How To
Idea: Make 2018 Your Year of Techniques
Maybe you’re looking at the calendar and you’re thinking, 2018 looks like a great time to learn some new awesome knitting techniques.
Yes! you think. This is the year!
But how? How can I accomplish this dream? Oh, if only there were some brilliant program available, somewhere in the universe, that could give me a dozen great projects and smart video tutorials and little kits of cool yarns for these projects.
If only.
If you’ve been hanging out with MDK this year, you know that A Year of Techniques is that magical, elegant program. Jen and Jim Arnall-Culliford have created something extraordinary. If you’ve been on the fence about whether to jump in, we hope a new year presents a good moment to start your adventure with this great program. We have two months to go in this 12-month program, and it’s easy to join at any time, starting with whatever project you like.
The projects are clever, original, and just the right mix of ease and challenge.
The designers are the best names in the business.
The videos are disarmingly simple—Jen makes you feel like anything is possible. They’re all free and available now, right here—go have a look if you’d like to see Jen in action.
The book captures all the teaching of the video tutorials in a form you can carry with you everywhere.
The yarn kits feature delicious yarns. See below for our kits for each project.
In the past year, we’ve seen so many knitters experience the aha moment of discovering a new techniques. With A Year of Techniques, you’ll find yourself thinking about knitting in a different way.
It is such fun. You can complete them in any order you like. There is no exam. There’s just the open-ended horizon of new ideas and beautiful knitting.
How to Get In on A Year of Techniques
Get the book. It includes twelve patterns, tons of step-by-step tutorials, and tips and tricks for each pattern. (We’ll have more stock this week—apologies for running out!)
The ebook-only edition is available at Ravelry, here.
Pick out some kits. The best deal is from Arnall-Culliford Knitwear—in their online shop, they have Spring, Summer, Autumn, and Winter kits, each of which contains yarn for three projects. If you’re more of an a la carte knitter, we have individual kits in the MDK Shop.
Join the conversation in the MDK Lounge and in the Ravelry group for A Year of Techniques. Much support and fun to be found there.
I have been working through these projects and videos and I can not recommend them highly enough. I also love that you point out that getting the bundled kits from Jen is the best deal if you are a bundled kind of knitter. You resisted the temptation to only recommend your own shop and I admire that so much in what feels like an increasingly profit driven world. Kudos to all of you at MDK!
I got the book for Christmas as well as the yarn for the warbler cowl (from your shop!), so I think I will start with that. I’m very excited to finally be joining up with this group! The book is very inspiring.
Just need to clarify (differing opinions among friends), this is the only “Year of Techniques” avail for 2018? Or there will be a new (different) “Year of Techniques” released in Jan 2018?
Yes, A Year of Techniques may be back for another round, but not in 2018. Good point of clarification!
I am a little Relieved as this is turning out to be two (maybe three?) years of techniques for me!
Clarification to our clarification: there are still 2 months left in this series. The January and February tutorials and projects are included in the current book, and the videos will be here on MDK as well as on Arnall-Culliford Knitwear.
I liked and made two of the patterns: the Hyacinthus mitts and the Little Tern blanket and I was able to use yarn already in my stash. The hat was pretty nice too. I may make that some time for a gift.
I loved this year of techniques, the things that I have learnt have rekindled my love of knitting. I am now going down roads in techniques that I never knew existed and knitting the most exciting garments with beautiful yarns that I never knew existed. I am definitely on board if there is another AYoT. Thanks MDK, Jen and Jim.
I just purchased the 5 Field Guides. How are they different from A Year of Techniques?
For the record, this is not just for things you don’t know how to do. I consider myself a pretty savvy knitter and I’ve learned something new from each of these projects. There were a lot of things that I could do that I wasn’t always super confident doing (provisional cast-on, I’m looking at you). This book is a great resource.
I’m in for 2018!