Lisa Toppin Knits

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Mount Laurel, NJ
Lisa Toppin Knits

I became a self taught knitter in 2009. Along the way, I opened a yarn store and became a knitting teacher.

Now, I share what I’ve learned on my fiber journey as a teacher, writer, and content creator.

06/23/2026

I just finished Mirror Girls by Kelly McWilliams. I was caught up from the word go. If you’re looking for a summer read and you love horror, this southern gothic tale is for you.

06/13/2026

Happy World Wide Stitch in Public day! I hope everyone gets the chance to get out and stitch in public today.

06/10/2026

I’ve always aspired to maintain an aesthetic desk. I haven’t quite gotten there. By the end of the day, my desk is covered with everything I’ve been working on and thinking about. As calming and pretty as those kinds of desks are, real life isn’t so perfectly composed. What’s on my desk represents the activity and ideas that fill my days.

1. Jibun Techo Days— I keep track of all my projects and appointments in one place; otherwise I’d be a mess.
2. Kit Bags— I spent some time yesterday putting together kits for my First Stitches Classes at the JFK Recreation Center in . This class is the next step for new knitters and crocheters. They’ve mastered stitching, and they’re ready to take on a first project.
3. My Notebooks— The grey one on top is where I write down ideas before I forget them. The blue one below is where my lists, project details, and everything else goes.
4. Reading Glasses— I keep this pair on my desk. No work gets done without them. I’m riding the bifocal local (iykyk)
5. Sample Yarn— I’m writing a piece for Purl Magazine, and I’ll need to make samples as part of the process.

05/27/2026

Back at my desk for the first time in about two weeks. Between a truly majestic allergy season and the ear infection I’ve been doing the minimum. Feels good to be back.

05/15/2026

Measuring a swatch accurately is crucial. If I am off by just an eighth of an inch (3.175 mm to my metric folks), that’s going to result in my garment growing by several inches across an entire sweater.

My example swatch measured 4” across the width of a row of stitches. But when I measured the height of a column of stitches, my swatch measured 4 6/8 inches (12cm). This is fairly typical; we often achieve stitch gauge rather than row gauge.

If I were going to make a garment based on this swatch, I would have to knit fewer rows to reach the desired lengths.

We’re told that row gauge is not as important as stitch gauge. That 6/8 inch (1.9cm) difference in my row gauge would result in sleeves that were too long or a yoke that landed below my armpits.

Have you had length surprises in your knitting? Share your experience or tips in the comments below—let’s learn from each other!

Swatch Stats:
Yarn: Berocco Ultra Wool
Needle Size: 4.5mm
# Of Stitches: 26 = 4” (10cm)
# Of Rows: 27= 4 6/8” (12cm)

05/14/2026

Today is the day! 🎉 My Knit Happy Summit session is live RIGHT NOW, and I would love for you to watch it.

I am talking about Three Decisions that Make or Break a Pocket, and I have been looking forward to sharing this with you for months. If you have ever struggled with sagging pockets, this one is for you.

Head to the summit to watch for free - sessions are available for 48 hours. If you have not registered yet, grab your ticket right here and you can get started today:

https://knithappysummit.com/lisa

05/11/2026

I did a little experiment today. I cast on the exact number of stitches recommended on my ball band and I worked the number of rows recommended on my ball band.

Before measuring, I steam blocked the swatch and left it to dry.

Take a look at the picture did I get gauge? Let me know in the comments.

Swatch Stats:
Yarn: Berocco Ultra Wool
Needle Size: 4.5mm
# Of Stitches: 26
# Of Rows: 27

05/08/2026

Today is your last chance to register for beginner knitting and crochet classes at Willingboro Kennedy Center. Classes start tomorrow: Saturday May 9th. Click the link below to get all the details:
https://willingboronj.myrec.com/info/activities/program_details.aspx?ProgramID=29997

05/07/2026

I’ve got something exciting to share with you…
I’m one of the instructors inside the Knit Happy Summit: Beyond the Basics - a FREE 4-day virtual event happening May 14 – 17.

🧶 Build confidence with new techniques
🧶 Understand your knitting (instead of guessing)
🧶 Finally tackle the projects you’ve been dreaming about

I’ll be teaching a session on:
Three Decisions That Make or Break a Pocket

And I’d love for you to join me there.

🎟️ Grab your free ticket at the link below:
https://knithappysummit.com/lisa

It’s completely free, and you’ll have 48-hour access to each session.
Hope to see you there!

05/06/2026

Sometimes things just don’t break your way. I ended up frogging my Outline Tank. I changed the yarn from a fi*****ng weight to a DK. Everything was going fine until I dropped the stitches.

Drop-stitches release A LOT of yarn. Three times the width of the stitch to be exact.

At my gauge, each time I dropped a stitch I added an inch to the top. In total, I added 8 inches around and about 6 inches in length.

Cue the sad trombone.

Gauge isn’t really that tricky, you just have to make sure your swatch mimics your final fabric.

The second time I swatched for the Outline tank, I made sure to drop stitches in the swatch. So that I could see exactly how much my garment would expand.

The second time around fit so much better than my first attempt at this tank top.

Pattern: Outline Tank by Jessiemaed Designs
Yarns: Universal Yarn Cotton Supreme DK
Trail Head Yarns Cabot Trail Lace Weight Tercel

Address

Mount Laurel, NJ
08054

Telephone

+16093009447

Website

http://www.lisagtoppin.com/

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