Holiday Knitting and Crocheting Part 1

It's that time of year!  Holiday knitting and crocheting for the ones we love.  Hand made, yarny goodness for all.  I don't know about you, but curling up in a favorite chair, a hot cup of tea by my side, hooking or clacking away is pure heaven!  I never tire of bringing a hand knit or crocheted gift to life.  

Even though I make my living as a pattern designer, I enjoy other designers patterns as well.  More on that in a moment.

Please indulge me to first direct you to my designs.  These are my most popular patterns for neckwear.  The above photo is perfect for the beginner with spectacular results!  Chunky Twist Scarf.  You only need 162 yards of super bulky weight (6) yarn.  I always crochet tons of these under the tree for women, teens, men and women.  You could easily adjust it for a child size.

I've made so many of these Triangle Scarves in all kinds or yarn weights from crochet thread to super bulky!  A picot edge with beads makes it extra special.  In cotton, it's perfect for Spring and Summer.  I always take one to the movie theatre as they are usually freezing!  In sock yarn, it's just the thing for fall and winter. Long run yarn is stunning and worsted weight yarn makes a very generous size.

This is a TON of scarf at 16 feet long!  Super easy for the beginner.

Super bulky (6) yarn in many shades or...

just one is super chic!  Crochet a Mile Long Scarf for your bestie!  

Now, on to other designers...

the Crocodile Stitch Scarf by Bonita Patterns is one of my favorites for gift giving and craft fairs.  Crochet this in your long run yarn to show off the stitch at its finest.  

You can read my post about it here.

Make it shorter and more affordable.  Read the post and see more photos here.

I love all one color too, but keep it in a lighter shade to show off all your hard work.  Read more of this blog post here.

The Hitchhiker by Martina is also a fav of mine.  I must have knit a dozen of these and I always add charms to each point.  Find the yarn info in this blog post.  Sock yarn to...

worsted weight, you can't go wrong!  Here's this blog post.

Just add your charms with a tiny crochet hook as you knit along or sew them on at the end.  There's a photo in the Yarn Tip section below.  Here's the yarn info for this one.

The knit Lacy Baktus by Terhi is another.  You have to click through Rav to her Flickr page and write down the instructions, but it's worth it.  My story about this one is here.

I've made a number of these Lollipop Shawls as well.  Really easy and the color changing yarn keeps it interesting.  All the yarn information is in the post.

So, there you have it.  A number of easy projects to crochet or knit in time for holiday gifting.  Next week, blankets!  I hope you can join me.

Find all my pattern shops at the top of this page or

Etsy here

Craftsy here

Ravelry here

Best,

Sheila

Yarn tip:

Here's a tip from Knitting Daily on how to add beads with a crochet hook.

Scarves, Mittens, a Purse and Some Exciting News!

I finally got some "model" photos of the Crocodile Stitch Scarf!  This is one of my favorite patterns.  It's from Bonita Patterns on Etsy.  I posted about this 50 Shades of Grey here, if you'd like to refresh. 

I added a big button to keep the scarf secure in the wind.  If you find the right one, I think it makes the scarf extra special.  No button hole, just poke the button up through the scarf.  I will be making these in all kinds of colors for "my girlies" this Christmas.  

I like that you can wear it either way, button in front or the back.  I also like to wear my scarves over my coat as apposed to under.  This one is 4 skeins of Prism Sparkle from Mary Maxim, in Cobblestone.  It's a DK weight (3).  I think I used a J hook to get the most out of the yardage.

This one is made using 4 skeins of Red Heart Boutique Unforgettable in Winery.  Very easy to find in your local craft store and is a worsted weight (4).

Great colorway for those of you who feel grey and black a bit bland.  Reds, pinks, purples and a bit of grey.  Ooo, add a bottle of wine when gifting this one!  This giganto button is the perfect color, but is too big to poke through, so be careful when choosing a button. 

Mittens by Susan B Anderson, in Classic Shades; Tutti Frutti by Universal Yarn Inc.  Great pattern from Susan and it's free on Ravelry!  You could easily make matching mittens for your Croc Scarf prezzies!   

I made the medium size and they fit my delicate daughter and my fluffy self!  I knit the cuff longer than instructed as I like the bulk and the ability to have them go up my coat sleeve.

