Book Review – Knitting The National Parks

Knitting the National Parks: 63 Easy-to-Follow Designs for Beautiful Beanies Inspired by the US National Parks” is the perfect book for knitters who want to create unique beanies inspired by the breathtaking landscapes of the US National Parks. Written by Nancy Bates, a knitting designer and outdoor enthusiast, this book offers 63 original beanie patterns that capture the majesty of each national park.

From simple beanie constructions to more challenging stitch patterns, these designs are inspired by the natural beauty of the parks, including the brightly colored pebbles of Lake McDonald in Montana’s Glacier National Park to the regal granite cliffs of El Capitan and Half Dome in California’s Yosemite Valley. Each pattern is accompanied by beautiful photographs of the finished beanie and the park’s landscapes that inspired it.

The book includes easy-to-follow instructions, clear charts, and easy-to-read keys that help knitters of all skill levels to knit a beanie in no time. Beanies range from simple beanie constructions to more challenging stitch patterns such as the two-color crossovers inspired by South Dakota’s Badlands or the multiple cable designs inspired by New Mexico’s Carlsbad Caverns.

In summary, “Knitting the National Parks: 63 Easy-to-Follow Designs for Beautiful Beanies Inspired by the US National Parks” is an excellent book for knitters who want to create unique beanies inspired by the natural beauty of the US National Parks, with easy-to-follow instructions and beautiful photographs accompanying each pattern. Show your love and appreciation of our national parks with these beautiful and practical beanie projects you can wear any time or any place.

Get the book here: “Knitting the National Parks

Next Pattern:

The other day I saw a post from Pinterest about trends for summer and it said one of them was “cultivating whimsy.”

Well, I don’t know where Pinterest has been all this time, but we’ve been cultivating whimsy here at Craft Gossip for a long time. I love sharing projects that are a little different, things that make you smile when you see them, and will make you smile when you knit them and wear them or use them.

Such it is with the Tutti Frutti tee knitting pattern from Bea Creative Knits.

This cute little baby tee is worked top down in the round with contiguous shoulder construction to shape the sleeve caps. There are short rows for the neckline and folded hems with picot edging at the hemline, neckline and edges of the sleeves.

All of this would be great on its own, but then there’s the addition of a super cute fruit icon, which is added with duplicate stitch. There are a lot of options, including strawberry, banana, orange, cherries, watermelon, lemon, blueberries, kiwi, peach, dragon fruit, apple and pear, so it’s likely you can add on your favorite fruit.

It is offered in eight sizes, to fit a bust measurement ranging from 28-30 inches (71-76 cm) to 56-58 inches (142-147 cm). The design is meant to be worn with around 6.3 inches/16 cm of negative ease, but you can choose the fit you prefer. There’s also optional bust and waist shaping included in the pattern if you want to make it even curvier.

This is considered an advanced beginner or intermediate project because of all the skills involved, but it’s sure to be a lot of fun even if some of these techniques are new to you.

Grab a copy of the pattern for yourself form Bea Creative Knits on Etsy.

[Photo: Bea Creative Knits]

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