It’s time to nerd out over stitch anatomy and examine what that little wrap of yarn, the head of the stitch—otherwise known as the purl bump—does to our fabric. First up, a letter that struck me right in my heart and gave me flashbacks to my early knitting days. Big Pearl Energy Dear Patty, I … Read more
Am I thrilled to be back on MDK traveling? “You betcha!”—as they say in Minneapolis/St Paul, the Twin Cities of Minnesota. Let’s go. Not just butter Land of Lakes is a real thing. Arriving by air, you can’t miss the thousands of lakes and big rivers below. We kicked off our visit strolling Lake Harriet, … Read more
Paris is, famously, a city that caters to all tastes. Even so, I did a double-take when I saw posters all over the Métro announcing a major exhibition dedicated to the history of sheep breeding. “La Guerre des Moutons: Le Merinos à la Conquête du Monde, 1786-2021” (The Sheep War: Merinos Conquer the World, 1786–2021) … Read more
It’s time for a summer worthy, pretty shawl knitting pattern! I’m loving how comfy this turned out, and it’s a great example of what a color changing yarn can do a for an easy project. This boho inspired wrap is super nice for cool summer nights, or even to use as a cover-up! See the … Read more
Happy Sunday, readers! Please welcome Atlas Insider Nathan Chapman—the other half of MDK’s shipping team and angel of the MDK help desk. —Kay and Ann There are many reasons to love a Field Guide launch day. We have labored for months to get ready, so the day that a Field Guide leaves Atlas and heads … Read more
You know how they say awareness is always the first step toward change? This is annoying to me, not because it’s inaccurate (oh, it’s accurate all right)but because—as the adjective “first” implies—additional steps will be required. Ugh! You mean awareness is not enough to create change!? Anyway, despite my intellectual distaste for admitting that a … Read more
As we make the designs in Field Guide No. 20: Atlas, we wonder where Erika Knight finds inspiration for these modern, minimalist patterns. Here she is, in correspondence with our creative director for the Field Guide series, Melanie Falick. —Ann and Kay Melanie Falick: I listened to an interview in which you spoke of starting … Read more
As far as public programming goes, museums generally stick to family craft days and swanky, after-dark cocktail parties. While there’s no shortage of those events at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, they can also boast of adding a Soapbox Derby to the mix. The first derby was held in 1975 and another in … Read more
Fresh as the first crocus, here are the books that are filling my spring with the joy of making and learning. Brew a pot of your favorite tea and browse on, friends! Handknits from Rauma, Norway: 30 New Takes on Traditional Scandinavian Designs by Bente Presterud What Lopi yarn is to Iceland Rauma Garn is … Read more
Dear friends, It’s April in Paris and I’m cold. This is not what I was promised. When I was a mere slip of a boy, Miss Doris Day (may she rest in peace) bewitched my infant mind with the idea of April in Paris singing by the song “April in Paris” in the 1952 Warner … Read more