'aiguille droite dans la boucle qui enroule la maille en passant par derrière vers l'avant (comme pour tricoter une maille envers). ÉTAPE 2: Placer la boucle sur l'aiguille gauche. ÉTAPE 3: Les deux "mailles" sont maintenant sur l'aiguille gauche, prêt à être tricoté. ÉTAPE 4: Tricoter ces deux "mailles" ensemble à l'envers. Si vous tournez votre travail et que vous regardez sur l'endroit, vous ne pouvez même pas savoir quel maille a été enroulée. C'est complètement invisible! Voilà! c'est ainsi que la technique qui consiste à enrouler la maille et tourner (wrap and turn) se tricote. Il existe d'autre techniques pour tricoter les rangs raccourcis: consultez notre article à propos des rangs raccourcis pour découvrir la méthode allemande "German short rows".

It's no secret that I love pockets. So with a new cardigan design in the works, it's a not an option whether it'll have pockets or not. It WILL have pockets! In my last blog on pockets I did the Side Seam Pocket. This time I'm going to show you a very easy way to add a Patch Pocket. And don't worry, if you have your sweater knit already and want to add pockets, this technique allows you to do just that! When your cardigan body is complete you will need to size it up to see where you want your pockets to be placed. The best way to do this is to get thread of contrasting color and map it out.  Using my cardigan as an example, I placed the thread 14 rows up from the hem and 8 rows in from the edge over 24 stitches. When choosing the number of stitches that you want, keep in mind what type of edge you want. I used a 2x2 ribbed edge and I also wanted an extra stitch on either end for my selvedge stitch and for it to begin and end the same. Over 24 stitches my pattern was K3, (P2, K2) repeat to last stitch and K1 on the right side and P3, (K2, P2) repeat to last stitch and P1 on the wrong side. Also, I like the size of the pocket! Now that you have your pocket mapped out and it's exactly where you want it, it's time to start picking up stitches. If you put you right hand needle in between 2 stitches you will see a horizontal bar as shown in the picture above. This is where you pick up stitches. The contrasting thread will keep you on the straight and narrow and guide you across to ensure a straight pocket. Place your needle under the bar, wrap your yarn around and pull through the same as you would pick up a stitch anywhere else in your knitting. The picture above shows a couple of stitches picked up. Even with the contrasting thread in place, it can still be easy to grab the wrong horizontal bar so just take your time working your way across. After all the stitches have been picked up, you will be working back and forth to create a flap. My pocket will be in Stockinette with a 2x2 ribbed edge. So after all stitches are picked up I turn and purl across the row. After knitting in Stockinette stitch for the desired length, ending on a purl side, start the ribbing of your choice. As you can see in the picture above I chose to add a button hole. Half way across the row I made a yarn over and purled or knitted 2 together (all depending on where you are in your pattern). Next, attach the sides of the pocket to the sweater using the Mattress stitch. Place contrasting thread before starting to ensure that you are seaming up a straight line if you think you may need it. As you can see in the picture above, besides the bottom edge of the pocket, the sides of the pocket blends seamlessly into the sweater. Pockets and TWEED!!! Two of my favorite ingredients for cozy sweater! I'm using Biscotte's Hagrid yarn in Kalamata and it is AH-MAZING!! And that's how you place a Patch Pocket after your sweater is finished! I think it's a very cool technique! It doesn't use much yarn and usually after a project is finished there's some yarn left so you can add a pocket to any sweater now! Also, you can make the pockets more decorative with cables or different stitch patterns as well. Oh the possibilities!! Have you tried this technique of adding Patch Pockets to a sweater?

I was so excited to receive my Mohair Magic Gift Pack from Biscotte Yarns! Just one look at this beautiful and unique set of yarns and I knew I was in for a treat!   . Adele’s Mohair is a story that would inspire, make you feel warm and fuzzy (pardon the pun!) and be absolutely thrilled to knit with. Not only is this yarn hand dyed but it is all hand made by rural women in South Africa. This is absolutely amazing to me!! If you look at these beautiful balls of yarn you will see beads, ribbons, glitter and so much more! 🧶 🧶 Adele’s Mohair is hand made with the intention of being unique and unlike anything that can be made by machine. So not only are you proud of what you are knitting with your own hands, but also proud to be knitting with yarn that was beaded and tied with ribbons.....by hand!! It was a very special experience for me especially after hearing about the beautiful story of Adele’s Mohair.   This gift pack comes with 4 easy to follow patterns and 12 super exciting balls of yarn which includes 9 balls of brushed and Boucle yarn plus 3 very exciting balls of novelty yarn!! Some of the balls are assigned a letter and then you get to choose a letter for the remaining yarn making each project unique to you.  For my gift pack the pattern I chose to knit was the shawl. I literally knit this shawl in 2 days because I was so excited by each ball of yarn and how fun they were to knit with that I couldn’t wait to choose the next ball! It knit up so fast I was almost disappointed to be finished except it was very hard to be disappointed after seeing how it all turned out!  This shawl is so full of texture and the colors in this pack, which is called Cappuccino, is so rich and perfect for fall. This is THE gift for all of your knitter friends of all skill levels including those who are just learning. I’m thinking that for friends and family that don’t know how to knit, it would make a great gift to knit yourself and then give the finished piece. It’s a win win! You get to have all the fun knitting with the exciting box of yarn and then see the look on your family and/or friend’s faces when they receive this unique piece of art!  I really can’t recommend Adele’s Mohair Magic Gift Pack enough. It’s beautiful, unique and made with lots and lots of love. Check out all the color options available on Biscotte Yarns website and stock up because the gift giving season is just around the corner!  Happy knitting!!  

If you follow my blog you know how much I love color work. I think it’s an engaging yet relaxing knit, and so very very satisfying! Combining colors and patterns and watching them come to life is where it’s at for me! In saying all that I remember a point in my knitting life where I would never dream of attempting to knit a fairisle style sweater. I found them too intimidating. I guess the biggest factor was I had no one to help me along and at the time there wasn’t the good ol’ internet. (I have just aged myself) I remember knitting a cardigan for my son when he was 2. He is now 23 (and once again I have just further aged myself). It had little ducks around the body of the sweater. And I was so excited because this cardigan pattern was knit in one color first and then the little ducks were double stitched on afterwards! I was able to knit a sweater that looked as though it was complicated with color work!  So if you are just getting into knitting garments or are new to knitting and would like to knit a basic pattern and spice it up with what looks to be more complicated than it is, then you have come to the right place! So let’s get started! Once you have complete knitting your sweater, lay it out and size up where you want your design to be located. I wanted to make sure my design was lined up to be right in the center.   I used contrasting yarn and I made a square that contained the exact number of stitches that my chart had. This way I can follow the chart so much easier and I’m also certain my stitches maintain straight lines. I will also get a clear picture in my head as to where I have placed my design. In case you are wondering, I'm using Biscotte Yarns DK Pure in Salt & Pepper. I've has this in my stash for some time now waiting for the right project! I love DK Pure; I'm sure it had to have gotten its name because it is PURE delicious! And the Salt & Pepper color way is absolutely stunning!! Top left photo: Looking at my chart, if I need to go in 6 and up 3 blocks  from the outside edge then I can go in 6 and up 3 stitches from the guideline I made with my contrasting yarn. When you know which stitch you need to double stitch over, insert your tapestry needle from the back to the front in the stitch BELOW the stitch you are stitching over.  Top right photo: In order to follow the “V” that makes a stitch you will then insert your needle underneath the 2 legs of the stitch ABOVE the stitch you are stitching over. Bottom left photo: You can see the new color yarn is almost complete   Bottom right photo: In order to complete the double stitch you will need to insert your tapestry needle into the stitch BELOW the stitch you are stitching over from front to back. This is the stitch you initially came up through in the top left photo. As you can see in the photo above the first stitch has been complete. You want to be sure that you are not tugging the yarn too tight or leaving too much slack. Try to maintain the same stitch size as the stitches you’re knit. This way it will look as though you’ve knit the design as one with your sweater. Also tugging too tight on your yarn could cause unwanted puckering.  Repeat the steps until you reach the end of your row. As you can see in the photo above, to make the next stitch insert the tapestry needle into the stitch from the back to the front BELOW the stitch you are stitching over. Then underneath both legs of the stitch ABOVE the stitch you are stitching over and back into the stitch you first came up through. When you have finished the row, you will just go up to the next row and go across repeating the steps. You can work back and forth, there's no need to cut your yarn and go back to the beginning. Just follow the "V" stitches until your design is complete. And that's all that's to it!! Here is my design after working a few rows. You would never be able to tell that there are stitches underneath my design. It's a pretty cool technique I think! I also have a little video to show how to Double Stitch for those who like to see it in action! Do you like to Double Stitch designs on your knits??

