Yarn labels contain lots of important and helpful information. It’s important to be able to understand what they are telling you so that you know exactly what you are buying, can select the right yarn and tools for your project, and are able to care for it properly once you’ve made it.

Garter stitch is usually the first stitch that you learn how to do as a new knitter. Once you’ve mastered the knit stitch, you can jump straight in and produce a piece of garter fabric on straight needles by simply knitting every stitch in every row. But it isn’t just for beginners.

BFL fleece is incredibly soft and fine, and is a key component in many of the beautiful UK produced yarns that we stock here at flock. Here we take a look at the history and characteristics of this prolific British sheep breed.

We’re taking a deep dive into the different yarn weights available to knitters, starting with DK or double knitting, which is one of the most widely used yarn weights, suitable for almost any kind of project.

Vivienne Richmond is a natural dyer and textile historian based in East Sussex. Early last month, Chris and I visited her garden dye studio to learn about the process of creating Botaniq plant dyed yarns.

The weather has turned decidedly chillier, the new academic year is gaining pace and the evenings are noticeably drawing in. It’s the perfect season to take a bit of time to yourself and pick up a new skill or hobby. Here are our top five reasons that you should learn to knit this Autumn…

A full rundown of all the knitting needle types that are available, pros and cons of each, when you might want to use them, and how to get the most for your money

We're delighted to have a section at the new Bus Stop Shop in St Leonards on Sea, and to be running beginner and experienced knitting classes in the Bus Stop Classroom this autumn term.

Top tips for successful stranded colourwork.

A customisable recipe for a classic, top down knitted sock with a heel and gusset.

The latest yarn that we’ve brought to our shop is the beautiful SheepSoft DK from ByLaxtons. I’ve had my eye on this one for a really long time, so I’m delighted that it’s finally here, and that it’s every bit as lovely as I’d hoped it would be!

In the second in our series on mending, we show you how to use Swiss Darning to repair a hole in a knitted fabric.

In the first of our series on mending we look at how to use duplicate stitch to repair worn areas of knitted garments.

How to use this traditional hand winding tool to create a centre pull ball of yarn for knitting or crochet.

In the third in our mini-series on winding yarn, we look at how to quickly wind the perfect ball of cake of yarn using a ball winder and swift.

In the second of our mini series on yarn winding, we look at how to take your yarn from a skein into a ball ready to knit or crochet without any equipment at all. Perfect if you need to wind a ball of yarn on the go!

Our first in a mini-series of posts about all things to do with winding yarn asks why some yarn is sold in skeins or hanks rather than balls or cakes.

We’ve just added five new shades of &Make Aran to our shelves, so we thought it would be a great opportunity to take a more detailed look at this fabulous yarn from The Fibre Co, and see what makes it so perfect for both beginners and more experienced knitters.

The idea of unravelling your knitting might be enough to bring you out in a cold sweat, but with a bit of planning and care you will be able to make it (almost) painless. We look at Knitting Back (tinking) and ripping out (frogging) and how to use lifelines to prevent disaster.

From Sheep to Sea. In this newsletter Chris takes a look at the traditional fishermen’s gansey sweater.