handmade by stefanie

I love garter stitch for a lot of reasons; besides being easy-peasy, it's always squishy and lays nice and flat without the edges curling. When you combine that with the effect created by knitting each row in a different color, a simple project is transformed into something that's extra special! This wrap is perfect for the hazy days of summer.... The kind folks from Kraemer Yarns sent me a Garter Stitch Shawl Kit from their  Festival Wear Collection , which features knitted and crocheted  garments and accessories using their Tatamy base, a cotton/acrylic blend that is available two weights (DK and Worsted) and a palette of solid and tweed colors.       I tend to avoid working with cotton yarns because they are less pliable than wool and wool blends, which translates into hand pain while I knit, but I'm pleased to report that the Tatamy was nice and pliable. I was able to knit without any hand pain! The pattern was easy to follow and I learn...

It's not often when you find a pattern you don't mind knitting again and again (or maybe that's just me?!). But when you do, it's nice to have that old favorite ready to go whenever you need a quick gift or a soothing knit. When I originally designed A Most Addictive Slipped Stitch Hat , it used one of my favorite yarns from Bijou Basin Ranch, Himalayan Trail. I knit both of the samples pictured in the original version of the pattern (which then went on to become display pieces in the Bijou Basin Ranch booth), plus another one I got to keep for myself . Recently, the yarn base originally used in the pattern was discontinued, and they have sold out of nearly all remaining stock - but the good news is that project kits for this pattern are still available, because I worked with the folks at Bijou to rework the pattern to use their newest yarn, Himalayan Summit ! This crisp fingering weight yarn is really delightful to work with, and the 50/50 yak and merino b...

I was really excited to step outside of my comfort zone and try something new as part of my "Christmas in July" theme this month. The kind folks at Solid Oak Inc offered me a chance to review one of their Nostalgic Christmas beaded crystal ornament kits I couldn't resist. My tree is already full of ornaments I've inherited or been gifted from other family members and friends,  so these pretty crystal beaded ornaments will fit right in I think! I was super impressed with  this compact little kit , which includes everything needed to create three gorgeous vintage-style ornaments - just add a pair of round nose pliers (I found mine on Amazon for less than ten bucks).  The instructions had some fabulous tips for newbies like me; for example, it recommended sorting the beads and laying them out in order on a towel or beading mat to prevent them from rolling away. That may seem obvious, but I was totally ready to start beading on my kitchen table without a...

I'm so excited to finally share this pattern with you! I've been working on it for a while because I am a Very Slow Knitter these days, plus my design process seems to involve a lot more frogging and reknitting these days. At any rate, it is with great pleasure that I introduce the Canyon Steps Cowl ! A series of triangular motifs grow larger in this fun-to-knit cowl using one skein of Gobi, a luxurious blend of baby camel and mulberry silk. The cowl begins with a wide rib edging followed by 3 sections using charted and written instructions and finishes with a wide rib edging and a stretchy bind off. If you can knit and purl, you can make this project! Project Kit Contains: 1 skein - Bijou Spun “Gobi" (35/65 Baby Camel /Mulberry Silk) in the color of your choice.  1 copy of the Canyon Steps Cowl pattern by yours truly 1 3.4 oz bottle of Allure Fine Fiber wash in your choice of fragrance   1 three pack of custom, hand-made stitch markers from Purrfectly Ca...

It's been hard keeping this one under wraps, but I'm pleased to announce that my newest hat pattern is now available at Bijoubasinranch.com. Say hello to  A Most Addictive Slipped Stitch Hat !  Project kits for this pattern are available here ; choose your favorite colors of Himalayan Trail yarn to create a hat that is uniquely you! A simple slipped-stitch pattern creates a fun visual element to this slouchy hat that's interesting to knit. The stitch pattern is easy to memorize, making it great for knit nights or on-the-go knitting. The pattern includes instructions for two variations of ribbing to start off your pattern - you can either knit the Corrugated Rib stitch as shown in the sample, or keep things simple with a stretchy K2, P2 rib. I also collaborated with the folks at Bijou Basin Ranch to share even more ideas for customizing your hat here on their blog . If you can knit stripes, you can make this hat! Click here to get your project kit, a...

It's been a while since I've shared a crochet project, so I couldn't resist this adorable cactus kit from Global Backyard Industries. They sent me 1 kit of my choosing (there are two cactus styles, Ruby and Charley ) in exchange for my honest review. I've never been great at keeping plants alive myself, and a certain grey cat has a propensity to eat anything green and vaguely plant-like that comes into the house. So a plant that I can't kill and the cat (probably) won't try to eat is something I can really get excited about! Image via Global Backyard Industries website .  What impressed me the most when I received my Ruby kit was that it truly did include everything you needed, right down to the poly-fil stuffing.While I appreciate a good scavenger hunt, realizing you need a straw or don't have the right crochet hook can really be a momentum killer. They also source materials and supplies from American sources whenever possible, which is pretty cool ...

I can finally share this design that I've recently finished for Bijou Basin Ranch: presenting the Eyelet of the Tiger lace cowl, which is knit with 1 skein of Himalayan Summit . I was really excited to knit with this new yarn base, a 50/50 blend of Tibetan Yak and Superfine Merino that came out this fall. Designing for a variegated yarn is always a bit of a challenge, but I was really drawn to this colorway  from ModeKnit Yarns called Old Fashion Villain . Working with this yarn was so enjoyable - and even though it's super soft, it held up to multiple frogging sessions. And check out this stitch definition: You really can't ask for anything else in a yarn, and I'm itching to work with it once more. I bet cables and textured stitches also knit up great! You can buy project kits here , or get an individual copy of the pattern here - or, add it to your Ravelry queue . I can't wait to see this knit up in other colors of Himalayan Summit , be sure to...

At last, one of the "secret knitting" projects I've been working on recently can be shared with the rest of the world! I am super-excited to share my newest design: the Inverness Shrug . It's knit in one of my favorite yarn bases from Bijou Basin Ranch, Himalayan Trail (for more about why I love this yarn, click here !). I was asked to design this shrug to be part of their Outlander-inspired pattern collection , and when I think of time-traveling historical romances, apparently I think "textured cables" (confession time: I haven't read the books or watched the TV show...but I've read the cliff's notes). I just couldn't get them out of my mind as I knit swatch after swatch to find the perfect stitch pattern for this shrug. Though I have many designs in my back catalog , this is my first-ever garment. I was actually kind of nervous about it, even though a shrug is basically like dipping your toe in the garment pool, right?! Still, the ...