For the longest time I was very intimidated by patterns that had color work. I will be honest in saying that they were the ones I drooled over the most but really lacked confidence with all that color! Since childhood I've had a deep love for Fairisle. I know that I had some, purchased not handmade, but felt really good in them. So when I knit my first one, I realized that it wasn't difficult just very engaging! I started off with smaller motifs and never ever did I think that I would not only be super excited to knit them but to DESIGN them...WHHAAAA??! I'm completely obsessed with color work. The unlimited amount of designs and color combinations; for me it's the most fun I've ever had with my knitting. Now, even after knitting a few patterns with Stranded Color work, I find myself with areas that I wanted to improve on. The learning never stops, nor would I want it too! But I have a few little tricks that I've learned along the way that have helped me and will hopefully get you to jump on the ever so popular color work band wagon, because I wouldn't want intimidation to stop you like it stopped me. That band wagon or should we call it a party bus is way too fun to let it pass you by! Knitters either knit stranded color work at a looser tension or a tighter tension than the rest of their knitting. In researching the topic further, it seems that the majority of us are on the same party bus and knit at a tighter tension. I've mentioned a few basics in a previous blog and we'll briefly go over those first. DOMINANT AND NON DOMINANT STRANDS The contrasting color that you are using to create your pattern is generally the one that should be dominant. All this means is that when working with your strands; keep your contrasting color on the bottom. It has a longer strand when carried on the bottom which allows for more slack therefore less likely to recede into your work. You want your pattern to pop. In the first picture, I'm ready to knit with Nuit. I'm keeping that strand crossing over on the bottom to allow for more strand length therefore less likely to recede into my work. In the second photo I'm ready to knit with Gris-Gris. I will keep that stand crossing over the top of the contrasting color. Not only will this keep the back of your work tidy but it allows for consistency in holding the strands in your fingers and with the magic of memory power you will get a nice momentum going. NEEDLE UP!! (OR DOWN???) If you are on my bus, we knit at a much tighter tension. It really is trial and error as we all knit different. First I went up one needle size. Felt great, thinking I have this "in the bag"!! A couple of rounds in I'm excited to look and low and behold the main color is still puckering in between the contrasting color. OK, let's needle up 2 sizes. That was what worked best for me! It feels like the needle size is too big and the stitches are tight on the first round but you know what? It really helps! SPREAD OUT YOUR STITCHES!! When knitting circular yokes you get quite a few stitches on your needles. They start to bunch and you're knitting along not paying attention to what's going on besides Grey's Anatomy.....for the third time! When you go to look at the pretty design and spread out your work, stitches start to disappear into the background.  When your work is all bunched up on the needles the strands in the back are crossing a shorter distance causing you to pull them too tight when stretching out your work. As I start to increase my stitches I will also up my cord size to a longer length so that none of the stitches have room to bunch. They are all stretched out. The strand on the back will go the full distance it needs to. This has probably been the easiest adjustment but perhaps the most important in my experience. YARN UP!! This is something new I tried with this latest design that you are getting a little sneak peek into. I'm using Bis-sock in Gris-Gris and DK Pure in Nuit for my contrasting color. The idea first popped in my head when the pattern on the front is raindrops and I was wondering how I could make them look raised. I didn't need to needle size up; I used the same size needle throughout the entire color work section and just made sure my stitches were always spread out. The best thing about my Interchangeable Chiaogoo needles is that I can continue to add my longer cords and the stitches never bunch. I'm knitting around what reminds me of a Frisbee!! But you know what? It's turning out fantastic!   There's also the topic of long floats. A float is the strand of yarn that is not being knit but rather being loosely carried behind the knit stitches. It seems as though a majority of knitters consider crossing yarn over more than 5 stitches is considered a long float. I guess it depends on the person. I like this "knitting without rules" vibe that's going around. While I follow some rules by the book, other times you really need to do what's best for your knitting project. If you have a long float all you need to do is catch it in the yarn you are currently knitting with and continue knitting. In the above photo I am currently knitting with Gris-Gris. The Nuit strand is being carried over 7 stitches. To avoid the strand being too long, place it over top of the Gris-Gris and continue to knit the remaining stitches with Gris-Gris. You can catch the yarn after 3 or 4 stitches, there’s no real rule as such to when you should catch it. It's all about personal preference. The reason you want to avoid long floats is to avoid getting your fingers or jewelry caught into them while putting on your sweater. In saying that if you want to carry your yarn across 7 stitches and are not concerned about a long float...then by all means; have long floats!! Your project, your rules!! BLOCK YOUR WORK!! Lastly but most definitely not of least importance; BLOCK YOUR WORK!!! In my books, blocking is magic. You may have areas of concern in your work whether it's color work or not but let me tell you! Blocking will more than likely resolve any little issues you have going on. You'd be surprised at how the uneven stitches or slight puckering in color work will just resolve itself with a blocking! It truly is magical! Check out this blog on how to safely wash your knitted projects! Have you found any other little helpful tips that might help when knitting color work? If so, PLEASE share them!! FAVORITE NEW FINDS!! I have to share this AMAZING find with you. Not necessarily new to everyone but these are new to me. I can't say that I hate knitting with double points because I don't but I can say I don't really love it. I knit fast and switching needles slows me down LOL Magic Loop was never my thing, I would prefer double points over magic Loop. So, what if you could knit small circumference knitting without double points and Magic Loop? ENTER Chiaogoo 9 inch Circulars!!!! Oh my goodness! These have improved my sleeve knitting speed tremendously!! Thank you Chiaogoo you have NEVER let me down yet!! Have you tried these out yet??    

