handmade by stefanie

I'm so excited to share my newest pattern with you today, which also happens to be my first-ever crochet pattern! Ever since I got into crocheting amigurumi, I've been wanting to create a sister version of my knitted Button Bunnies pattern. After months (and maybe even years) of having this in my design queue, the Crochet Button Bunny is born! I used Maxima and Clasica yarns from Manos Del Uruguay , both of which are single-ply worsted weight yarns, which are ideal for crocheting - no splitting plies as you work. They're dyed in an array of beautiful colors at co-ops in Uruguay, and all Manos yarns are certified Fair Trade , which is pretty cool! Click here to get the FREE pattern on the Knitter's Pride blog!   My other FO this week is another Zoom Loom Turtle , which I made with destash yarn using the instructions from the DJE Handwovens Turtle Critter Kit . These fun kits were designed especially for use with Zoom Loom swatches, and there are several diff...

The exciting news of this week is that the Lory Shawl is finally starting to look like something. Specifically, a shawl! I haven't done much on my Admiralty pillow, however. As you can see, I've only added one intarsia spoke section since last week: This week is kind of a project limbo, as I am preparing for some events which start September 1, the first one being the FreshStitches Mystery CAL . I went stash diving for my CAL yarn: I've also been prepping for next month's Chill Chaser Cardigan KAL by swatching....and swatching....and swatching some more: Spud & Chloe Sweater in Manatee As you can see, I had to go up a few needle sizes on my Nova Cubics needles before I achieved the correct gauge for this sweater with US #9 needles (the pattern calls for US#7, but I am kind of a tight knitter!). Louet GEMS Worsted in Pewter & new Trendz needles from Knitter's Pride! In addition to two big projects which I'll be starting next...

Today I'm going to share my possibly-clever tip for bringing a stuffie back from the brink of a sad, one-eyed existence. Recently, one of my " couch monsters " (also known as  cat beds  in these parts) lost one of his safety eyes. It just popped out one day, quite randomly! Two-eyed couch monster: those were the days! I suppose it was bound to happen after years of having his face kneaded into the optimum sleeping conditions by certain feline companions. I couldn't locate the washer that was undoubtedly still located inside his body, and I wasn't about to perform some sort of crazy surgery to reinstall the safety eye. So, I dreamed up the perfect fix: Piratification (trademark pending). I crocheted him an eye patch! How had I not thought of that sooner?! It was super simple to do - here's what I did: Using a small amount of worsted-weight yarn and an E crochet hook (I am a crazy-loose crocheter; feel free to use whatever hook size works best for ...

Chittery Chattery Socks in Louet GEMS Sport! Since I don't have any FO's to share today (gasp!), I thought this would be a good day to introduce my next sock design from Conversation Socks ! The Chittery Chattery Socks are knit with Louet GEMS Sport , and while they look like they’d involve a lot of fancy footwork (or rather, colorwork), but they are actually quite simple! Single-round stripes and an easy-to-memorize stitch pattern are all you need to put your best foot forward. Be prepared to get a lot of questions about these socks, because they were very popular at my knitting group! While the stitch pattern is simple (all you need to know is how to knit and purl), what makes these socks special is the exquisite and hard-wearing yarn I chose especially for this design, Louet GEMS Sport yarn. The tight spin of the yarn not only prevents pills, but it provides for crisp color definition within the design. Plus, it comes in a variety of wearable colors so that you c...

At first glance, it would seem like I've hardly made progress on any of my WIPs since last week. It kind of feels that way, too, but perhaps that's because I spent most of the weekend working on a project that I won't be able to share for another couple of weeks. At any rate, I did manage to start the second half of my Adm iralty pillow for the Holla Knits KAL: I also finished the second welt row on my Lory Shawl : Finally, I just have to weave 3 more Zoom Loom squares before I can assemble my second turtle for the Woolery's zoom-along ! I ordered some yarn for new projects to start soon, but have managed to avoid startitis thus far. I have a feeling I'll be making my first attempt at crocheting a Lumpy Space Princess out of this yarn I just bought from Knit Picks, however! To prepare, I've been watching a lot of LSP clips on YouTube (in addition to getting caught up on episodes each night). I think this one has the best. apology. ever:

Spinner registration is open now for Spinzilla and we're saving a spot for you on #TeamLouet ! Last year, we cracked the top 10 for most yardage spun together as a team , and this year we'd like to exceed our 2013 total and unseat Team Fancy Tiger Craft! To join our team for 2014, just click here to register via the TNNA website . The cost is $10, and it goes to an excellent cause  to foster the spinners of tomorrow! If you have a Louet wheel or some Louet fiber , that is great -  however, it is not a requirement for joining our team, and you'll have plenty of chances to win Louet fiber during the competition itself! This year, we'll be introducing several new awards within our own team for categories such as spinning the most natural fibers, taking the prettiest finished skein photo, and most adventurous spinner. This year, spinners who choose to ply their singles will receive a credit which counts towards their total yardage, which is a change I myself am ...

