Tag Archive | crochet

Cabled Cardigan Inspo

Okay, is anyone else watching Bad Sisters on Apple TV+? I’m midway through season two so no spoilers but please let’s talk about the knitwear!! The sweaters are amazing. The hats too – Angelica was wearing a yellow hat that looks much like one I knit ages ago – but I’m obsessed with the sweaters. Apparently some of them are from IrelandsEye and I could buy them…or I could spend around the same amount of money and devote months of my time to knitting them! I know which route I’m going, what about you?

This one is my favorite. I adore that gorgeous vivid green and I’m so glad I saw it on the show because the way they styled it on Eva is so much more appealing to me than the model on the website. I am not typically a big fan of knitting cables. Cables are fiddly and most of the time I want my knitting to be not fiddly. (Some people would question my statement, given how much lace I knit and whether lace is considered fiddly or not. Maybe it is just a brand of fiddly I am on board with.)

HOWEVER, Eva has convinced me that I NEED to make this sweater. I have already done some trolling for patterns and found this Book Club Cardigan on Ravelry. I would modify the bottom hem to be thicker like Eva’s sweater, and I could modify the sleeves to be that balloon style, but I’m not sure I’m going to.

The biggest question now is yarn. I don’t tend to stash sweater quantities unless I have a pattern in mind. I had a couple of possibilities from past projects, but those yarns are discontinued, so I’m on the hunt. Since it’s a cardigan and won’t be against my skin, I don’t have to worry as much about the itch factor, but I don’t want it to be so rustic/earthy that it’s unpleasant to knit with. I think I might want to go non-superwash with this one. I should probably go with something affordable like Cascade 220 (maybe the Christmas green here??) although the last cardigan I knit with that yarn pilled like crazy.

So, I’m taking suggestions! What are your favorite budget-friendly yarns for something like a cabled cardigan?

Knitting as a Calling

Mar21

I find myself missing writing, or this type of writing anyway. There have been a couple of times over the last month where I caught myself composing posts in my head. So, why not compose them here, I guess? I’ve got the blog, might as well use it when the mood hits, although I stopped paying for the fancier subscription so photos will be few and far between. I did post this on Substack but that doesn’t feel like home yet, not like this does. Fun fact: apparently today is my blogiversary – I registered the blog 11 years ago!

I recently revisited an old journal in a fit of nostalgia and 25 years ago, when I was pregnant with my first child, I wrote that I wished I knew how to knit or crochet. I didn’t necessarily want to make something for the baby – I was just restless one night and nothing sounded appealing. I have no idea how or why knitting came to mind because nobody in my world was a knitter or crocheter.

I didn’t take the initiative to learn at that point. I wish I had. I think knitting would have helped my mental state a lot when I was struggling with motherhood, and with balancing motherhood with a job or marriage or just being my own person. I cycled through other hobbies – scrapbooking, jewelry making – but they didn’t stick. And they never had the same restorative, meditative qualities that knitting does. Maybe that’s why they didn’t stick?

When it comes to hobbies – and I even struggle to call it a hobby because it feels more important than that – knitting is The One for me. It completes me, soothes me, supports me, inspires me. I’ve been knitting for 12 years now and never gotten tired of it.

It’s given me a way to play with colors and patterns and textures in a tactile way. I’ve tried drawing and painting and those are not my talents. This, though, the pairing of yarn and pattern, this comes naturally to me, and the whole process brings me so much joy.

It’s given me an amazing community, a place where I feel accepted and encouraged. I love knitters so much. I love how so many of them have leaned into being truly, authentically themselves. Many of us knitters are weird, and I say that as a compliment because I love weird. I love being “weird” because it means accepting how I’m different – not just accepting but embracing. I have to thank the wild, powerful world of knitters for helping me gain that confidence

I love who I am now, and I think knitting has contributed so much to that. I wish young Bonny had had even a tiny bit of that 25 years ago.

Eeyore is the cutest

Jan10

Yesterday I finished what might possibly be my favorite project ever, a little crochet Eeyore. It’s definitely the cutest thing I’ve ever made, and I’ve made a few cute things before (like a tiny sloth!). But Eeyore is just the best.