I’ve been so excited to knit up a pair of my favorite slipper socks to attach to my Biscotte Yarns Sole To Knit! There’s nothing like homemade things. And slippers are definitely a must for the winter season. I have a tendency to wear out a pair of slippers within a very short period of time, so this year I decided that they need to have these amazing soles attached to give them extra durability. These soles are fantastic not only because they are soft and warm but they also have pre-punched holes around the edge which will make the sewing part easier and more precise therefore giving them a handmade look instead of homemade. Since they are made with suede bottoms there's no worries about slipping while wearing these!  The pattern is very easy and absolutely beautiful. They feature a wide Garter Stitch cuff that is folded down with an attached Icord and pom poms, along with adorable cabled owls on the outside portion of the legs. I’ve knit these up in the past and received so many compliments on them. So, I want to share this special pattern with you and hope that you will enjoy them as much as I do. The cabled owls show up much better on a background of Reverse Stockinette Stitch, however I knit them in Stockinette Stitch just because it's easier. You could knit a small background of Reverse Stockinette around the owls if you really want your owls to pop out! To knit these slippers you will need a bulky weight yarn, stitch markers, cable needle, tapestry needle and buttons for the owl eyes. I'm using Cascade Eco in Taupe. It has 482 yards of yarn so one skein is enough to knit a pair of slipper socks. To choose a bulky weight yarn check out the options HERE. I'm using a 4mm circular needle with a 9 inch cord from Chiaogoo, which is absolutely fantastic! I prefer to knit on circulars and since discovering these little gems I even use them to knit sleeves of sweaters. My gauge for this yarn on 4mm needles was 20 stitches over 4 inches. My shoe size is an 8 and I usually wear a medium in slippers for your reference. To make a smaller or larger size I simply suggest going either down or up in needle size. The foot is easily adjusted by knitting a shorter or longer length. Ok! Let's get started!! DOWNLOAD PDF PRINTER-FRIENDLY PATTERN IS HERE: OWL-TASTIC SLIPPER SOCK Start by loosely casting on 40 stitches using the long tail cast on method. Careful not to twist your stitches, add a stitch marker and join to knit in the round if you are knitting on circulars. If you are knitting on double pointed needles,evenly distribute your stitches over 3 or 4 needles and join to knit in the round. If using double pointed needles a stitch marker is not necessary as you can use the tail to know where the round starts. Knit in Garter Stitch for approximately 5 inches. To knit Garter Stitch in the round you will knit one round followed by a purl round. After reaching 5 inches or the desired length, ending with a purl round, work an increase round as follows: K5, M1L; repeat to the end. (8 stitches have been increased) To M1L (make1 left) insert the tip of your left needle into the horizontal bar between the 2 stitches from front to back and then knit into the back of the stitch. You will now have 48 stitches on your needles. Knit in Stockinette Stitch (knit all rounds) for 1.5 inches. On the next round stitch markers are placed for the pattern repeats. For the RIGHT slipper sock, slip the beginning of round marker, knit 4 stitches, place a marker, knit 8 stitches, place a marker (this 8 stitches is for the first owl), knit 4 stitches, place a marker, knit 8 stitches and place the last marker ( this second set of 8 stitches is for the second owl). After all, I couldn't only make one owl...He might get lonely;) The owl is worked over 8 stitches and 18 rounds. Work the following pattern within the 2 sets of markers that contain the 8 stitches. All other stitches will be knit. Round 1: C4F (Place 2 stitches on a cable needle and hold to the front, knit 2 stitches, then knit the 2 stitches from the cable needle), C4B (Place 2 stitches on a cable needle and hold to the back, knit 2 stitches, then knit the 2 stitches from the cable needle. Rounds 2, 3 and 4: Knit all stitches. Round 5: Repeat round 1. Rounds 6 and 7: Knit all stitches. Round 8: Knit 2, purl 4, knit 2 Round 9: Knit all stitches. Rounds 10 to 15: Repeat rounds 8 and 9 three more times. Rounds 16, 17 and 18: knit all stitches. The owl pattern has been complete!! It's up to you if you would like to repeat the 18 rounds more than once or leave it with just one set of owls. I've decided to repeat one more time! When the repeats of the pattern are complete the stitch markers can be removed, except for the beginning of round marker. When you have reached your desired leg length it's time to start the heel flap which is worked back and forth over half of the total stitches. Remember that the owls are supposed to be on the outer portion of the leg when dividing the stitches. Whether knitting in the round or on double pointed needles start at the beginning of the round and knit 36 stitches. Then place the next 24 stitches on a separate needle which will now be ready to start the heel flap on the right side. The remaining 24 stitches of the instep can be placed on yarn of contrasting color or stitch holders. To knit the heel flap repeat the following 2 rows until approximately 2 inches from the start. Row 1: Slip 1 purlwise, knit 1; repeat to the end of the row. Row 2: Slip 1 purlwise, purl to the end of the row. When you have reached the desired length, ending on a wrong side row, it's time to turn the heel! Row 1: Knit 13, ssk (slip one as if to knit, slip one as if to knit, then knit together through the front loops), knit 1 and turn your work. Row 2: Slip 1 purlwise, purl 4, p2tog (purl 2 together), purl 1 and turn your work. Row 3: Slip 1 purlwise, knit 5, ssk, knit 1, turn work. Row 4: Slip 1 purlwise, purl 6, p2tog, purl 1, turn work. Row 5: Slip 1 purlwise, knit 7, ssk, knit 1, turn work. Row 6: Slip 1 purlwise, purl 8, p2tog, purl 1, turn work. Row 7: Slip 1 purlwise, knit 9, ssk, knit 1, turn work. Row 8: Slip 1 purlwise, purl 10, p2tog, purl 1, turn work. Row 9: Slip 1 purlwise, knit 11, ssk, knit 1, turn work. Row 10: Slip 1 purlwise, purl 12, p2tog and turn work. Now ready for a right side row it's time to start the gusset. Knit across the 14 stitches of the heel and then pick up a stitch in every row along the side of the heel flap. The sample that was knit had 12 stitches picked up; anywhere from 12 to 14 stitches is perfectly fine. Then knit across the 24 instep stitches, and pick up the same amount of stitches on the other side of the heel flap. If working on circular needles, place stitch markers on either side of the 24 instep stitches. If working on double points, place the 24 instep stitches on a separate needle. Round 1: knit to 3 stitches before the instep, k2tog (knit 2 stitches together), knit 1, knit across the 24 instep stitches, knit 1, ssk, knit to beginning of round. (2 Stitches decreased) Round 2: knit all stitches. Repeat these 2 rounds until you are back to your original stitch count which is 48 if following the sample. When back to the original stitch count, knit the foot length to approximately 2 inches before the overall desired length. If unsure of the length,  try on your slipper sock as you go to ensure you get a good fit! When the desired length is reached, it's time to start decreasing for the toe. The set up will be the same as it was when decreasing for the heel. Row 1: Knit to 3 stitches before the instep, k2tog, k2, ssk, knit to the last 3 stitches of the instep, k2tog, knit 2, ssk, knit to beginning of round. (4 stitches decreased) Row 2: Knit all stitches. Repeat these 2 rounds until there are 20 stitches remaining. Close the toe using the Kitchener Grafting method, the 3 Needle Bind Off or a similar bind off method of your choice. Weave in the ends and block the first slipper sock while knitting up the second and then the real fun begins!! The LEFT slipper sock is knit the same as the first with the exception of the stitch marker placement for the cabled owl design. The stitch marker placement is as follows: knit 24 stitches, place marker, knit 8 stitches, place marker (this 8 stitches is for the first owl), knit 4 stitches place marker, knit 8 stitches, place marker (this 8 stitches is for the second owl) and then knit the last 4 stitches to the beginning of the round. Other than the placement of the owls follow the same instructions for the left slipper. Here is one slipper sock complete without the soles added. I added little buttons for the eyes of the owls, the Icord is weaved in through the Garter cuff with the absolutely ADORABLE pom poms tied on the ends!! To knit an Icord, cast on 3 stitches on a double pointed needle. Instead of turning your work around just slide the 3 stitches to the other end of your needle and knit the 3 stitches. Again, without turning your work, slide the 3 stitches to the other end of your needle. The working yarn will be in the back and pulled across the back of the stitches as you knit them. Continue to do this until your Icord is long enough to tie around your leg in a bow where the Garter cuff will be. Do not cut the ends of the Icord as this is what we will use to tie on the pom poms. To make a pom pom wrap your yarn around 3 or 4 fingers 40- 45 times, then tie a piece of yarn tightly around it. Cut the loops on the sides to reveal a hot mess LOL Start trimming the pom pom until you are happy with how it looks. My previous life as a hairdresser comes out in me and I can get very picky. It's kind of like giving the pom pom a buzz cut! Be sure not to cut the tail yarn as we will tie it to the tail of the Icord after weaving it through the Garter cuff of our slipper socks! Weave the tail of the Icord through your tapestry needle and then pull it in and out through 1 inch sections of the Garter cuff. It might be a little hard to pull it through but just a little wiggle and tug and it'll go through. When the Icord is weaved in through the cuff then tie the pom poms to the Icord. OH SO CUTE!! Ok! So I tried a couple of ways to sew the soles onto my slippers and I found putting the slipper on and sewing it while it was on my foot the best way to do it. If you put your hand in, the slipper isn't the shape of your foot and therefore the sole is a little harder to get on really even. My foot is in the slipper and I went around the whole slipper twice in every second hole slanting the strand so the next round I will sew into the hole I skipped to make a cross stitch. To do this, insert the needle into the same spot that the yarn was sewn into from the previous round and then up through the skipped hole. I also did this round a second time to ensure the sole was attached really well. And it looked really nice with a bulky cross stitch around the sole. And here they are!! SOOOOO cozy and comfy and I'm already in my jammies! I hope you will knit these up and enjoy them as much as I do! Have you ever added soles to your slippers? DOWNLOAD PDF PRINTER-FRIENDLY PATTERN IS HERE: OWL-TASTIC SLIPPER SOCK