Now, the purse is from Creative Knitting March 2010 issue called the Mallory Bag.  I'm sure you could find a back issue online.  It's an intermediate pattern, however, I think an advanced beginner could do it.  If you are new to cables, it's a great place to start.

Some exciting news!  I was contacted by one of my favorite knitting periodicals, Simply Knitting.  I've just finished an interview, sent LOADS of photos and can't wait for the October issue!  This is quite an honor for me!  I'm a huge fan of Simply Knitting and was thrilled to be a part of this United Kingdom magazine.  I live in the USA, however, I am half Scottish, so my love runs deep for the UK.  I'll proudly post about it when my issue arrives!

Also, I was contacted by the merchandising manager at Annie's Catalog (which has been around forever and is a great catalog) to sell 6 of my knitting patterns on their site!  You can read the interview and find 3 of my crochet patterns and 3 of my knitting patterns.

Have a great week,

Sheila

Yarn tip:

When I need a button for a knitted or crocheted item, I always take it with me to the store.  I'm amazed when I go in thinking of a certain color, only to find out the perfect button was something totally different. 

Crocodile Stitch Scarf in 50 Shades of Grey

The older I get, the more practical I get!  I'm not always sure if that is a good thing or not.  When I was younger, clothes were SO very important to me.  In my 20's I worked full time at our local courthouse as a bailiff for the county judges, so you had to be dressed professionally.  I adored straight skirts (as I was quite thin then), colorful blouses and jewelry.  It was the '80's after all!  Big shoulder pads, Disco, tons of color and big earrings!  Happy Hour was $1 pitchers and 25 cent draws.

Now I'm in my mid 50's and my closet is full of black, grey, white and the occasional colored top.  So, this Crocodile Stitch Scarf is right up my alley!  I adore this pattern from Bonita Patterns on Etsy, but I feel the full size scarf is just too bulky for large girl like my self.  Bulk on a plus size is NOT what we need.  I decided to make a smaller version of the pattern.  It looks a bit bib(ish) to me at the moment.  I think I'll add a tassel  at the point.  

Worn under the coat would be pretty, but I prefer my scarves and shawls on the outside of my jackets.  I've also added a button and just poked it through the other tail.  I think it looks nice worn either way.

Prism Sparkle from Mary Maxim in Cobblestone is lovely.  It is DK weight (3).  The photos do not do the yarn justice as you cannot see the bits of subtle sparkle.

This pattern is perfect for gradient yarns as it shows them off beautifully!

The cute little scissors I found on Etsy .  Quirkiest little thing and works perfectly.

Best,

Sheila

Edit date:  4-6-14....I used 4 skeins of Mary Maxim Prism Sparkle.  
Each skein is 290 Yards (265m)

Yarn Tip from Craftsy:

If you're substituting yarn from a pattern:

To figure out how many yards of your substituted yarn you'll need, calculate the total yardage from the pattern's yarn first.  Use this formula...Number of skeins x yardage per skein = total yardage needed for pattern.  

So, for example, if your pattern uses three skeins of yarn that each have 240 yards, then multiply three by 240 to get a total of720 yards.

DIY Shawl Closures With Buttons

 The winds howl this time of year in the midwest!  In an effort to keep my shawls and scarves from blowing down the street, I made these from my button stash with a bit of elastic threaded through the button holes and tied in a knot.

 So very simple and extremely effective.  I love giganto buttons!  Big, colorful and easy to store if you are a collector like me.  Easy and affordable to purchase from local yarn shops I visit on my travels.  Above is a Lacy Baktus from Ravelry.  You can find the pattern link on my Karen's Carnival Rav page.  

 I found this button in a local yarn shop in St. Louis, Missouri.  The Freesia shawl pattern is from Jumpers Cable Knitting.  Very easy and quick to knit up with worsted weight yarn.  Find the pattern link on my Rav page.    

 I love the color combination and can use this one on so many shawls.  That's the beauty of these closures.  You can use them on all your scarves.

 I often wear my Crocodile Stitch shawls around my shoulders and this button adds a bit of color and interest.  Find the Crocodile Stitch pattern via my Rav page.

So, there you go!  Get out those gorgeous buttons, tie a bit of elastic through the holes and knot.

Best,

Sheila

Yarn tip:

Can't find the right button?  Use leftover yarn to make i-cord buttons or frog closures instead.

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