DIY Trick : Yarn Wrap

March 18, 2019March 18, 2019 by Katie | 1 Comment

It’s been a while since we’ve done any sort of DIY craft post! We’re definitely making like crazy, so that’s no excuse. If anything, it means that we have a backlog of Make with Me posts to work on.

Well, the DIY drought ends today. I recently learned a great way to wind yarn around an object and tie it off without any tricky knots or loose ends. This is so simple, and for some of you, this may already be a tool in your DIY toolbox, but I’m hoping that there are a few of you that will appreciate this new trick as much as I do.

Click on for our step-by-step guide and a short list of places where this technique may be useful.

Large Scale Cross-Stitch

June 8, 2018June 8, 2018 by Katie | 1 Comment

At the beginning of the year, I encouraged our readers to “make with me“. In that post I shared a few of the many benefits that you may get from picking up a hobby, and I gave you a few simple suggestions for how to turn your hobby into a regular habit (that’s good for you!).

If you follow our Instagram feed or have been a long-time reader, it’s no surprise that my primary hobby is knitting. I always have a project (or ten) in the works. While I don’t need the encouragement to knit more, I’m taking this resolution as a nudge to share more of my projects, in their many phases, on the blog. And if you’d like to find me on Ravelry, my username is winterfoliage.

If you like this project, you may want to check out our large-scale cross-stitched pillow.

Have you ever tried cross-stitch? It’s a relatively simple embroidery technique where you make a picture by sewing a series of x-shaped stitches using colored thread. Today I’m improvising on that basic technique by making everything BIGGER (and bug-ier). Continue reading …

Hexagon Afghan

November 14, 2017November 14, 2017 by Katie | 2 Comments

This hexagon afghan was crocheted over five (yes, five!) years. To quote little Luc, “(some things) just take a little time”. Granted, he says that when he’s getting ready to jump off the curb, but it’s a good bit of wisdom to remember when working on those seemingly never-ending projects.

Sweater Season

September 26, 2017September 26, 2017 by Katie | Leave a comment

It’s sweater season! … at least for a day. Oh fall, you fickle thing.

I wanted to share the details on two sweaters that I’m excited to start rotating into my wardrobe this season.

Bohus Cowl

First up is the Bohus-inspired cowl neck sweater. It’s from an issue of Vogue Knitting, but lucky for you, the pattern is now available as a free download from their site!

If you don’t know much about Bohus sweaters, it’s worth going down that rabbit hole and learning about these beautiful designs.

Knitting WIPs II

January 28, 2016March 20, 2018 by Katie | Leave a comment

Hey there, I’m popping in this afternoon to share some of the knitting projects that I’ve recently finished, am working on, or are on my mind. I’m exciting. You may need an extra cup of coffee.

After I finished up the big sweater project, I immediately cast on a sweater of my own, Wolf River. I love how this turned out and now have a case of sweater fever (there are so many good patterns out there!). I haven’t even worn this one yet and I’m already itching to start another sweater, but as you’ll read below, there are a few other little projects that I’m hoping to get out of the way first.

Wolf River is a boxy sweater – no waist shaping at all – and it got me thinking that this is a great characteristic to look for if you’re new to sweater knitting. Of course, this sweater’s lace pattern may not be the easiest thing for a new knitting, but there are other simple boxy designs out there.

This sweater was knit with less than two skeins of Cascade Ecological Wool, one of my favorites. I have two more skeins in my stash and am thinking that it would be fun to make a second Aidez since I wear my first all of the time.

Last year I designed and knit a fair isle hat for Alex and realized that it would be fun to knit the boys new hats every year. I made this one over the weekend (after knitting a sweater, little hats are a breeze!).