Knitting A Cozy Blanket

My journey as a knitter has so far taken me into the realms of socks, hats, and scarves. Up until a few weeks ago, I didn’t attempt to do anything as big as a blanket. That changed as soon as I paged through the Winter 2012/2013 edition of Knit Simple magazine. About halfway through I came across a simple, yet gorgeous pattern for a cozy afghan.

I made the decision to make my first blanket while in the middle of making a scarf from the same magazine, (see Busy Knitting Needles).  Seeing as I’m a sucker for texture, I couldn’t resist the combination of a triangle and square pattern and thick, chunky yarn.

From Knit Simple Magazine

While the pattern was beautiful, I hated the color. Pumpkin Orange just isn’t part of my home decor, so I switched up the color to a more earthy tone. In addition, I decided to change the solid color palette into something more interesting – like stripes! God forbid I ever follow a pattern to the letter. My muse just won’t stand for it, no matter the creation.

The yarn I needed runs about $8 a skein, so I had to do a little planning so I could afford the required seven skeins to complete the blanket. Spending $56 to make a blanket just isn’t in the cards while on a teacher’s salary, so I waited and watched the ads until I could get a better price. Patience paid off when a 25% percent off all yarn sale met up with a 25% off your total purchase coupon. Now, that’s a deal! Here’s what I got for the bargain price of $31:

• Lion Brand Wool-Ease Chunky
  • Indigo (2 skeins)
  • Willow (2 skeins)
  • Walnut (2 skeins)
  • Wheat (1 skein)

A little more than three weeks later, I had a beautiful blanket of blues, greens, and browns. I love how the texture and colors come together to give this throw a rustic look and feel.

Warm and Toasty!

Here’s a closer look at the texture of triangles and squares. Only two stitches – knit and purl – are needed to create this pattern:

Simple, yet gorgeous!

As for my next project, I’m working on a creative way to use up a bunch of leftover yarn. We’ll see how it goes!

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c.b.w. 2013

Sewing With Grandma

One of the most precious memories I have of my Grandma is how much she loved to sew. She made beautiful patchwork quilts, pillows, and placemats out of calico prints and scraps of fabric. I loved watching her choose a color scheme, trace the pattern, and cut out the pieces. It was like watching an artist create a masterpiece.

One summer, my Grandma decided to make the most difficult quilt she’d ever attempted.  The flower basket pattern looks simple enough, but the difficulty lies in making sure each and every corner meets up without a gap. There’s about three dozen geometric pieces in each block! On top of that, she wanted to cover the borders and empty spaces with intricate stitch designs.

For most sewers this is a challenge, but my Grandma added a bonus challenge. She believed that patchwork quilts were best when made by hand. That meant tracing and cutting each piece individually and hand-sewing every single stitch. I remember watching her at the kitchen table with stacks of fabric and quilt templates. And how could I forget her sewing blocks together while in the car (it was a looooong drive into town) and even when flying (back in the days when it was okay to bring scissors on a plane).

A few years ago, my Grandma passed her crowning achievement to me. I’ve always treasured it, but now that she’s gone, her flower basket quilt is absolutely priceless.

Grandma’s Handiwork: Flower Basket Quilt

I love how I can still see her pencil marks and that I can remember her sewing some of the petal stitches. In particular, I have a distinct memory of her using pink thread to make the flowers in the upper right corner.

Grandma’s stitched flowers and swirls.

As soon as I was old enough to hold a needle without hurting myself, my Grandma started to teach me how to sew. She taught me how to make invisible knots and how to evenly space stitches. Just like her, I learned how to do everything by hand. To this day, I make my quilts the traditional way.

I made my first micro-quilt when I was about nine years old.  While she was working on a larger Tumbler pattern quilt, I used a few scrap pieces to make a smaller version:

Tumbler Quilts. Grandma made the big one and I made the little one.

The bright yellow piece on my quilt was actually sewn in on purpose. One of the special things my Grandma taught me was to make sure there was an “oddball” piece or a mistake in every quilt. This was important because it paid homage to the pioneers who used nothing but scraps to make quilts. They didn’t have beautiful fabrics or the luxury of perfectly matching colors and we shouldn’t forget that tradition. Can you find the “mistake” in her quilt?

