At The Purl Bee we strive to create fun and approachable projects for you to knit, crochet, sew, stitch and more! You can search for our past projects below by typing your search into the search box, browsing our Photo Galleries, looking through our Projects alphabetically or by clicking the links in our Tag Cloud. Enjoy!
The Tomten Jacket is a much loved knitting pattern written by our hero, Elizabeth Zimmermann, back in 1961. This pattern is as cool in style and fun to make as it was the day she created it.
I've wanted to make this pattern for such a long time, so I was thrilled when Schoolhouse Press reprinted EZ's newsletter patterns in The Opinionated Knitter. --Joelle
Here are my colors, yellow with yellow and a beautifully creamy off white. The yarn is Sanctuary from Alchemy Yarns, and I love working with it. Sanctuary is a very classic worsted weight yarn, and yet the colors and texture are very special and unique. 
One thing I love about this pattern is that the lower half is knit all in one piece on circular needles (I'm a huge fan of circular needles!). I've been working the stripes in a sort of random fashion, changing colors whenever I feel like it and carrying the other colors up the side as I go. To change colors I just pick the new color up in front of the old color, this catches the old color in the first stitch and leaves a tidy edge. When I'm done with the jacket, I'll finish the edge with an attached I-cord which will enclose the strands that were carried up along the edge. 
I've got quite a ways to go before then though! --Joelle
October 15, 2006