He wasn’t hard to make at all, but like any toy, it’s just fiddly to make all the pieces and then sew them all together. I always struggle with placement and sewing them up neatly, but this one worked out pretty well. I had some leftover faux fur yarn which made the best tail and mane ever. And thankfully the eyes were super simple, just two little lines of black yarn.

Adding the button for the tail was the finishing touch. I thought he was adorable without it, but then I sewed on the perfect wood button and heck, I just love him so much. I’ve just been carrying him around with me downstairs as I sit with dogs, and he makes me smile. I think that would make Eeyore feel pretty good. I don’t know that I’ll ever want to make another one, but if you need an Eeyore in your life, I used this free pattern on Ravelry. I used worsted weight yarn and a G hook to get a nice, tight fabric.

We’re bracing for a big storm tonight and tomorrow, with ice and several inches of snow. Should make taking Duncan outside interesting! Brrr… Happy Friday, friends!

FO Friday

May17

It’s Friday, and I have a Finished Object to share! Now, I didn’t make it all on my own, but I did quite a bit. Our knitting group at work decided to make another blanket to donate to the Welcome Blanket project so we used the Come Together Blanket Square pattern as our base. I ordered KnitPicks Brava Bulky in gray, navy, green, and hot pink, and shared it with all the willing crocheters. I believe there were six of us, and two were brand-new crocheters who learned just for this project! When the squares were done, we met for a lunch-time seaming “party”. We got a good start, but we still needed a second seaming session, and even then it wasn’t completely done. I took it home with me, finished the seams, wove in all the stray ends, added a single crochet border, and called it done!

It’s a little random, color-wise, because we didn’t plan out how many we wanted of each color combination, and there are a couple of squares that don’t have a match, but that doesn’t bother me. It’s fun and colorful, and hopefully will bring someone some warmth and comfort.

Snowy Owl

Mar5

Apparently I can’t stop making amigurumi animals: I made another one over the weekend. As fiddly as they are, I think they’re so cute and I love gifting them for my friends’ birthdays. There’s one coming up for a Harry Potter fan, so this time I made Hedwig. I used this free pattern; it was a little vague at times, and I had a hard time figuring out what I was supposed to do for the tail feather (at least I think that’s what it is, but the pattern didn’t say), so I just did my best. And I think it came out pretty good!

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Maybe more like a bird than an owl? Or maybe I’m just too critical. Anyway, I do think it’s adorable and I’m looking forward to sending her to her new home. She can’t be on any of my other social media just yet, so you all are lucky to get the first peek!

Review: Andean Sun Alpaca

Feb13

Does anybody else love alpaca? I’m guessing a few of you do. It’s one of my favorite yarns to use in winter, so when I was offered the chance to review some bulky alpaca from Andean Sun Yarns, I jumped at the chance. It’s available in packs of three in six colors, and I chose medium gray so it would go with almost everything.

Honestly, I’d never heard of Andean Sun Yarns, so I had no idea what to expect. But guys. OMG. I’m a convert. If you love super soft alpaca that feels like a warm furry marshmallow (think squishy, not sticky!), then this is your yarn. In the past, I’ve used and loved Plymouth Yarns Grande and Cascade Baby Alpaca Chunky. This yarn feels even better. I’m not sure why exactly, but I think the Andean Sun alpaca felt a little denser, a little more substantial, and just a tiny bit fuzzier. Can you see a hint of that marvelous halo??

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The yarn arrived on a Saturday and I cast on for the Bandana Cowl that same day. I was done by that night, partly because I was lucky enough to have a whole lazy knitting day, but also because I didn’t want to put the yarn down. Each skein is about 50 grams/54 yards each, and I used about two and a half skeins for the cowl. The yarn slid easily from the little skein, there were no knots, and it tinked nicely when I inevitably messed up.

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It felt so good in my hands. Plus, it washed and blocked wonderfully, still super soft and with a lovely relaxed drape. My only caveat is that I want it in more than six colors! And I have to say, I’ve wanted to make the Bandana cowl for SO long, and always put it off because I didn’t want to mess with short rows. Remember, I don’t like short rows. Except they were easy and quick in this pattern with the bulky yarn, and I didn’t mind them at all, and now I adore this cowl!

