Jul 24, 20203 min read

My Favorite Knitting Technique Resources

Becoming a knitting nerd didn't happen overnight. I've always been interested in learning new things — still am! — and my go-to method for learning a new skill is to read and soak up as much information as I can before actually trying it out. And not just reading on how to do things but I'm equally interested in the why.

Here are my favorite resources for getting nerdy with knitting techniques.

#1. TECHknitting

The TECHknitting blog might be a bit quiet these days but there's a wealth of knowledge in the archives. Founded in 2006, the blog covers just about anything and everything you'd might want to learn about knitting. And her signature thing are the superbly clear and informative illustrations accompanying the blog posts.

My favorite post from the archives is the one about jogless stripes. Her TULIPS buttonhole post was the inspiration behind me developing a simplified method of doing one-row buttonholes because I could never remember how the steps went. 🙈 And the SYTK or slip-yank-twist-decrease of course made an appearance in my comparison of 7 ways to knit a left-leaning decrease.

Even if the blog might be all but defunct these days, you can still catch TECHknitter posting occasionally on the Ravelry forums.

#2. Rox Knits

Roxanne Richardson of Rox Knits in another knitting guru I'm fangirling over, hard. Her YouTube channel is chock full of amazing information... and she's massively entertaining, too.

Discovering the Finchley Graft was a game-changer for me — I'm never going back to Kitchener stitch!

#3. Knitty

For many Knitty is just a source of free knitting patterns. It took me years to realize that they also publish other content besides patterns, such as columns, features, and articles on knitting.

Judy's Magic Cast-on and Jeny's Surprisingly Stretchy Bind-off — both household names to all sock knitters — made their first appearances in Knitty. In the early editions Theresa Vinson Stenersen used to write a knitting technique column called Techniques with Theresa. Nowadays the column is called Wiseknit, a clever and punny name if I ever saw one, authored by tech editor and sock-knitting guru Kate Atherley.

There is a ton of great information on Knitty but you kind of have to know where to look for it... or accidentally stumble upon it using Google. It's a pity there isn't an easily searchable archive that covers all 18 years' worth of issues.

#4. Interweave

The same could be said about the Interweave knitting blog. Their archives go back to 2006 but there isn't a handy way to search for articles nor a tagging system to help you look for posts on a particular subject. What you can do, though, is look up all articles written by the same author. Chances are you'll find lots of other useful tips!

In a recent post Roxanne Richardson (who else!) walks you through fixing common mistakes in lace knitting. Joni Coniglio is a senior technical editor at Interweave and teaches you how to graft in pattern. My absolute favorite, though, is this two-parter on seaming a sleeve cap (part 1, part 2). If you ever need to seam a set-in sleeve, I highly recommend following this article.

#5. Ravelry Techniques Forum

I was in two minds about including this one on the list. But the issues associated with the "new look" and whatever internal turmoil Ravelry is currently going through don't diminish the fact that the Ravelry Techniques forum is a great resource. It is, after all, the place where I first "met" Roxanne of Rox Knits.

Beware that the new Ravelry look is known to cause eye strain, migraine, and seizures. Click the link with caution.

Techniques is one of the so-called Big 6 forums visible to all Ravelry users when they first join. It is the place to ask all manner of knitting technique questions — and have them answered around the clock by experts from around the world. And I'm going to let you in a little secret: if I see a particular question being asked over and over again, that tells me it's time for another tutorial on the blog. 😀

Honorable Mention: VeryPink Knits

The five resources listed above are great places to turn to when you want to get really nerdy with the hows, whys and what ifs of knitting technicalities. But if you're looking for information on basic knitting techniques, your best bet is Staci of VeryPink Knits. Her clear videos tutorials are a great way to learn knitting basics, correcting mistakes in knitting, or how to use knitCompanion, for instance. What's your favorite knitting technique resource? Sound off in the brand new comments section! 👇