Knitting in public takes on a whole new meaning when you knit underwater!

It's not something that we've ever tried, but we've had a chat our resident diving expert who said it sounds rather fun. Our advice is:

• Use an acrylic yarn – natural fibres like wool may felt or shed.
• Do a test run with your hands underwater at home.
• Make sure that your yarn and needles are easy to see – light filtering through the water makes it harder to see what you're doing at the bottom of the sea.
  
• Use large needles – if you're wearing gloves fine needles may be hard to manipulate.
• Think about where you're going to store them while you're swimming around.
• Don't forget the camera – we want to see photos!
  

Let the knitting commence!

Last Christmas was the first time I gave away any of my knitting. I knit ski hats for my dad and brother, and a cosy scarf for my mum. I started with – I thought – oodles of time and had cast on at least one project by the end of November. What can I say? I'm an optimistic knitter. And they were all wrapped and ready to go by Christmas morning, so it did work out OK in the end. And studies say we're sleeping too much anyway, right?

This year, I'm hoping to temper my optimism with a little more reality, so I thought I'd start a week or two earlier, but then a friend recently mentioned that she'd already started her gift knitting, which filled me with a mix of awe, envy and panic. Christmas? In July? In magazine land, we're used to being a little out of tune with the seasons, but isn't that taking it a bit far?

It's either pure genius or completely unworkable – or both, like yarn made of chocolate – so I need some advice. When do you cast on you holiday knits? Is the end of July too early, too late, or just right?

Unsurprisingly, we're fans of the handmade, and we love featuring gorgeous hand-dyed yarns, handmade stitchmarkers and all the other amazing things which clever people produce, so Folksy, a site dedicated to helping buyers come together with makers is a dream come true.

This brand-new site makes it super easy to buy or sell the things you've made, whether it's a single unique piece of jewellery or a the results of the hat knitting binge you went on after designing your first pattern.

While we dabble in other crafts, most of the team are confirmed knitters or crocheters, so Folksy is a great way to satisfy our yen for beautiful hand made items we just don't have the time or skills to produce.

Although the site is only in its Beta phase, which means its still being developed and tested, we're already excited by what's on offer and look forward to watching it develop.

As many of you probably know, there's an American site, Etsy, which does something rather similar, but it's nice to have a home-grown version, too.

A word of warning though – if you're thinking of selling your knits on Folksy, please do be aware that, unless you're knitting items you designed yourself, you will almost certainly be breaking the law. For nearly all patterns – including the ones in Simply Knitting – knitting for sale is in contravention of copyright law and the designer (and their lawyers) really won't be happy. Please check with the designer or publisher if you're in any doubt.

Hot on the heels of the rant they published a few weeks ago (which may have sparked a little ranting at Simply Knitting HQ – and some very sensible comments from our readers), the Guardian has gone further than we could have hoped in redressing the balance, and has published The Rebel Knitter's Guide.

It's a really fun collection of patterns from a new designer, and as well as simple patterns, there are a couple of more complex pieces, using colour work, shaping and even some lace socks. We like it a lot, and all we can say is "Bravo!" to Mazz, and hope that lots of Guardian readers are inspired to take up their needles.

As all the patterns are free to download from the Guardian website (some are PDF documents, some web pages) you can cast on today for a fruit or iPod cosy – or that rather nice bag...

Anna, the designer of Mochimochi Land's incredibly cute yet wacky knitted toys, also writes this blog. In it she talks about the new designs she's come up with. (Her latest one, Lucky, is a tree with birds and bird… erm, dollops on top; apparently the tree thinks 'luck is a relative term' and the birds think 'you make your own luck'. If you've ever parked your car under place inhabited by birds, you may well agree with the tree on this one!) Some of the patterns are even free, but the ones in her shop are more elaborate. Harriet the sheep and Hayden the haybale should appeal to any knitter, although we're quite fond of Sleepy Snake and Mischievous Mouse.

Anna also blogs about cute things she's come across - she's a big fan of Japanese cute items - and gives tutorials on aspects of making up knitted toys. There's a nice on on all sorts of eyes, from embroidered on to safety eyes, on the front page of the blog at the moment.