One of the last projects we ever worked on together was a quilt I started when I was sixteen. It took ten years for me to complete all the blocks (college kind of distracted me), but she was still there to help me lay out the border and trace the quilting lines. Then, there was one evening when we were both on the floor rolling out the backing and pinning all the layers together. I couldn’t have done it without her!

Another few years went by before I finally finished the quilt. I am so grateful that she got to see it before she passed away. Along with her flower basket quilt, my eight-point star quilt holds memories that will stay with me for a lifetime.

The last quilt I worked on with my Grandma.

Yes, there are a few on-purpose mistakes in this quilt! Can you find them?

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c.b.w. 2013

Busy Knitting Needles

As soon as I got done knitting socks for everyone in my family, I was free to jump into some fun projects for myself. Since Christmas, I’ve learned a few new skills including how to work short rows and play with slip stitches. All I can say is thank goodness for my favorite how-to book, Knitting 101, and youtube videos I can watch over and over again until I’ve mastered a particular skill.

Project: Lucy Hat (Knitscene Magazine, Winter 2012)

Gotta love that asymmetrical brim!

I fell in love with this hat the first time I saw the pattern. The style was perfect for my new wool peacoat, so I knew I just had to make it. Of course, that meant learning how to do short rows on circular needles and a woven stitch pattern that involved slipped stitches. From start to finish, this hat was a huge learning experience!

This project also introduced me to fabulous yarn that I know I will use again. Patons Classic Wool Worsted is a sturdy yarn that doesn’t split easily and it comes in a beautiful array of colors.

Project: Four Part Sampler Hat (Red Heart Winter Warmers)

Cute and Warm!

Confession time: This hat is actually my second attempt at the pattern. I royally messed up the first one and it’s best left on a shelf where no one can see it! Part of the problem was my very tiny head. The pattern was simply too big, so I had to make some adjustments to the pattern along with using a different, thicker yarn, (Lion Brand Vanna’s Choice, Grey Marble).

The learning curve with this hat had to do with figuring out how to work a pattern “as established” in the midst of decreasing rows. In addition, I learned how to work another variation of a slip stitch.

When it was all said and done, I ended up with a super cute hat!

Project: Textured Scarf (Knit Simple Magazine, Winter 2012)

My new favorite scarf!

My recent sick days at home allowed me to finish this scarf in record time! I love knitting textures that are geometric and rustic, so this pattern was absolutely perfect for me. The best part is how easy it was to create the 3-D effect! All it takes are some strategically placed knit and purl stitches. Nothing fancy required!

Aside from the texture, my favorite part of this project is the yarn. I bought it two months ago because I loved the color, (Lion Brand Wool-Ease, Blue Mist).  Aside from blue, there are tones of purple and yellow mixed into the fibers. The result is a rich blue with a lot of depth – perfect for textured knitting patterns!

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Currently, I’m working on an afghan with really chunky yarn and a texture rich pattern, (Triangles & Squares Afghan, Knit Simple Magazine, Winter 2012). I changed the pattern by using more than one color of yarn, so I can make stripes that alternate between muted tones of blue, green, brown, and cream.  So far, I love, love, love the rustic feel of this project! I’ll share pictures when it’s done!

This month I joined Ravelry, so if anyone out there is part of this community let’s try to connect and share projects!

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c.b.w. 2013

Wrapping A Knitty Christmas

After spending three months knitting socks and accessories for Christmas gifts, I decided these handmade gifts should be wrapped in something more creative than a box and store-bought wrapping paper. While sifting through my art supplies, I came across the most versatile craft item in my arsenal: the brown paper lunch bag. Creative fireworks exploded in my imagination and before I knew it, I had a super cute way to wrap my “Knitty Christmas” gifts.

Pom-poms + polka dots = Merry Christmas!

Believe it or not, these bags are a snap to make . . .

Supplies:

• Red, green, and brown ink pads
• Polka dot stamps of various sizes
• Holiday greeting stamp
• Pine tree branch stamp
• Remnant yarn
• Pom-pom maker (optional)
• Anywhere hole-punch
• gift tags

Directions:

1) Stamp holiday greeting in the center of the bag in red or green ink.

