Whit's Knits: Cuffed Hand Warmers

These Cuffed Hand Warmers tickle my fancy with their trompe l'oeil cuffs. As if the sleeves of a beautiful, cozy sweater were hanging down past your wrists, the effect is a refined kind of slouchy.

I love also the textural play of two yarns who, once strangers to each other, come together here in a beautiful friendship! A similar icy blue color may have been their conversation starter, but as the two yarns got chatting, they realized that what makes each different is also what makes each so special.

For the outer cuff I used Purl Soho's own gorgeous Super Soft Merino. As soft as a bunny rabbit's tail and as cozy as a featherbed, Super Soft Merino is bewitchingly lovable. And in the color Desert Sky it takes on a level of elegance that perfectly segues into Alchemy's Kozmos.

Kozmos is a complex brew of silk, mohair, wool and cotton. Lovingly hand dyed by the color mavericks of Alchemy, each skein tells a multi-layered story. And when a touch of enigmatic Kozmos pokes out from under the friendly comfort of Super Soft Merino things definitely get interesting!

If you'd like to play matchmaker with these two beauties, get started right here! -Whitney

Click to read more ...

Molly's Sketchbook: Soft Woolen Bunny

There is something almost miraculous about sewing a stuffed animal. You start with a bunch of odd shapes that don’t seem to have much to do with one another. Then as you sew them together, they gradually begin to take form, and suddenly, as you turn it right side out and begin stuffing, it comes to life! Those mismatched pieces are somehow transformed into a cuddly friend!

In my opinion, there is no stuffed animal more inviting than a bunny. And with Easter fast approaching, now is the perfect time to create one. This little guy is made from cozy 100% felted wool, making him oh, so huggable. Plus, he would look right at home in an Easter basket!

This Soft Woolen Bunny is a totally approachable project, even for your first stuffed animal. The wool is lovely to sew and its forgiving nature hides all those little mistakes. I hope you enjoy watching your bunny come to life as much as I did! 

Click to read more ...

Laura's Loop: Roll and Dash Hankies

Don't you just love when a new technique is born from a happy accident?!? That’s the story of these hankies. It was business as usual. I needed to whip up a quick gift and so, sat down to make what must have been my hundredth set of Rolled Hem Handkerchiefs.  

I rolled and rolled the edge until Kokka's beautiful fine cotton fabric held the shape on its own. Always amazed at fabric’s sculptural potential, I took a moment to admire this tiny tube along my hankie’s border. It seemed a cause for celebration, and suddenly, I found myself working unlike I had on the previous ninety nine sets.

I ditched the matching cotton thread I would normally have used and chose instead the brightest, most surprising yarn I could find, Alchemy's Silken Straw. I threaded an embroidery needle, and rather than making an invisible stitch in the crease of the roll, I went bold. I carried the silk around the rolled hem, marking the gentle curve with graphic little lines of hot pink.

Form follows function, or something like that... does that apply here? I am not sure it does, but I am sure about how satisfying it was to turn my stitches into functional ornamentation, a series of dashes outlining each hankie. 

So, I rolled and dashed, rolled and dashed, and before I knew it, I had five unique handkerchiefs. Some with many dashes, some with few, some equally spaced, some hiccupping their way around the edges. It’s so fun to just follow your fancy! -Laura

Click to read more ...

Whit's Knits: Knit Hedgehogs

The first hedgehog I ever met was Mrs. Tiggy-Winkle, Beatrix Potter's kindly washerwoman of the Lake District. From her tiny country cottage to her "little black nose [that] went sniffle, sniffle, snuffle, and her eyes [that] went twinkle, twinkle", she was everything I thought charming and good as a child.

Since then I have always felt a love and affinity for hedgehogs. But not until I sat down to write this story did I actually realize that Mrs. Tiggy-Winkle was not only the first hedgehog I ever met, she is the only hedgehog I've ever met.

You see, I've always vaguely imagined that hedgehogs were all around me, hiding in burrows and hollow logs and hedgehog-sized cottages, but a quick look into the matter has thoroughly disavowed me of my silly assumptions. Hedgehogs don't even live in the United States, let alone outside my window! They live most everywhere else, but not here. I'm sure this doesn't surprise our worldly readers, but to me this information was a little bit shattering.

This newfound knowledge only makes my trio of Knit Hedgehogs more germane, because now they're not just cute and adorable, but they also offer a very practical way to hang out with hedgehogs if you happen to live in the Americas!

England is one place hedgehogs do live (just ask Beatrix Potter!), and so for a truly native hedgehog, we turn to British crafter Julie Williams of Little Cotton Rabbits. Just before posting this story, Little Cotton Rabbit's equally adorable Little Oddment Hedgie was pinned to our Pinterest page. We love it!

For our hedgie I used Manos del Uruguay's pretty Silk Blend for its head and belly. With a gentle handspun shine, Silk Blend makes a lovely contrast to the Cascade yarns I used for the hedgehog's garter stitch back. Both Eco Cloud and Superwash 128 are great heavy worsted weight choices for cuddling!

These guys are seriously fun to knit with not one lick of sewing or even grafting! So, if you'd like to populate your world with adorable little Knit Hedgehogs, get started by clicking below! -Whitney

Click to read more ...

Molly's Sketchbook: Liberty Hot Pads

Perhaps it’s just my practical Virgo nature, but my ideal sewing project is first and foremost functional. I’m not one for decorative topstitching or ornamental buttons; I want my finished projects to work (and to look good doing it)!  Hot pads are a perfect utilitarian undertaking because they’re quick to make and oh, so useful!

To keep this particular set of hot pads from becoming too hard-nosed I used the stunning new Flora Eve print from Liberty of London. This very special floral pattern looks like something in between a watercolor and a photograph and is printed with the exquisite detail and color that only Liberty can deliver.  And when paired with a rich yarn dyed denim, the contrasts take on a drama of their own: casual and elegant, inky and ephemeral,  practical and charming.     

This project is very easy to sew but uses a lot of different skills so it’s never boring. Just quilt the fabrics together using specially insulated batting and then hand sew cotton twill tape around the edges, and you’ve got a truly unique, beautiful, and best of all, fully functional hot pad! -Molly

Click to read more ...