Home
The Long Thread
On the Bench
Working Method
Field Notes
Archive
About
Home
The Long Thread
On the Bench
Working Method
Field Notes
Archive
About
Subscribe
Sign in
Latest
Top
Discussions
What a 13th-Century Knitting Mistake Reveals About Medieval Technique
One wrong stitch in a 13th-century Votic mitten, and why it tells us more than all the correct ones
Jun 16
•
Jonathan
142
20
7
Sock Toes, Sweater Sleeves & Lady Ludd
Notes from the Needles #2
Jun 14
•
Jonathan
2
2
1
Why Sweaters Need Myths
The Aran sweater, Fair Isle, the gansey: each comes with an origin story attached. Most of those stories are later inventions. But why does this keep…
Jun 10
•
Jonathan
30
4
2
Shetland Hap Finished, Knitting Belt Experiments, & Starting A Summer Sweater
Notes from the Needles #1
Jun 7
•
Jonathan
5
3
1
Is Purling Optional?
The purl stitch is often described as the other half of knitting. Yet many knitters go to significant lengths to avoid it, and there is a longer history…
Jun 2
•
Jonathan
84
34
5
May 2026
A Simpler Provisional Cast On
A waste-yarn method borrowed from machine knitting, for hand knitters who’d rather skip the crochet hook.
May 26
•
Jonathan
20
4
6
Earthbound: The Sweater I Made the Hard Way
A hand-knitting pattern, adapted for the flat-bed machine: converting gauge, custom sizing, and the mystery of the European shoulder.
May 19
•
Jonathan
15
5
1
Why Knitting Survived the Industrial Revolution
Before the Industrial Revolution, almost every household spun yarn and knitted. Within a generation, domestic spinning had practically vanished. So why…
May 12
•
Jonathan
200
25
24
A week of disappointment, planning, and success
A sweater that didn't fit, the preparation for what comes next, and a pair of socks that did.
May 5
•
Jonathan
6
April 2026
What Happened to Short Row Toes?
How to work short row toes for toe-up and cuff-down socks, with a modification for a rounder shape.
Apr 28
•
Jonathan
12
6
3
The Perfect Souvenir
Belgian wool, an unexpected yarn shop, and the Brussels lace museum. It all ended up in this scarf.
Apr 21
•
Jonathan
1
1
A Second Craft
A hand-knitter gets a machine, discovers a second craft, and can’t stop thinking about the Luddites.
Apr 14
•
Jonathan
7
8
1
This site requires JavaScript to run correctly. Please
turn on JavaScript
or unblock scripts
