Holiday Knitting & Crocheting Part 3

Part 3 of Holiday Knitting & Crocheting is all about the noggins and hands!  I so enjoy these sorts of projects.  Not too much money or time.  Perfect for all ages and you can get as creative as you like. 

 

My Prada Inspired Knitted Headband is a great place to start if you are new to cables!  They are so simple yet, so effective for the WOW factor.  You can easily make some for the little people in your life and get several out of one skein of Lion Brand Jiffy or any bulky weight (5) yarn.  If you are using your stash, that's 135 yards (124 meters).

I designed these knitted Christmas Hats Collection for a custom client and love them.  Store bought buttons and ribbons make them extra special.  Pom pom toppers are classic.  The ribbon on that last hat reads "naughty or nice"....which makes me giggle!  These would be cute in any color combination, like Easter colors, team colors or even neutrals.  You get all the patterns for the hats you see in sizes newborn to toddler!  I used easy to find worsted weight (4) yarn, Caron Simply Soft.

My Knitted Arm Warmers is another, very versatile project.  Men, women and teens like these.  Perfect for the beginner who likes flat knitting.  I also provide instructions for knitting in the round for those who hate seaming up!  No thumb holes and variegated yarn does all the work here so no color changing!

I also have kits available in my Etsy shop, in three colorways, which comes with the yarn, printed pattern in a page protector, tote bag and coupon for your next order!

Many of you might have this free knitting pattern....Sockhead on Ravelry.  One skein of any sock yarn gets you this perfect hat for men, women and teens.  The ribbed cuff makes it easily fit any size noggin!  I love this easy pattern and it's a great take-along project.

Mittens is (are?) another great project for stash busting.  This free knitting pattern is from Susan B. Anderson. I do so love using variegated yarn for many of my projects as the effect is beautiful!  Find the pattern on Ravelry here.

This pattern, from Patons, is on Ravelry as well.  It looks like the mittens and the arm warmer is separate.  How cozy do these look?  Light colored yarn really shows of the detail.

I adore the colors Natalia used here and the design is lovely.  I found this knitting pattern on Ravelry as well.  Comes in and ebook with lots of other great designs.

If crocheting is your thing, these ribbed beauties by Mary Jane Hall are for you!  She has loads of beautiful things in her Ravelry shop.

I have this pattern by Hand Knitted Things on Craftsy.  Julia has truly, lovely things.  She is in Scotland and as I am half Scottish myself, I have a warm spot for her.  I adore the little Croft Houses in her shop!  The headband is knit first then you pick up stitches along its side for the hat part.  I love the oversized top of the hat....not head hugging and not too fitted either.

How cute are these animal headbands by Sweet Potato 3 on Craftsy?  No crocheting of the top of the hat, just a headband with the sweetness of a little critter....brilliant!

There you have it!  Next week, sweaters!

You can find all my pattern stores at the top of the page or find my

Etsy store here

Craftsy store here

Ravelry store here

Yarn tip:

Here are some head measurements for you

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.