Vikki Haffenden

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About Vikki Haffenden
Vikki is a specialist in both hand and machine knitted textiles and knitwear design, having developed her skills as a designer in the knitwear industry. This expertise and her academic research into improving the fit of knitwear using industrial digital knitting technology gained her a PhD; one of a rare few that focus on knitting!
Vikki's understanding of how to create texture and surface pattern through knit shines through her writing, and is complimented by her love of colour and knowledge about fibres. Her personal love of knitted textiles is equalled by her professional commitment to sharing her knowledge and skills with others. She has taught Knitted Textile Design at degree level throughout her career, and now lectures at the University of Brighton as well as writing about constructed textiles.
Alongside her expertise in digital knit design and machine knitting, Vikki is an accomplished hand knitter. She firmly believes that both skills can comfortably co-exist and compliment each other, which is the premise of her latest book, 'Translating Between Hand and Machine Knitting'. By addressing both skills in one book, she bridges a noticeable knowledge gap and addresses the problem so many machine knitters face today; the lack of up-to-date books on the subject.
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Blog postI’ve called this post ‘my best loaf yet… I hope’, because I haven’t sliced this sourdough loaf yet.
Sprinkled with a little stardust… Specially for the ‘ear’ Typically this was rather thrown together on a hot day day.and baked in a hurry, straight from the fridge, before I went out this morning. I used the same Sourly recipe as my last loaf, with 50g of the bread flour swapped for 50g Spelt. As I suspected I was allowing my shaped dough you over-prove, I put it straight in the fridge2 weeks ago Read more -
Blog postThis is the first time I’ve got an ear on my sourdough loaf!
Flap of dough lifted up on a cooked sourdough loaf. Black sesame seed topping The loaf was prepared using Sourly’s recipe which only really varies for my own in that it’s got honey in it but otherwise is about 70% hydration I think. This has always seemed to work normally ok for me.
I made a double quantity and a round and rectangular shape but was a bit disappointed in the round loaf. The dough just spread out and m3 weeks ago Read more -
Blog postI have purchased one of these older machines and it’s not in too bad nick. The main problems are one sticking button and rusty needles. I’ve just removed the needles and some are quite badly rusted. After a wipe with alcohol to remove oily residue they have been put into a jar of 10% citric acid to see if I can shift the rust. I plan to leave them there for about an hour and take a look.
I have a fond memories of these machines; Jones KH588 machines were the first ones I used at colle4 weeks ago Read more -
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Blog postI’ve purchased some new tools for my bread making. The first was a bread cloche (well my version of this). More recently I indulged in a bannetton basket with liner and a plasterer’s spatula. These are not only useful, but fun to use and experiment with. I’ve written a bit more about using these, and how they have aided my sourdough baking in my page Getting a Great Crust on Sourdough Bread.
If purchasing a plasterer’s spatula, make sure it has a stainless steel blade.
Still prac1 month ago Read more -
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Blog postI’ve been having back problems and unable to use my knitting machine for several months which had been frustrating. Especially as I am coming towards the end of writing my latest book and wanted to knit some of the final samples. The same was of course true of trying to sit down to write the text of the book, or do any work at the computer.
I had seen sit-stand desks, and fancied one for computer work when I first looked at the start of the panedemic in the UK, but they were terribly7 months ago Read more -
Blog postI took a quick look at the Amazon page for my book Translating Between Hand and Machine Knitting and thought I would share some reviews.
I notice that subscribe wishes to express their annoyance because the price has been reduced. I fully appreciate how annoying this can be, and wonder if retailers understand how this upsets customers. I felt similarly annoyed when I bought a new drawing tablet only to see it was reduced by £40 in the Black Friday sale two weeks later! They wasn7 months ago Read more -
Blog postBack problems have meant I need to avoid computers and knitting machines for a while, so I wanted a hand knit project to work on. Digging around on shelves, ( I can’t get at my stash boxes at the moment) I found a bag of knitting I had forgotten about. Inside was the first few rows of a top-down sweater. I remembered how long it took to work out the pattern, (yes I did it myself) and how carefully I chose the yarn. The notes with the pattern are dated 2013, which says volumes about my engagem7 months ago Read more
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Blog postI’ve been running a suint bath for washing fleeces this summer. Whilst the temperatures are reasonably good the suint has worked well. I’ve actually finished washing all the fleeces now so we’ll probably use the diluted suint bath as fertilizer.
Suint is explained it chemical terms by other people far better than me, but basically it means that the fleece soaks in a liquor composed of the sweat and dirt and developing microbes. The bath is built up from other fleeces. I use the dirtie10 months ago Read more -
Titles By Vikki Haffenden
Everything you need to teach yourself how to knit, from casting on to creating your own designs.
This new edition of DK's knitting bible takes you from beginner to expert, with hundreds of step-by-step techniques, more than 120 stitch patterns for a variety of knitting stitches, and 20 knitting projects suitable for all abilities.
Fully illustrated and easy to use, The Knitting Book is a one-stop resource for beginners and a rich source of inspiration for avid knitters who want to progress their skills and try new stitch patterns. Each technique is shown in clear photographic steps and explained with helpful annotations and arrows, from basic casting on to intricate Fair Isle and cable patterns.
A photographic stitch gallery showcases over 120 different stitches to inspire you - try your hand at everything from garter stitch to intarsia, or customize projects with your own stitch choices.
This updated edition features 10 brand-new project patterns, including an arm knitting pattern, as well as 10 projects from the original edition that have been reimagined with new yarns and fresh colors.
Simple, clear, and comprehensive, The Knitting Book is the only book you need to progress your skills and create your own beautiful, unique pieces.
The essential beginner's guide to knitting know-how, with more than 150 illustrated knitting stitches and techniques.
Knit Step by Step shows you everything you need to craft stunning knitted pieces. Master basic stitches and classic techniques, including ribs, Fair Isle, and intarsia, or try your hand at one of eight eye-catching projects.
Fully illustrated and easy to use, Knit Step by Step will have you knitting with confidence in no time.