Knitting

Free Patterns, Tutorials and Project Ideas

A Couple of Books for Your Feminine Side

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feminine knitting books

These books are going to Iryna.

This week I’m giving away two books that are perfect for you ladies who love feminine details and cozy knits.

Essentially Feminine Knits by Lene Home Samsøe has 25 patterns that are both rustic and feminine. There are Garter Stitch patterns, projects with leaf motifs, others that focus on the structure of the garment, cable patterns and lace. From the publisher:

Focusing on Samsøe’s signature botanical lace motifs, this collection offers designs with a variety of beautiful effects. Inside you’ll find original sweaters, tops, jackets, hats, scarves, and mittens. Each pattern reveals elegant detailing, a flattering silhouette, and classic style, all of which are combined with a playful and modern sensibility.

The projects featured in this book range from simple and quick to more in-depth–with the use of unique pattern instructions. Samsøe’s unique style guarantees boldness and authenticity, and the patterns from Essentially Feminine Knits will keep you refined, chic, and simply feminine.

A Handknit Romance by Jennie Atkinson is full of 22 vintage-inspired patterns for garments and accessories that are high on details like beads, lace, ruffles and tons of shaping.

Inspired by women’s clothing, lingerie, and accessories of the past, A Handknit Romance offers intricate and exquisite designs. Step back in time with techniques including pin-tucks, picot trims, crochet edges, lace beading, and embroidery that convey modest and flirty classic fitted patterns using a range of lace, superfine, fine, and light yarn weights.

Designer Jennie Atkinson’s attention to detail in each piece makes for a gorgeous collection of unique, precious garments that reflect today’s vogue for vintage-inspired fashion. A Handknit Romance offers beautiful projects that range from small accessories to full-size garments and suit beginner and seasoned knitters alike. Plus, this knitting resource has great advice on yarn substitutions as well as tips on how the patterns can be customized to fit all sizes.

If you’d like to win these books, leave a comment on this post before the end of the day Sunday, July 16. I’d love to know who you would knit these pretty designs for.

Thanks for visiting, commenting and sharing, and good luck!

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Comments

  5. I would knit for myself and my daughter – as long as I let her choose the pattern and yarn!

  8. I have a dear friend who has been so kind and generous with her time. I’d like to find that special sweater or gift for her.

  13. I’d definitely knit something for myself first. I’ve seen this Essentially Feminine Knits book, and it’s beautiful. Thanks for another great giveaway!!

Have you read?

Patchwork Blanket Knitting Patterns

Any time of year is a good time for stash busting, but if you can combine it with knitting a blanket that will keep you warm when it (finally!) gets cooler that’s even better. Let’s take a look at some fun patchwork blanket knitting patterns. 

If you want to keep it super simple, you can just make blocks of garter stitch and sew them together, like the beginner’s patchwork baby blanket from Mini Baa Baa or the color block blanket from Make and Do Crew. Both projects are worked in strips and sew together, with the baby version calling for two strands of DK or light worsted weight yarn held together and the larger one using bulky yarn. 

Add a little more texture with the mixed blocks of the cottage quilt throw from Mama in a Stitch. This one combines garter stitch and seed stitch and uses worsted weight yarn. She used a crochet join to make the chains on top of the blocks, but you can join them however you like. It calls for eight colors but you can use what you have, and there are three size options. 

Get a real sampler style patchwork blanket with this design from Knit Sew Make. It calls for worsted weight yarn and has four size options. All of the patterns just use knit and purl stitches so this one is still pretty easy for beginners. 

If you want a more complex colorwork project that will keep you entertained all season, try the Peace by Piece blanket pattern from Needle and Feather. This one is made up of two color colorwork blocks and calls for worsted weight yarn. You can choose to use just a few of the blocks and repeat them more often, or make multiples of the whole set. 

The knitted patchwork recipe from Martine Ellis (free on Ravelry) uses mitered squares in fingering weight yarn, so it’s perfect for using up all your leftover sock yarn and mini skeins. This one is a tutorial more than a pattern so you can make your blanket as big as you like or keep going until you run out of yarn. 

Susan B. Anderson’s 100 Squares blanket (find it on Ravelry) has a lot of mitered squares, too, but they’re arranged in fun ways and includes some quilt inspired designs as well. This one also is a bit of method more than pattern but it sure looks like a lot of fun for using all the leftovers. 

Of course you can totally improvise a patchwork blanket using the yarn and stitches you like, but I hope these patterns inspire you to look at your leftover yarn in a new way.