A blog all about knitting and crochet as well as yarn, fiber and fibromyalgia. This blog will also highlight my two Etsy shops, Creating with Sticks and Pear Tree Papers, and other Etsy shops of my liking.
Today's project is probably the best slipper pattern I have ever found, and can be completed with one ball of yarn, or two if you want the multi-color effect. If you choose two colors, you will be able to make two pairs of slippers in opposite color combinations. These slippers are felted and are a great starter project if you have never felted before, they are also perfect for wearing year round. Felt or leather may be sewn to the bottom of the slippers for added durability. This easy knit pattern was created by Mindie Tallack and is worth every cent, as you will see how much work she put into it. You will receive very detailed instructions for a wide range of sizes for both standard and wide feet.
I almost guarantee you that once you make one pair, you will use this pattern over and over again; I couldn't even begin to tell you how many pairs of these slippers I have made. So go ahead and grab at least 220 yards of feltable wool (I prefer Cascade 220), a pair of size 11 needles ( long or circular) and 2 stitch markers, then head on over to Ravelry and pick up this wonderful pattern and start knitting right away!
Over the past few months, babies have again entered my life and inspired much of my knitting and sewing. I love knitting baby items, they are cute and quick, giving almost instant gratification. Baby items are also small and usually only require one ball of yarn or less.
Today's One Ball Wonder pattern is knit with worsted weight yarn and can be made in all sizes from infant to adult. You will need to gather between 60 and 160 yards of yarn, depending on size. This is a good project to get rid of some of the leftover yarn in your stash. Here it is, the Garter Ear Flap Hat by Purl Soho...
Happy Monday and dare I say that in Wisconsin, spring has sprung!? Although my backyard is still covered in snow, it is a sweltering 44 degrees today, and I have high hopes of it melting. Even with warmer weather in sight, if you are like me, you just keep on knitting or crocheting the whole year through. I still knit hats and cowls and other toasty warm things, as Christmas is always coming and they make great gifts. The warmer weather does put me in the mood to also knit lighter things, which has inspired me to choose this week's One Ball Wonder pattern.
Today's pattern is a beautiful shawl pattern from Maggi Magali that uses fingering weight yarn. This shawl is perfect for spring days and summer nights and would look beautiful in solid, ombre or variegated yarn.
Happy Tuesday! Today I bring to you the Fauns Eyes Stitch as taught by New Stitch a Day. This is a beautiful lace work stitch that would look pretty in a wide variety of projects especially shawls, scarves and cowls. This is a intermediate stitch and you will need to know how to do the following: Knit, Purl, Purl 2 Together, Purl 2 Together through the back loop, Knit 2 Together and Slip Slip Knit. Here we go...
Instructions
Row
1 (Right Side): k1, *ssk, k3, yo, k1, yo, k3, k2tog, k1; rep from * to end.
Row
2: p1, * p2tog, p2, yo, p3, yo, p2, p2tog tbl, p1; rep from * to the end of the
row.
Row
3: k1, *ssk, k1, yo, k5, yo, k1, k2tog, k1; rep from * to the end of the row.
Row
4: p1, *yo, p2tog, p7, p2tog tbl, yo, p1; rep from * to the end of the row.
Row
5: k1, *yo, k3, k2tog, k1, ssk, k3, yo, k1; rep from * to the end of the row.
Row
6: p2, *yo, p2, p2tog, p1, p2tog tbl, p2, yo, p3; rep from *, end last rep p2.
Row
7: k3, *yo, k1, k2tog, k1, ssk, k1, yo, k5; rep from *, end last rep k3.
Row
8: p4, *p2tog tbl, yo, p1, yo, p2tog, p7; rep from *, end last rep p4.
Repeat rows 1-8 until you have
reached your desired length.
Today's One Ball Wonder is a hat. I love hats, I love making them and wearing them, I love giving them away. Whether it be a simple knit stocking hat or a fancy feathered felt hat, a hat has a personality all of its own.
When it comes to knit hats, the design possibilities are endless and in general they are knit in the round, so they are quick to make. Today's hat pattern is by Johanna Yli- Muilu, it takes simple techniques and puts them together to form a modern pattern. This hat would look good in solid, ombre and variegated yarns. Try with Creating with Sticks Superwash Merino for a supersoft, super washable hat.
Today I am bringing you a list of free knitting and crochet pattern resources that you can find on the web. There are hundreds of pattern suppliers out there, but here are some of those that I have used the most. These pattern sites are listed in no particular order, just as they spring into my head; I will let you know a little about each site.