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Andean Sun Yarns is a small, independent family business with roots in Peru and the US that’s been around since 2001. As near as I can tell, they don’t stock in yarn stores, which is too bad because if you felt it, you’d probably buy it! But you can get it from their website (and get 25% off for subscribing to their newsletter) or from their Amazon shop (with free shipping).

Thanks so much to Stitchcraft Marketing and Andean Sun Yarns who sent me the three-skein bulky alpaca kit (retail: $31.98) for free. I received no other compensation for this review. All opinions and photos are my own.

Finished!?

Jan27

Guess who finished TWO projects today?? THIS GIRL! That’s right, thanks to the women’s and men’s finals of the Australian Open, I bound off my Boho Baby Blanket today! And even got the ends woven in, how about that? AND! Then after that, I had a sock that was ready for a toe so I zipped through that while catching up on Grey’s Anatomy, and voila, two projects off my WIP list!

I do need to block the blanket and take some good photos, but still, I’m down to seven WIPs and I’m committed to working it down further. I really don’t like having so many clamoring for attention.

I might have also made a couple more teeny sloths this weekend. Thank goodness they’re fast!

Wee Mouse

Jan24

Recently one of my work friends had a little mouse issue at his home. It’s happened to me a few times so it didn’t seem like a big deal, but it was his first experience and he was not happy. At all. But he took care of it, and then went on vacation. So of course I had to make a mouse.

His name is Marcel and he is now in his new home, hiding among some papers on my friend’s desk. I might add a few chocolate sprinkles for authenticity.

The pattern is Pousie Mouse, but I used a slightly bigger hook and yarn than she did. It was very simple, once I found a yarn/hook combo I liked. I’m kind of liking the amigurumi lately!

New LYS!

Dec5

Dear Knitting SIL,

I’m so sorry. I know we were going to visit the new LYS in town together, and I know I had to back out because of the boy’s guitar recital and we were going to go together later this month. But then Sunday arrived, and I didn’t have plans, and the yarn store was open, and…things happened. Helloooo, Yarn Social!

If it helps, I will absolutely go again with you and the girl another weekend. Because the store is super cute, and they have a lot of fun yarns, and they also have a living room area with a couch and a few chairs where you can hang out and do yarn-y things. They even had yarn cookies! But I’m guessing that was just because it was opening weekend and it won’t be an all-the-time thing.

And I know you are probably as happy as I am that this store opened, because the KC metro area needed a good yarn store downtown. We needed a store to offer some variety with the smaller indie dyers, a store that will focus on yarn and on creating a welcoming community for crafters. It just has a different feel than the other stores in the area, and it provides a balance we didn’t have before. So while I bought some beautiful yarn, I tried to restrain myself a tiny little bit so that I could still get something when I go back with you, because I know we will go together at some point soon!

Thank you for understanding that I am only human, and can only resist the call of a yarn store for so long.

Sincerely,

Bonny

Holiday Projects

Nov25

It’s been a busy few days around here. The girl was here for Thanksgiving, which was marvelous, but she also had to work two shifts and see a couple of friends, and then she had to leave a day early to beat today’s blizzard warning, so it was really only three days. And that’s not quite long enough for me. But I enjoyed her while she was here and I am very glad she’s back at school safe and sound. I would have gone nuts thinking about her driving through a blizzard warning! After she left yesterday, I wanted something fun to do to distract me, so I made the boys take me to a cute little nearby town for some retail therapy. I did pretty well!

I found this awesome yarn bowl at an art collective and even got a fun tote with it! Hooray for Small Business Saturday! While we were there, I did some knitting on my Hogwarts Cowl at the guitar store and at dinner. I’m halfway through now and like the size much better than my first version.

There’s actually been more crochet than knitting this weekend. One of the nephews requested a Pikachu hat and he’s three and very cute so I couldn’t say no. And since I made one nephew a scarf and another a Pikachu hat, I had to make something for the Pokemon-obsessed niece, so I used the last of my yellow yarn for a wee Pikachu for her.

They are cute, I will admit it. But that’s enough Pikachu to last me a very long time! I’m taking a break from gift projects today during the blizzard for some selfish knitting…maybe. Or maybe I’ll start a pair of gift socks. In any case, it’s windy and snowing and you will find me on the couch with yarn and dogs for the rest of the day! Everyone else in the path of the storm, stay safe and warm!