Knitta PLEASE!

knitta PLEASE – Click Here To Download

Etsy Eye Candy

Tags

Arts, Crafts, Etsy, Knitting, Shopping, Stoneware, Yarn

From DarriellesClayArt, this Birdies and a Heart Yarn Bowl is handmade stoneware pottery and it is also hand painted.

From FairyDesigns, this Muppets Inspired Sock Yarn is so cool! My favorite colorway is “Animal” (pictured above). At $12 for 462yds, it’s a steal!

Free Pattern – Ruby

Tags

Free Pattern, Knit Headband, Knitting, Ruby

Ruby – Click Here To Download

Add a soft touch of color to your hair with a cute knitted headband! Constructed by knitting 2 I cords and assembling a knot, this project is fun and quick.

 

Movie. Wine. Knit.

Tags

Arts, Chicago, Facebook, ITunes, Knitting, Movies, Podcast, Wine

Looking for something new to listen to while you knit? Check out Reel Pour!

This is one of my favorite podcasts! It is put on by 4 guys from Chicago, who love wine and movies. Every week, Andrew, Jason, Sam and Steve select one movie and one wine (often with related titles) and they discuss both.

I love listening to their podcast while I knit because it is funny and informative; and it’s really nice to take a break from music or TV for a while. This podcast allows me to mix it up every week.

The way they describe and taste the wine will make you wish you were sipping along. In fact, it is highly recommended that you pick up the featured wine before you tune in. They also put a lot of time and thought into their movie reviews. They discuss the whole movie, as well as the people behind it. If you’re afraid of spoilers, watch the movie first! Their insights, while sometimes unconventional, are always interesting and honest.

They always post their podcast on Monday afternoons on their website: http://www.reelpour.com.

Knitting on the go? You can download their podcast for free  from i Tunes.

This week’s podcast was:

Next week’s podcast will post on Monday, March 1st. It will feature:

Don’t forget to check out their Facebook Fan Page and feel free to invite your friends!

Chelsey’s Still Knitting!

Tags

Arts, Crafts, Knit Night, Knitting, Knitting and Crochet, Knitting needle, Shopping

The view from Caribou last night:

To clarify, the wine came later. Knitting really makes us that happy. Thanks to Chelsey for always being such a good sport about taking pictures. I’m sure she’ll have her revenge soon enough…

Picot Earrings

Tags

Binding off, Crafts, Free Pattern, Knit Jewelry, Knitting, Knitting needle, Picot, Yarn

Got a case of “The Mondays?”

Brighten up your week with a pair of Picot Earrings!

What you need:

Wire hoop findings (bought mine at Michaels)

Earring findings (also bought at Michaels)

Size 3 Needles

A small amount of lace yarn in your favorite color.

These are so easy to make! It’s just a picot edging.

CO 22 sts.

Row 1: Bind Off 4 sts and slide last stitch on right needle back to left needle. *CO 2 sts, Bind Off 4 sts and slide last stitch on right needle back to left needle* Repeat from * to end.

Last Stitch: Cut yarn and pull tail through last stitch. Weave in ends.

Using the wire hoop, pick up 20 sts along the straight edge of your knit.

Close hoop and attach it to an earring finding using pliers.

Repeat for second earring.

Voila!

FREE PATTERN FRIDAY – Kanji

Tags

Arts, Binding off, Crafts, Free Pattern, Kanji, Knitting, Knitting and Crochet

Kanji – Click Here To Download

Bearing the Kanji symbol for “Strength,” this hat makes a bold statement. It is knit using intarsia in the round and the Kanji is duplicate stitched in after the hat is bound off.

TIP: To prevent jogged stripes, a quick and dirty solution is to knit both colors together in the first stitch of a color change, then continue knitting with the new color as usual.

I really love the way this hat turned out; and I hope you enjoy knitting it!

Please Add “Knitting Instructor Extraordinaire” to My Resume

Tags

Arts, Chicago, Crafts, Knit Night, Knitting, Knitting and Crochet, Knitting needle, Learn to Knit, Yarn

CKU got together last night for a big Knit Night at Leona’s. It was a very busy night for us, we had like 18 knitters, and I had two more new students!

Here’s Sarah, learning how to knit:

She picked up on it really fast, probably because she already crochets. She was pretty far along on her coin purse when she left.

Next up was Brandy, who also picked it up very quickly. She plans to finish her coin purse today. You Go Knitter!

You can see Amber and Chelsey knitting away in the background without assistance.

Amber was finishing up a headband for a friend (she made up her own pattern!) and Chelsey decided to knit a Penis Chapstick Holder (rav link) for a certain lucky recipient.

After we had knit and eaten plenty of lasagna, we decided to go visit our friend, Julie, who is the best bartender in Chicago (cough cough, Redeye, cough cough).

That girl makes the most incredible drinks, and always with a smile. A bottle of Cava and a chocolate martini later, I was no longer able to knit and it was time for me to turn in for the night.

Free Pattern Friday – Toasties!

Tags

Free Pattern, Hand Warmers, Holidays, Knitting, Ravelry, Toasties, Valentines Day

It’s Official! Today is the first FREE PATTERN FRIDAY! Just in time for Valentine’s Day, here’s something to warm up all your loved ones:

Toasties – Click Here To Download

 

A Set of Toasties will warm the hearts and hands of those you love this winter. Warmed in the microwave and slipped into a pair of gloves or boots, they will comfort those shoveling snow or waiting on cold bus stops. Make them for all your favorite people!

This pattern can also be found on the Patterns page of this website and it will be available shortly as a free download on Ravelry. I hope you love these hand warmers as much as I do!

The Knitters Know My Secret…

Tags

Arts, Caribou Coffee, Crafts, Knitting, Knitting and Crochet, Shopping, Yarn

We met at Caribou Coffee last night for a much-needed knitting session and the girls saw my project for Free Pattern Friday that I’m posting tomorrow.

Can you guess what it is?