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Saturday
07Nov2009

Free Pattern from Kelbourne Woolens and The Fibre Company: The Fiddlehead Pullover

The Fiddlehead Pullover from Kelborne Woolens is one of the sweetest and most classic baby sweaters we've seen in a long time. It was designed by the creative minds at Kelborne Woolens and we're happy to share it with you exclusively and for free here on The Purl Bee!

This sweater is made from The Fibre Company's amazing yarn Canopy Fingering which is a soft and silky blend of bamboo, alpaca and merino that knits up into an wonderful soft and smooth fabric (the sweater above is knit in the color Fern). Canopy Fingering comes in a pretty palette of nature inspired neutrals which perfectly highlight the subtle details of this adorable vintage style sweater. We love its simple shaping and pretty details, its cute shoulder buttons and faux cable accents. It's such a quintessential little piece, the kind of sweater you can imagine passing down for generations and becoming even softer and more loved as the years go by.

Kelbourne Woolens is the distributer of one of our favorite yarns, the British based Fibre Company. The Fibre Company specializes in artisianal natural yarns like Canopy Fingering. It's no surprise then that the ladies at Kelbourne Woolens chose to name this sweater after something in nature! Fiddleheads are the young, uncurled new growth of the fern plant and are reminiscent of the little mock cables that decorate the sweater. Plus fiddleheads reminded us of the little human sprouts in our lives! If you'd like to make one for your little sprout here's what you'll need:

During the month of November Kelbourne Woolens is hosting a giveaway on The Purl Bee.  You can enter to win the yarn for The Fiddlehead Pullover or two other great Kellborne Woolen patterns! Click here to find out how to enter.  And for even more inspiration, Kelbourne Woolens has a great website where they have a whole bunch of beautiful, free patterns!

Posted on DateNovember 7, 2009 | Authorpurl bee | Print ArticlePrint | | | in , , , , , | Comment3 Comments
Thursday
05Nov2009

Colorful Crafting with Jen: Mushroom Hat

I love making and wearing hats, but many times when I actually need to wear one (which isn't too often since I live in Southern California) my hair is in a bun or a ponytail on top of my head, and if I don't take it down the hat won't cover my ears.  If I do take my hair down, I end up with pony tail bumps and hat head when the hat is off! I've often wondered how I would ever solve this problem.  Along came an idea for a slouchy hat (thanks Whitney!), but I wanted mine to have a more room to hide my bun or ponytail so I increased the needle size and the amount of stitches after the extra long brim.  This gave the top of the hat a mushroom shape and still only took one skein of the Sheep Shop Three yarn!  

If you'd like to make your ponytail or bun friendly hat, please visit my Mushroom Hat Project Journal.  --Jen

Posted on DateNovember 5, 2009 | Authorpurl bee | Print ArticlePrint | | | in , , | Comment9 Comments
Saturday
31Oct2009

Book Review: Handmade Home

Handmade Home is the new book by Amanda Blake Soule, the creative mind behind the Soulemama and the author of The Creative Family. Amanda's latest book is all about using existing materials to make new treasures, which is an old fashioned idea, but one that seems more relevant than ever.

Handmade Home contains thirty beautiful sewing ideas including a sturdy baby sling, a pretty Memory Tree Quilt, and this wonderful, yet totally practical, Letter Satchel. This little folio would be perfect for anyone (big or small) in school or at the office. Handmade Home also ventures beyond the familiar world of sewing and into all kinds of creative endeavors like paper mache and decoupage.

One of the best things about this book is how it incorporates ideas for the whole family to enjoy. There are projects for children, adults as well as projects to do together. For Amanda, a busy mother of four young children, it's about taking time out to be together and make special things. She writes, "Through the act of making I find solace and peace in the small moments of my everyday life... I am reminded rather symbolically that we can only do one stitch at a time, and therefore one step at a time and one breath at a time in this life."

This book has already inspired some of us at The Purl Bee with it's spirit of thrifty and heartfelt creativity! Jen recently made the cute "One-Word Banner" featured on the book's cover.

The moment Jen saw the cover of Handmade Home she knew she fabric leftover from the Party Garland she made earlier this year, as well as felt bundles, contrasting Valdani Thread, solid fabric, and matching machine thread.  With these materials she created Liam's banner in about two hours. Jen reports that not only was it fun to make, but it was also very appreciated by Liam's mother Heather. It will be a wonderful thing for little Liam to have, a lovely memento celebrating his arrival into the world!

This book is chalk full of wonderful personal projects and many of them will make fabulous gifts. The book itself would make a perfect gift for any creative families on you holiday list as well! I'd you'd like to order your own copy you can find Handmade Home, as well as Amanda Blake Soule's previous book, The Creative Family, here. And don't forget to check out Soulemama for even more inspiration!

