Yarn + Make = Love
A knit hat is essential if you are a knitting and living somewhere that gets any where cold. Being in Michigan, we have plenty of cold days. I have several knit hats that I have made, but none that I designed. So, for this year I wanted something that I came up with, so here is the Knit Winter Windows Beanie Hat
Continue reading “Knit Winter Windows Beanie Hat”
For the past year I have been trying to grow my handmade summer wardrobe. After realizing that I had nothing handmade to wear in the summer, I knew I had to come up with some tops that I can wear through my day, and even possibly dress up for certain occasions. If you know me, I like multifunctional!
During a trip to Joanns where our creative and crafty 12 year old daughter looked at all the things she was dreaming about, I strolled the yarn section. I tend to go through craft stores to look at yarn, see what is new, see what is discontinued, and just see what I can see. On an end display was a new Patons yarn I hadn’t seen before, Linen.
Continue reading “Knit Main Street Top”
Last year I made both of our girls some house shoes out of thick and cozy yarn they picked out from the store. Both of them love their pairs and wear them quite a bit. This year, the youngest came home from school and said her teacher will let them wear slippers in the classroom instead of cold and wet shoes from the playground. But, they need to have a hard sole incase they step on anything.
Well, the ones I made last year don’t have anything on the bottom so they won’t work. I previously made for the girls a kids’ size of our Vacation Shoes pattern, but working into a pair of flip flops takes time and effort. And, in all honesty, I didn’t want to put that much effort into a pair of shoes that she will out grow in a few months.
Continue reading “Choose Your Own Adventure – Knit, Machine Knit, or Crochet Slipper Shoes”
Close to twenty years ago I had a black top that had a very simple shape, wide sleeves, simple details for the edgings, and a v-neck. I loved it. I could dress it up for work, or down with a pair of jeans to run errands. Either way it was so comfortable to wear, a major plus for me.
I wore it for many years, and it was starting to show how much I loved it. With great sadness I had to get rid of it.
This summer I was thinking about what I could make to have more hand made items for my summer wardrobe, and this memory came to mind. I wanted to create something that had the comfort, versatility, and ease in styling with the simplistic design elements.
Continue reading “Knit Summer Breeze Top”
Earlier this summer I was looking at my wardrobe and seeing what I needed (really wanted) to wear. Last summer I sewed several dresses that I love wearing, however they are sleeveless. Since they are sleeveless I would get cold in some of the places that were really airconditioned, and I don’t want to wear a jacket or sweater in summer. I get to wear them plenty in our Michigan winter.
So, the idea for this top came to me for adding a little more coverage and warmth for the airconditioned places. I wanted something light weight, but not so light it was see through. I also wanted something that had some design to it, but not a statement piece. Just something that was easy to wear, went with a lot, and was comfortable.
Continue reading “Knit Summer in the City Top”
I wear a lot of cardigans. Pretty much, if you see me “dressed” up then I have some sort of cardigan on. Being a jeans and t-shirt kind of gal, a cardigan is a way I have found to wear what I’m comfortable in and still look like a grown up.
Also, if you ever see me in a dress chances are I’m also wearing a cardigan. Since a majority of the dresses I own are sleeveless; a cardigan has been a necessity for me not to freeze during any occasion – except for outdoor weddings in the summer. Don’t ask me why I own sleeveless dresses if I’m always cold, maybe it is just a way for me to wear a cardigan.
This pattern came about from two cardigans I own that I liked different aspects of each, and the need to make one for a new sleeveless dress I’m wearing for events during this upcoming holiday season.
Continue reading “Women’s Knit Lace Rhapsody Cardigan”
After making the Child’s Play Day Cardigan and seeing how nice it was for them to wear it going out to play, but also how well it worked to be layered when we were going someplace nice I thought it would make a great cardigan for a woman. Don’t we also want things that are versatile to wear in different situations, from going to get groceries to dressing up for work or church? Don’t we also want something that looks tailored and well fitting but comfortable at the same time?
Continue reading “Women’s Knit Play Day Cardigan”
This pattern has been a long one in the making. Last winter I first made this cardigan for our oldest daughter, the red head. She wore it all winter and into spring, and the blonde daughter became jealous. So, a cardigan for blondie was added to my project list.
For blondie’s cardigan I used Premier Serenity sock yarn in soft white. Just like red’s, the front panel is in a textured stitch that is created by slipping every other stitch for two rows and having the yarn go over the stitch. On the third row the stitch with the two yarn overs are knit as one, and the stitch that had been previously worked is slipped with the yarn going over it. It is a brioche stitch for hand knitters, and called a tuck stitch in machine knitting. It sounds complicated, but is easy to do. It also is easy to read your work once you realize what the pattern looks like on the needles. The only down side is that it takes more rows and yarn to get the length you need. The upside, since you are really only working every other stitch it goes quicker than you think.