Knitting terms explained

| beth

Or…the surprising origins of the words knitters use

I’ve been knitting for more years than I care to count, let alone commit to writing where someone might quote me on it. Over the years, I’ve adopted the knitter’s vernacular so wholeheartedly that I sometimes forget that normies have absolutely no idea what I’m on about. Friends stare at me like I’ve sprouted dpns from my forehead when I say I had to frog my latest cardigan back eight inches, or when I breezily announce, “I’ve only got to block it and then it’s done.”

But every now and again, the English Literature student in me stirs and I start questioning the curious language we knitters toss around without a second thought. When did we start saying “purl” or “notions” or “frogging”… and why, exactly?

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The Summer Edit: my top 10 summer knitting patterns

| beth

When I first got into knitting, I assumed it was strictly a winter sport. Best enjoyed under six layers of soft, squishy merino, ideally with a biscuit. But no! Summer knitting is a whole different game. The summer knitting pattern scene has exploded in the last few years: there’s a whole host of lightweight yarns, breezy silhouettes and sharp, modern shapes. All this means you can have a (slightly smug) handmade wardrobe staple for each season of the year. And quite frankly, I’m here for it.

Here’s my handpicked list of 10 stunning summer knitting patterns that have me reaching for my needles.

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A knitter’s diary: 01

| beth

April 2025 – climbing rocks, dodging snot and exactly zero finished jumpers

April felt like one of those months that moves in quiet surges between the good and bad. The sort of month where time moves fast but your needles don’t. We had long lunches with old friends (one with a deliciously squishy six-month-old), asked two of our favourite people to be our best man and celebrant at our wedding (they said yes!) and packed the calendar with visits to the park, National Trust wanders and ice-cream catch-ups with the Fantastic Aunties (no Great Aunties in this house, only the Fantastic kind.)

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Back on the blog: knitting plans, sustainable projects and wedding patterns

| beth

After an embarrassingly long hiatus (no really, let’s not count), I’m gently tiptoeing back into the Shortrounds blog. The past few years have been a lot, and that’s not to say I haven’t been knitting through it, but life most definitely got in the way. As it tends to. As it probably will again. But for now, I’m feeling the urge to write and share my little corner of this knitting world – I’ve got stories to tell, yarns to squish and knitspiration to share.

So what have I been up to these past four years?

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Another reading challenge?!

| beth

I was in two minds as to whether I should share yet another reading challenge for fear of running over old ground. But I had such success with my 2017 reading challenge, I had no reservations continuing in the same vein for 2018. Once again Popsugar released yet another inspiring list of 40 book prompts to broaden your literary horizons and I jumped thoroughly on board at the start of the year.

Seed stitch blanket - Shortrounds Knitwear Continue reading →

Yarn buying enabler extraordinaire

| beth

I’m sorry in advance for putting such lovely yarns right under your nose. But I’ve been fortunate to find some absolute beauties in recent weeks and just had to put them all in one handy place. Ready for a pay day / ‘Yes I made it through Dry January!’ / ‘Darn I messed up Dry January, oh well, I’ll make myself feel better by buying some gorgeous new yarn!’

There’s a mixture of luxury and more affordable yarns in here, that I’ve earmarked for upcoming projects. The colourways are stunning and very wearable. I’m desperately searching for a supersoft striped yarn to use for my Weekender sweater by Andrea Mowry, but the right one hasn’t crept up yet (any suggestions, please let me know)! But without further ado, here are the yarns I’m ogling right now.

De Rerum Natura Gilliatt Caramel - Shortrounds Knitwear Continue reading →

Hessian Shawl – a mono version

| beth

It’s been six months since the release of my Hessian Shawl. (Woah, I blinked and half a year went by!) I’d always planned this pattern as a two colour project, with a feature panel to really play with hand dyed, speckled yarns. So I’d never considered I’d make a single colour version. But second time around, when it came to the point where I should switch yarns and begin the contrasting section…I just kept knitting. And I couldn’t be happier with the results.

Hessian Shawl Shortrounds Knitwear

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