Corinne's Thread: Felt Flower Sachets

The trees haven’t even bloomed yet, and my spring calendar is full: a trip to visit friends who just bought their first house in Madison, Wisconsin, two weddings here in New York, an open invitation to a friend’s backyard on the Jersey shore, and a Mother's Day brunch in May. These are all good things, but as the invites pile up, so does the daunting task of finding just the right gift for house warmings, weddings, hostesses, and dear mom!

I, of course, turned to the Purl Bee archives for some gift giving inspiration. I’ve always loved the Felt Flower Pillows that Molly made a few years ago but am wary of making something so big for someone else’s home. That’s when it hit me, why not shrink the scale and turn big pillows into pretty little sachets, easy to make and to give!

Luckily, not only do these sachets appeal to my more practical nature, they are also a blast to make. The beautiful, vibrant colors of the new Mariposa Felt Bundle made picking color combinations so fun, and I am completely willing to admit that I spent far too long arranging and rearranging the petals before I came up with my final choices. But, with colors like these, how could you not?!

And since each Felt Bundle makes 16 sachets, there are enough here to say good luck, congratulations, thank you, and even happy Mother's Day!

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Molly's Sketchbook: Running Stitch Scarf

The humble running stitch is such a building block of embroidery that it rarely gets a chance to be the star of the show. But why not? The simplicity of this stitch, both in practice and in looks, should be a virtue!

So for an uncomplicated and elegant Mother’s Day gift, I turned to the regular rhythm of the running stitch!  A rich spectrum of DMC embroidery floss travels from inky navy to cloudy gray atop a natural flaxen background. And the Essex Yarn Dyed fabric is so simply beautiful that I even left the pretty selvage as is! 

Just because it’s super easy to sew, doesn’t mean the Running Stitch Mother’s Day Scarf isn’t very special. Hand-embroidered stitches, a distinctive play of color and cleanly finished side hems make this a wonderful gift, lovely enough even for dear mom!

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Molly's Sketchbook: Inside Out Bag

When neon reemerged a few years ago, we all assumed it was just a brief flashback to the big-hair days of the 1980s. But since then, neon has shed its irony, and even its nostalgia, to take its rightful place at the palette table. Paired with neutral tones and in small doses, neon is way beyond Flock of Seagulls at this point. Bold and beautiful, neon is here to stay, so join the fun!

Our Neon Inside Out Bag lays bare the hidden details of a conventional tote, exposing crisp seams and jumbo pockets for a super smart finish. Michael Miller's new eye-popping Neon fabrics and bias tapes outline the details with just enough intensity to put a spring in your step, while Globalweave's very sturdy Tight Weave Linen in an incisive white sets the stage for all this color drama! (A helpful hint: To avoid bleeding and color transfer, launder your unfolded Neon Solids fabric separately before you combine it with light colors.)

We designed this tote for the real everyday world of commutes, babies, classes, meetings and all the other mayhem that is modern life. Each outside compartment is designed to organize all the things that normally get lost at the bottom of your bag, like your keys and cell phone, your measuring tape and crochet hook. And the bag itself is just the right size for transporting your current craft project, plus the book you're reading, the cardigan you need for your air-conditioned office, and even the ingredients you picked up for dinner!

Starting to feel the need for some neon? Get started right here! And to stock up on some shocking sewing staples, also check out Purl Soho's fabulous new neon collection of trims and ribbons!

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Whit's Knits: Toddler Socks

Like most four year olds, my son can display stunning defiance, like last week when I asked him to take my first Toddler Sock for a test drive. After some coaxing, begging and finally bribery, I succeeded in getting the sock on his foot. Determining that it indeed fit, I reached down to remove the sock and was met with even more resistence, "Uh-uh, I'm never taking it off!" At last I had to admit defeat, because let's face it, hand knit socks are a total delight!

These simple socks are so cute and cozy, even a toddler can appreciate them. Plus, little socks for little people are really fun to make. All the fascination of sock knitting is in fast forward with one interesting step right after another, kind of like a great short story!

I knit up these Toddler Socks in Koigu Premium Merino, one of our all-time favorite merinos. Soft, machine washable, stretchy, and gorgeously hand-dyed, KPM is the ultimate yarn for adorable socks and happy little feet. And all four skeins I used to make all four pairs of socks are available in one Purl Soho yarn kit. Pick up either our pink and aqua or orange and aqua colorway right here!

To take a peak of my son, Bear, wearing his favorite color pink socks, check out Purl Soho's March 2013 Instagram feed right here. And to get started making your own Toddler Socks, read on! -Whitney

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Molly's Sketchbook: Bobby Pin Butterflies

Around this time of the year I start to crave color like I crave chocolate, potato chips, or coffee! It’s supposed to be spring, but outside, it is relentlessly cold, cloudy and gray. So as an offering to the vernal gods, I created these Bobby Pin Butterflies, wearable bursts of color meant to usher in sunnier times!

No creature better manifests pure beauty and color than a butterfly. In fact, a group of butterflies is called a “kaleidoscope”! To bring this particular kaleidoscope to life I used our new Mariposa Felt Bundle. It is everything that spring should be, pretty, cheerful and luminous!

Designed as an adorable hair accessory, these sweeties are also terrific for Easter decorating. Perched around the edge of an Easter basket, on the tips of a forsythia branch, or amidst a beautiful centerpiece, these fluttering little butterflies are a very happy symbol of the season!

And they couldn’t be easier to make. Each butterfly comes together with just one stitch, while black bobby pins effortlessly transform into surprisingly perfect butterfly bodies and antennae!

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