Possibly the best part of the blog, however, is the way Anna interacts with the people who've bought Mochimochi Land patterns and knitted the toys. At the moment she's running a Mochimochi Land photo contest, where the best picture of a Mochimochi Land toy wins a bundle of cute Japanese goodies. We love seeing the inventive things people have done with their toys.


(Apologies if the picture looks odd; Elizabeth is on holiday and I'm less techy than her!)

If you love the Harry Potter books and films or know someone who does, you may well have already knitted a Weasley jumper or a stripy 'house scarf'.  Some early photos from the film version of Half-Blood Prince have been released, and in them Hermione's wearing a lovely knitted hat... which a cunning knitting Potter fan who blogs as JL Yarnworks has come up with a pattern for. 

Find the pattern for Hermione's hat here.

We're all really impressed with how close JL Yarnworks' hat is to the one in the film, and reckon a hat like this would be the perfect present for any little girl who's already making plans to go and see the Half-Blood Prince.

I seem to be developing RSI - and it's in both wrists, which means knitting, playing computer games or lifting weights at the gym is the culprit. I've tried to cut down possible causes, so my poor Viking sock isn't getting anywhere. I've also discovered that TV is much less interesting when all you can do is watch it. It makes an entertaining backdrop to knitting, but it's a bit rubbish on its own. The radio is better, but more fun with knitting.

So, what do you do when you can't knit, especially when you're not supposed to be using your hands for other repetitive things? Read patterns? Squish balls of yarn? At this rate I'm going to end up having a conversation with my husband, and who knows where that might lead!

It seems like it's all about knitting in The Guardian this month. Ahead of the knitting supplement due out in Saturday's edition, there's another piece of good news (sort of) for knitters this week – apparently knitters are beating the credit crunch (sort of) and some bloke knit a scarf for his wife – after a hundred day sex marathon.

Of course, there's the inevitable backlash, this time from Steve Wells. "The knitting craze is the death of both alternative culture and feminism. But it's even worse that that," Steve writes. "Scratch a knitter - discover a Knit Nazi. Like the Nazis, alternative knitters have no sense of humour."

It would be rather nice, I think, if knitting had the power to bring down a whole sub-culture. But I think Steve may have added a couple million unwitting cross stitchers and other crafters to our midst – and we all know they're not as radical as we are...

"The last time I claimed in print that the concept of radical knitting is as absurd as radical dusting or radical toilet cleaning, I received hysterical and barely literate death threats from the ferocious, fanatical, froth-gobbed and swivel-eyed knit Nazi massive," he notes. "This time I suspect I might not survive."

Knitting, like toilet cleaning, is largely seen as a feminine pastime. And perhaps that's why Steve feels that it can't be radical. But to trivialise both of them simply because they're feminine – well, that's why feminism is still here: whether we're blogging, knitting, playing guitar in a band or having a fight in Bournemouth what we do has as much value when we do it as when a bloke does. Would Steve tell these guys or these guys that their hobby can't be radical, or is only us girls who are causing the death of alternative culture and feminism by picking up our pins?

Knitting isn't just my hobby, it's my job, so I'm kind of used to people thinking I should start doing something useful, like stamp collecting, or playing World of Warcraft, but by definition a hobby is something you do for fun which makes everyone outside the inner circle shake their heads and say things like "Wouldn't it be easier to just buy one?" I don't know anyone who cleans toilets for fun, but perhaps Steve does. That would be kind of rad, enjoying the mundane to that extent.

And that's kind of the point. It's knitting – just knitting, not the second coming of the fifties – and you can do it anyway you like whether it's goth baby wear, part of an anti-consumerist lifestyle, all lace, no lace, pastel cardigans or all of those, depending on the day.

And sure, if, like Sid Vicious, we all had a Vivienne Westwood on hand to design our fabulously freakish knitwear, knitters would be edgier and punkier. But in the meantime, wouldn't you rather be knitting?