Posted on DateOctober 31, 2009 | Authorpurl bee | Print ArticlePrint | | | in , | Comment9 Comments
Wednesday
28Oct2009

Whit's Knits: Elizabeth Zimmermann's Baby Booties

I have long loved these Elizabeth Zimmermann booties. Last year I made them with fingering weight yarn to fit my newborn baby, and they got him through his first cold winter. Recently my family received wonderful news that made me want to knit some bigger booties.

My sister-in-law has been trying to adopt a baby for a long time, and this month she was finally told that there is a beautiful baby boy who needs her. He gets to come home in January and, by then, will be ten months old. His name is James, and his smile would melt an ice cube.

From waiting in line to waiting for a baby to arrive, knitting is how I get through all the episodes in my life that challenge my patience. I'm pretty sure that the next three months are going to yield a whole pile of hand knits for little James!

The Materials

  • Three skeins (one skein makes one pair of booties) of Alchemy's Temple yarn, 100% superwash, superfine merino. These colors are Michelle's Marigold, Champagne and Mica.
  • One set of US #7 needles (straight or circular)
  • Two US #7 double pointed needles
  • Elizabeth Zimmermann's The Opinionated Knitter. (The bootie pattern is on page 108. On the same page is an adorable matching bonnet.)

Whenever I knit something for a baby my first thought is, "Can I use Temple?" The hand dyed colors are so sumptuous and unusual, from perfectly warm pinks to strangely glowing greens to mysterious deep charcoals. If Elizabeth Zimmermann's insistence that itchy wool is good for a baby seems a liitle sadistic to you, you'll be happy to know that this superfine merino is also super soft. And, another concession to modernity, it's machine washable!

The original pattern uses yarn that gets 6 stitches to the inch for about a newborn to six month size. To make booties that will fit a ten month old I decided to use a sportweight yarn at 5 stitches to the inch. Knit a little bit loose, they have a lot of stretch and will fit most feet well past the one year mark.

The Pattern

Even in designing a humble bootie, Elizabeth Zimmermann engaged her fascinating mind to create a highly original object. My mind just marvels at hers! Here is what the bootie looks like right before you sew it together, kind of like origami!

Besides being a beautiful example of engineering simplicity, these booties fulfill all the practical concerns of moms and dads. Warm,yes; stretchy, yes; cushiony and cozy, yes. But let's face it, the most important thing in baby footwear is, Does it stay on?! Yes! Besides a good high cuff, the booties are held securely in place by I cord laces. I cast on three stitches to knit mine...

I am so excited to welcome my new nephew into our family with these gorgeous booties for his precious little feet. Thank you, Elizabeth Zimmermann! --Whitney

Posted on DateOctober 28, 2009 | Authorpurl bee | Print ArticlePrint | | | in , , , , , , | Comment20 Comments
Sunday
25Oct2009

Molly's Sketchbook: Reverse Applique Thanksgiving Placemat and Napkin Set

Thanksgiving is such a great holiday because it's all about celebrating food! I've celebrated it in a lot of places, including sunny California, freezing New England and even once in Hawaii where a colony of ants attacked the pumpkin pie, but no matter where we are the ritual is always the same, a celebration with family and friends and a uniquely American meal. Turkey, squash, and corn (not to mention tomatoes, beans, and potatoes) are all native to the Americas and I think it's wonderful that we have a day to celebrate our special foods.  On Thanksgiving day I love to think about everyone all across the United States watching the parade on TV and peeling pototoes just like I do every year.  For me Thanksgiving isn't about making the fanciest meal, it's about sharing the experience of cooking and breaking bread with the people I love.

I designed this set of reverse applique Thanksgiving placemats and napkins with all of these things in mind. I wanted to make something by hand that I could use every year for this special day. Sewing something by hand reminds me of cooking in a lot of ways, mostly because you can see the care and love that went into it, even if it doesn't come out perfectly.

Much like cooking Thanksgiving dinner, this is not a last minute project. Reverse applique takes time and consideration but I think that's part of the fun!  And much like the Thanksgiving feast, while they take time to make they are not particularly hard since no fancy stitches or vast knowledge of hand sewing is required.

For this project I used the absolutely amazing Nani Iro Linen Blend Brown Print as the main fabric for the placemats. This fabric is simply stunning, the abstract print, in brown, white, black and metallic gold makes each piece seem like a little painting.

To contrast with the print's subtle beauty I used four different boldly colored solids as backgrounds and napkins, and the result is simply luminous!  For the solids I used both Echino Solids in chartruese and purpley pink and Kona Cottons in bright pink and mustard. Both fabrics were a dream to sew with. I loved the jewel tones and sturdy feel of the Echino and the Kona Cotton was really easy to sew with.

If you'd like to make a set for for your own Thanksgiving feast please visit my Reverse Applique Placemats Project Journal and my Handstitched Napkin Project Journal. I hope you enjoy making them as much as I did.

Happy Thanksgiving! --Molly

Posted on DateOctober 25, 2009 | Authorpurl bee | Print ArticlePrint | | | in , , , , , , , | Comment11 Comments
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