Have you ever seen in a knitting pattern M1 (Make One) that doesn't specify whether it's left leaning or right leaning? I have and if you're not an experienced knitter, which was me and all of us at some point, it can be very confusing. After looking into this a little further, it seems that most knitters would do a M1L (Make One Left) in this case. It is a very nice and invisible looking increase. What I like to do before jumping into a M1L is lay my work out and see where the increase is located and whether it would be better suited to lean left or lean right. If you really are unsure a M1L is a great choice. Since knitting Andrea Mowry's Throwback Cardigan, I've learned the M1 (make One). When I first read the pattern and seen it I had an itsy bitsy wave of panic rush over me LOL Luckily in her pattern she provides a link to a tutorial on how to do this. Thank you Andrea Mowry!! When knitting a Seamless Yoke sweater there are large amounts of increases done within a row or round. Increasing so quickly across a row or round requires increases that does not lean to the left or to the right. When making this increase it creates a small hole kind of like a yarn over. However after blocking the holes diminish quite a bit because increasing so quickly pushes the holes together. If you were to do, for example, M1L or M1R it would cause puckering in your work. Of course I did some research to find out more and this is actually how most Seamless Yoke sweaters are knit. These increases are placed evenly across the row or round and can actually have a decorative look. Since knitting The Throwback Cardigan I've caught a Colorwork bug. I decided that I need to design my own Colorwork Seamless Yoke sweater. So showing how to work the M1 (Make One) seemed like a good idea! Now, if you happen to see this M1 in a pattern that isn't a Seamless Yoke or doesn't specify to work it this way I would be certain to do a M1L or M1R or another invisible increase because you really don't want to make a hole in your work where one isn't required. THE M1 (MAKE ONE) The M1 involves the horizontal bar that runs between the stitch on your left hand needle and the stitch on your right hand needle the same as the M1R and M1L as shown on the left side of the photo above. Insert the tip of your right hand needle under the horizontal bar from front to back as shown on the right side of the photo above. Yarn over and pull through as you normally would to knit a regular stitch as shown on the left side of the photo above. And as you can see on the right side of the photo above the stitch is neither left nor right leaning, however leaves a slight hole. Here is the top portion of my sweater and you can see the little holes however since they are evenly spaced they look decorative. Keep in mind my sweater is not yet blocked and a good blocking does wonders to any knit project. I can only show this little bit of my sweater since the design is not yet released! Being a little tweed yarn obsessed, Hagrid hand-dyed yarn had to be the yarn for this project. I'm using Prune and one of my very favorite colors, Caramel. It's absolutely the most perfect color and I'm so happy that it's one of Biscotte's "forever" colors. Since we are on the topic of favorites, let's share some of our favorite knitting notions and/or accessories!! You could be using a real goodie that another knitter isn't aware of and could really need in their knitting gear. Here are my favorite notions and accessories at the moment! First we have the Clover Yarn Cutter Pendant. I wear this every day....well for one I knit everyday and two, I really love the pendant. I've actually gotten compliments on this from non-knitters who didn't even know it has a function! No matter if I have 3 pairs of scissors in front of me, I lay them down and my tunnel vision cuts in and I can't see them. Since wearing this around my neck and sometimes forgetting to even take it off and sleep in it I never have to look for scissors again. It's my handy little assistant that I can't live without! Next up we have my Biscotte Yarns notebook. This is my second one. I literally used up the first and had to get another. The pen on the side is wonderful because as I've mentioned I can't see things even when they are in front of me! I sketch my designs in here, I keep track of rows, and write down my appointments......everything important is in here. It fits in my knitting bag and I always have it on me so it's a really great assistant as well! Last but certainly not least, is my new Biscotte Yarn leather tags! I'm so excited about these!! They finish off a project like nothing else! It takes your homemade projects to handmade and adds a real professional quality to a knitted piece. I'm very excited about these and they will be available for purchase from Biscotte very soon!! You can always subscribe to Biscotte Yarns newsletter to be aware of what's new in the online yarn store ♥ So those are a few of my favorite knitting notions! I'd really love to hear about some of your favorite items because you never know; I just might need one too!!

With the growing popularity of natural fibers and wool, knowing how to wash your woolies is a very hot topic! Since we grew up in the era of synthetic fibers and the washing machine, the return to nature imposes a little reminder of the basic rules. HOW TO WASH HAND DYED YARN It is completely normal that the dye contained in the fibers of the wool will bleed out during the first couple of washings, just as it would with a pair of jeans or any other garment. To avoid too much dye loss and preserve the color of the yarn as long as possible, here's what you need to know: HAND WASH You've spent hours knitting with precious fibers! So it's only right to take that extra little step to care for them. Friction or excessive soaking will tend to make the colors fade quicker. A very light 5 minutes hand wash is enough to clean your woolies. WASH WITH COLD WATER!! Hot water dilate the fibers and cause the dye to come out. Always use cold water for colors, besides cold water is far less damaging on the fibers as well. Just like human hair when we wash with hot water, your color can fade faster as it opens up the hair follicles and allows the color to seep out. And using a shampoo that isn't safe for color treated hair can also fade your color faster. It's the same with sheep's wool! USE A SMALL AMOUNT OF DETERGENT Some detergents are more aggressive than others and can cause damage. Avoid too much detergent: use the proper amount and opt for mild and safe detergents for colors. NO DISH SOAP BETTER TO PREVENT THAN REGRET!! We do not recommend to use contrasting colors in a single project, like RED and WHITE (especially white because undyed yarn will absorb everything in the residual water). If you plan to knit with contrasting colors, consider prewashing the red skein of yarn before you knit with it to remove the excess dye. You may still get some dye transfer on the white but since the dye loss is less and less with each washing the risk of color transfer on the white is diminished. Here is an example of hand-dyed red yarn that was first washed with lukewarm water, then after a second wash with cold water. There is much more color bleeding in the first wash, especially since the water used was lukewarm! In the second wash, the excess of red dye is almost completely dissipated. In the case of pattern yarn with several colors, such as self striping yarn, knit and wash a small sample swatch beforehand to make such that your detergent will not damage the colors. Despite all the precautions in the world, it is likely that the dark colors adjacent to the pale colors will bleed on them somewhat. This is normal and will fade with subsequent washings. I do however, recommend a wool wash when possible as these detergents are made for your precious woolies!  HOW TO AVOID FELTING First of all, know that wool is a living fiber. Like human hair, each sheep's hair has scales that will react to the temperature of the water. In hot water, these scales will open and cling to each other similar to Velcro and this effect is amplified by the detergent which makes the water even more slippery. If you wiggle your knit in hot water you risk felting it. If you do not know what that means think of the time you washed a woolen vest and it came out of the washer in "doll size"! Squeeze the water out gently after soaking and wrap in a towel and press (or stomp on) to soak up any excess water and lay flat to dry. YES!! But it says on the label that the wool is "Superwash"! Sure, but this only means that the scales of the fibers have been treated to MINIMIZE felting. It does not mean it has super human woolie powers!! Like I mentioned before, you've spent hours making these beautiful woolies! You want to treat them with the same precautions. These precautions are in place so that you can keep your knitting and its beautiful colors for years and years to come!  Wash by hand, in cold water with a small quantity of wool wash or color safe detergent while avoiding excessive friction and lay flat to dry.  Here's a little video tutorial of yours truly with the hand washing in action!!   Now that you know everything, consider providing the washing instructions when you are giving your knits as gifts. To help you share this useful information, and well.....because it's just so very pretty, you will find below ”Hand Knit" labels to give your knits as gifts. Just download the following PDF document: HANDKNIT PRINTABLE LABELS GIFT TAGS You can use them as is or print them on kraft paper or even a recycled brown paper bag! Or pretty it up on a scrapbooking style sheet as shown below:  

Normally my answer would be large, with 2% milk and extra foam in a to-go cup; but not today! Today I would like 478 yards wound into a perfect little skein, with an adorable Biscotte tag......in a to-go bag! If you haven't already discovered this amazing yarn that I speak of then I have a few confused readers LOL I have only recently been introduced to Biscotte's Latte yarn and I'm not kidding when I say that it was love at first sight. I purchase all of my yarn online so the interest started with just the information alone. When it arrived and exceeded all of my expectations well let's just say, Santa, I'm really sorry but I think I'm more excited to receive parcels in my mail box rather than under my tree;) This yarn has completely fascinated me. It is made of 80% milk protein fiber and 20% wool. I had no idea that you could actually get a fiber from milk protein. I'm a little bit of a yarn nerd (when a particular friend of mine reads this she'll say "a little bit"??) I like to know what I'm knitting with, where it came from, how it's spun, how it's dyed.....etc. It's a problem, I know! Thinking that spinning this milk protein fiber must be some new technique that slipped passed me, I had to find out more. In actuality, I was surprised to find out that it was invented in Italy in the 1930's. The fiber is made from dairy milk, and it takes about 12 gallons of milk to make a pound of fiber. And no need to worry; no good milk was spilled for that project you'll soon be diving into because the milk protein is distracted from dehydrated milk solids, so mills can use waste milk that is not fit for consumption. I think that this is some pretty cool information! And it gets even better! Besides being completely fascinating and eco-friendly, milk yarn contains eighteen amino-acids that are good for human health!! Did you hear that “sensitive to wool wearers”?? This is going to be you’re next to skin yarn! It’s very soft with a subtle sheen and has amazing stitch definition. It has some similar characteristics to Bamboo which is probably what makes this yarn great for warmer weather. Warm weather or cold weather I will wear this all year long and if you’ve had the chance to knit with this yarn I’m sure you’ll completely agree! And let me tell you this yarn was made to drape! I’m currently working on something special using Latte that I will give you a little sneak peek into. I've been very interested in pattern design lately. As relaxing as it is to just sit, knit and follow the instructions, there's something very satisfying about coming up with an idea and putting it on your needles! And have you ever thought if you could take a section of one sweater and mix it with the section of another sweater and so on that you'd have the perfect sweater? This is currently where my mind is going. So, I made a drawing of what I wanted and all I needed was the yarn to make it happen.....enter Latte!! I knew as soon as I started to swatch that this was going to be the yarn for my pattern. The color I chose is a one of Biscotte's limited edition colors. It's almost as if this color was dyed just for me because it's EXACTLY what I had in mind for my sweater design. If you haven't seen the AMAZING colors that they create, I suggest you check them out! They are absolutely incredible and highly addictive! Most times, my inspiration actually comes from the yarn itself. This limited edition color I chose is the reason Autumn is my most favorite time of year! As promised I will share a little sneak peek into a few of the details that is going to make this sweater a favorite of mine and one I will certainly enjoy wearing! That's all I can share for now!! Stay tuned for a future release of the finished product:) With only a few details visible, do you think this could be a sweater you would be interested in adding to your list of things to knit?

