handmade by stefanie

Baby knits are such a great instant-gratification project, and having a stash of cute baby things comes in handy when someone announces that they're expecting. I was excited to try out this project kit from Kraemer Yarns when they were looking for reviews of their new project kit offerings at patternsbykraemer.com . The Knit For Baby Sweater is a t-shaped simple garter stitch garment that is knit flat all in once piece and then seamed. The kit includes a printed pattern on high-quality glossy paper with full color photos, and two skeins of Tatamy DK yarn, a blend of 45% Cotton and 55% Acrylic. I chose a nice gender-neutral color, Rubber Duckie, and they sent me two project kits so that I can give one away to my blog readers - keep reading to find out how you can win this project kit! The pattern instructions are easy to follow and keep track of as you work - just count the purl bumps to know how many rows you've worked - and the seaming is quite easy once you'...

This article and pattern originally appeared in Holla Knits , an online magazine produced by my good friend Allyson Dykhuizen . She has graciously allowed me to republish here on my blog now that Holla Knits is no more, and I am super excited to relaunch one of my favorite sock designs, the Spring-tastic Socks, which are now available here in my Ravelry store ! This pattern is fun to knit and looks great in both semisolid and variegated yarn.  The Spring-tastic Socks are shown here in the Periquito colorway of Manos del Uruguay Alegria Sock. Sock Knitting Basics Sock knitting is a pretty vast subject, so this article in no way purports to cover every aspect - but it will help you to tackle your first pair of socks with confidence and give you some ideas for future sock exploration. First things first: let’s cover the terminology. Below is the basic anatomy of a sock, which you will see referenced throughout most sock knitting patterns. Cuff: Generally, this cons...

My favorite yarn/fiber event took place here in Chicago last weekend - YarnCon ! I went with a friend to shop the marketplace for a few hours on Saturday afternoon and managed to make only 1 purchase: 4 skeins of gorgeous hand-dyed yarn from Black Cat Fibers , which I plan to use for another So Faded Sweater : R-L: Vamp, Alchemy, Dirt Nap and Quarry I don't think I've ever knit a sweater twice, but I really like how my first one turned out, and it fits me perfectly (especially now that I put a collar on it - no more Flash Dance sweater!). I still have the pattern with the numbers for my size circled, so I doubt it'll be long til I cast on....never mind that I am also currently working on a Comfort Fade cardi in some OOAK hand-dyed colors of Lhasa Wilderness . 2018 is the Year of the Sweater after all, right?! As you can see, the YarnCon marketplace was full of temptation - it took quite a bit of willpower not to bring everything home with me. Thankfully, my r...