Posts tagged projects
ino Hoodie that I knit for my nephew. This was supposed to be a Christmas gift but I had a surprisingly hard time with it. I was worried he was going to grow out of it faster than I could finish it. But in the end I love the way it turned out and am SO HAPPY to have it done and sent to Montana. Along with this hoodie I sent the book Dinosaur vs. the Library so he can read and play along.
rocheted cards that I made last week for my mom and friend Mary. I followed the pattern on One Sheepish Girl, a super cute blog written by a shy girl from Texas who uses crocheting and blogging as a way to be more confident. This pattern was originally written with Valentine’s Day in mind so if you need a last minute idea for a loved one, this is super easy!
omeone on Ravelry saw this square pillow friend that I made for my niece and asked for the directions. Originally this pattern was made by Jess Hutchinson and was found on Ravelry here. Unfortunately it doesn’t seem that a written pattern exists anymore, so I just did my best to make it up as I went, and it turned out great! I thought I’d attempt writing a pattern for it. WARNING: I wrote this from memory and have not tested it. If you have any problems or concerns write me on Ravelry, username peaceloveveggies. Have fun!
Squarey Knitting Pattern
(originally by Jess Hutchinson, written by Kristen Althoff)
Supplies:
3 skeins of worsted weight yarn in 3 different colors
1 pair #8 straight or circular needles
1 set #8 double pointed needles
2 15mm black safety eyes
12-inch pillow form
polyester fiberfill for stuffing arms and legs
yarn needle
Gauge:
This is the part you’ll have to take some time to figure out. Since we need this guy to fit over a 12-inch pillow form we need to make 2 12-inch squares. I figured out how many stitches across I would need by figuring out how many stitches it took to get me one inch of knitting in stockinette stitch (make sure to do a few rows to get an accurate measurement). I like to stretch the fabric just a little bit when measuring so that the final product will be snug on the pillow form. Once you have 1 inch of knitting take that number of stitches and multiply it by 12. This is your final cast-on number.
Directions:
FRONT & BACK (make 2)
Cast on the number of stitches you determined from your gauge in the main color.
Knit in stockinette for about 3 inches.
Switch to your second color and knit in stockinette for 3 inches.
Switch to your third color and knit in stockinette for 3 inches.
Switch to your second color again and knit in stockinette for 3 inches.
Switch back to your main color and knit in stockinette until the entire piece measures 12 inches. Bind off loosely.
ARMS (make 2)
Using third color, cast on 9 stitches evenly across 3 double pointed needles (3 stitches on each needle). Join for knitting in the round.
Knit in the round until you have a tube that measures 4 inches.
Decrease next round: *Knit 2 together, knit 1* repeat from * to * 2 more times (6 stitches)
Decrease next round: *Knit 2 together* repeat from * to * 2 more times (3 stitches)
Break yarn and draw through remaining 3 stitches. Cinch and sew in loose end.
LEGS (make 2)
Using main color, cast on 9 stitches evenly across 3 double pointed needles (3 stitches on each needle). Join for knitting in the round.
Knit in the round until you have a tube that measures 5 inches.
Decrease next round: *Knit 2 together, knit 1* repeat from * to * 2 more times (6 stitches)
Decrease next round: *Knit 2 together* repeat from * to * 2 more times (3 stitches)
Break yarn and draw through remaining 3 stitches. Cinch and sew in loose end.
FACE
Using a yarn needle and the second or third color (your choice) embroider a smile into the fabric just above the stripes. I made one embroidery stitch for every 1 knit.
Place the safety eyes about 2 inches from each side and about an inch above the stripes.
STUFFING
Stuff the arms and legs with fiberfill and sew the ends of each shut
FINISHING
Starting at the top of the 2 squares begin sewing the pieces together. When you reach the stripes you may want to switch thread color so it matches. Before sewing the stripe with the third color, place the flat end of an arm in between the 2 layers of fabric and sew it in as you go. Do this for both sides but leave the bottom open.
Put the pillow form inside and start sewing up the bottom, making sure to put the legs in the same way you did the arms as you go.
Sew in any loose ends. Hug and enjoy!
rocheted these hot pads that I made last weekend but haven’t been able to get a good picture of them until now. Our last store-bought hot pads were torn apart, stained, and melting so it’s extremely exciting to have something more functional and nice looking. Free pattern can be found on Ravelry.
e’re participating in Chicago Zine Fest in March and in addition to making some how-to zines with some friends I’m also working on these bookmarks made from security envelopes. These are made from a bunch of different envelopes pieced together and sewn with red thread.
By the way, I also started reading this book about pigeons that Bill and I got as a wedding gift. We had read a few pages of it together on our honeymoon and then got busy and put it down. It is fascinating, but also kind of hard to read from a vegan perspective: there’s a lot of talk of killing, eating, using, and abusing pigeons. But in the end I’m trying to focus on the fascinating story of human’s relationship with this beautiful animal. I have 2 pigeons beaking (the beginning part of their mating process) tattooed on my chest, and have long been fascinated with the beautiful aspects of these “rats of the sky” as they are often referred to in large cities like Chicago. I’m only a couple chapters in but so far it is an extremely interesting read.