Knitting. To some this is a very enjoyable hobby. To me? It’s a way of life. Depression and anxiety affects 1 in 13 people. This disorder hits not only close to home but is in my home. I’m the 1 in that equation. Along with treatments from doctors, this is my therapy. Statistics have shown that knitting actually reduces depression and anxiety, slows the onset of dementia, and can distract from chronic pain. Isn’t that the most amazing and hopeful thing you’ve ever heard? As someone who lives, loves and breathes knitting it’s a very positive perk to my so called hobby! Knitting can have the same benefit that’s associated with meditation and yoga. Once beyond the learning curve, which can still be beneficial as it distracts your brain to focus on something else; it can lower heart rate and blood pressure and reduce harmful blood levels of the stress hormone called Cortisol. Not only is the act of knitting beneficial, finishing a project can boost self confidence. I used to keep a journal of all my finished projects. I’d take a photo and write notes on the project. It gave me a sense of accomplishment and pride. I recommend every knitter to get a knitting journal. Biscotte has a really nice one that I use on a daily basis.    It’s not often that one can say that their therapy is portable LOL but mine is! I take my knitting to appointments, to a friend’s house or anywhere I go that might give me the opportunity to knit even a couple of rows. I was never one to flaunt my knitting on social media until I met the most wonderful family owned company Biscotte & Cie. It all started with one skein of yarn I purchased at a local yarn shop here in Newfoundland. The wonderful owner, who I’ve gotten to know a little since discovering her yarn shop, boasted how beautiful this yarn was. All it took was one touch! It was what I needed….soft with just the right amount of squishy!! I wanted to buy it even before I knew it was magic! It was self striping, which I think is magic anyways. But this was different. Watermelon was my very first purchase. It even knits up seeds she told me! WAIT!!!! WHAT???? OMG so not only do I get to knit with the most softest sock yarn, but watching this knit up kept my mind from thinking of anything other than this yarn is knitting seeds. HOW DO THEY DO IT?? I couldn’t stop there. I immediately got out my computer and looked up their website just to check it out. The selection of this self striping yarn was unbelievable. Apple Core again knit up with little seeds. Rainbow, Ladybug, the Sorcerer's Scarf from Harry Potter, So Minion…..It was like finding a pot of gold at the end of a rainbow 🌈 Then I saw the ad for Bloggers. All I was thinking was I had NO experience with this sort of thing but I HAD to be a part of this amazing company. I want to knit and show everyone how beautiful this yarn is and also hopefully inspire other people like myself to knit!! It can help you! The 2 lovely ladies I was in contact with, Louise Robert and Lisette Rivest, gave me the opportunity to write up a blog and teach me the ropes along the way and I was in! I danced and danced around my kitchen!  They have helped me beyond words. I actually get to knit with my most favorite yarns, write about it, HOPEFULLY inspire even one person to knit, AND get complimented on my work along the way. They have helped with my self doubt and low self esteem more than they realize. I believe that I’m possibly one of the luckiest gals in the world right now. Being able to knit is a blessing that my beautiful grandmother taught me. Being able to knit with Biscotte & Cie is a blessing that helps me every single day. I hope that anyone suffering from mental illness or with undue stress in your life or even anyone just looking for a new hobby will purchase a pair of needles and a skein of yarn. I hope that knitting can help others as much as it is helping me. Edit from Biscotte (Louise): Andrea, we are very lucky to have you as well ♥ Thank you for all your good work 💝

How to insert your fleece tips (or how to lard) your knitting Larded mittens (or thrummed mittens) originate in the Newfoundland and Labrador region. It is said that sailors who went to sea carried this type of mitts in which small pieces of fiber were inserted. Here are the steps illustrating how to thrum a stitch. Step 1: Detach a piece of the fleece by pulling on it (do not cut with scissors, this would break the tips of your fibers and make the fleece less "hanging" at your stitches). Step 2: Separate the fleece in a width direction to obtain a thinner net. Step 3: Stretch your fleece to check the thickness: it should not be thicker than the wool you knit with. Step 4: Now fold your fleece to form a circle and rub the two ends together by rolling them between your fingers to felt the wool (the fibers will cling and stick to each other. Step 5: Pinching the place where you have closed the circle to prevent it from coming off, cross the circle to form an "8" and roll the center of the "8" between your fingers to felt out the center and fix it in this position. As shown below, to insert the fleece into the stitch, stitch into the stitch below the one you want to thrum. Place the middle of the fleece (center of "8") on the right needle and bring the fleece in front. Now, stitch the stitch on the top (the one that is currently on your left needle) and knit this stitch and then pass the fleece over this new stitch (make sure that your two ends of the fleece are also positioned behind your knitting).   And now, voila!! To put this technique into practice, you will find our free mittens pattern in the knitting patterns section of our site by clicking HERE. Remember that to make mittens, you need a natural wool that has not been treated with "anti-felting". We need the "felting" properties of wool and matching fleece to make strong, durable thrummed mittens. Happy knitting !!

Since our Shawl Knitting Game - The Unpredictable Shawl has been very popular lately, we have received few questions on stitch patterns 3, 4 and 5. We have prepared video tutorials to help you out with these stitch patterns... STITCH PATTERN NO.3 ♥ The Unpredictable Shawl   STITCH PATTERN NO.4 ♥ The Unpredictable Shawl   STITCH PATTERN NO.5 ♥ The Unpredictable Shawl Enjoy!!

Vous venez d'apprendre comment tricoter et vous venez de terminer votre première écharpe? Vous avez passé des mois à tricoter un châle et vous souhaitez partager votre chef d'oeuvre avec nous? Rien ne nous fera plus plaisir que de voir nos laines prendre vie dans vos tricots! Comment faire? 👉 Vous n'avez qu'à écrire votre avis sur la laine que vous avez tricoté 👁‍🗨 et accompagner votre avis d'une photo 📸 Pour écrire votre avis, vous n'avez même pas besoin de vous enregistrer comme client sur LesLainesBiscotte.com.  Voici les instructions en image pour vous indiquer comment faire: Premièrement, vous devez trouver la laine pour laquelle vous voulez laisser votre avis et/ou une photo.  Vous pouvez utiliser notre outil de recherche qui se trouve dans le haut/gauche de notre site web : Ou si vous naviguez à partir d'un téléphone intelligent, cliquez sur l'icone "menu" (les trois petites barres en haut/gauche) et l'outil de recherche apparaîtra... Une fois que vous avez ouvert la page de la laine pour laquelle vous souhaitez laisser votre avis, vous trouverez en dessus de la description de l'item l'option "Écrire un avis"... Ou en version mobile... Il suffit de cliquer sur "Écrire un avis" pour entrer l'info suivante: Votre nom (tel qu'il apparaîtra publiquement) Votre adresse courriel (ne sera pas publié sur notre site) Le titre de votre avis et votre commentaire.  Si vous le souhaitez, vous pouvez nous dire comment vous avez connu Les Laines Biscotte ou pour qui vous avez tricoté ce projet etc...  Sélectionnez une photo à partir de votre banque d'images et cliquez sur Soumettre l'avis...Tadammmmm!  Vous venez de nous transmettre l'information et nous allons la publier très bientôt 👀👀👀 On aime toujours voir les photos de vos projets et lire vos commentaires alors ne soyez pas gêné(e)s et montrez-nous vos réalisations tricot!  