If you're out and about on Saturday 26 July, see if you can pick up a copy of The Guardian. Rumour has it that the long awaited knitting supplement featuring patterns by our own Rachael Matthews and the team from Prick Your Finger as well as Whovian knitter, Mazzmatazz (who had the BBC and the online knitting community in an uproar earlier this year when the Beeb objected to her free knitted adipose pattern). We've got high hopes for the supplement, and if it's a success they'll probably do another one eventually, so do pick up a copy – or three! – if you can.

Natalie Fergie, the Edinburgh-based knitter behind both the gorgeous Yarn Yard yarns (and rovings – more on that later) also writes a Yarn Yard blog.

Now, knitting is usually a fairly gentle subject to read about online, but I've got to say: approach this blog with caution. Natalie has a habit of posting photos of her stunning hand-dyed yarns to her blog, just before they appear in the shop. This can cause severe yarn-lust and subsequent abuse of a nearby credit card, followed by an orgy of knitting (or spinning – more on that later) when the parcel arrives. It's delicious, but doesn't get the cleaning done.

The other reason we rather like Natalie's blog is because she knits with her own yarns – and others – and is quite happy to chat about how things are going, comments other people have made, and her latest knitting ideas (did you catch the bit where she knit with pencils?). And, of course, there's also the unspun fibre (see – I told you we'd get there).

Natalie also dyes and sells unspun fibre, and talks about it on her blog. This is rather unfair, as it's lovely stuff and has already caused one member of the Simply Knitting team (*cough* me *cough*) to break a certain promise not to start any new hobbies.

But it was worth it, as I'm sure you've guessed.

I've probably just used a horrible Welsh swear-word by mistake there, but it's meant to mean 'The Dragon'. (Peint o gwrw, os gwelwch yn dda is as far as my Welsh goes, and that's only useful in a pub…) Anyway, if you've been reading Simply Knitting for some time you will have read the back page in issue 39, where we showed some burly Welsh rugby players knitting squares for a giant dragon blanket in aid of Ty Hafan, a children's hospice. The finished blanket will take 108,000 squares, and as each donor of a square is asked to donate £1 with each square, it should raise a good sum of money for the hospice.

Currently the blanket-makers are only a quarter of the way to their target, so more squares are still needed. They can be knitted or made from any other textile craft, so knitters, crocheters, embroiderers and quilters can all join in. It'd be a great project for a school knitting club, a lunch club, any local knitting group... or you could just knit some squares on your own.

Read more about the appeal and donate online or download an application form for your blanket pieces here or call 029 2067 2060 to get an application form sent to you. Each application has to be for a minimum of five squares, and the organisers of the blanket project will tell you which colours - green, black, red or white - they wish you to knit your squares in.

Pob lwc!

The August issue of Simply Knitting hits the shops today, and it's packed with great summer knits for you and your family.


Click for a larger image.

We've got knits for girls of every age, from our darling lace matinee jacket through to a sweet lace cardigan for girls age 2-12. Teens and the young at heart will love our daring miniskirt and two-look shrug. For those of us who prefer to cover up a little more, we've got a trendy wrap around cardigan, and a gorgeous green textured cardigan by Pat Menchini.

Of course, we haven't completely forgotten the boys. We've got a pattern for fun mug hugs – perfect for busy commuters – and a matching tea cosy as well as Alan Dart's burly cowboy. The woolly Western hero will make a great pardner-in-play for little boys (and girls!).



Other great things to look out for include:   

• The crochet coral reef – where maths and ecology meet yarn!
  
• Green knitting with Cornish Organic Wool
  
• Pretty butterfly knitting clips!
  

And don't miss any of your usual favourites. This month, Kirstie McLeod is testing silk blend yarns (it's a hard job, but someone has to do it!) and we've got lots more books, patterns and websites for you to check out, as well as the latest new yarns and even a few new beauties from Rowan...

