www.Daisyknits.com

Lora Kinnan's excellent U.S. Designer/knitter contact page is on her web site here. I was inspired by her pages and was prompted to emulate this idea here in the UK. (based in the U.S.)

Jo Newton's website for machine knitters

Jo specialises in motifs depicting animals - dogs and horses especially- and authentic sporting pictures available for 24st and 60st. She has an on-line catalogue on her site, and if you don't find what you want she accepts commissions at a very reasonable rate. (based in the U.K.) http://www.jonewton.co.uk

Erica Thomson's web page

Interesting website with resources for machine knitters. Erica's work often
combines knitting with sewing and she makes tassels on the knitting machine.
Erica's page includes a "for sale" section, and useful information on
estimating yarn quantities, which you can download. (based in the U.K.) http://www.erica.co.uk

Kerstin Michler's knitting website

This website is an Aladdin's cave of resources for knitters, with an amazingly comprehensive collection of links. Kerstin's site is in German, but even if you don't speak a word you should visit the knitting links page ("Die Strickmoden-Linkliste") which includes sites from all over the world (including from mainland Europe which you don't often find!) divided into patterns, yarns, finished products and more. I even found UK links which were new to me here! For assistance you can contact Kerstin who speaks perfect English : km@strickmoden.de (based in Germany) http://www.strickmoden.de

Steph Thornton's knitting website

Another treasure! A UK website with an American feel - full of useful links, supposedly for hand knitters but very useful for machine knitters as well. Useful review of UK online yarns suppliers, links to pages detailing difficult-to-find information such as an explanation of yarn counts. Worth a visit. Also a comprehensive quilting link list! http://www.stephthornton.co.uk/knitting/knitmain.htm

Ann Kite Homeschool

For all of those knitters all over the world who email me with questions about machine knitting, or who ask me what to do to get started, Anne is the person who can help, via her series of teaching videos. If you can't find a teacher near you, this is the next best thing. www.annkitehomeschool.co.uk enquiries@annkitehomeschool.co.uk Based in the U.K.

The Woolworks

Well organized non-commercial resource for hand knitters. If you are looking for a pattern, try here on the "patterns" tab, leave messages and questions for other knitters, access links to other sites. This is where I direct people who ask me questions I can't answer or ask me for patterns I don't have!! http://www.woolworks.org

The Knitting Pages

This comprehensive site is a non-commercial collection of hand and machine knitting resources gathering together an enormous amount of information and comprehensive links pages. Not always organised in the way you expect, so be prepared to search for what you want, use the search facility or just browse. http://www.knittingpages.com

Bella Online

A knitting sub-section of Bella Online and now very professionally presented and comprehensive. Useful links, and informative knitting book reviews. Information about U.S. knitting magazines. www.bellaonline.com/about/Knitting

Designaknit Knitting Software Program

A wonderful program that I have been using for many years and which has been constantly expanding its capacities. (O.K., I'm biased!). I'm including this information as so many people e-mail me asking about knitting software. This program has various components for all of the aspects of designing and knitting a garment. It can be used successfully for all stitchbased crafts, but is essentially designed for machine knitting. The components include a stitch design facility where you can design your own knitted fabric design from scratch or scan an image in from a drawing etc., a garment design facility which allows you to produce a pattern for knitting your own garment either from a standard size, which you can tweak for your own measurements, or (if you have the professional version) you can produce a pattern for anything whose pieces you can draw (I did a car seat cover, once). If you are an "electronic" knitter you can transfer everything from your computer to your machine if you buy the appropriate cable for your machine or PPD. (You still have to knit it yourself, I hasten to add.)

The Softbyte website is more of a resource than an interesting site in its own right. You can download demos, obtain technical information, information about aspects of the program etc. www.softbyte.co.uk

 

Magazines do not typically have websites that provide the sort of informational resources that other specialist sites often do. For obvious reasons the information available on these sites is usually information about how to contact the editor, purchase copies of the magazine or sign up for a subscription. For those who want to do just that, here are the beginnings of a list of publications

www.machineknittingmonthly.net

Machine Knitting Monthly is one of the UK's leading magazines for the craft, with patterns, articles etc. An easy-to-use website, which is relatively new and being improved all the time. Contains information about the magazine, a fledgling knitting links page, information about exhibitions etc.