Dans ce tutoriel, vous découvrirez comment tricoter le point brioche aussi connu sous le nom de "Côtes anglaises".  Vous l'avez probablement aperçu dans les derniers modèles en vogue, notamment dans les designs de Stephen West et Andrea Mowry. Pour vous aider à comprendre comment tricoter le point brioche bicolore en rond, nous avons préparé ce tutoriel incluant trois vidéos: le tricot brioche en rond, les augmentations et les diminutions au point brioche. Le point brioche est un tricot vraiment agréable à regarder, toucher et porter. Tricoté en version bicolore, il présente des côtes aux couleurs réversibles pour un tricot qui se porte sur l'endroit comme sur l'envers!  Le point de brioche se traduit par un tricot moelleux, plus épais et par conséquent plus chaud qu'un tricot ordinaire. LE POINT BRIOCHE TRICOTÉ EN CIRCULAIRE, VERSION BICOLORE Un rang (ou un tour) de point brioche se tricote en deux étapes: on tricote d'abord un premier tour pendant lequel on ne tricote que les mailles endroit pendant que les mailles envers sont glissées... Puis on repasse ensuite une deuxième fois sur le rang (ou le tour) pour tricoter les mailles envers pendant que les mailles endroit son glissées. Le PREMIER TOUR est le tour de départ pendant lequel on démarre le point brioche. Il s'agit d'un premier tour endroit tricoté avec la couleur principale (au début du vidéo). Le DEUXIÈME TOUR est un tour envers pendant lequel on intègre la deuxième couleur (à 4:30 minutes) Le TROISIÈME TOUR est un tour "brioche endroit régulier" tricoté avec la couleur principale (à 8:00 minutes) Le QUATRIÈME TOUR est un tour "brioche envers régulier" tricoté avec la couleur contrastante (à 10:46 minutes) Lorsque vous avez complété le premier et le deuxième tour, vous n'avez qu'à répéter les tours 3 et 4 jusqu'à l'obtention de la longueur souhaitée.   Point Brioche circulaire en résumé Monter le nombre de mailles requis (nombre pair), joindre pour tricoter en rond et placer un marqueur pour identifier le début des tours. . PREMIER TOUR AVEC COULEUR PRINCIPALE ♦ Tricoter une maille endroit, ramener le fil devant l'ouvrage, *glisser la prochaine maille (comme pour la tricoter à l'envers) et sans ramener le fil derrière, tricoter la prochaine maille endroit*, Répéter de * à * jusqu'à la dernière maille, glisser la dernière maille et ramener le fil devant l'ouvrage (il restera en attente jusqu'au troisième tour). . DEUXIÈME TOUR AVEC COULEUR CONTRASTANTE ♦ Joindre la couleur contrastante devant l'ouvrage et maintenir le fil devant avec le pouce et l'index de la main gauche, *glisser la maille comme pour la tricoter à l'envers, passer le fil par dessus l'aiguille droite pour le ramener vers l'avant (le fil a enroulé l'aiguille droite et forme une barre diagonale sur l'aiguille), en maintenant le fil devant l'ouvrage tricoter la prochaine maille (avec le fil qui passe par dessus cette maille) à l'envers*. Répéter de * à * jusqu'à la dernière maille: la dernière maille est tricotée à l'envers avec le fil passé par dessus au tour précédent. Ramener les 2 fils derrière l'ouvrage pour débuter le troisième tour. . TROISIÈME TOUR ENDROIT AVEC COULEUR PRINCIPALE (En anglais BRIOCHE KNIT ou son abréviation BARK) ♦ Avec la couleur principale, tricoter la première maille à l'endroit. Ramener le fil devant, glisser la prochaine maille (comme pour la tricoter à l'envers) et sans ramener le fil derrière, tricoter la prochaine maille (avec le fil qui passe par dessus cette maille) endroit*, Répéter de * à * jusqu'à la dernière maille, glisser la dernière maille et ramener les deux fils devant l'ouvrage pour tricoter le prochain tour. . QUATRIÈME TOUR ENVERS AVEC COULEUR CONTRASTANTE (En anglais BRIOCHE PURL ou son abréviation BURP) ♦ Avec la couleur contrastante, *glisser la maille comme pour la tricoter à l'envers, passer le fil par dessus l'aiguille droite pour le ramener vers l'avant, en maintenant le fil devant l'ouvrage tricoter la prochaine maille (avec le fil qui passe par dessus cette maille) à l'envers*. Répéter de * à * jusqu'à la dernière maille: la dernière maille est tricotée à l'envers avec le fil passé par dessus au tour précédent. Ramener les 2 fils derrière l'ouvrage pour tricoter le prochain tour. Maintenant pour s'amuser un peu, voici comment augmenter les mailles dans le point brioche Puisque vous savez comment augmenter les mailles, voici maintenant comment diminuer les mailles: diminutions inclinées à gauche et diminutions inclinées à droite... . Je vous invite maintenant à vous pratiquer pour peaufiner votre technique de tricot brioche. Encore une fois, je sais que vous risquez de sortir de votre "zone de confort" et la période d'apprentissage peut parfois être ardue (et frustrante !!) mais ne vous découragez surtout pas: comme c'est en forgeant qu'on devient forgeron, c'est en écoutant Biscotte qu'on se tricote une "brioche" 😋  

Comment monter les mailles selon la méthode "Long Tail Cast-on"? Découvrez comment en visionnant notre vidéo en français ci-dessous:   Maintenant, venez perfectionner vos aptitudes tricot avec la technique de montage de mailles "Twisted German Cast-on":  

Si vous êtes de celles qui n'aiment pas tricoter les rangs raccourcis ou qui préfère éviter les talons doubles (impliquant des rangs à diminuer) pour maintenir le même nombre de mailles et ainsi conserver l'aspect uniforme de la couleur de la laine teinte à la main ou Autorayanteᵐᶜ, vous serez conquise par le talon rajouté, mieux connu comme le "Afterthought heel". Le talon rajouté est un talon qui se tricote en dernier: vous tricotez un long tube et à l'emplacement où vous souhaitez tricoter le talon, vous tricoter les mailles avec un fil contrastant qui sera retiré par la suite pour travailler le talon. Je vous invite à visionner le vidéo ci-dessous pour comprendre comment tricoter un talon rajouté en images: Une fois que vous avez ouvert votre bas, vous êtes prêt à tricoter le talon. Comment déterminer l'emplacement du talon Comme votre bas ressemble à un grand tube, il apparaît moins naturel de déterminer l'endroit où placer le talon et la longueur du pied à tricoter avant de diminuer le boût du pied, surtout si vous tricotez vos bas à partir des côtes jusqu'aux orteils. Voici un petit truc pour vous aider: placez une feuille blanche sur le sol et tracez le contour de votre pied (il faut être debout, le pied bien à plat sur la feuille). Soustrayez 5 cm pour les orteils (mesurer à partir de la pointe la plus haute) et encore 5 cm pour le talon. La différence entre les deux correspond à la longueur à tricoter avant de commencer à diminuer les mailles pour former le bout du pied. Donc si vous optez pour la méthode qui consiste à tricoter vos bas des côtes aux orteils, tricotez la longueur de la jambe désirée avant de tricoter les mailles du talon avec le fil contrastant. Ensuite, tricotez la longueur identifiée à l'aide du schéma ci-dessus et lorsque c'est fait, commencer à diminuer les mailles pour fermer le boût du pied. Peu importe si vous tricotez un bas des côtes aux orteils (cuff down) ou des orteils aux côtes (toes-up), le talon rajouté se tricote de la même façon: tricotez le talon en rond, en diminuant les mailles un tour sur deux de la même façon que vous le faites lorsque vous terminez un bas par les orteils, comme suit: En débutant les tours dans l'angle (coin) du talon, tricoter 1 endroit, 1 surjet simple, poursuivre à l'endroit jusqu'à ce qu'il ne reste que 3 mailles avant d'atteindre la moitié du tour (l'angle opposé à celui qui marque le début du tour), 2 endroit ensemble, 1 end. Répéter pour la deuxième moitié du tour. Tricoter un tour tout à l'endroit. Répéter ces 2 tours jusqu'à ce que vous ayez diminué la moitié des mailles (ou jusqu'à la longueur désirée. fermer les mailles selon la méthode de remaillage (grafting) ou toute autre méthode similaire. Maintenant, pour découvrir la laine à bas parfaite pour tricoter votre prochaine paire de bas avec talon rajouté, visitez notre boutique de laine en ligne et amusez-vous bien!!

