Lace Knitting Expert Anna Dalvi (Mystery Knit Alongs) today’s guest on the Yarn Thing Podcast with Marly Bird takes Mystery and Lace knitting and mixes it just so.

Just home from Sweden (Marly just wrapped up Stitches Midwest, so they are both a bit jet-lagged) called in from Ottawa. She began knitting when very young and enjoyed it as a teenager. In her 30’s, her daughter asked her to teach her when she realized her bus driver was a knitter.  Daughter made a scarf, Mom made an afghan and found it fueled her to create more.

She was invited to a Mystery Knit-a-Long (or MKAL) back in 2007 in a Yahoo Group (before she became a member of Ravelry) and enjoyed it. She decided to create one, too, and 1,400 people joined up with her first one!  She enjoys it and the camaraderie that working as a group on something naturally creates. Marly asked if she produces a design as the MKAL progresses (a good question for someone that’s not done one) but Anna says she has finished the design and the pattern is written before it’s the MKAL has begun. Most of her designs are well-known lace shawls. MKALs lend themselves naturally to shawls because there is no worry about fit, (and a little flexibility with gauge) and lace patterns can be broken up and blend themselves when broken into chapters.

Anna submitted her designs for publication and began to consider trying to publish her patterns herself when she began conversing with Shannon Okey at Cooperative Press. Since then, she has had three books published.  The newest book MYSTIC SHAWLS (Ravelry link to view the patterns) is a charted pattern collection of all the knitted lace shawls she’s created for her MKALs, with a few updates but of various shapes and sizes but all absolutely beautiful.

She has another Knit-a-Long, The MYSTIC OCEAN SHAWL KAL starts this Thursday. Information about that can be found in her Ravelry Group and at her website. There are about 300 signed up already! Anna sees no end in her future for MKALs as she loves seeing what others create and how we all get through a challenge together.

Anna’s website is https://www.knitandknag.com/ where you can connect with whatever is new and cool with her, in her blog, Knit-a-Longs and patterns.

Frequently Asked Questions

What exactly is a Mystery Knit-a-Long?

So here’s the thing… a Mystery Knit-a-Long, or MKAL, is when you join a group to knit a pattern that is released in sections over time. You don’t see the whole design until the end, which makes it super fun and a bit of a surprise!

How does Anna Dalvi create her Mystery Knit-a-Long designs?

Honestly… Anna has the entire design and pattern written before the MKAL even begins. She loves how shawls are perfect for MKALs because fit isn’t a worry, and lace patterns can be broken up into chapters really nicely.

Is Anna’s book “Mystic Shawls” just for MKAL patterns?

Yes! It’s a collection of all the gorgeous lace shawls she’s designed for her Mystery Knit-a-Longs. There are updates, and they come in different shapes and sizes, but they’re all stunning.

How did Anna Dalvi get started with designing?

Well, she enjoyed knitting as a teen, but it really took off again in her 30s when her daughter asked her to teach her. After a successful first MKAL with 1,400 people, she started getting her designs published.

Where can I find out about Anna’s next Knit-a-Long?

You can find all the details on her website, [https://www.knitandknag.com/](https://www.knitandknag.com/), and also in her Ravelry Group. She loves seeing what everyone creates and how you all tackle challenges together!

Lucy Neatby Knitting Expert and Instructional DVD Pioneer was the guest on the Yarn Thing podcast with Marly Bird today!

Candian Lucy called in from Nova Scotia, and she shared about her unique colored hair (thanks Marly for asking what the rest of us wonder and allow us to get to the important topic of knitting!) and her world travels while in the Navy. She says during her time in the Navy she became a self-reliant knitter, as there was no one else to consult about knitting. She started hanging out with a fleece artists who asked her to start teaching classes, starting with colorwork. They began with a 3 hour class on Fair Isle, Mosaic and Intarsia. It sounds like they realized that was overwhelming so they broke down into specific topics.

Her neighbor asked her to create a sweater that reflected his heritage which began her design career. What a career it’s become! Just check out her designs listed in Ravelry (probably not all of them) https://www.ravelry.com/designers/lucy-neatby She also created instructional DVD’s which can still be purchased through her website, then won a competition through TKGA that introduced her as a teacher in the US.

Lucy is celebrating her first 3-book: Little Book of Big Holes (link from Ravelry where it can be purchased from too): https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/sources/a-little-book-of-big-holes-for-hand-knitters

She has a Craftsy class available on Double Knitting, here is the Marly code:  https://www.craftsy.com/ext/MarlyBird_202_CP There is another class coming soon on Sock Knitting so stay tuned for that! Very exciting…

Lucy’s website is:  https://www.lucyneatby.com/index.php In the meantime, she shared that Double Knitting is really calling her. If you follow her on the internet, you’ll see her beautiful work popping up quite regularly.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who is Lucy Neatby and what is she known for?

