Knitting for a Wedding

Tags

andi satterlund, bridesmaid, cardigan, cecilia, elin berglund, emelie, handmade, honeybee, knit, lace, laura chau, miette, wedding

My sister is getting married this November and since I’m the only bridesmaid I get to pick whatever dress I want – mwahaha.  We’ve narrowed the dress choices down to one that is 99.9% sure to be the one, and now I’m hankering to get started on a handmade cardigan to complete the look.  Because, you know….arm fat.  And also the wedding is in November.  In the quasi-mountains.  Here are my top contenders:

image via By Elin

First up is Emelie designed by Elin Berglund.  I love the lace panel details, and the sleeves look pretty warm.

image via By Elin

Also by Elin Berglund is Cecilia.  I like that the lace goes all the way around, but I worry about my arms getting cold with the lacy sleeves.

image via Untangling Knots

Miette designed by Andi Satterlund is also a good one.  It calls for worsted weight yarn though, and I would prefer something lighter.  Perhaps modified for fingering weight?

image via Cosmic Pluto Knits

Honeybee designed by Laura Chau may be the best of all worlds – lace all the way around but with stockinette sleeves.

Decisions, decisions!  Which one is your favorite?  Have you ever handmade anything to wear at a wedding?

Last Minute Handmade Gifts

Tags

chocolate, crochet, holiday baking, knit, monogrammed mugs, ornaments, painted mugs, s'mores, slippers, votives, winter bark

Have you ever had grand intentions about handmade holiday gifts and suddenly found yourself two weeks out from the big day with a to-do list greatly disproportionate to the amount of time for doing?  No worries – here are some handmade gift ideas that are super quick and can probably be made with leftover yarn in your stash!

image via amygaines.etsy.com

Not only are these ornaments by Amy Gaines super cute, they are super quick.  Check out her site for more patterns.

image via annaboohouse.blogspot.com

Gorgeous lace votives from Annaboo House.  Very unique and quick to make (I hope – my sister wants us to make a ton of these for her wedding….)

image via cocoknits.com

If you haven’t waited until the very last minute, these Prairie Boots by Julie Weisenberger would be perfect for someone who likes to stay at home in sweatpants, drink chai, and re-read Jane Eyre during the winter months.  (Yes, that is me.  I’m even more of a hermit in winter).

image via marthastewart.com

Hand painted mugs like these by Martha Stewart are pretty impressive, and also pretty easy if you’ve got a steady hand.

image via designmom.com

Even easier is this version by Design Mom – you just need a ceramic paint pen.

image via bakedperfection.com

And who doesn’t like getting homemade treats?  These Baked S’mores by Baked Perfection are SO GOOD.  Like, crazy good.  No joke.

image via marthastewart.com

You wouldn’t think that Martha Stewart would come up with an easy recipe, but this Winter Bark is incredibly simple to make.  Can you melt chocolate chips in the microwave?  Because that is pretty much all you have to do.

image via ramenneedles.com

And finally, if you have a “special” person on your list who really enjoys internet memes, the Nyan Cat Scarf by Kelly Freeman would certainly fit the bill.

Happy crafting – if all else fails, there’s always Starbuck’s gift cards!  Are you making  any gifts this year?  Do people look forward to your glorious crafts or do they politely smile while secretly wishing you had never found that “How to Knit” booklet?  Do you even care?

French Sailor

Tags

holiday 2011, mitered stripe top, stripe, sweater, vogue knitting

Have you seen the Holiday edition of Vogue Knitting?  I am in LOVE with the Mitered Stripe Top.  I have a definite affinity for horizontal sailor-type stripes.

image via vogueknitting.com

I wish I was wearing this sweater right now.  Do you have a passion for any particular design element?  Are you planning on making any of the projects in Vogue Knitting Holiday 2011?

Keeping Warm

Tags

copying sweater, knitting, modifying pattern, sweater

Let me start by saying that I love winter.  My love of cold weather is surpassed only by my extremely intense loathing of the miserable, humid, Virginia summer weather.  The more snow the better, I say.  However, my love of winter weather is plagued by a constant quest to keep warm.  My office is usually about 60 degrees and I wear fingerless gloves all day, like some character straight out of a Dickens novel.  My quasi-undergound apartment with heat vents in the ceiling is no help, either.  All that to say, my search for warm, attractive sweaters in great quantities doesn’t end until spring.

I have just fallen in love with this number from Boden:

Image via bodenusa.com

I love it so much that I seriously contemplated purchasing it despite the pricey price tag.  I *think* I may be able to recreate it myself, though.  I could use this lovely pattern (already in my queue) as a starting point.  Then it would be a matter of eliminating the waist gathers, doing garter stitch instead of stockinette stitch, finding some similar cable patterns, and modifying the neck.

I’m not usually one to go “off pattern”, other than the occasional sleeve length modification, so this feels quite ambitious to me.  We’ll see if I feel confident enough to attempt it.  Maybe I’ll just go ahead and buy the yarn just in case we get a lot of snow this year.

Do you like to do things by the book or do you enjoy the challenge of creating something completely from scratch?  Where to you get your inspiration?

Cozy Pants

Tags

baby pants, kate oates, knitting pattern, longies, soakers, toasty waffle pants

When I opened facebook this morning, I saw that Fibre Space had posted a link to the most adorable baby pants ever:

*image borrowed from tottoppers.com

They are called Toasty Waffle Pants, designed by Kate Oates and I wish I was wearing a pair right now.  (Unfortunately there are no adult sizes).  Don’t they look so cozy?  I just want to steal a baby, slap a pair on him, and cuddle on the couch while drinking tea and watching a tv marathon of some sort.  I think these would be great made with Quince & Co.’s Puffin or some other type of plump, soft, yarn.

What do you think?  Do you ever wish baby patterns came in adult sizes?  Ever think about stealing someone’s baby for cuddles?