Where to go for knitting help when you don't want to bother the teacher!

The Yarn Club is so fortunate to have Chuck teaching his amazing classes here!  Each class has its own set of unique skills and goes far beyond the class itself.   Each class comes with a notebook of instructions and helpful hints.  Some classes even contain a video.  WOW!  So I asked, “Where do you find all these great tid-bits?”  The answer, “several websites and blogs including, www.knitfreedom.com”.    So I began to explore…..  and click…. and… a few hours escaped me and my head was spinning.

The first thing I noticed was the free pattern discussed on the opening blog.  You all know how I love free patterns.  I try to include one in every newsletter.  Sign up here,  http://yarnclubknits.us2.list-manage.com/subscribe?u=a3ca6040436ce8fea139e6930&id=6f10821b4e.  This site is filled with great free patterns that I encourage you to explore on your own.  The next thing that jumped at me was the tutorial on how to relieve hand pain,  http://knitfreedom.com/being-a-knitter/top-5-stretches-for-knitting-pain-relief.  These top five stretches have now been added to my knitting routine.  Good bye hand pain!  It also works well for tension associated with computer use.

Now, let’s get to the meat!  Chuck’s Toe-Up Sock Class is packed with information.  He starts with Judy’s Magic Cast On,  http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=19jVjIay5Lk.   What a perfect start to any closed top project in the round.  Think about a hat from the top down or a pi shawl from the center out.  No ugly bump in the center or seam at your toes.  I was glad to have this video for my second sock.  I cast on late at night, like so many of us do.  No Chuck, no yarn store, just me, my laptop and knitfreedom.com.

As I ended the class, far smarter than I began, it came time to bind off.  Typically, I would bind off using a larger needle if I needed a bit more stretch to the end of the project.  Oh, but now I know better.  http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=fjynMuSPX4Y  is a great tutorial on “Jenny’s Super Stretchy Bind-Off”.  There are eight different bind-offs shown on this site with pdf graphics to help you out.

I found videos on how to fix mistakes, how to knit more evenly, directions on rarely used stitches, such as, TBL (through back loop) and so much more.  Follow this link, http://knitfreedom.com/knitting-videos, to endless knitting knowledge.  Join Chuck’s classes for in-depth instruction, understanding, and tons of fun!  May brings us a Brioche Knitting Class.  I’m so excited!