handmade by stefanie

This has been the craziest summer I can remember - for what is supposed to be the "slow" season in the yarn industry, I have certainly been running around like a crazy person! So you would think that only writing one blog post per week (rather than the 3 I had been doing prior to this year) would not be a huge deal, and yet...sometimes, it can be surprisingly difficult to find the time! Don't worry, this blog isn't going to go away, this is just my way of saying that I need a week off to rest, regroup, and get ready for the "busy" season. via GIPHY Speaking of which, I do have some new patterns coming out soon and a new knitting tutorial in the works (yay!) that I absolutely can't wait to share with you, so please do check back soon...or follow me on bloglovin  so you don't miss my next post! XO, Stefanie

I was recently given the chance to try a 3-pack organic cotton yarn set from Appalachian Baby Design ; I chose the "Woodland" color set of Silver, Doe and Natural to knit a modified version of the Hill and Holler Baby Cardigan . It's been a while since I've knit with cotton yarn, mostly because some of the other brands I've tried have been stiff and really hard on my hands. I've found that the better quality of yarn, the easier it is to work with, and this yarn was nice and supple, as you would expect from an organically-produced yarn. But that's not the only reason you can feel good about using this yarn: the folks at Appalachian Baby Designs work with small-scale U.S. sustainable family-owned cotton farms, sheep ranches and family-owned mills to produce each ball of yarn. They know the producer’s name and farm for each bale of cotton that they purchase, and the fibers are certified organic under the US Department of Agriculture National Organic p...

I'm so excited to share my finished  Comfort Fade Cardi  this week! I this projectstarted way back in March, and I'm honestly not sure which took longer - my stay on sleeve island, knitting the shawl collar, or weaving in the ends. All of them seemed to take a really long time, but I can finally call this project done and I absolutely LOVE it! I used Lhasa Wilderness yarn from Bijou Basin Ranch, which is a blend of 75% yak down and 25% bamboo. It's silky-soft, and other projects I have knit with this yarn have yet to pill. The bamboo fibers are really breathable, so it's both lightweight and cool to wear in warmer temperatures, but when it gets colder you are still nice and warm thanks to the yak down, which is super-insulating. It's the best of both worlds! If I could knit this sweater over again, I think I would have added a few more stitches to the sleeves. Mine are a bit snug, and while I wouldn't describe them as being too  small, I find I prefe...

Last week, the Canyon Steps Cowl KAL came to an end, and I just barely finished my project in time! This is my second time knitting this pattern because it's my own design for Bijou Basin Ranch, and the first one I made is now a display piece in their booth! This time around, I chose the Aasgard colorway from their collection of Valkyrie-inspired colorways (or Thor, if you'd rather!) that are dye on  Gobi  fingering yarn. Baby camel and silk is soooo divine (how could it not be?!), and I love the way the hand-dyed colors shimmer on this blend. The variegated color kind of hides the stitch pattern, but it's so darn pretty that I don't mind if the pattern gets a bit upstaged by the yarn color. It was still fun to knit and I'm super excited to keep this one for myself! Even though the KAL is over, you can still  get project kits here  if you are so inclined. I'd love to see your project if you do, so make sure to share it on Instagram with the #bijoubasi...

In previous years, I have dutifully spun every day of the Tour de Fleece - even on rest days, even when traveling. There is something programmed deep within me that makes me want to check all those boxes off of my list, even if there isn't an actual end goal or anything at stake. I just have to do it because I can (and, you know, it's fun)! This year was a little different. I started out strong, spinning every day for the first two weeks...and then on Saturday the 21st, things just ground to a halt! I spent all day working on this blog tutorial, and planned to spin in the evening but then my husband texted to say that a customer gave him free tickets to Pitchfork that night...so I met up with him to see The War on Drugs play their set, have a few beers, and be reminded of why I never leave the house (actually, it was fun, but people , y'know?). I also had some swatches for new designs that needed to be finished by the end of last weekend, so that comprised all of my Su...

A few years ago, I spotted some cute needle felted ornaments on Pinterest that were made using cookie cutters to create the shapes. How clever is that?! Ever since, I have been thinking about giving it a try myself, and finally decided to take a stab at it for my Christmas in July theme. Pun very much intended - please feel free to roll your eyes accordingly! It had been so long since I last attempted a needle felting project that I couldn't find any of my supplies, so I ended up buying this affordable little kit on Amazon that has everything I need and then some! Then I dug out my cookie cutter collection (make sure they are the kind that are open on the top and bottom) and grabbed some wool roving from Kraemer Yarns for an afternoon of stabby fun. First, if you are new to needle felting, here are the basics: you are using a special kind of needle that has bumps on it to repeatedly stab the wool fiber, causing the scales on the wool fibers to begin fusing together. So, ...

Knitting or crocheting ornaments is a fun way to use up leftover yarn while adding a handmade touch to your holiday decorations. They also make great gifts and look adorable on top of a prettily wrapped package in place of a bow. Here are some of my favorite knit and crochet patterns I've used over the years, plus a few new ones to try out! Images via sources below. Knitted Ornaments Top Left:   Holiday Cheer Ornaments (free) by Kate Gagnon Osborn - these fun ornaments are designed for fingering weight yarn, perfect for mini skeins ! Top Right: Knit Candy Cane Ornament (free) by Heidi Gustad - you can't have Christmas without candy canes!! Middle:   Snowball Buddies ($6) by Susan Claudino - a few years ago, I made several of these and they were so darn cute! Most of them were given away as gifts, so I might dig out this pattern and knit a few more for 2018. Bottom: Mochimochi Snowmen and Teeny Tiny Santas ($3) by Anna Hrachovec - I've always been a fan...