Knitting instructions are not hiking cups

There are themes that are about as popular in the wool world as a gauge. You know they're important. You also know that you should talk about it. But part of us would still prefer to quickly start a new project and pretend that nothing is.

Today we do it anyway.

It's about knitting instructions. More specifically, why a manual does not automatically become a common good just because you have bought it once. So yeah, we're talking a little bit about copyright. But don't worry, it won't be boring.

Well, let’s get started: a knitting kit is not only made of beautiful wool. Even if we understand, of course, that the wool usually gets all the attention. But a good kit also includes the right instructions. And this guide is the work of a designer. Behind this is not only the romantic idea of “I sit down and quickly write a sweater”. It would be fine. Behind a good guide are ideas, calculations, sizes, test tricks, corrections, photos, layout, translations and probably also one or the other moment in which the knit piece is viewed very intensively by the designer and one wonders why one actually does this.

In short, a guide is a lot of work. Creative work. And it can cost something.

Of course, sometimes it is tempting to give a guide. To the girlfriend, the sister, the neighbor or the nice lady from the holiday, who wants to make “just such a sweater”. But bought is bought for a person. Not for the whole knitting round and all those who happen to have straight needles in the right strength.

Yes, we knitters are basically very generous. We pass on wool scraps, give needles, explain knitting patterns and provide mental support when someone briefly questions the meaning of life at sleeve number two. But with instructions, we can be a little less generous. Not out of greed, but out of fairness. Because every designer lives from the fact that their own work is bought.

In principle, we find it best if a manual is purchased directly from the designers. Then the most sticks with the person who designed the guide. No platform fees, no detours.

But we have to be honest, Ravelry is often just practical. If you buy a guide there, you can download all available languages for many designs. If you buy directly from designers, you usually opt for a language, for example German, and then only get this version. This is precisely why we have been recommending Ravelry more recently, because it is simply helpful for many customers.

A great exception is PetiteKnit. She works directly with wool shops, and that is why we have many individual instructions in printed form in the shop. Some are also available as PDF. This is of course fine, because you can take wool and instructions together. Almost a small knitting all-round carefree package. Only without a guarantee that you do not have to break up anyway. We want to remain realistic.

And then, of course, there are knitting magazines by Lang Yarns, Lana Grossa and Co. These are often relatively cheap compared to individual instructions. There you get several models, beautifully photographed and collected in one booklet. That's great, but it's a completely different system. Large yarn companies calculate such magazines differently, often as a support for yarn sales.

A single guide from an independent designer can not really be compared with it. Just because a magazine is cheap does not mean that designers have to almost give their work away as well.

We say it affectionately, but directly: Who treats himself beautiful wool, should not suddenly switch to the savings mode in the manual. Behind it are people, ideas and many hours of work. If we want to continue to have beautiful, well-written and special knitting instructions, then we should also pay fairly for this work. AMEN.

It was really important to us to open up this issue. But now it's good again. Let us dedicate ourselves again to the beautiful things of the knitting world: caressing wool, choosing colors and pretending that we do not already have enough projects on the needles.

The Mulberry Silk from Isager has arrived and what are we to say: she is really, really beautiful.

Mulberry Silk is a delicate, lace-fine, 2-threaded yarn made of 100% silk and is mainly used as a companion yarn. It is designed for all Isager qualities and it does exactly what silk does: it refines. Without effort, but very effective.

Combined with other Isager Yarns, each project gets a bit more softness, elegance and that fine, cool handle. It is especially beautiful for the rather matte yarns like Spinni or Tvinni, which admittedly sound a bit like plug grind, but knitted of course are very elegant. It also fits wonderfully with the summer yarns from Isager.

With wool yarns, it provides additional softness, with summer yarns for more elegance and lightness. We can think of them particularly fine for light clothes, shawls, scarves and baby clothes.

And of course the first Danish designers have already jumped on it. This means: The first really nice instructions with Mulberry Silk will soon appear.

The New Wills of ITOThe ones we recently introduced to you have really gone down really well with you. And how should it be otherwise: Hardly a new knitting design appears, the matching wool is natural out. Klassiker.

The talk is of Ease Tee from Anne Ventzel. We have already sufficiently pre-ordered the original color and it will be available again in June.

But honestly, ITO It has so many beautiful colors. Why does everyone want white? Also beautiful white and currently available would be for example the Lyra Blouse from Aegyoknit. A beautiful alternative for those who do not want to wait.

Also new from Aegyoknit is the Isa Raglan. And this sweater is now probably the best proof that it is sometimes really worth experimenting with color. How beautiful can a green please be?

Then there is another real eye-catcher: the Arrow Tee from Odd Row.

The T-shirt is knitted smoothly and can either be finished with a V-neck or further knitted with a higher collar. Also quasi entweder sommerlich locker oder doch etwas eleganter.

And finally, a small highlight: the Petra Polo from PetiteKnit. We really do think that is particularly good. Simple, fine, a bit classic and yet modern.

Before we say goodbye to the knitting weekend, a new project is waiting impatiently in the wool basket, we would like to briefly point out our opening hours from June to August inclusive.

In these months we are so there for you:

MO, DI, DO & FR: 2.00 p.m. to 6.00 p.m.
SA: 10.00 to 13.00
MI: geschlossen

Enjoy the nice and warm weekend and we will read each other again in two weeks.