Ravelry (my all time favorite)- Hundreds of thousands of free and for purchase patterns. Knitting, crocheting, machine knitting and loom knitting. Set up an account so you can have your own knitting portfolio and store your patterns in a library for quick reference. Join different groups of interest, be a part of forums and so much more that Ravelry has to offer.
All Free Knitting - Must sign up with your email, which is annoying, but worth it for all of the free patterns and tutorials. You could just click around this site all day. They even have giveaways. Emails can also get annoying after a while.
Vogue Knitting - Must sign up. Great trendy, free patterns, knitting and crochet basics and stitchonary.
WEBS - Links you to patterns from different yarn suppliers.
Drops Design - Tons of free patterns for both knitting and crochet.
Today's technique is a beautiful intermediate cable stitch that would be great for sweaters or blankets or even a big chunky cowl. Before I learned how to knit cables I was very intimidated by them, they seemed quite scary to me. I forced myself to learn the basic cable forward and cable back techniques and instantly was hooked, it was so easy and the work was beautiful. If you haven't yet tried knitting cables, I urge you to try to today.
I have included a video for the Large Horn Cable Stitch by New Stitch a Day. All of the videos on his site are very thorough and easy to follow along with. If you go to New Stitch a Day, the written instructions are also included beneath the video for those of you that need to read them as well as watch. I will include them here too.
TECHNIQUES USED IN THIS STITCH:
Knit Stitch- K
Purl Stitch- P
Cable Four Front (C4F) – Slip next 2 sts on needle onto a cable needle and hold in front of work, k2, k2 from cable needle.
Cable Four Back (C4B) – Slip next 2 sts on needle onto a cable needle and hold in back of work, k2, k2 from cable needle. Cast on: worked over multiples of 16sts on a background of reverse stockinette stitch
Pattern Instructions
Row 1: (right side) k4, C4B, C4F, k4.
Row 2: P16.
Row 3: k2, C4B, k4, C4F, k2.
Row 4: P16.
Row 5: C4B, k8, C4F.
Row 6: P16.
Repeat rows 1-6 until you have reached your desired length.
If you are anything like me, you can be found knitting at least a little each day almost every day of the year; heck, I've even been spotted knitting at the beach! When you knit as much as I do, very rarely are you working on just one project at a time. Most of the time I have a bigger project going on, a dishcloth of sorts, maybe a hat or cowl, but almost always, one of my projects requires only one ball of yarn. I call these projects, one ball wonders. One ball wonders are extremely satisfying to knit, they are cheap and they usually don't take very long at all, giving you almost instant gratification. Often times one ball wonder patterns are also patterns that I use multiple times because the items make great quick gifts. Another advantage to these small projects is the yarn, yes, you could use any yarn that fits the pattern, but it is also a great time to use that special ball of one of a kind yarn you've been waiting to knit up. At Creating with Sticks, we offer a wide variety of beautiful, one of a kind, hand dyed yarn that is perfect for one ball wonder projects. To me, using hand dyed or hand spun yarn always makes a project extra special.
Today I am linking you to a headband pattern that is tried and true, I've knit it twice actually, and to some beautiful hand painted yarn that would make the project perfect. Better yet, this pattern is free!
Valentine's Day, you either love it or hate it, it seems. Me, I can take it or leave it really, but I do always end up celebrating it in someway, at least for my daughter. I am always sure to get my daughter at least a little candy and card, or this year I wrote her a letter telling her all of the reasons why I love her. As for my husband, I've just decided that I'm going to give him something no matter what from now on. In the past we never made a big deal about this holiday, until last year that is. Last year, the day before Valentine's day a box of Sheri's Berries showed up on my doorstep, much to my surprise. The next day it was a bouquet of tulips! I was in shock and completely unprepared, we had never given gifts for Valentine's Day before. It was so last minute and my brain didn't know what to do, I ended up getting him the cheesy heart shaped box of chocolates right before he got home. Not very original, I know, but there was no time to think of anything else. This year, although I expect nothing in return, I was slightly more prepared. This morning I put one gift on the seat of his truck before he left for work and I delivered another to his truck before lunch time. It was actually kind of fun to be sneaky like that and made me enjoy the holiday just a little bit more.
I hope that whether you have a sweetie or not that you enjoy your "Heart Day". Even if you treat yourself to flowers or chocolates, why not, you deserve to indulge a little today or any day. If you are going to indulge yourself in a little knitting, I've included a link to an easy heart happy pattern from Lily Sugar'n Cream for you to enjoy.
