I generally dislike making New Year's resolutions! I feel like I'll either get to everything I'm planning to do/change in the new year or I won't - and it just makes me feel bad if I've made it a resolution and it doesn't happen. However ..... I've been wanting to learn colorway/Fair Isle knitting. I covet all the gorgeous designs I see and can just picture myself cozying up on the couch in the evening and having a Fair Isle sweater on my needles. Then I came across Kate Davies' new yoked sweater designs in her new book Yokes - wow! I won't say it's my resolution for this coming year to learn enough so I can knit one of these, but maybe within the next two years?
So I ordered her book and it arrived this week. And I discovered that it's not just an amazing book of patterns, but also has chapters on the origin of yokes and on interviews with designers. Very interesting and enjoyable!
The book is available by order from Kate's website here - and she also has a post on each of the designs, complete with beautiful photos. I can't wait to get started!
Happy Creating! Deborah
After a couple of years of knitting wash cloths, scarves, and other flat things, I finally got the courage up to try a sweater! Following the advice of several sage knitters I know, I began with a baby sweater. This turned out to be a very good idea - when something didn't go right, I didn't feel bad about taking it out since the sweater was so small.
For my first pattern, I chose one from an excellent book I came across, Knitting for the Absolute Beginner by Alison Dupernex. The pattern was written in easy to understand terms and included a large number of photo tutorials. There were a couple of places I got a little unsure, but a quick Google search of the term or technique got me back on track.
As you probably noticed, this sweater is not sewn together yet! I knit this for Henry before he was born and he's turning out to be a pretty big boy. The sleeves just don't look long enough to me, so I'm waiting to see him again and do some measuring - I'll probably be re-knitting them to be longer, but they go quickly so that's okay!
Now I'm busy with Christmas sweaters for Henry and Charlie!
Happy Creating! Deborah
In keeping with the bird theme for this year's ornaments, here are three owls ready to nest in a Christmas tree!
Materials:
* felt - heathered tan, heathered gray, tan, white, black, textured brown, textured black, yellow, red, green, gray
*embroidery floss
*1/8 inch ribbon
*three larger red beads and one large star sequin
*felt glue
*patterns here
Holly Owl
Cut two outline pieces from heathered tan and one body piece from textured brown.
Using three strands of embroidery floss and a blanket stitch, sew the body piece to one of the outline pieces between the markings - from the top of the wings to the bottom.
Cut two holly leaves from green felt and attach to front of the body piece using a running stitch down the middle of each. Sew on three larger red beads for holly berries.
Cut a beak from tan felt and attach with a blanket stitch - sew only below the lines. Cut two eyes from white and attach with a running stitch around the outside.
Cut two eye pupils from black and attach with a dot of felt glue. Cut two eyelids from heathered tan felt. Attach with running stitches around the edges.
Sew the piece you've been working on to the remaining outline piece - using a blanket stitch, sew from the top of one ear around one wing and the bottom, up around the other wing to the top of the other ear.
Cut a hat from red. Sew on with a blanket stitch (go through all layers of felt) only along the two sides.
Cut one hat pompom and one hat trim from white. Sew on with a blanket stitch - catch in a looped piece of ribbon on the top of the pompom.
Star Owl
Same directions as the Holly Owl, except instead of the holly leaves cut a star from yellow and attach with a running stitch around the outside. Sew on a large sequin star - I used a small yellow bead to hold it on.
Candy Cane Owl
Same directions as the Holly Owl except cut a candy cane from white felt and attach to the front with a running stitch using red floss.
Happy Creating! Deborah
