by Sandi Rosner

It is entirely possible to make a sweater without ever increasing or decreasing the number of stitches. Four plain rectangles can be sewn together to make a perfectly serviceable covering for your upper body and arms. Most of us, however, prefer our garments to bear some relationship to the shape of the body underneath. Producing such garments requires a working understanding of increases and decreases. In this article, we will take an in-depth look at increases.  Look for the discussion of decreases in the Spring issue.

by Franklin Habit

Hi, my name’s Franklin. I teach knitting for a living. No, seriously. Next year I’ll be going to at least a dozen or so fiber festivals, large and small, and I’ll be paid to go to every one of them. That’s my job. I fly to interesting places where knitters have gathered, and spend entire days talking to them about knitting as we play with pretty yarn. Then I get money.

by Kay Gardiner and Ann Shayne

as retold by Daryl Brower

Long ago, during the time of Inca, there lived two young people whose lives became intertwined. The first was a maiden, long of limb, fair of face, and a delight to behold. Now in those days and in that part of the world, girls of great beauty and noble breeding were given the sacred honor of serving in the temple of the Virigins of the Sun. Consecrated to the greatest of the Inca gods, they spent their days learning to spin and weave more beautifully than any in the land, creating rich and sumptuous robes and hangings for the priests and nobles. The girls in the Sun’s service took an oath to be loyal only to him. Should they share any word, touch, or other connection with a mortal man, they were put to death, buried alive along with their unfortunate paramours.

by Clara Parkes

Angora is one of the unsung heroes of the fiber world. Blended and spun properly, this tender, fluffy fiber can produce extraordinary results. Unfortunately, most yarn companies spin angora far too loosely, hoping to create a heavenly bird's nest of fluff that will look tempting on the shelf. Once on your needles, however, those fibers can quickly slip from their stitches and attach to everything around them—including your nose. As a result, angora has gotten a bit of a bum rap over the years.