At Biscotte Yarns, we are privileged to welcome many knitters each year. Some of them come from far away to pick up the wool of happiness in our shop. To the attention of these knitting enthusiasts, we have prepared a list of things to remember before a visit to a wool store. First, check the opening hours of the wool shop: knitting shops often have an atypical schedule. You can check the website of the wool shop in question but in the holiday period or the Christmas holidays: call before you go, it's always safer! Also inquire about parking or transportation nearby. If you are accompanied by someone who does not knit (a muggle!), You may want to know where the nearest cafe is and bring this lovely person a magazine;)   Do you already have a knitting pattern? Make sure you know the yardage required to knit the chosen sample. If the pattern in question does not give you this information, you can do the math yourself: learn here how to substitute wool for a specific knitting pattern. At the very least, write down the required gauge (eg 22 stitches = 10 cm) and the size and type of needles needed to make it: straight, double-pointed or circular needles? Of course, if you hesitate: take the extra ball to avoid running out of yarn. You will knit a matching accessory if you have not used this ball after your work is done. Are you knitting a project that you want to give to someone? Ah yes! knitter often rhymes with generous: you are part of those who like to offer a gift handmade with love !! It's all your honor ♥ First, if the knitting project is not "one size fits all", consider measuring or asking the desired size to the lucky recipient of your knitting. When it comes to a sweater, you have to measure the bust, the waist and the hips. For stockings (or socks), take note of the shoe size or ask the recipient to put their foot on a piece of paper and trace the foot with a pencil. For accessories such as hats, measure the head (headband) or the length and width of the hands if you are knitting mittens or gloves. You will find a handy guide on how to take measures on  YarnStandards.com | Standards & Guidelines For Crochet and Knitting. Also think about the type of maintenance required before choosing your yarn: people who don't knit do not have the habit of maintaining handmade knits and do not necessarily know the precautions to take to wash a 100% wool knitwear. Remember to choose a machine washable yarn (felt proof) to avoid the worst! The pattern or the sheep? That is the question! While some knitters prefer to choose a pattern first and then look for the matching yarn, others will rather buy the yarn on a crush without necessarily knowing what they are going to knit with. There is nothing wrong with that: enjoy yourself :) You can browse Ravelry.com to find a pattern based on particular criteria such as the amount of yarn you have and the suggested gauge. With 100g of yarn, normally you have enough to knit a hat: use our custom knitting application to generate the pattern that matches your gauge and the size of hat desired.   Beginner knitter? Do not be embarrassed: all the knitters had their first visit to a yarn shop! Mention to the staff that you are new to knitting and ask them to help you find an easy project and the materials needed to make it happen. We are here to help you!! You will find video tutorials for beginners and knitting kits to learn how to knit here as well! Did you enjoy your visit to the yarn shop? Be kind: leave a positive comment on Google, The Yellow Pages or share / talk to your friends! Your comments and testimonials are important to us! ♥♥♥ Image source http://mochimochiland.com/

Éclaircissons une fois pour toute le grand mystère qui entoure le montage des mailles lorsqu'on débute un bas (ou chaussette) par les orteils.  Il s'agit du type de montage qui consiste à monter les mailles d'un bas par la pointe du pied pour tricoter progressivement vers le haut de la jambe en terminant le bas par les côtes.  On fait souvent référence à cette technique par nom anglophone: montage "toes-up" (ou "toes-up cast-on") qui se traduit par "monter les mailles par les orteils".  Il s'agit, en quelque sorte, d'un remaillage (ou grafting) à l'envers! Le montage toes-up n'est pas réservé qu'aux "toes" (orteils) !! Ceci dit, le montage dit "toes-up" n'est pas seulement utilisé que pour monter les mailles des orteils de chaussettes, on peut l'utiliser aussi dans d'autres circonstances comme par exemple dans notre patron de pantoufles Non-Felted Slippers version Biscotte alors que type de montage est utilisé pour monter les mailles du milieu de la semelle, ou encore dans notre nouveau patron de bas Chat de Cheshire où ce montage est utilisé pour démarrer le bas par le talon. Nous connaissons différentes techniques de ce type de montage, versions parmi lesquelles il semble parfois y avoir confusion: Judy magic cast-on, montage en 8 (ou figure-8 cast-on) et le montage turc (turkish cast-on). Pour les curieux, nous avons trouvé un site qui fait état de ces différents montages et en explique les différences, vous pouvez visiter ce site web ici (anglais seulement). Chez Les Laines Biscotte, nous avons monté un vidéo qui présente une façon simple et efficace de monter les mailles. Cette méthode s'inspire du montage turc avec quelques variations pour en faciliter l'usage et améliorer le résultat final. Montage des mailles vers le haut en résumé: 1- Faire un noeud coulant et le positionner sur une aiguille circulaire. 2- Pointer les 2 aiguilles vers la droite, l'une par dessus l'autre, de façon à ce que le noeud coulant se retrouve sur l'aiguille du bas. 3- En maintenant le noeud coulant à sa place, tirer légèrement sur l'aiguille du bas de façon à ce que le câble en bas se colle à l'aiguille du haut (ceci permettra aux mailles de votre montage d'être bien ajustées). 4- Enrouler le fil autour de l'aiguille et du câble en passant derrière/vers le haut et devant/vers le bas.  Le nombre de tours à faire correspond à la moitié des mailles à monter; ex: si le patron vous demande de monter un total de 30 mailles (soit 15 mailles de chaque côté), vous devez faire 15 tours autour de l'aiguille et du câble. 5- Pour fermer les mailles, tirer sur l'aiguille du bas pour tricoter chaque tour sur l'aiguille du haut (laissez le fil terminer son tour et enrouler le câble en dessous lorsque vous tricotez votre première maille sur l'aiguille du haut). 6- Lorsque vous avez tricoté tous les tours, tournez les aiguilles dans le sens des aiguilles d'une montre, en maintenant l'endroit du tricot (mailles endroit) face à vous. 7- Le noeud coulant se trouve maintenant sur l'aiguille du haut.  Vous devez retirer le noeud coulant et vous êtes maintenant prêt à commencer le premier tour de votre patron ! Voilà, j'espère que vous apprécierez cette méthode pour monter vos mailles vers le haut et bon tricot !!

Short Rows - What is it exactly? This is a way of knitting the stitches back and forth without knitting to the end of the row, which means that there are stitches remaining at the end of the row when you turn the knit. The short rows are used to adjust the volume of the knit: either to create a relief in a knit, such as for the hollow of the heel in a sock, for example, or to change the shape / direction of a flat knit.   Right Image - source: http://www.purlwise.com/short_rows/ Several effects can be created with short rows! We are happy to offer several knitting patterns with short rows that you will find at the very bottom of this page! 👇👇👇  How to knit Short rows Many knitters dread (and even avoid!) Patterns containing short rows. Firstly because the short rows require a little more concentration to find one's way: when one does not knit the rows to the end, it sometimes becomes more difficult to give oneself benchmarks and to follow the instructions. In addition, we may end up with a small hole in the place where we wrapped our knitting. To solve this small hole problem, several techniques exist. The most common is the technique of winding the next stitch before turning (or "wrap & turn"). You can discover it on Knit Spirit TV just HERE The German Method or "German short rows" A few years ago I discovered the German method more commonly called the "German short rows". I like this method that produces a rather transparent look and without holes! So for much of you, we have prepared this video to illustrate this method and you will also find the explanations written below.   Here is how to knit the short rows using the German method: when you have turned your knitting and you are ready to knit your first row short, with the yarn in front , slip the stitch as if to purl and pull the yarn behind the work by pulling slightly so as to stretch the stitch on the needle. This way of pulling the yarn will have the effect of creating a "double stitch" composed of 2 strands that cross and wrap on the right needle. If the next stitch is a knit stitch, knit the stitch as you normally would. If the next stitch is a purl stitch, bring the yarn back (the yarn will have gone around the needle from behind and back in front) and purl the next stitch. On the next row, when you need to knit the previously wrapped knit, knit the two strands that are stretched on the needle together as you would normally knit a stitch or purl as instructed by the pattern. Substitute the "Wrap & Turn" for the "German Short Rows"  If you knit a pattern that suggests the "wrap & turn" method but you prefer to use the German method, here's what you need to know: When the pattern says, “wrap the stitch and turn," ignore this instruction and simply knit back. In the next row, when the pattern says, for example, "knit 5 back", you slip the first stitch as explained above and knit 4 back (the first stitch being slipped ...). Remember to subtract one stitch from the next row since the first slipped stitch is included in the number of stitches to work. That's it ... it's as simple as that :) Now that you have the tools, why not grab your needles and put your new knowledge to the test? Happy knitting!  

