Christmas knitting

I love when Christmas time comes around, especially the planning of gifts! Now that it's over I can start the planning for next year. But in the mean time, here's a look at the hand-knitted mittens I made my immediate family this year. Each one was designed by me using Latvian and Estonian mitten patterns, and construction techniques from those traditions. I had such an awesome time coming up with each person's designs. I can't wait for next year!

Christmas presents sneak peek

I'm getting really excited about Christmas being here so soon! I love making hand made gifts for people, it's something that was ingrained in me from my crafty parents since birth! Lately the gifts have been knitted items, from sweaters to scarves. Winter is the perfect season for knitting and I can't get enough! It's almost more fun to make the presents than it is to receive them (almost!). Anyway here is a quick look at a present in progress! I hope your holiday season is as fun as mine!

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Happy Holidays!

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New Knitted Cowls!

Dana just finished up knitting this amazing bike cowl prototype. It uses warm wool in cool stripes that coordinate with anything and brighten up the gloomy fall weather here in the Northwest! (Okay, it was pretty sunny the day we took these pictures, but that's unusual for this time of year!) The cowl features a bandana style that is smaller in the back and shaped bigger in the front to fit better while leaning over on your bike, and provides nice wind and cold protection for your front neck and chest. It can be pulled up over your face and easily pulled back down when needed. The wool is warm and breathable, perfect for helping to regulate your body temperature during those chilly downhill coasts or uphill climbs! I love this one and can't wait to see what other color combos she comes up with! Check out the Etsy store for these cowls coming soon, and our current selection of wallets, wrist pouches, and saddle covers!

Retro Apron

This Thanksgiving Betsy is hosting at her house in Seattle, so I had to come up with a great

 Hostess Gift for her! Voila- a retro apron!

 

 

I got the cotton from Hart's Fabric in Santa Cruz and used bias tape to edge around the outside.

The pattern I modified from a Decade's of Style: Val's Kitchen apron.

It came with a full apron version, but I cut off the top and made a half apron, so easy! It has a pocket for utility and is totally washable which of course is a necessity!

Her kitchen has a lot of neutrals and olive green natural colors, so I figured a little punch of color would brighten things up and definitely make fixing our Thanksgiving feast a treat!

I also made a set of coordinating napkins because you can never have too many! 

Here's a quick tutorial on how to do the clean mitered corners:

 

 

I made my napkins 18" to start, so 1 yard of fabric got me 4 napkins. Since the hem is about 2 1/2", they end up being smaller, but a perfect dinner napkin size!

First: fold one corner in half so the raw edges line up.

Next fold the tip of the corner down so that the raw edges line up, and there is 2 1/2" from the raw edges to the folded edge.

Next, mark where to start sewing 1 1/2" from the folded edge.

Only sewing through the two folded layers, sew a line starting at the pin (1 1/2" from folded edge) stopping at the folded edge. Your seam should be perpendicular to the fold as shown.

Now trim the triangle point above the stitching. (no need to finish your seam allowances since it will all get trapped inside the corner!)

 

Next turn the corner right side out and press. I used a large knitting needle to help poke out the corner

Then fold under the extra allowance that is not sewn down and pin the hem close to the fold as shown

Top stitch close to the fold.

 

I mitered all my corners before sewing the final hem, so that I could go all the way around the square at once! Then I pressed one more time with steam and there you have a simple but stylish gift!

 

 

Quick and Easy Tote Tute

I've been thinking a lot about Christmas Gift ideas and how to use up my stash of fun fabric that I bought because I LOVED the print but didn't have a project in mind: enter the Easy Tote Bag.

This quick bag solved both my problems because who doesn't need a fun reusable tote?

 

I used 1/2 yard of heavier cotton canvas fabric and only had to buy 3 1/2 yards of cotton webbing for the straps. I sewed the bag using my regular sewing machine and since it is unlined, used my serger to finish the inside raw edges. Don't worry if you don't have a serger, you can always zigzag the seam allowance to prevent fraying, or consider using a colorful bias tape!

 

Here's what I did:

 

First I cut the 1/2 yard of fabric in half so I had two pieces that were 22" by 18". The 18" side is the height (if your fabric has a print that is directional like mine, make sure you note this when placing it "right side up".

 

Next I cut each webbing piece in half and pinned them individually to the right side of the fabric pieces, making a loop at the top for the strap. I placed the webbing 5" from the side of the fabric.

 

 

At the top of the bag, I pinned only up to 1 1/2" from the edge, so later I could fold the top down

as a hem.

 

Then I sewed the webbing down, along both sides

Next I took my bag pieces and laid them on top of each other with the "right sides" facing. I pinned and sewed the two sides and bottom. 

 

Then I serged the raw seam allowance.

Next to make the gusset in the bottom, separate the front fron the back and pinch a triagle in the corners, so that the side and bottom seams align. Then pin the triangle so that from one edge fold to the other is 5" wide, and sew.

 

Trim the triangle and serge or bind the seam allowance. If you serge, make sure you thread the tails back in to keep from unraveling!

Next make the top hem by folding down 1/2" once, then...

.....Fold down again 1/2", pin and top stitch close to the folded edge.

 

Press the hem and you're finished!

 

 

Colts Sweater Vest

I like to think the Colts beat the Browns this weekend partly because Justin was wearing this amazing sweater vest that I made for him! Go Team! Anyway, he requested a Mike-Ditka-esque sweater vest for football season and of course I was happy to oblige! I just finished it in time for the game on Sunday. I used a vintage knitting pattern and my own version of charted intarsia letters and stripes, using 100% wool yarn from Knit Picks. You can see the details on Ravelry here. I'm extremely happy with it and so is he which is a big relief. When making something for someone else, especially a sweater, it's like a guessing game up until the finish if they'll like it or not; luckily Justin really likes it!

Also, I really do clean my house, those cobwebs are for Halloween!

Yori's accidental sweater

I spent a few months knitting this awesome wool/silk blend sweater for Justin using a pattern from a cool 60s pattern booklet. The booklet is subtitled "Choose-O-Matic" because you can take any of the patterns and alter them using the weight of yarn you want and the size. That has nothing to do with the sweater except I think the name Choose-O-Matic is awesome. 

Justin picked out the color and the fiber blend, and I figured I would make the medium based on the measurements of another sweater that he loves. However, for some reason, even though my gauge was correct, the medium turned out to be a tad too big. And he really hates the "baggy" look, even if it's just an inch or two of positive ease. Arg! I was so frustrated. 

The worst part about knitting versus sewing is that you can't really make a test garment (muslin) beforehand to get the fit correct. Live and learn. So he wasn't going to wear it and I wasn't about to start hacking away at it with my serger to get it to fit (I already ruined a sweater doing that). So my next great idea was to give it to my brother in law! He's a bit taller than Justin and the medium ended up fitting perfectly! I am so happy that it could be "salvaged" and enjoyed for all its glory. 

And I'll get the sweater right for Justin because he's requested the same one in a small. Bring on the brown yarn!

Knitted Sweater Exchange

Our first-ever project exchange! Why didn't we think of this before? This was such a fun project. It's a simple pattern, fun way to bust some stash yarn, and went so quickly that it was easy to stay motivated. We each started our own sweater's bottom portion and when we reached the top lace yoke, we mailed them to each other to finish! That way we got something we liked, we got a surprise, and we got to use up some yarn on something that wasn't ours!

This is the sweater I finished for Dana, and she will post about mine when she's done, I can't wait to see it!

It was so fun, we will definitely be doing this again!

-Betsy