My gnome is done and he's already causing trouble! Well, maybe not trouble , but he's definitely having adventures. For instance, he decided to hang out in the free library to surprise anyone who might be looking for a book to read! Then he climbed some more trees.... ...after which he tried to mail himself to Abu Dhabi. I destashed several worsted-weight yarns to knit my gnome using the Jumbo Gnome pattern from Mochimochiland! Also, I just received word that individual pattern downloads for the Forever Linked Hat & Mitts are now available on Ravelry  and  Craftsy , or you can purchase a discounted project kit containing the yarn and pattern from the Bijou Basin Ranch website!!

I decided to make a destash version of the turtle I made last month on my Zoom Loom! This project is part of the Zoom Loom-along which is happening right now in the Woolery Ravelry group ; I am using the instructions I received with the Turtle Critter Kit and various leftover bits of yarn to weave my squares. I might make more than the pattern calls for so that I can give different color combinations a try when it comes time to put everything together! As I mentioned in my Stitches Midwest recap on Monday, I cast on for the Lory Shawl from Knitscene using one of my favorite yarns from Bijou Basin Ranch, Himalayan Trail . As you can see, I'm not very far along - the shawl is knit long ways and I just finished the first ridge row, which took me a LONG time! It's been a while since I've used my Karbonz needles, so I was glad I could bust them out for this project. I've also finished the first side of my Admiralty pillow for the Holla Knits KAL that...

After skipping Stitches Midwest last year, I wanted to be sure to make it out for at least one day this year. Living in the city and not having a car, however, can make getting to Stitches quite a feat. While I knew a few knitters with cars who offered me a ride, I decided to give the much-hyped Stitches Shuttle a try to see if it was an acceptable solution to the problem faced by yarn-loving but car-less Chicagoans. I am fortunate to live near the Metra line which connected to the Stitches Shuttle, so for me, my journey should have been rather simple: catch the Metra train, ride it for about 30 minutes, and then hop on the Stitches Shuttle for another 15 or so. I could be there in about an hour...in theory! I carefully timed my trip so that I had enough time to catch the 9:30 am shuttle bus on Saturday. Imagine my surprise when I got off the Metra Train at Arlington Heights at 9:22 and....nothing was there. I looked high and low for anything that resembled a bus or a shuttle ...

Just in time for Stitches Midwest, my handspun hippo is complete! Last night I put everything together mostly  without incident, except for the part where I sewed the ears onto the snout instead of the back of the head...and cut the yarn ends before I noticed the mistake. DOH! Luckily, I was able to safely remove the ears and sew them back on in the proper place. I used Susan B. Anderson's  Hippo  pattern from  Itty Bitty Toys   and some of my  handspun yarn  which was the equivalent to worsted weight, so I didn't have to double my yarn. I still used the needles called for in the pattern (US #5) to produce a nice, close-knit fabric, and my finished hippo is just over 9" tall when sitting. He sits up all on his own and is super cute - I can't wait to take him to the Yarn Geek Fibers booth at Stitches this weekend so they can see what I made with the BFL fiber I bought from them at YarnCon this past April! Here are the cliff's notes...

Don't miss  Craftsy 's Dog Days of Summer Sale happening now! Enjoy up to 50% off ALL online classes on a variety of crafty topics. You know you'll be glad you took advantage of this sale come fall, which is just around the corner!  I have taken several excellent Craftsy courses since joining the site, and I've reviewed many of them right here on my blog: Amigurumi Woodland Animals Review #1  with Stacey Trock Amigurumi Woodland Animals Review #2  with Stacey Trock Celtic Cables  with Carol Feller (includes link for 30% off class registration) Crochet Lab  with Vickie Howell Crochet: Beyond Rectangles  with Linda Permann Custom Cabled Pullovers  (includes link for 50% off class registration) Know Your Wool (free class!)  with Deb Robson Mittens and Gloves Galore  with Marly Bird (includes link for 50% off class registration) How to Say It: Pattern Writing for Knitters  with Edie Eckman There are lots of new a...

Not too long ago, I entered a subscriber giveaway for the Holla Knits blog tour - and I won! I was pretty thrilled to receive an entire project's-worth of yarn, and it was excellent timing, too, since the Holla Knits Special Collection KAL/CAL kicked off this past Monday. The yarn I won was enough to knit a nautical-themed design called The Admiralty , and I'm pretty excited to be making it since I have a special recipient in mind. However, I am forced to revisit one of my most hated techniques: intarsia. Most recently, I have avoided intarsia in projects by knitting with the main color and then duplicate stitching the design once the piece is done yes, that's how much I hate intarsia. However, that's really only viable for smaller projects. However, I dreamed up a compromise that I think will work: rather than wrangling 3 colors to make each section of the pillow, I'll be working the chart in the two main colors, then duplicate stitching the third color late...

Today, I'm bursting at the seams because I finally get to reveal a project I've been working on since January of this year: an eBook comprised of five unisex sock designs called Conversation Socks ! I dreamed up this project because I find myself with less and less time to devote to holiday gift knitting, but I know that my family members love and cherish the gifts I make them, especially socks! By choosing sport weight yarn and US #3 needles, each sock knits up quickly and produces a mid-weight fabric that is nice and toasty without being bulky. Each pattern was created with the express purpose of being simple enough for knitting on-the-go, but interesting enough to keep you engaged. These patterns are perfect for your morning commute, knit night, or a trip out of town! They don't require huge, hard-to-follow charts or incredibly complicated techniques. Instead, they take the basic building blocks that the average knitter has at their disposal to create five designs ...