Tips Archives - Katia Blog Yarns & Fabrics

21st March 2019

5 tips to clean and care for woolen hand knit garments

Do you know how to care for wool hand knit garments? We know too well how much time and effort you put into making your hand knitted garments. What a joy when you’ve finally finished off the last threads and can show off the results with pride! Because we want the satisfaction of this moment to last longer, here are 5 tips to care for wool hand knit garments. Learn these useful tricks to wash, dry and iron your knitwear! How to care for wool knits 1. Wool is a flexible resilient natural fibre, but requires some care to preserve its…

5th March 2019

Love Denim Challenge: Recycle an old pair of jeans to win 3 selection packs of sustainable yarns

“73% of the world’s clothing ends up in landfill or other waste disposal systems. Only 15% of the world’s waste clothing is recycled, and more alarmingly, less than 1% is reutilized in new clothing” according to the The Global Fashion Agenda. There is no doubt that we can change these percentage amounts if we modify our buying habits and support the responsible use of resources. For this reason, we want to count on you for our Love Denim Challenge, much more than a creative competition. Share a customised or recycled denim clothing idea with the world using our Love Denim…

5th February 2019

How to crochet a sweater? Tips about yarns, hooks, sizes, gauge swatches, finishes, dye lots…

When we think about a handmade jumper we immediately think of one that has been knitted on two needles. What if we were to show you how to crochet sweaters, jackets and cardigans? For a lot of people who crochet, summer is definitely the best season for making crochet tops. However, when the cold weather arrives knitted garments become the key garments of the season. At Katia we want you to be able to enjoy both of these techniques all year round. So this time we are proposing a selection of women’s crochet sweaters, waistcoats and jackets for you. Take…

28th December 2018

Sewing classes: Learn how to make a French seam

It’s the turn of the French seam in our sewing classes. A technique to join pieces together that doesn’t require the fabric edges to be neatened with a zigzag stitch. With this method you can sew neat and polished seams. It is a technique that is often used for fine fabrics, like our poplins, and infant clothing. This way we avoid direct contact of the seam with the skin in garments such as blouses or dresses. To do this type of sewing you will need two left over pieces of fabric, pins, fabric scissors and a sewing machine. We have…

17th November 2018

4 Tips for sewing with stretch materials like jersey and sweatshirt fabric

In today’s post we are going to explain how to successfully sew fabrics like jersey and sweatshirt. With these recommendations you’ll see that sewing knit fabrics is much easier than you think. These days jersey t-shirt fabrics and sweatshirt fabrics are on trend with people who sew. This is thanks to them being so comfortable to wear and easy to sew, when you follow a few guidelines whilst working with them. The range of elastic fabrics available is very varied depending on their composition. However, they all have something in common, they do not unravel. Our jersey and sweatshirt fabrics…

13th November 2018

12 knit jumpers with a history: discover the origin of some of the traditional knit designs

Would you like to know the origin of some traditional knit designs? If so, we suggest that you take a tour of the knit jumpers and jackets in our Essentials 13 magazine. We are going to investigate the history of stitches like cables, jacquard and aran. Discover some of the curiosities and legends that lie behind the 12 knit jumpers and jackets. Of course, we rescue the classics in this selection of garments, but we also bring you Essentials details by Katia. Knit jumpers with a history Jacquard Stitch This stitch method got its name from Joseph Marie Jacquard, the man…

6th November 2018

How to knit a pair of identical socks with one ball of Katia Jacquard Symmetric Socks

The cold winter weather is coming, an ideal time for knitting socks. Haven’t you taken the plunge to try your first pair of socks yet? In these step by step instructions we are going to show you how to knit socks using only one ball of Katia Jacquard Symmetric Socks. This yarns perfect colour cycle for socks guarantees a pair of identical socks. How is the jacquard pattern worked? Really easily: You are going to to knit jacquard borders whilst working, without having to follow graphs or make any colour changes. Magic! How to knit socks In each ball of…

19th October 2018

2 Special Knitted Turbans inspired by Maria and her sister

“I’ve been using your yarns for years because I love the quality and the fact that they allow you to make projects that last for years whilst maintaining their original appearance. I’ve searched online for some kind of turban to knit for my sister, who was recently diagnosed with breast cancer and started chemotherapy a few days ago…” That’s how the email that Maria sent us a week ago started. After checking that we really didn’t have any knitted turbans amongst out patterns, we started to knit. As a result, today on the19th of October, World Breast Cancer Day, we are…

12th October 2018

Learn how to sew cuffs and waistband onto trousers and sweat tops

In our second sewing class we want to show you how to sew cuffs and waistbands in jersey and sweat or fleece type fabrics. It is an easy step to do, but may seem little complicated if it’s your first time. Many of the patterns that you can find in our collection are made using elastic jersey fabrics. Which are finished off with cuffs and waistbands. Sweat tops and trousers are the protagonists of today’s class. You have the option of using cuff fabric or the same fabric which the garment is made from. Jersey fabric is more elastic than…

23rd November 2017

Alaska Rug Videotutorial: Home Decor idea to use up or recycle leftover yarns

Have you got some leftover yarns at home? If you have, pay attention to our Alaska Rug videotutorial. We are sharing a decor idea to recycle those yarns that you’ve got stored away without a particular project in mind. Of course, if you don’t have leftover yarns at home, you can still make the rug. In fact, in our Alaska Rug video tutorial we show how to make a knotted rug using balls of Katia Alaska. This is definitely a project for handicraft lovers who like to make decorative projects with yarns. Learn this simple technique and make a rug that’s…

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