handmade by stefanie

Since I was traveling last week, I strategically packed only two projects to work on in hopes that I would come home with as many FOs. Despite encountering a lot  of delays in my air travel, my plan didn't quite work out as I thought it would, although the Wedge Socks are now at HO status! The lighting in the photo above doesn't really do justice to the colorway, so here is a close-up shot which is a little more true to color: My Chill Chaser is much closer to being done; I finished knitting the sleeves and just need to attach them to the sweater - but first, I want to finish knitting the hood: Last but not least, my Chittery Chattery socks are knitting up nice and quick, especially considering the fact that I've had very little time to work on them! In other news, Craftsy is offering some great deals on project kits which are only available by clicking on my affiliate links below. I thought I'd share them for anyone who is looking for simple &...

Since I'm concentrating on my two October KAL projects, I don't have any FOs to share this week. I can't even think of the last time this has happened! Luckily, I have a consolation prize to offer you: today only, there is a huge flash sale happening over on Craftsy ! From time to time, I blog about Craftsy: the classes I've taken , the yarn I've bought , etc. I usually just assume that everyone knows about Craftsy since I've been obsessed with it since its early days, but for those of you who are just now discovering it, today seems like a good time to give a more formal introduction: in a nutshell,  Craftsy is a worldwide craft community offering online classes. It also has a pattern marketplace where independent designers can sell their patterns; a supply shop with great deals on yarn, fabric, and class kits; and a project section where members share pictures of their latest craft successes. They have over two million members, and they aren't just f...

Though I finished my Mystery CAL project late, I could have shared this for  FO Friday a few weeks ago. Apparently, I was so over-the-moon about finally finishing my Destash Dolman and Sincere Sheep sweaters, I forgot to include my adorable new marsupial friend! Oops! My kangaroo ended up being rather large because I am a really loose crocheter and (for reasons still unknown to me) I didn't go down a few crochet hook sizes as I usually do for amigurumi projects. So, it's a little loosey-goosey and there are definitely places where you can see the stuffing if you're looking for it. I used 4 skeins of Lopi yarn I snapped up via Craftsy Deals for a song; it was a little scratchy at first but I gave the Roos a bath and now they are much more snuggly! Pattern: Amber the Kangaroo by Stacey Trock Yarn:  Lett-Lopi Icelandic Yarn Thanks for stopping by this week - for more FO Friday inspiration, visit the  Tami's Amis blog !  Have a crafty weekend!

Need to get ready for fall crafting? Starting to make those holiday knitting plans? There are some killer heals over at the Craftsy Supply Sale this weekend. Below are just a few of my top picks, but they won't last long at these prices! Lorna's Laces Shepherd Sport, $8.60/sk  - Superwash yarn is always great for gift knitting! Louet Drop Spindle Course Kit - get everything you need to learn how to spin for under $20! Manos Silk Blend, $9.88/sk - ultra luxurious silk/merino DK yarn! Sketch Books, $3.92/each - great for gifting or keeping track of projects and designs! Sale is happening now through July 28th. Enjoy! You might like to know: I am a Craftsy Affiliate. Your purchases using my affiliate links helps support this blog, and I think you for it!

Woo hoo! The Craftsy Sweet Summer Sale has been extended through today - click the banner below to enroll in select classes for up to 75% off! Not sure what classes to sign up for? Click here to read my Craftsy class reviews ! 

Happy WIP Wednesday! I find myself with only a few projects on the needles right now, which means I'll be starting some new ones while visiting family this week. First, I'll be destashing some MadTosh to make Locale , which is a free pattern on Ravelry. I also have some brand-new Knitter's Pride Dreamz needles to season: It's time to get back to baby knitting, since everyone I know continues to announce they are expecting! Many of these new moms and moms-to-be read my blog occasionally, so I won't be posting much about this project, but I am  excited to make something from this adorable book which I picked up at TNNA last month. Tyler and I will be taking the Amtrak down to KC, which means I get 7 hours of uninterrupted crafting time - it sounds like heaven to me. I am a little concerned that the above two projects plus my halfway-finished sock project won't be enough to keep me out of trouble (read: away from the yarn store) while I'm in town. I...