Postal address: PO Box 1479, Maidenhead, Berkshire, SL6 8DP

Contact Anne Smith on 01628 783080, email: rpa@surf3.net

knitwords.on.ca

Knitwords is the leading Canadian machine knitting magazine, with high quality presentation and packed with articles, patterns and instructions for machine knitting techniques you might not find elsewhere. Congratulations to Mary-Anne Oger for ensuring that this magazine website is user friendly and provides information of interest to knitters so that a visit is worthwhile. Try the well-illustrated hints and tips section.

Knit 'N Style Magazine Online

A U.S. magazine for hand knitters containing useful resources for knitters. As well as information about the magazine there is a useful links page including links to sites of interest to machine as well as hand knitters, a free pattern and message board . Worth a visit. http://www.knitnstyle.com

Machine Knitters Source

A U.S. magazine for machine knitters containing an on-line version of the magazine and resources for machine knitters. http://www.mksource.com

In-Knitters

A new U.S. magazine for hand knitters containing an on-line version of the magazine and resources. http://www.inknitters.com

Vogue Knitting

The well-known and stylish U.S. magazine for hand knitters. http://www.vogueknitting.com

 

A site devoted to the K & C Guild and its activities listing study days and events of interest to members. Judging by the number of enquiries I have from all over the world asking for patterns for unlikely items, the Guild's Pattern Search Service (free to members, otherwise requiring a small payment) should be very useful. Information on the Guild's website: www.knitting-and-crochet-guild.org.uk

The Guild's quarterly journal, Slipknot, is full of information, ideas, tips and techniques you won't find elsewhere. It is produced by and for members who receive it as part of their membership.

KCG Trading Limited

This is the trading company for the K & C Guild which stocks hand knitting, machine knitting and crochet supplies by mail order. This site has moved forward by leaps and bounds and now has an amazingly comprehensive book list, and is one of the few places where you can still get sets of crochet hooks in cases! Their address is KCG Trading Limited, PO Box 295, Huntingdon PE29 7HE. Visit their website on www.kcgtrading.com

Machine Knitting Guild

The Machine Knitting Guild's website is an excellent resource for all machine knitters, with pages listing local clubs, knitting machine repairers, courses and tutors, exhibitions and study days and a links page to other machine knitting websites. There is also a "for sale" and "wanted" page where knitters can advertise secondhand machines and so on. Visit the site at www.guild-mach-knit.org.uk

I have listed here the suppliers that I have used and been very satisfied with over the years. If you would like to recommend suppliers who you have used, email me with your comments.

Texere Yarns www.texere-yarns.co.uk

I have been using Texere for over 20 years (even though I am only 19!) and always go back to them because of their large range of supplies for different crafts, excellent friendly telephone assistance should you need it, efficient mail order service and reaonable prices. Although they cater for such a wide range of crafts, (hand and machine knitting, hand loom weaving, tapestryweaving, rug making, embroidery, tasselmaking, braid making,crocheting), there are always ranges of yarns for knitters at very good prices, although not necessarily repeatable.

Upppingham Yarns www.wools.co.uk

Another excellent company with a helpful, efficient mail-order service and very reasonable prices. They supply all types of industrial, specialist, exotic, unusual & standard yarns & wools for machine knitting, hand knitting & weaving, for home knitters, designers, colleges & students. I have used their French crepe range extensively for a number of years and can highly recommend it, both for the quality and the price. Different shades are available at different times and Uppingham will send you samples of the ones they currently have in stock, if you give them an idea of what you are looking for. The excellent prices reflect the fact that the yarns (left-overs from quality factory runs I understand) are not repeatable.

Jamieson & Smith www.shetland-wool-brokers.zetnet.co.uk

Jamieson & Smith have been supplying hand and machine knitters with top quality shetland wool by mail order for many years, supplying very fine yarns as well as the standard weights, and hanks as well as cones.

Yeoman's Yarns www.yeomanyarns.co.uk

Suppliers of top quality wool and cotton yarns (as well as mixtures)with an impressive colour range in the main ranges. Their website is very clear, easy to use, and good enough to order from.

Colinette Yarns www.colinette.com

Gorgeous multicoloured yarns, mainly for hand knitters. Worth visiting the website if you are not familiar with these rainbow yarns. The website however is all on a black background and you need to make many clicks through text-only menus to be able to see any of the yarns.

For another review of selected yarn suppliers in the UK see Steph Thornton's knitting website

This is a new link section, where my aim is to link to sites which include information about knitted textiles and knitted textile designers.

UK Textile Guide

This site is really, really offputting when you arrive with a huge promotional panel in the middle for unrelated things. However on each side of this panel there are some valuable links to hard-to-find lists of manufacturers, fabrics, trimmings, and services among other things and the site is based in the U.K.

www.textilesguide.co.uk