handmade by stefanie

Here's a completely-finished hat that I never once mentioned on this blog! What happened is I wanted something simple to knit on the train (a friend of ours was visiting, so I knew I'd have lots of extra train-knitting time for the duration of their stay!). I noticed that Veera Välimäki's Little Things had been lurking in my queue for quite some time and realized it would be the perfect way to use my remaining Road to China Light from the Tree of Life Cowl I made earlier this summer. If you're looking for a quick knit and don't mind a lot of garter and stockinette (I certainly don't), this is the project for you! I whipped this hat out in five days; the hardest part was finding the perfect buttons to complete the project. Considering the ridiculous button stash I've accumulated in the past few years, it would be reasonable to expect that choosing buttons would be the easiest part of the project-finishing process. NOT SO! I pored over my stash for probabl...

Oh, startitis, we meet again. For a while, I was able to keep my WIPs within a manageable 3-project maximum. Best-laid plans are no match for my weak resistance to the siren call of starting a new project, however. First, I had to start a secret something for my nephew's upcoming birthday (not pictured). I also decided to participate in this KAL and ordered yarn to make the Jelly Beans Socks : While waiting for said KAL yarn, I was tempted by the latest Cookie A sock pattern and consequently cast on for a pair: And, still bitten by the colorwork bug, I started a Hendreary Hat with the Bijou Bliss I ordered during their Fourth of July flash sale:  Naturally, this is all at the expense of completely ignoring my Rockefeller Shawl . Oh, and I also finished knitting a new sock pattern that's been in the works for far too long (not pictured). Now I just have to get the pattern ready to go...which hopefully will be a much quicker process. All in all, it was a produ...

My Narwhal Mittens have been done for several weeks - they turned out so well! I used Lhasa Wilderness from Bijou Basin Ranch - I love the way the hand-dyed goldenrod looks agains the natural brown color. They are sooooo incredibly soft, too - the yak/bamboo blend is nothing short of heavenly. These will be my extra-warm mittens of choice this winter - yak fiber is very warm and insulating, plus the colorwork provides a thicker fabric, all the better to keep my hands toasty in the sub-zero winter months. Pattern: Narwhal Mittens by Ysolda Teague Yarn: Lhasa Wilderness in Goldenrod and Natural Brown Needles: Knitter's Pride US #3 Dreamz DPNs Modifications: No inner lining....I like to live dangerously.

I'm back on the sock bandwagon! On August 1, I finished the toe-up socks. REPEAT: the toe-up socks (that I started in April) are DONE! Don't ask me why I'm just now blogging about it; perhaps a better title for this post would be "FO Friday, The Long-Overdue Edition." It's a little hard to capture the texture of the socks, which is a simple "v" created by purl bumps.  The pattern is the  Traditional Gansey Socks  from Wendy Johnson's  Socks from the Toe Up ; I used some hand-dyed yarn from a friend of mine here in town (it's a very soft fingering-weight MCN). I ended up using the Russian Bind-Off instructions from the book. I also accidentally worked a stockinette heel flap on the first sock and slip-stitch heel flap on the second sock...and somehow didn't notice it til they were both done. Oops! Naturally, this kicked up my sock interest once more. causing me to resurrect my colorwork socks-in-progress. Last Friday night, I finish...

I don't need  more sock yarn...yet these two lovely skeins found their way into my house recently: Green Mountain Spinnery Sock Art Forest (70% fine wool. 30% Tencel) in an undyed natural grey color. The photo doesn't do it justice! I'll be using it for the Jelly Beans Socks , which is a KAL happening right now in their Ravelry group . Then I succumbed to yet another Craftsy Deal (perhaps I should ban that site from my browser?), this time for this autumnal skein of Wisdom Yarns Poems Sock in Pumpkin Patch....and promptly cast on for the  Lateral Socks from Cookie A's new collection (the beginnings of which you saw in yesterday's WIP Wednesday post !). I'll try to resist purchasing any more yarn til September...but I make no promises! ETA: If you're wondering how (or if) it's possible to enable oneself into a yarn purchase, I assure you it is. I spend all day looking at yarn and patterns, talking about them for clients, telling other  people...

It's been a while since I've shared what's on my needles - and with so many finished projects of late, that means that I've started just as many new ones! My colorwork craze continues with Ysolda Teague's Hendreary Hat in Bijou Bliss: I also started a new pair of socks using some yarn I recently scored via Craftsy's Daily Deals - the pattern is hot off the press from Cookie A's new design collection . I couldn't resist the simplicity of the Lateral Socks . What better way to show off the gradient colorway of my yarn choice? Finally, my Rockefeller Shawl is chugging along. Yes, it's been several weeks since the completion of the WestKnits 2012 Mystery KAl, but I have been struck with Second Side Syndrome, apparently. I've officially moved this project to "slow-burner status" (i.e., it's the project I pick up when feeding the cats in the morning and evening), and it will be done...eventually. Still haven't gotten yo...

I should probably start by saying that I have a design coming out in the upcoming Fresh Designs: Toys book, and I'm a huge fan of Cooperative Press and Shannon Okey. Through the Cooperative Press , Shannon has managed to publish some of the most interesting titles in the yarn industry. California Revival Knits , Extreme Double-Knitting , and now the Fresh Designs series readily spring to mind as shining examples! I volunteered myself to review the books that recently came out because I'm really excited about this series (currently out are Scarves , Shawls , Sweaters and Men ) and jumped at the opportunity to help promote my fellow Fresh Designs designers. All of the books in this series share a clean, modern graphic aesthetic. Patterns are clearly-written and laid out in a way that's easy to follow. The images of the patterns are directly followed by the pattern, which is something I appreciate (I hate having to search through a PDF document when all the photos ar...

