handmade by stefanie

So much to catch up on!  Between going out of town and working some really weird hours to make up for the time I was gone (such is life when you work in the service industry - there are no paid vacations - or apparently, even unpaid ones!), I've barely been able to catch my breath since we got back to Chicago on Sunday night.  The trip was fun - quite relaxing for most of the time, and I did manage to squeeze in a LOT of knitting time.  We had a good time at my cousin's wedding, and I think her and her new husband did too.  She looked fantastic, and the entire affair was well-done and unique, even despite having to scramble at the last minute to find someone else to make the wedding cake, when the first one (a relative, no less) flaked less than two months out.  The drive down to KC went much faster than the drive back, which seemed to take FOREVER.  Even photographing (or attempting to, as the case may be) decomposing barns of rural america and knitti...

Welcome to Day 2 of blog week, where we have yet another topic to discuss: Look back over your last year of projects and compare where you are in terms of skill and knowledge of your craft to this time last year. Have you learned any new skills or forms of knitting/crochet (can you crochet cable stitches now where you didn’t even know such things existed last year? Have you recently put a foot in the tiled world of entrelac? Had you even picked up a pair of needles or crochet hook this time last year?  Owl Cardigan:  Adventure in Steeking Last year I steeked my first sweater, and somehow managed to never write a post about it.  I'm not sure why - it was quite the learning experience!  This seems like as good of a time as any to talk about the ins and outs of steeking a cardigan....for starters, I chose to experiment with steeking because I wanted to knit the cardigan faster in the round - I also figured I should branch out and try something new, and a cow...

It feels like ages since I've released a pattern - this one has been in the works for a while now.  At last it is tested and ready to go - just in time for Malabrigo March! I designed these wristwarmers to coordinate with my Nest Egg Beanie - in fact, if you knit the smallest sizes of each pattern, you can knit the set using only two skeins of Malabrigo Rios!  This pattern features a nice ribbed cuff, stockinette palm, and a cabled panel that runs along the back of the hand.  There is a chart to work from, and the pattern is perfect for showing off the beautiful variations of hand-dyed yarns. The details: Pattern:  Nest Egg Wristwarmers , $6 Yarn:  Malabrigo Rios (Superwash Merino) in 'Solis' Needles:  US #7 DPNs Notions:  Cable needle, different-colored stitch markers, darning needle. buy now | add to cart | show cart

Even though Christmas is over, and soon we'll be taking down the tree, I couldn't resist the Rebecca Danger monster ornament kits I got for Christmas.  On New Year's Day, I cast on my first project of the new year - Owen, the Christmas Monster Ornament !  Now he's ready to spend a few days on the tree til he has to hibernate in the ornament box til Thanksgiving. Now is probably a good time to share the other ornaments I knit this year: Tiny Snowmen !  I went a little crazy with these - they were just so fun and easy to make.  Before I knew it, there was an army of tiny snowmen in my living room.  Just to be on the safe side, I gave most of them away as gifts this year. Tiny Santa ! I predict I will be making a few more of these for next year, but I just ran out of time to execute all of my grandiose last-minute knitting plans.  This one went to live with my aunt & uncle in Kansas City Tiny panda with his dinosaur friend (knit by Sam) Tin...

1.  Learn entrelac! Armed with Gwen Bortner's latest book, I am confident I can master this technique.   2.  Get my teeth cleaned.  For serious.  Like many people, I hate going to the dentist more than anything else, but I can put it off no longer.  3.  Get a physical.  It's been a while...longer than I'd care to admit.  Not a good thing to put off! 4.  Start working through the design to-do list in earnest....because it keeps getting longer. 5.  Knit Tyler a sweater.  Finally, after ten and a half years of us being together, he will finally have a hand-knit sweater!  Albeit, it will look like all of his other sweaters (a black V-neck, perhaps with some ribs, but nothing fancy - he's just a basic guy.)  But this one will be extra warm and made with love!!  6.  Master colorwork knitting.  I've made several colorwork projects that have turned out quite nicely, but specifically, I want to be able...