2) Stamp pine tree branch under holiday greeting (or above on some bags to mix things up!)

3) Stamp random polka dots all over the front and back of the bag with red, green, and brown ink. Go nuts and have fun with it!

4) Fold top flap of the bag down about 2½”.

5) Using an anywhere hole-punch, create two holes in the center of the flap (but through all layers of the bag). Space the holes about a ½” apart.

6) Create yarn pom-poms to serve as bows. When tying off the pom-pom, leave long tails (at least 4″).  My pom-poms were made using the leftover yarn from each pair of socks I made. The pom-pom actually matches the socks inside the bag!

7) Once your gift is inside the bag, thread the pom-pom tails through the holes and tie a knot. Tie a gift tag around the pom-pom.

How’s that for simple?

Stay inspired!

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c.b.w. 2012

A Very Knitty Christmas

Back in September, I got the insane idea to knit socks as Christmas gifts for my friends and family. As expected, my sock loom and newly picked up knitting needles have been very busy over the last three months! When it was all said and done, I ended up knitting eight pairs of socks, a hat, and a scarf. Hopefully, getting socks for Christmas this year won’t be a bad thing!

Friends and Family spoiler alert!!! You all probably know you’re getting socks, but there is still the surprise of how they look. If you want it to remain a surprise, don’t scroll down any further!!

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If you’re still scrolling, you must be okay with peeking . . . (Shame on you! Just remember Santa is watching!)

As for everyone else, here’s what I’ve been knitting:

Batch #1: Bright and Colorful

Giving socks for Christmas has never been more fun!

For the most part, I opted to make short socks with a thicker yarn. Instead of knitting 6 inches for the leg, I went with 4 inches. This decision gave me more bang for my yarn buck and allowed me to complete a pair of socks in less than a week, (which is rather handy on a tight schedule!). However, I made two pairs of full-length socks, because I had a lot of yarn in those particular colors and I didn’t want it to go to waste.

Yarn used:

• Yarn Bee Snowflake Wool Blend – Berries/#14
• Yarn Bee Snowflake Wool Blend – Nazcar/#200
• Yarn Bee Snowflake Wool Blend – Pale Aqua/#03
• Baby Bee – Carousel Ombre/#114
• Paton’s Kroy Socks – Lavender Jacquard/#55309

Batch #2: Thick and Warm

These are sure to keep feet toasty warm!

All three pair are again of the short sock variety, but with much ticker yarn. The mismatched stripes are actually done on purpose! The more I knit socks, the more I realize how much I love making socks that don’t match exactly – I guess you could call that my trademark. The colors are the same and so is the pattern, but I purposely switch up the stripe pattern to give them a little oomph.  As my mother would say, “that’s what makes them homemade!”

Yarn used:

• Lion Brand Amazing – Arcadia/#206
• Lion Brand Amazing – Wildflowers/#203
• Lion Brand Vanna’s Choice – Grey Marble/#860

For more details on how to make socks on a knitting loom, check out Leisure Arts’ fantastic how-to guide, Sock Loom Basics. I’d still be hanging out in the “non-knitter” section of the craft store if it wasn’t for this little book!

Batch #3: Warm Accessories

There are two people who will not receive socks this Christmas because I didn’t know their shoe size with enough certainty. It’s a good thing I picked up knitting needles, so I could make something just as special for them!

My first two projects using needles instead of a loom.

The scarf is actually the first thing I ever knitted on a pair of knitting needles, (without help). Considering I am still learning, I’m pretty proud of how it turned out. It’s a gift for a very good friend of mine and I hope it keeps him warm. The hat comes from the idea of a pattern my mother had for many years. She lost it along the way, but together we found a comparable match, so I could make this hat for my dad. I hope he likes what I made with my two little hands! (Dad, you better not be peeking!)

Hat Pattern:

Ribbed Hat Pattern (Free!)

Yarn used:

• Lion Brand Alpine Wool – Barley/#224
• Lion Brand Fisherman’s Wool – Oak Tweed/#200

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Stay tuned for a look at how I wrapped these “knitty” gifts. Handmade gifts deserve handmade wrapping!

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c.b.w. 2012