I’m working on a new design where I’m doing a 2×2 twisted rib stitch and figured I’d give a short tutorial on how to work that.
I use twisted ribbing in all of my patterns (the ones after I learnt it) that require ribbing. I absolutely love the braided, clean, cute look of it. It’s simple, it’s easy, and in my opinion, really elevates the knitwear. Plus, it’s quite fun to do!
Step One- cast on an even number of stitches.
Step two- knit the first two stitches through the back loops on your left hand needle.
Step three- purl the next two stitches through the back loops.
Step four- knit 2 through the back loops.
Step five- purl 2 though the back loops.
Step six- continue working in that pattern to the end of the row.
Continue as many rows as required in 2×2 twisted ribbing.
See how easy? Bonus gorgeous points if you’re using this yarn from We Are Knitters. This is “the wool” in the color called yarnicorn. I literally get heart eyes over this yarn every single time I use it. Truly, you could make any knitwear piece with it and it would turn out beautiful.
Recently, I had to take a short little trip up to Marquette, Michigan for a youth camp that a few of my kids were attending. With only three kids to tend to (the other three were at camp!) I wanted to take the opportunity to walk down the historic shopping district of Marquette for coffee and browsing the cute shops. Last year I did Pictured Rocks and all the outdoorsy stuff!
After getting my coffee and a glazed croissant (to die for) from 231 West Patisserie, I was stopped in my tracks by the sight of yarn through a window. Behold, Moonspun Wool. I had to go in.
Honestly, I could have roamed around in this shop all day long. Everything about Moonspun Wool is perfection. The decor, the vibe, the organization. It was yarn heaven. If you’re any form of fiber artist, you know how wonderful it is to even just look at yarn. There’s something about it that exudes a sense of creativity and makes the heart happy. I love seeing the colors and imagining what they could be.
I had one of my girls in there with me (the 6 year old!) so I didn’t quite have the freedom to slowly browse as I would have liked to. But I did spot a couple skeins of yarn that needed to come home with me, and they did. I also managed to get some wooden seaming pins, which are going to make my seaming so much easier. Too bad they can’t actually seam for me. But I am excited to use them!
Moonspun Wool also has a back area with tables and chairs for hanging out and enjoying time with other fiber artists. Something I wish I had back at home! I’d be there everyday. Grab a coffee and head to the yarn store for a couple hours? Yes, please.
See that stack of yarn to the left of the books? Why didn’t I buy some of that? Because I didn’t even see it until I was looking at this photo! 😭 Oh and funny thing, I’d shared this photo on my Instagram stories and someone sent me a message regarding that book on display. Another thing I didn’t see, but wish I had! I’ve been wanting to start implementing some embroidery on my knit designs.
Every yarn I came across bearing the Moonspun Wool tag was pure gorgeousness. The colors vibrant and the textures literally moonspun. From what I could see, many of the yarns in the shop are made and dyed up in the UP! I love love looove supporting other makers!
I mean, Marquette is officially the ultimate travel destination. If you haven’t been, do add it to your travel list! It’s an incredibly family friendly area, so bring the kids as well! You can check out Pictured Rocks, the Sand Dunes, the many waterfalls, beaches, lighthouses, amazing coffee shops, and of course, Moonspun Wool.
Summer time brings out all the cotton yarns, smaller needles, and lightweight knitting patterns. I don’t think many of us fancy sitting around with chunkier needles and thick warm fluffy wool (why do I look forward to that already though, love the big yarn so much and also that reminds me of pancakes) if we are knitting anywhere outdoors. Or even indoors if you don’t have the ac running. The cost of our utilities is really getting to me, so I only turn ours on when it’s absolutely necessary.
So where I live, there aren’t any yarn stores. We have Wal Mart. That’s it. And our next nearest town that’s larger than ours is two hours away, so it was a bit of a problem when I was just starting out. I had to wait when I was so excited!
Ever since I started knitting, I’ve ordered my yarn from the two companies I first heard of upon googling yarn. Wool and the Gang and We Are Knitters (with a couple other brands here and there). Very similar yarns. I started out with their thick Peruvian wools, which are 100% comparable. People often ask and I always tell them, you can use them interchangeably in my patterns that call for either one brand (also in case you’re wondering, lots of people use Lion Brand thick n quick to replace the wool).
With the cotton, it’s a little trickier. You can use them interchangeably. I’ll even use both brands in one project. However, there are a few differences, starting with their structure.
Yarn colors shown are yarnicorn and hand painted sprinkle. Pattern of tank shown is Lorraine Tie back tank
While both brands are 100% cotton, there is a difference in the way these two yarns work up.
Shiny happy cotton is a thicker, heavier, yarn. Your finished piece knit with this yarn will yield an amazingly gorgeous drape. It’s even heavier than the “anxiety” hoodies that are all the rage. 100%, a sweater knit with shiny happy cotton can be an anti anxiety sweater. First, because of your skills that you should be so proud of, and second, because of the heavy yarn.
“The Cotton” is a smaller and more lightweight yarn. I use this often for my summer knit projects, because it’s so light. It knits up quick and you won’t be having much body pain or needing as many breaks, even when you’ve got a full panel on your needles! Idk about you guys, but my lower back gets so sore if I knit every day in a row for awhile. It’s a struggle. If you knit a cardigan or pullover with this, it’s still going to be lightweight! It is absolutely perfect for anything summer.
The pros and cons to both cottons are similar. They’ve got a wide array of beautiful colors to choose from, which is seriously a difficult task.
They are both fun to work with and I love the way the finished pieces look. If I’m going for a heavier feel, I go with WATG. Lighter, I go with WAK.
If you’ve ever knit with the big yarns and big needles, these cotton projects seem to take forever! It’s hardly a con of the yarn, just a con of life. Haha.
The yarns tend to split if you’re not careful. This happens a lot when I’m doing knitting through the back loops for increases or decreases. The needle with her stuck on a single ply of yarn and it just almost shreds apart. So you do need to knit carefully to avoid that!
Overall, these two yarns are both great and I absolutely love knitting with them! Let me know your thoughts or tips/tricks you’ve learned!