De nos jours, on utilise le mot laine à toutes les sauces: laine de coton, laine minérale, laine d'acier et laine de verre... Mais sachez que la pure laine au sens propre se définit ainsi sur le site Wikipedia Légalement, on désigne par « laine » les fibres du mouton ainsi que les fibres d'autres animaux (mais dans ce dernier cas on appelle toujours ces textiles par leur nom) dont la toison est composée de fibres kératiniques tels que la chèvre angora (dont les fibres de toison sont désignée par « laine mohair »), le lapin albinos ou lapin angora (dont les fibres de toison sont désignée par « Angora »), la chèvre dite cachemire (dont les fibres de toison sont désignées par le même terme « cachemire »), le lama, l'alpaga, le guanaco, le chameau domestique, yack, etc.  C'est pour cette raison que certains producteurs utilisant des fibres synthétique adoptent le terme "fil à tricoter" plutôt que laine... Aviez-vous déjà remarqué? Pure laine vierge, qu'est-ce que ça veut dire? Non, ce terme ne fait pas référence à la vertu du mouton qui s'est dénudé pour vous, chers adeptes du tricot! Ce titre est apparu dans les années 1960 au moment où l'industrie du textile a connu un développement majeur.  Alors que certains producteurs récupèrent la toison d'animaux abattus et recyclent la laine déjà usée pour nous "refiler" de la laine à tricoter, on instaure le certificat Woolmark afin d'identifier les marchandises qui contiennent de la laine vierge provenant de la tonte d’animaux sains et vivants. L'étiquette Woolmark garantissait alors un produit fait de Pure laine vierge à 100 % Est-ce que tous les moutons s'appellent Mérino? Lorsqu'on parle de laine de mérinos, il s'agit d'une race de mouton. Le mérino est le mouton sur lequel pousse le poil le plus fin de tous les moutons. C'est pourquoi cette laine est la plus douce: c'est la pure laine du bonheur pour les tricoteuses et une fibre de choix dans le domaine des vêtements sportifs. Filature de pure laine en action Bien que Les Laines Biscotte oeuvre dans le domaine laineux depuis bientôt une décénie, nous sommes toujours contemplatif devant la transformation de la toison pour en faire une laine à tricoter. Nous avons trouvé ce vidéo instructif pour vous... Pure laine et expressions québécoises Notre rapport à la laine perdure depuis toujours et au Québec, nous utilisons plusieurs expressions en lien avec la laine, parfois même sans le savoir! En voici quelques unes: Comment ça file? • Définition: comment ça va? Filer un mauvais coton • Définition: "ne pas se sentir bien" (Si vous avez déjà filé le coton, vous comprendrez que rien ne va plus si le coton en question n'est pas de bonne qualité!!) Se faire manger la laine sur le dos • Définition: se faire abuser par des personnes sans scrupules Avoir un bas de laine • Définition: avoir des économies Une famille tricotée serrée • Définition: une famille très unie qui valorise l'entraide Québécois pure laine • Définition: Canadiens français de génération en génération PURE LAINE Magazine est également le nom d'une revue qui "rend hommage aux entrepreneurs d'icitte".  Comme quoi la laine est définitivement enracinée dans l'identitée québécoise! Notre pure laine du Québec Les Laines Biscotte est une entreprise québécoise tricotée serrée et fière de vous offrir une pure laine teinte à la main au Québec dans une variété de couleurs semi-unies ainsi que dans plus de 60 couleurs Autorayanteᵐᶜ. Pour visiter notre boutique de laine en ligne, cliquez ICI et bon magasinage!!

Des patrons de tricot sur mesure en français! Oui, chers adeptes du tricot: nous avons maintenant une application de tricot nous permettant de générer des patrons de tricot sur mesure en fonction de la taille du modèle et de l'échantillon de laine choisie. Vous avez une pelote de laine que vous voudriez transformer en tuque pour votre neveu de 8 ans? Plus la peine de passer des heures à chercher le modèle en taille 8 ans qui correspond à votre laine! Avec l'application de patrons de tricot Biscotte KP (KP pour "knitting patterns": oui, c'est une app bilingue!!) vous n'avez qu'à choisir la taille de votre modèle de tuque ou de bas puis l'échantillon de votre laine et TADAAAMMM! Vous obtenez instantanément un patron de tricot sur mesure en format PDF à consulter sur votre tablette, téléphone intelligent ou à imprimer au besoin :) La première version de l'application Biscotte Knitting Patterns contient un patron de tuque et des patrons de bas offerts en version "cuff-down" (des côtes aux orteils), "Toes-up" (des orteils aux côtes) avec le choix de talon double ou talon en rangs raccourcis.  Donc une possibilité de 5 patrons différents offerts en 24 tailles et disponibles pour toutes les épaisseurs de laine (échantillon) sur le marché! Vous avez le choix d'utiliser cette application de tricot... ...dans votre ordinateur, ici même sur le site LesLainesBiscotte.com  ...sur votre téléphone intelligent Iphone ou tablette Apple ...sur votre téléphone intelligent ou tablette Android Google Si vous choisissez la version "ordinateur" vous pouvez commander votre accès à l'application en cliquant ICI.  Une fois que vous aurez complété votre commande, vous trouverez l'application de tricot en ligne sur cette page: Patrons de tricot sur mesure par Les Laines Biscotte (on vous suggère d'ajouter cette page dans vos favoris pour y avoir accès plus rapidement, entre deux rangs !!) Si vous préférez utiliser l'application dans votre téléphone intelligent ou sur votre tablette, procurez-vous directement l'application sur Google Play pour votre appareil Android ou sur Itunes pour votre appareil Apple. Pour un aperçu de l'application de tricot Biscotte KP sur Iphone, je vous invite à visualiser le court vidéo suivant:   Encore une fois, un très grand merci aux tricoteuses et tricoteurs qui ont rendu ce projet possible en participant à notre campagne de financement sur Kickstarter.

If you have never downloaded a knitting pattern on our site LesLainesBiscotte.ca, here is a small tutorial to show you how to do this in a few images. First, select the pattern you wish to download and add it to your cart.   When your cart is complete, click Continue Order (you must accept the terms and conditions). Now you have to fill in the empty fields (or log into your account if you already have one).   If this is your first order, you have the option to save your details and create an account so you do not have to fill out this form again with your next order;)   Here you just have to confirm your order by clicking on "Complete Order".  We indicate that you have nothing to pay since your order is free:)   That's it, the download link will appear on the screen. Click on "Download now", a window will open to ask you where do you want to save the document?   In addition to the download link that will appear on your screen, you will also receive a download link by email. If you can not find the email in your inbox, check your spams ...  If you perform all of these steps without problems but cannot open the download link, the problem may be caused by your browser, firewall or device (phone or tablet) that prevents "pop-up" windows from opening. In this case, we suggest that you try to open the download link using another browser and/or try from another device and/or by changing your firewall settings.In the case of files ending in .zip, these are compressed files containing multiple documents. You need an application to open these files: normally with a laptop this application comes automatically with the operating system but if you are browsing from a phone or tablet, you will need to install an application to open the .zip files: you will find several of them available for free in the App Store (or Google Play). Thank you for your interest in our knitting patterns! Happy knitting:)  

Beading a knitwork gives beautiful results and can turn an ordinary project into fine jewelry! Here is an easy way to bead a stitch with a small wire commonly called "tiger tail" that you will find in jewelry craft shop.  Step One: Cut a piece of wire (about 4 inches) and fold it in half. Make sure the pleat is well crushed to be as thin as possible. Second step: slip the stitch you want to bead on your wire in the middle of the pleat: Third step: Insert both ends of the wire through the bead hole... Slip the stitch through the bead...  Put the stitch back on left needle and knit: It's simple! If you can't get "tiger tail", you can use fishing line or any fairly rigid wire.You can also use a crochet but the problem with crochet is that you need a very small one to enter the eye of a pearl are generally these crochet will be too small to catch the yarn completely which may split the yarn strand.  Of course, each knitter and each yarn are unique so you have to find the method that suits you !! Happy knitting!!

Welcome to another episode of our online knitting class :) In this video, you will discover how to knit cables without using a cable needle (auxiliary needle). This technique requires a little practice at first but once mastered, you'll love knitting the cables. It's so much easier to knit the rows without having to stop constantly to use a third needle each time you have to cross the stitches. Welcome to another episode of our online knitting class :) In this video, you will discover how to knit cables without using a cable needle (auxiliary needle). This technique requires a little practice at first but once mastered, you'll love knitting the cables. It's so much easier to knit the rows without having to stop constantly to use a third needle each time you have to cross the stitches. To practice this new technique, you will find several patterns of knitting right here in our online wool shop, including our sock pattern with three cables that you can download for free here: Three Cable Socks. Do not forget to position your yarn in front (when you are asked to hold the cable needle behind the book) or behind (when you are asked to hold the cable needle in front of the work). Then it's a simple matter of practice !! Happy cable knitting !!