As you may recall, I recently purchased a few skeins of Manos Wool Clasica via Craftsy Deals .  Once I saw them in person, I knew they wouldn't remain in my stash for long! This discontinued colorway, Lily Pad , was the perfect choice for some cabled boot toppers - I love the way the neutral tones allow the splashes of red to pop. I also like the way it knit up; I usually avoid variegated yarns because I'm not a fan of the way they tend to pool, but as you can see, this colorway knits up as more mottled than pooled. I used this free pattern from Manos on Ravelry for Wavy Cable Boot Toppers . It's super-fast and easy, and you can easily customize it to fit whatever boots you like! Earlier this week, there were several more Manos Craftsy Deals in varying colors of  Wool Clasica ,  Rittenhouse  and  Silk Blend . Hopefully you were able to snap up a few skeins for yourself (I know I had to resist the urge to buy more)! Thanks for joining me for F...

Chicago is fortunate to play host to two big crafting events this year: Stitches Midwest and Vogue Knitting Live! As always, Stitches Midwest takes place in August to kick off the knitting season.  It's an event I always look forward to, though there have been instances in my 7 years of living in Chicago that I have been unable to make the trek - and it is a journey for us city mice - to Schaumburg.  It's always worth it, of course, but us urban knitters who rely on mass transit are pretty much SOL if they can't justify the car rental expense or find a friend with a car...hence I am looking forward to VK Live! this October, which will be conveniently located in the downtown loop at the beautiful Palmer House Hilton. I ended up helping a client set up their booth on Thursday, and then went to the market on Friday to shop and schmooze. I was surprised at how busy it was on a Friday afternoon - the parking lot was COMPLETELY full! I'm guessing it was a very success...

As you might have guessed by a lack of a post on Friday, the final day of the WestKnits Mystery KAL , I didn't finish my shawl.  I'd like to say it wasn't for lack of trying, but my progress simply won't support that claim: As you can see, I'm not even halfway through the final clue! It's going to be smooth sailing from here - but on a really slow-moving ship (that seems to be the theme for most projects these days). Here's hoping this can be off the needles by the end of this month!

I know I've posted several times about Craftsy Deals , but here are my latest acquisitions: 1 skein Manos Clasica in Olivewood - natural blues, browns, yellows and grays 2 skeins Manos Clasica in Lily Pad - soft reds, calming creams and earthy greens I couldn't resist the offer for Fair Trade yarn + free shipping. I'm a little embarrassed to admit that I have never knit with Manos' yarns (and only recently acquired at skein of Maxima while in Columbus earlier this year). None of my LYSes carry Manos, so that has always been roadblock #1. I suppose roadblock #2 is that they don't have a sock yarn, which I view as the gateway drug to a yarn line. However, in the course of my work, I have learned so much about the Manos Co-Ops, yarns and colorways, it's about time I gave them a try! As Craftsy noted in the product description : Manos del Uruguay helps empower women in Uruguay's countryside by generating income for themselves and their families. T...

The Kitchy Pleated Bag continues to be one of my most popular designs from Malabrigo Book 3 . Here are the latest FO projects to pop up on Ravelry! Annedonn has made several kitchy bags to give as gifts - her latest two (shown above, top left and middle) have fancy buttons, too (the pink buttons have some sort of bug on them)! I'm not sure what yarn she used, but I love seeing the variations in color combinations. KnitKnacksTO made this version (above right) to use as a project bag in what looks like Tuareg and Pearl Ten Malabrigo Chunky - a great pairing!

I'm thrilled to be today's stop on the Celtic Cables blog tour. If you're just now joining us, there are several other blogs you should check out ( click here to view the tour itinerary!) for class reviews and interviews with the instructor/designer, Carol Feller. I have been obsessed with Craftsy for quite some time now, having signed up for several classes and workshops , bought countless skeins of yarn via their daily deals , and even purchased some patterns , too! I think it's a really exciting way for crafters to learn & share their know-how, and I'm excited to promote it in any way I can. The designer modeling the class project, the Portulaca Cardigan Once I started watching the preview videos of Carol's class, I was hooked and signed up right away! I'm pleased to offer my dear readers a special discount on this class so you can join in the fun - the link is at the end of this post.   I consider myself an experienced knitter an...

It's done, it's done, it's DONE! And I love it...(is anyone surprised?) This shawl is enormous - as you can see in this photo I took while it was blocking, it's longer than my massage table (which, if you're interested, is a good 75 inches in length). I used three colors of The Fibre Company's Canopy Fingering , which is one of my new favorite yarns - alpaca, merino and bamboo. It's delightful to knit with. I think this will be a staple throughout the fall and winter - it's perfect for draping around my shoulders, and since it's in my three favorite colors, it'll pretty much match everything I own (not that matching is ever a huge priority for me, considering most days I don't actually interact with the world at large!). One of my friends on Facebook commented that it looked like a Japanese rock garden, which hadn't actually occurred to me, but now I can totally see it. It was a pretty zen-like knitting experience, too - very soo...

Warning: this post contains spoiler photos for the WestKnits Mystery KAL!  This weekend, I was amazed at how much progress I made on my all-but-forgotten toe-up socks in just a matter of days. Indeed, when you diligently knit on something, you can cover a lot of ground...it goes without saying that the inverse is true when you ignore a project, though I still always hope the knitting fairy will come along and knit a few rows when I'm not looking. Last Saturday night, I turned the heel, and now I'll just be blazing through the pattern repeats til it's time to bind off. My goal is to have this pair of socks completely off the needles by the end of this coming weekend - then perhaps I can get down to business with those lovely colorwork socks I started in June...or cast on for a quick-knitting pair of pom-pom peds to give my new pom-pom maker a test drive....or get down to business on my holiday sock knitting....well, you get the idea! I'm plugging away on the ...