Make an extra floofy i-cord pom-pom

This fun loopy pom-pom made from an i-cord is a unique topper for any hat. Instructions are for small 2.25" (5.75 cm) and large 3.25" (8.25 cm) size pom-poms.

The Flower Petal Hat pattern shown above featuring an i-cord puff is available via ravelry or as a kit from MollyGirl Yarn, but in the spirit of the holiday season, I've made a free tutorial for the i- cord pom-pom.

Gift Cowl Pattern

Winter is the season for gifts, and every year this is my go-to cowl for family and friends who are on my gift list. Worked in an airy lattice stitch, this cowl is still extra warm for winter because of the thickness of the recommended yarn.

A printer friendly version of this pattern is available as a free download on Ravelry, or you can continue online with the instructions below.

How to knit the lattice stitch

Tomorrow I'll be releasing my first pattern collection, Jersey Shore Knits, and in it there's a super airy openwork scarf inspired by the boardwalk.

You can see that this stitch is neither a traditional lace or mesh, it looks a lot more like crochet. It is in fact very different from other stitches that I have used before in patterns, but it's my favorite new thig to experiment with.

A closeup of  the base stitch looks like this:

It's something worth learning for summer and winter use, so I've put together a series of videos to show how it works.

The cast on

The base stitch

The bind off

You can use the stitch without the special cast on and bind off as well, so give it a go.

Learn to use stacked decreases

If you've learned how to work a stacked decrease in my first article and possibly tried making an oak leaf, you're ready to come up with your own patterns that use this unique stitch. This article is going to focus on how to adjust the height of your stacks  and go over some of the math. Don't worry, it's not too hard.

Learn to knit stacked decreases

Some knitters have been asking about stacked decreases lately. In response, I've put together this article, a video tutorial, and a free pattern that uses this technique in a few ways.  Since publishing my Petal Cowl and Fox Paws patterns, there have been many emails from knitters asking whether they're interpreting the pattern right or wondering how I took these stitches and put them together into a pattern.

I'll go over the basics of how to do the decrease here, then, in the next article, we'll move on to some design tips.

Knit Tips: Weaving in ends as you knit

I love knitting stripes and using different colors in my knitting, but I HATE sewing in ends. To avoid all that extra finishing work, just these simple directions.