Sometimes, you want a more solid fabric than knitting can give you, and if you don't want to felt your work, weaving is a good option. We've had a lot of fun with the Ashford Knitter's Loom which was recently sent into the office as a giveaway prize, but if you'd like to try weaving at home with even less investment then we recommend you follow the tutorial over at CraftStylish which tells you how to make a cardboard loom.

All you need is a sturdy bit of cardboard and some scraps of yarn to practise with and you can have a go at weaving. The size of your work will probably be quite limited – unless you've recently had a washing machine delivered! – but it's a really fun way of trying weaving, making a belt or a bag handle, or even just keeping the kids quiet for an hour or two!

Photographer Vincent Fournier has created these images of women (we think!) doing everyday tasks in highly bizarre and impractical knitwear as part of an advertising campaign for Mir laundry liquid.

These photos neatly encapsulate both the best and worst aspects of handknitting as, alongside the freedom to knit whatever you like and to create shapes and sizes you wouldn't find in any shop, lies its counterfoil: the nagging guilt if you don't actually like your creation enough to wear it, and the trapped, uncomfortable feeling you get while wearing it if your calculations have gone awry somewhere.

No more! we say. If there's one thing these images scream – apart from, of course, that we should all buy more Mir – it's that clothes can be a cage or a comfort, and really, which would you rather be making?

Vincent has created two other images in this series, and his other work is equally fascinating: a walk through his virtual galleries takes you on a trip through adverts for the TGV to space age artworks.

As a side note, we were amused to find that Mir have a whole website dedicated to wearing and washing black clothes. Break out your holiday French and see how you score as you try to seduce their "Man in Black" or get tips on how to keep your blacks looking blacker than black (use Mir Black, apparently).

Simply Knitting issue 44 hits the shops on Thursday 17 July. Enter our great giveaways and competitions by using the links below.

Regia sock yarn giveaway, page 12
Bergere de France Angel mohair giveaway, page 12
Fyberspates giveaway, page 12
Bergere bundle of new yarn giveaway, page 12
Wendy Origin yarn and pattern competition, page 58
Prize crossword, page 73

Thank you for all your feedback about our new competition entry system. We've made a few changes in light of those comments, including clarifying our privacy policy – click through to any competition to see what we mean! As always, you can leave us a comment to let us know what you think or email us with your view.

There's not a lot to read – you won't find pages crammed with step by step tutorials or detailed how-tos – but we're regular visitors all the same.

Black Dog Knits is a beautiful blog. The photography is exquisite, making each visit like a carefree wander through an art gallery where all the photos – well, most of them at least – are of yarn and gorgeous hand knits. The few words attached to the images are sparse and evocative, an excellent combination for browsing, tea in hand, when you're looking for a bit of calm.

Nora is also a talented designer, so don't miss her gorgeous free patterns which make far better momentos of your trip through the gallery than a postcard or a catalogue.

Everyone needs a break now and then, so we thought we'd finish off our Fridays by telling you about one of the blogs we've been reading. If you've got any suggestions – your own blog or someone else's – tell us what it is and why you like it, and you might see it here next Friday. Don't forget to put "Blog Review" as the subject, so we can find it easily.

Since I started on Simply Knitting six months ago, I've been organising sending out competition and giveaway prizes. I've had a few winners whose house numbers haven't come through, although I have the rest of the address, so if you think you should have received a competition or giveaway (not letters or crossword) prize and it hasn't turned up, please get in touch with me. It could well be sitting under my desk right now. I have your name and most of your address, I just don't have your house number - and the nicely-wrapped parcel I have for you won't reach you without it!

And how could we forget? While we're announcing sales, the John Lewis summer clearance has started and we think it'll last until the 20 July 2008! The bargains won't, though, so have a look online (we haven't spotted any yarn bargains there yet though) or get down to your nearest store and have a rummage in their yarn bins!

With some sad news comes a chance for major stash enhancement: Foreign Strand has closed and will be missed, but as of now, all their left over stock is being sold at a discount through the owner's blog. Check out Luciana's blog for more details – and loads of tempting photos!

Add a crochet edging to almost any fabric – just follow this tutorial to blanket stitch around fabric which will set up that first row for you to crochet onto.