Summer has finally come to Chicagoland, which means it's time to trade in my jeans for skirts (for those of you who care, I don't believe in shorts) and bust out my ankle socks. One of my first-ever sock patterns is my go-to for the summer months; since I also don't wear sandals or flip-flops (yep, I'm weird like that), it's necessary to pair anklet socks with my shoes. The Lacy Summer Socks  are quick to knit with a lacy motif that's perfect for peeking through mary janes; it's now available as a free download on Ravelry and continues to be one of my most popular patterns. I recently came across a very sweet blog post from a fellow Raveler who recently made her own pair and shared her feedback about the pattern itself. Seeing a finished project from your own pattern is already one of the highest compliments a designer can get, but so is getting positive feedback from your fellow knitters! Craftsy Pick of the Week I've been getting back into design...

My knitting guru's birthday was last Friday, and I wanted to think of something fun yet useful that I could make her. After combing Ravelry and my bookshelves for ideas, I finally decided that the Turtle Lunch Tote from Amigurumi on the Go would make an excellent project bag! It was actually kind of hard to give this one away, I may have to make one for myself someday soon. You can purchase this awesome book via Craftsy Deals by clicking my affiliate link! I got a few goodies in the mail this week - first, I placed an order with HaldeCraft because I wanted to try the lavender hand lotion before it was discontinued...naturally, some lip balm  (which is also being discontinued) found its way into my shopping cart, and Lorena very kindly included a bar of Lavender soap that smells absolutely heavenly. I don't usually order lavender anything  online without already being familiar with the product line and how it smells, because there is good lavender and very, very b...

Perhaps I'm the only one who checks Craftsy's Yarn Deals on a nearly daily basis, but I just can't help myself. I have often been rewarded with some truly great deals on yarn (my Rocky Coast Cardigan comes to mind - I bought nine skeins of Canopy Worsted for 50% off in the Craftsy Yarn Shop !). There are also some really great patterns sold on Craftsy *, so I thought I'd start highlighting my favorites from both areas in a new regular feature. Enjoy! Stefaniegrrr 's Craftsy Picks of the Week for April 1, 2013: Manos Wool Clasica : 2 skeins will make this free pattern, the Wavy Cable Boot Toppers ! I made these for my rain boots last year and absolutely love them! Spud & Chloe Sweater : Use all three colors created exclusively for Craftsy to make Stacey Trock's adorable Alastair the Caterpillar ! Thanks for stopping by - don't forget to sign up for my newsletter , I'll have a really awesome subscriber-only deal for you this month! ...

Remember my Calm Cowl ? I have been working on it steadily since I last shared it on this blog , but I feel like it will never be finished! I am nearly done with the third ball of yarn (Wisdom Yarns' Limerick), but I think that I'll keep going and dip into my fourth ball. It's certainly been a great project to take on-the-go; it's accompanied me to various places such as our favorite coffee shop, a bowling alley, and the Genius Bar at the Apple store, not to mention countless trips on the CTA. My Sock Monkey Monkey is nearing completion; even though I feel like I don't work on it very much (it is the "kitchen" project du jour), somehow I am coming down the home stretch at last. I am loving the yarn, which is a hand-dyed worsted with a very nice twist from Haldecraft . Can't wait to finish my monkey! Just as soon as I finished Tyler's gloves last Friday night, I cast on for the Rocky Coast Cardigan  with the Canopy Worsted I scored for 5...

Happy Valentine's Day! What better way to celebrate than the Craftsy Valentine's Day Sale , am I right? I thought I'd pass along these awesome deals on classes which start at $9.99. If you've been wanting to explore the world of crochet, both of my personal favorites, Crochet Lab with Vickie Howell and Amigurumi Woodland Animals with Stacey Trock , are currently on sale for $9.99. I myself just signed up for How To Say It: Pattern Writing For Knitters by Edie Eckman for $14.99 (and yes, there will be a review on my blog sometime soon!). I know I have said it many times - I am in love with the Craftsy platform and am a serial Craftsy class-taker. I know that once you sign up for your first class, you'll fall in love, too! Enjoy the savings and have a happy Valentine's Day!

