Bags, purses and satchels are such fun accessories to make, in addition to being a quick and chic way to add a pop of color to any outfit. But sometimes, depending on the size and shape of your bag – it can lack the structure of a bag or purse you might find at the store. Lining and reinforcing your bag with a stiff interfacing is great way of adding structure and support to any bag, but it can seem like quite an intimidating process at first. This is exactly why I teamed up with Kerin to create a step-by-step video tutorial on how to make the most of your bag with a little fabric, stiff interfacing, and a few other supplies.
Read more »I bought The Beekeeper’s Quilt pattern from Tiny Owl’s Magic Attic
back in October and have quietly been working on hexipuffs between
other knitting projects ever since. I’ve been using all my fingering
weight odds and ends leftover from all the sock projects, mittens and Teeny-Tiny Mochimochi
critters that I made over the holidays. This morning I decided to sit down and see if I could identify all the
Knit Picks yarn that has gone into this project so far… it was fun
trying to retrace my knitting! Do you spot them all?
Well, I’m still not totally through figuring out what craziness is in
store for me this year, but I know that it’s going to involve a lot of
sweaters. I really need to use up a good size chunk of my stash this
year (for the sake of sanity), and sweaters are a darn good way to do
that.
But my first sweater is decidedly not a stash sweater.
Over the holidays, my husband and I found ourselves shuffling among
the crowds at the mall a little more frequently than we’d have liked.
But one upside of that is that my husband got to see a lot of the
mannequins decked out in their nice fancy sweaters. We kept passing by
one window that had a lighly textured Aran type sweater in a creamy
oatmeal color, and over time it really grew on him. Until finally, the
question was asked – “can you make one for me?”
WELL OF COURSE! WHY DIDN’T YOU SAY SO SOONER! I GET TO GET MORE YARN!!!
(and also – he doesn’t want me to buy one, but make one. Double score!)
Do you love dishcloths? I’m constantly making them – I don’t have a dishwasher (yes, I live in the dark ages apparently. At least my kitchen does) so I use them all the time to wash my dishes! I also like to make face cloths to use when I wash my face – they are so much softer than ones you can buy in the store! (I use either Simply Cotton or Shine for those). Well if you like them as much as I do, IDP designer Kathy Cairns Hendershott has put out a free version of her popular Reversible Dishcloths.
This is her Walled In Reversible dishcloth pattern – and as the title suggests, it’s completly reversible!
Read more »So as I said last week, Alisha, Jenny & I all headed to sunny Phoenix for The National Needlearts Associate (TNNA)‘s winter show. It was so much fun! Not least of which was the beautiful Arizona weather we got to enjoy.
But sadly, we weren’t there for vacation – we were there to work! First step was to set up our booth for yarn shops to order needles & tools for their stores.
Read more »The little girls’ scarves are finished! I’m quite pleased with them – I like the length of both. I used Jared Flood’s Noro Striped Scarf pattern both the short way and the lengthwise way. The yarns are Palette and Stroll Handpaint. The scarves worked out perfectly as projects over the holidays with so many visitors. Easy to knit so I could enjoy conversations and football games.
Read more »It’s the time of year for shifty, cool weather and I’m definitely
bundled up all the time. When I’m knitting I have a blanket over my
shoulders, when I go outside there’s always a hat on my noggin, and even
when I’m working at my desk I have a scarf (or two!) on. This time around I knew that I wanted to knit a super cozy cowl that I
could wear outside to the market and inside around the office.
Something substantial. I spotted the Toast Wrap over on Ravelry and had that little fluttery heart moment when I know I’ve found the perfect project.
I may have told you this before, but it’s a truth that I need to say again. I love books! A book is a tangible item – you can touch it, turn the pages and (of course) it can inspire you! Our book list is constantly changing as I search for wonderful new books. Now, to make it even better, the books are on sale for 40% off!
I’ve recently added several new books that have caught my eye.
The Lace Knitting Palette by Catherine M. Thomson
Read more »We’ve been chilly here in the Pacific Northwest this week so our thoughts have been turning to snuggly cowls. If that is the case for you, check out Bella’s Cowl, a free pattern by Rosi Garmendia!
Read more »Back in August I bought a cross stitch cell phone case (you can purchase them at Connect Design).
I stitched my first pattern using embroidery thread and was thrilled at
how easy it was to work with. Fast forward a few months and it’s time
for a new design! This time I found myself reaching for a lace weight
hank of Shadow Tonal in Springtime and it worked like a charm!