Fingerless Mitt Knitting

Happy Monday!  I think spring has finally come to the Midwest.  The sun is out, the birds are singing and rabbits are multiplying!

I've been working on knitting fingerless mitts and loving it!  This is my absolute go-to pattern for gift giving and charity knitting and one of my favs when traveling.  I'm using Lion Brand Heartland and iron-on appliques from Simplicity.  All was purchased at my local Joann Fabric Store.

I adore this little bird.  So chubby and sweet on its own, but I think it still needs something.  Maybe a little branch to sit on.  I'll add one using my limited embroidery skills.

You will notice that I put the embellishments on one mitt only.  One on each hand is a bit overkill in my mind if the appliques are each the same.

Look at the detail!  I could never do this kind of embroidery work on my own.  If you can, that's great.  For those of you that find it a bit daunting, these are perfect.

I like how this one stands out against the black mitt.  After I picked out all the iron-ons I liked, I went to the yarn section, took them out of the package and off the card they are lightly glued to, and held them against the yarn to see how it looked.

I've only finished these two sets, but will keep you posted on the progress.  The appliques cost anywhere from $2.49 to $5.49 a package.  Not cheap I know, but some have three per package and some have one.  They are super easy to iron on to your knitwear and don't interfere with the sizing of the mitt.  A hot iron, no steam and only using the tip of the iron, just hold it down for several seconds them move on the another part and do the same.

 

Some of you might remember my Heirloom Mitts pattern.  These are iron on appliques also and I put them on both mitts. If you purchase this pattern, you get all three mitt patterns and the headband pattern for $5.00.

The paper hands I use for photos came from Hobby Lobby for $2.47 in the kids craft section.  You get 30 in three different color hands. 

Here are my pattern shops if you are interested in the Heirloom Mitts pattern:

Etsy

Craftsy

Ravelry

or at the top of this page in the heading sections.

Ok, that's it.....I HAVE to get out of my robe as it's 9 a.m.!  

Have a great week,

Sheila

Purls of Wisdom:

Turn a garden tools bag into a project bag.  Turn it inside out so the pockets are on the inside, which keeps all your yarny bits and bobs on the inside of the bag.

Knitting With Picture Yarn

So, I'm knitting with picture yarn for the first time.  For those of you who do not know what that is, let me explain.  It is dyed in a particular way, with "pictures" on it, so when you knit, the picture magically appears.  I have no idea of how she does this!

This is the brilliance of Abi Grasso!

I'm knitting a pair of fingerless gloves, ere go the hole.

You can see my first shot is a mess.  Good thing I added a lifeline.  I can see that those little white zig zags, in the brown section,  should be lining up.  That is key with this yarn.  Your image needs to line up for the picture to appear.  I ripped out to the lifeline and went down one needle size from US 2 to US 1.

My second attempt is much better.  This is not a good pattern for the beginner.  You have to do quite a bit of tugging along each row for everything to line up properly. 

All three skeins and a paper pattern come with your purchase.  I think it also had a stitch marker in it.

This is Abi's photo and you can see her mushroom tops are not spread out like mine.  For me, I think a US size 0 might make things easier.  I might even rip out the whole thing and start over.  Yikes!

Here is a shot of her Etsy shop.  If you want the toadstool yarn, (I don't see it in her shop) just send her a note and she'll get back to you.

Have a great week,

Sheila

Purls of Wisdom:

I like to use these point protectors for sock or glove knitting.  I got these for free with a knitting magazine....not sure which one.  They are meant to keep a set of dpns together, but they work great for keeping a project from unraveling in your bag.

Turn Drab to Fab

Happy Monday all!  I'd like to share with you something I'm working on for our church fundraiser.  Every year during lent, All Holy Spirit Greek Orthodox Church, has a fish fry, just like many churches across the country.  Our young people do a bake sale during this event as well.  You know, cookies, brownies, Rice Crispy Treats and such.  I usually donate something savory like seasoned pretzels...

 or crusty bread.  I like to add the recipe and our church business card.  

What does this have to do with knitting?  Well, the woman in charge of the sale put out a cowl she crocheted and someone bought it.  Now, no knitter or crocheter can resist an opportunity to donate there work, right?  Fingerless mitts are the perfect project for that.

I'm whipping up some neutral mitts and adding a removable embellishment.  I think it really takes the mitts from drab to fab.  By making the flower removable, it allows the mitts to go to a male or female.

Stitch the embellishment to a barrette and you're done.

What knitting or crochet items do you like to donate?

Have a great week.  Here's a sneak peek at a new scarf pattern I'm working on...

Wait until you see, three variations.  One for the beginner, one for the advanced beginner and one to slightly challenge yourself!

Best,

Sheila

Purls of Wisdom

This is my favorite project bag.  I found this plastic beauty years ago at a Bloomingdale's in New York.  It's the perfect size for knitting or hooking on the go. I keep a luggage tag on it and all my project bags....just in case I leave it at the coffee shop, doctors office or the airplane.

Heirloom Mitts & Headband Patterns

I've been busy working on some fingerless mitts patterns, all in worsted weight yarn.  They are such a great gift and when my church has fund raising events, they are the first to be snatched up.  Affordable to make, easy to whip up and loved by so many.

I've added iron-on appliques for a unique twist.  They don't interfere with the fit or distort them in any way and are so easy to apply.

Four super easy patterns for one price of $6.00.  Most of my patterns are $5.00 each, so this is a great bargain. 

One with a thumb, one with a slit and is adjustable for size, and one with no slit or thumb.  I've also included a checkerboard headband in black and white, but you could easily knit it to coordinate with any of the mitts.

The pattern for this plumb and lemongrass pair is knit flat with a crocheted edge.  The buttons allow the wearer to adjust the size.  No button holes as the small size of the buttons just push through the fabric.