After making the decision to put my Destash Dolman to sleep for a bit, I comforted myself by casting on for two new knitting projects. The first is a pair of gloves for Tyler, whose current gloves keep springing holes (they were, after all, knit in 2008 ). The new gloves will look an awful lot like the old ones, being that they're his favorite color (or not-color, if you prefer), black. I am, however, using a different yarn entirely - this time, a 100% BFL worsted-weight yarn that I purchased at the Wisconsin Sheep & Wool Festival last fall. It's a huge skein, so gloves are just the beginning! As you can see, I've accomplished a lot in just a few days' time - I'm already on the second glove! I'm using Marly Bird's 5 in 1 Adventure pattern, which is a part of her excellent Mittens and Glove Galore class on Craftsy , in which I am enrolled, so be looking for my full review here on this blog soon. In the mean time, if you can't wait to hear my t...

Happy WIP Wednesday! First, a quick update on my Macbook Pro - last night, I worked up the courage to fire it up and it WORKED! We didn't lose any data, either, so I feel extremely lucky and relieved. Good to know - rice is your friend should liquids invade your electronics. I am still plodding along on my Destash Dolman , which has seen modest progress since last week; I am halfway through stripe #15: Over the weekend, I decided to do a little stash diving to find the perfect yarn to make a scarf or cowl to  complement my new winter coat, and came across 4 skeins of Wisdom Yarns Limerick in a bright emerald green with a few subtle turquoise hues mixed in. I snapped it up shortly after Thanksgiving via Craftsy Deals* with no real plan for it, I just wanted it because it was pretty. I thought this might be a good choice for the Calm Cowl , which is a free crochet pattern on Ravelry. I'm nearly through the first ball of yarn, too! The main project that I've been foc...

My Panoramic Stole is done, and ahead of schedule, too; I wanted to finish by the end of this month at the latest, though my real goal was to bind off at the close of this coming weekend. I did end up omitting a panel, as I was running out of yarn: I have 14g left over, which is definitely not enough to make it through another mesh panel, let alone the short-row garter section. I was a little worried about cutting things short, so to speak, but everything ended up just fine - my shawl is very close to the 80" length listed in the pattern, in fact. I'm sure that if I wanted to block to the specific dimensions given, I could easily hit those marks! Here's a shot of it blocking in my yarn room. Once it's dry, I'll be sure to take an "action" shot of me lounging around the house in my pretty new shawl! The pattern is from Coastal Knits , which my husband got me for Christmas, and I used two skeins of Malabrigo Sock in Chocolate Amargo. In other exci...

Just one more week til I can reveal the details of my secret knitting (and crochet) projects! Luckily, I have plenty of other goodies to share between now and then. For example, my first shipment of the Fresh Stitches Just Add Stuffing Kit Club arrived last Thursday - it's a cute little crab! I also ordered some yarn from Doodlebug for the express purpose of crocheting even more amigurumi projects. I did a test knit for Kelbourne Woolens earlier this year and fell in love with Organik , which is a luscious blend of organic merino, alpaca and silk. Needless to say, it's a really beautiful yarn! Aaaaand if you still need some gifties for your fibery friends (or perhaps yourself!), Craftsy has some cool new stuff on sale ! Today is the last day to place your order for guaranteed delivery by Christmas, incidentally. You're welcome.

Breaking news in the world of Craftsy Deals - these Lantern Moon Cool Sheep kits  (shown below in black , also available here in white!) are a-dor-able! Looks like there aren't very many left - but I think they'd make a great gift!

Today's FO Friday will be a little different, since I technically don't have any FO's to show off! I do, however, have a newly-restored Featherweight Cardigan . I knit this sweater all the way back in 2009 (it doesn't seem like it was that long ago!) and in the last year or so, noticed a few small holes in the sweater sleeves. I set it aside for repairs, and, well.... you know what happened ! Meanwhile, I plan on avoiding the insanity of Black Friday like the plague today. I'm sure I'm not the only on who rather be knitting! I'm more of a Cyber Monday person myself, as I prefer to do nearly all of my shopping (no matter what day it is) from the comfort of my own home while wearing pajamas. Fellow pajama shoppers, you are in luck! From 11/23-11/26, Craftsy is running its Black Friday/Cyber Monday Sale and all classes are being offered at $19.99 or less! I have to say, I'm a serial class-taker at Craftsy . Just this year alone, I have expanded my...