So here’s the thing… Lucy Neatby is a knitting expert and a pioneer of instructional DVDs. She’s Canadian and known for her unique hair color, her travels in the Navy where she became a self-reliant knitter, and her expertise in colorwork techniques like Fair Isle, Mosaic, and Intarsia. She’s also designed some amazing sweaters and created instructional DVDs and online classes.

How did Lucy Neatby get her start in designing and teaching?

Honestly… Lucy’s design career started when a neighbor asked her to create a sweater that reflected his heritage. She also began teaching classes on colorwork after a friend who was a fleece artist asked her to. She started with a 3-hour class on Fair Isle, Mosaic, and Intarsia, and then broke those down into more specific topics. She also won a competition in the US that really introduced her as a teacher here.

What kind of resources does Lucy Neatby offer for knitters?

Yes! Lucy has a few books and classes available. Her first book is “A Little Book of Big Holes for Hand-Knitters,” which is an e-book. She also has a Craftsy class on Double Knitting, and another one on Sock Knitting is coming soon! You can find her designs on Ravelry and her DVDs are available through her website.

What is “happy-stitch” and why do people mention it in relation to Lucy Neatby?

Well… “happy-stitch” seems to be a term that Lucy uses to describe knitting that brings joy! Many commenters loved this concept and felt that knitting itself is a happy-stitch. Lucy’s illustrations of the happy-stitch are also mentioned as being helpful for understanding knitting techniques.

Where can I find more information about Lucy Neatby and her work?

You can check out Lucy’s website at https://www.lucyneatby.com/index.php for more about her and her creations. You can also find her designs on Ravelry, and she has instructional DVDs and online classes available!

Anne Berk Knitting Expert and Author was today’s guest on the Yarn Thing podcast with Marly Bird.

Anne started crafting when she was young and tried several things just as a matter of fact. If you wanted a thing, she was of the mind that you made it. She actually learned the knitting technique of intarsia from Lucy Neatby.

Intarsia is defined (according to Wikipedia) as: Intarsia is a knitting technique used to create patterns with multiple colours. As with the woodworking technique of the same name, fields of different colours and materials appear to be inlaid in one another, but are in fact all separate pieces, fit together like a jigsaw puzzle.  Anne’s designs define it again, but rather than the usual technique of twisting the stitches around each other a specific way, she teaches a way that she has found is easier for her! Her method her husband named Annetarsia.

She has self-published a book called Annetarsia Knits. (That was the link to Ravelry where you can see the patterns from the book and PURCHASE the e-book which is also available at her website.) Self-publishing does not mean that she did all the work of layout and everything on her own. Ann Budd was the editor, Lucy Neatby authored the forward, Donna Druchunas was project coordinator and the entire process took about three years. Clearly a lot of effort but all done by very talented and knowledgeable people.

She included designs that are inspired by the area she lives in near Portland, Oregon. ‘Oaks Park Socks’ are inspired by the amusement park down near the Willamette River, which is obvious by it’s giddy whirlwind colorwork, like riding the spinning carnival rides. She also included things that are close to her heart. The childhood paper doll motif of the shawl on the front cover of the book is a perfect allusion to elementary school in the ‘Sandy Hook Shawl’ creating children of EVERY color, and reminds us that everyday presents changes to our lives.

Anne has a wonderful Craftsy Class that works perfectly with her book as she is SHOWING and DISCUSSING her technique. (Please use this code so that Craftsy knows Marly sent you. As a sponsor of the podcast, they want to know!)  https://www.craftsy.com/ext/MarlyBird_3998_CP

Anne Berk’s website is https://annetarsia.com/ and includes more information about her and allows us to keep up with her, so you can subscribe to her blog there.

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Frequently Asked Questions

What exactly is Annetarsia?

So here’s the thing… Annetarsia is a knitting technique that Anne Berk developed to make intarsia knitting easier. She learned traditional intarsia from Lucy Neatby, but found her own way of doing it that her husband affectionately nicknamed Annetarsia!

Is Annetarsia really easier than regular intarsia?

Honestly… it seems so! Many crafters on the comments mentioned that Annetarsia sounds more fun and less intimidating than traditional intarsia. Anne even has a Craftsy class that walks you through her method, which seems to really help folks learn it.

Where can I get Anne Berk’s book?

Yes! Anne has self-published a book called “Annetarsia Knits.” You can find it on Ravelry where you can purchase the e-book, and it’s also available on her website.

What kind of designs are in Anne’s book?

You’ll find some really neat designs inspired by where Anne lives near Portland, Oregon. There are fun ones like ‘Oaks Park Socks’ with giddy colorwork, and also some heartfelt ones like the ‘Sandy Hook Shawl’ with a paper doll motif.

How can I learn more about Anne Berk and her techniques?

Oh, you can totally check out her website at annetarsia.com! It’s a great place to find more information about her and her amazing Annetarsia technique, plus you can subscribe to her blog there to keep up with everything she’s doing.

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