Open one button and slip your thumb through or.....

just wear them as wrist warmers.

And because you still need some in the spring and summer months because of too cold, air conditioned offices, these are pretty in pastels. This pair is knit in the round and I think is so feminine and delicate. 

All four patterns are super easy for any advanced beginner or better. 

To save a bit of money, I strategically cut the appliques so I could have one on each mitt.  By doing so, they are slightly different on each mitt, which is fine by me as I don't like things to matchy, matchy.

I love a checkerboard pattern in any color combo, but black and white is a fav of mine.  

I give you all the instructions on how to apply the appliques.  I found mine at Joann Fabric.

You can find the pattern on 

Etsy

Craftsy

and Ravelry

or click  

Have a great week, and if you are in the USA, Happy Thanksgiving,

Sheila

Purls of Wisdom:

Do you suffer from one-sockitis?  Think of them as a gift bag!  My daughter doesn't mind mismatched socks, especially in the winter as no one sees them.  I'm gifting her these chocolate smelling votive candles from Root in a vintage espresso cup with a lighter from Target.  These candles are pricey but the chocolate smell is like no other I have found.  So worth the money.

Back to School Projects

When my daughter was little, I loved this time of year....back to school.  Fall weather on the way, a couple new outfits and new school supplies, which always annoyed me to no end!  If you go to a public school in the USA, no one, not even the teachers, should be purchasing school supplies, it's a public school.  I've even had to pay book fees.  I don't know when all this started, but it was never like that when I was going to school.  

I digress....let's get back to some fun!  I found some fun back to school projects.  This lunch box is super cute!  You could easily change up the colors for a boy.

So is this backpack I found on Ravelry.  Just adorable.

When my daughter was in school, a scarf for teacher was easy to whip up and always welcome.

I knit many of these for college bound students in my neighborhood.  You can find the free pattern for the slouchy hat on Ravelry.  

I have also made some Arm Warmers for students and teachers alike.  Male teachers would like these as well in a brown, gray or black combo.  Here is my pattern on Ravelry.  You can also find it in my Etsy and Craftsy shops.

This cute owl basket for teacher is darling for their desk.  You could also fill it with treats! 

This is handsome for a male teacher or student.  I love the composition book-like style of it.

Are you working on any back to school projects?  I'd love to read about them.

Best,

Sheila

Purls of Wisdom:

When knitting or crocheting for children of any age, keep it simple, fast and inexpensive.  Things tend to get lost, misplaced and banged up.  

Baby Slouchy Hats Pattern!

 

I'm a big fan of Bohoknits Sockhead Hat pattern.  It's my go-to pattern for traveling, adult gift giving and knitting-to-relax.  I decided to write a pattern for babies and toddlers as I often need a baby shower gift.  Also, a new mom will get plenty of blankets at the party.  

It's a relatively quick knit and a great project for your left over sock yarn.  The 2 x 2 rib makes for a very stretchy band to fits lots of wee noggins!

The yarn for this one is by indie dyer Abi Grasso.  You might know her from her fabulous picture yarns she has in her Etsy shop.  This particular yarn is Sparkly Sock Yarn in Nebula Cloud.  You can get quite a few hats from one skein as it is 460 yards/420m.  This would make for a fun adult hat too!

 This yarn is one skein of Madeline Tosh Merino Light in Cosmic Wonder Dust.  I love this one as it reminds me of a cupcake.  How cute would this be if you presented it in a little cupcake box?  

This box has little cupcake toys in it.  I have found these boxes in Hobby Lobby, Sur Le Table, Walmart and Michael's.  You can find my pattern for the cupcakes in my pattern stores.  The link is at the top of my blog page or below, at the end of this post.

The pattern includes instructions for making a hat from baby to child size.

Here's the information for the hats:

I would rate this as a advanced beginner or better knitter. You need to know how to knit in the round on circular needles and use double point needles. Increase and decrease skills are also needed. 

Knit up these cute little slouchy hats for a baby, toddler or child. All three sizes provided. Great project to use up your sock yarn.

Complete instructions are included along with yarn brands and shop links needed to complete as pictured.

Mix and match all your leftovers and make stripes!

This is a copyright pattern. Selling, copying or distributing this pattern in any form is prohibited. 

*******Selling the finished product is permitted*******

 Now, a little info about the display.  I have always found it difficult to photograph baby hats on something other than a live baby.  My "baby" is 22 years old and does a great job as my model for adult wear, but what to do about baby hats?

To the rescue....Tamara Kelly of Moogly fame.  Just LOOK at her great idea below and the very cute hats!  Her pattern is free, too!

I adore her idea I first saw on Instagram and contacted her right away.  She explained to me that she used pieces of a olive oil container she has had for some time.  Off to the stores I go!

I found these at Hobby Lobby.  The container on the left is from the craft side of the store where they have glass containers.  The one on the right is from the floral department.  I just took the lid off the jar and put the "fishbowl" on top of it, bottom side up.  I used a little sticky tack to keep the two pieces together.  I think it worked out great! 

Here's a little better photo, before I photoshopped the lines out, of the two pieces together.  

Well, that's it for this week.  Thanks for stopping by,

Sheila

Find my Slouchy Hats for Baby in my pattern stores

Etsy

Craftsy

Ravelry 

Purls of Wisdom:

I find that giving a simple hat as a gift a little uninteresting.  To make it special, it's all in the box.  Think out of the box, so to speak.  Use a cupcake box, like the one above or...

 

look at this sweet Mary Engelbreit hat box.  And this faux tree log box below.  I found all of them at a thrift store for $2.00 each.  The tree log box had potpourri in it.  So, when you run across a container that looks interesting, take it home!