Happy 100th, EZ

Today would have been Elizabeth Zimmermann’s 100th birthday. I think she’d be pleased at the many thoughtful expressions of thanks directed her way. She’d be glad that her endlessly inventive designs continue to provide challenges and inspiration to new generations of knitters. As for being a trending topic on Twitter – well, that might be a little hard to explain to her!

A few months ago when I launched our EZ & Meg pattern index, I wrote here about what a pleasure it was to work on. I read through every EZ book and pattern. Writing pattern summaries for some of her brain-teaser designs (surprise jacket, for instance) was challenging indeed. Her wry comments made me laugh, her wise ones made me nod in agreement. It would be entertaining to give you a selection of funny quotes here, but she wasn’t just funny. Her Digressions contain much beautiful and thought-provoking writing about the world she lived in. This, for instance, from Knitting Around:

“And finally, what about our new country America? America is not better, but different…Damn these people, whose parents went through untold agonies to come to the New World away from the prejudice and self-importance of the old. They are now just as self-important themselves…Of course it’s a splendid country; of course I love it dearly, but there are other countries no less splendid, or shall we say no less faulty, and their inhabitants love them dearly too. And that is to the credit of all concerned, until it comes to the point of thinking that there can only be one splendid country, namely one's own…”

Thanks, Elizabeth! May we all knit on with your curiosity, intrepidity, and joie de vivre as a model.

I leave you with a peek at some of the 31,000+ EZ-designed projects you’ll find on Ravelry. Click here to browse them in all their glory!

Something new

Announcing…Knitfinder news & notes, a new source for short, frequent knitting news and tidbits posted several times a day (usually). You’ll find patterns and tutorials that catch my eye, new books and magazines, a good sale now and then, links to interesting interviews, blog posts, knitting in the news or on the street, and so on. You can subscribe if you like, and your comments and suggestions are welcome. There’s a link in this blog’s sidebar, and a news/notes button on the menu bar over at Knitfinder as well.

If you’re a fan of Knitfinder on Facebook this will look familiar – same content will appear both places. Here’s a screenshot:

Don’t worry - this blog isn’t going anywhere; it will still be the place for longer, more thoughtful posts.

In other Knitfinder news – there’s a new demo of the full subscriber version of our Starmore pattern index. I’ve been adding detail to it, including lists of colors required for Fair Isle designs. Check it out!

Knitting techniques online - where to start?

Need to learn a new cast-on method, find tips on inserting a zipper in your cardigan, or cut your first steek? Trying to alter a sweater pattern or fix a cable mistake? Or maybe you're just learning to knit, and need videos of the basics.

It's never been easier to get knitting help from the Internet. From the earliest days of blogging, knit bloggers posted great tips and photo tutorials. Now that Internet video is accessible to most people, there's a how-to video for any knitting technique you can think of.

It can be a little bewildering to sort through these resources. They are scattered all over the Web; sites with lots of tutorials tend to be poorly organized (if they are organized at all), and some of the videos in particular are not very good. On the Knitfinder how-to page I've collected the very best of these links and organized them for you by topic, all on one page. It's easy to find exactly what you're looking for--just click on a keyword in the alphabetical list on the left, or use Ctrl F to search the page.

Here are a few more good collections of general knitting help for all levels, from beginner to geek-expert. These not only offer good content, but are reasonably organized so you can find what you need.

KnittingHelp.com
Launched in 2004, Amy and Sheldon Finlay's site is a collection of short, clear technique videos, all free. A great place to start if you're learning to knit. Advanced techniques such as magic loop, Kitchener stitch, stranded knitting and double knitting are here too. Videos are also collected on a CD available for purchase, and there's a glossary of knitting abbreviations and an online discussion forum.

Knit Picks tutorial collection 

Good basic collection covering most techniques beginning to intermediate knitters will need. Includes videos and a glossary of abbreviations. Fairly well arranged; there's an A-Z index of techniques, so it's pretty easy to find what you need. Knit Picks also has a YouTube channel with more than 100 videos.

TECHKnitting
Since 2006, this site has published dozens of in-depth, clear, illustrated explanations of knitting techniques and problems. Everything from basic cast-ons to very detailed analysis of short-row uses and techniques. Invaluable and a bit geeky. Lots of unusual problems and issues are covered. Index of posts by topic is here.

Knitty articles

Knitty has published lots of good technique articles over the years. Archived articles are listed here by topic. Theresa Stenersen's column "Techniques with Theresa" has covered most of the basics; here is a list of subjects. For other Knitty articles on specific techniques, see the Knitfinder how-to page.

Drops Design YouTube channel

90+ technique videos without audio, supplemented with written instructions. If you want to see a technique demonstrated without being distracted by talking, these are for you.

and...great knitting teachers on YouTube

Many knitting luminaries are on YouTube, often in Knitting Daily TV segments. Unfortunately, there's no easy way to find them. Try searching for a favorite teacher's name. Two with channels of their own:

Lucy Neatby has eight great videos on provisional cast-ons, double knitting, bobbles, and "navajo" knitting, among other things. 

Cat Bordhi has 24 videos on sock knitting, moebius knitting, and other techniques. Some real gems among her tips.

Check out the Knitfinder how-tos, and drop me a line if there's a technique you can't find, or you've got a favorite tutorial or video you'd like to see added to the list. I tuck in new links whenever I come across a good one. New today - the "bar none" increase popularized by Meg Swansen, and new color knitting videos from Berroco.

Coming soon: new content for the Knitfinder resource section--look for pages on color knitting and online pattern sources in the next couple of weeks. Also, stay tuned for a new weekly blog feature - the best new patterns available online, from all over the world.

Happy knitting!

Fun with Meg and Elizabeth

When people hear about my pattern indexes on Knitfinder, they often ask "isn't that an awful lot of work? and isn't it boring indexing all those patterns?" The short answer is, yes and no. Yes, it's an awful lot of work. Boring? Well, you see, I choose which publications and designers I want to index. And I don't choose the publications and designers whose patterns make me gag - because I don't want to spend that much time with those patterns.

Which brings me to our newest index. Just published - ta daah! The (almost) complete list of patterns by Elizabeth Zimmermann and Meg Swansen. I've been working on this for months; it isn't a huge number of designs (around 300 in all), but it presented several technical problems that had to be solved before I found a workable way to display the index on the site. Many of the patterns have appeared multiple times in different places; also, many are known by more than one name. You'll also find a resource list, including complete information on Schoolhouse Press yarns past and present.

Anyway. This index was pure pleasure to work on. It was a blast to reread every issue of Wool Gathering and every book by Elizabeth and Meg. In order to write the detailed pattern notes, I have to read every pattern carefully so I understand the design and construction details, and then summarize them for you all. Sometimes this wasn't easy, with these designers! Try explaining the Surprise Jacket or Round-the-Bend Jacket to someone else, especially if you haven't knit it (I must be the last EZ fan on earth who has not made a baby surprise jacket yet).

Much has been said about EZ's writing style. I can only add that her droll way with words cracked me up many times as I worked. Her written patterns express endless curiosity, intrepidity, and joie de vivre - qualities I admire greatly. Happily, Meg's writing style and approach to knitting are not so different and equally charming. I'm glad to have spent a few months living with their words, and pleased to make the index available to you.

In honor of its publication, try a free demo of the full subscriber version. Just log in with the username demo and password knit on for access to detailed pattern notes, Ravelry links, and the search by tag feature. The demo is good through January 4, 2010.