Knitting

Patterns, projects and techniques

Giveaway: DIY Holiday Magazine

by

Win a copy of DIY Holiday magazine from Interweave/F+W.

Congratulations to Deanna, Maureen and Mary.

If you’re a multi-crafter who likes to give handmade and/or decorate your home with handmade things, you need to check out DIY Holiday 2014: The Crafting Life, a new crafty magazine from Interweave/F+W.

The magazine is 100 pages long and is chock-full of patterns and inspiration that you can quilt, sew, bead, knit, crochet and weave, as well as mixed media projects.

In the knitting realm you’ll find a cool woven heart ornament by Ann McDonald Kelly, Cathy Carron’s garter stitch mug cozies, a two-color snowflake cowl by Celeste Young and Andrea Babb’s unisex Walker Scarf, which features twisted rib and little trails of cables at the ends.

Other projects I like include a biased granny square crocheted pillow by Vickie Howell, the lovely, easy and ever-so useful quilted trivets by Debbie Bento and Susan Haynes Opdhal’s lovely embroidered Shisha Ornaments. The resin bangles by Heidi Boyd, which allow you to show off a little of your passion on your wrist, are simply amazing, too.

The magazine retails for $9.99 and is available online at the above link (paper or digital), but I’m giving you a chance to win one of three copies this week.

If you’d like one, leave a comment on this post before the end of the day Sunday, November 23. I’d love to hear what kind of crafts you’re working on for the holidays, whether for yourself, your home or to give as a gift. I have three of the six cowls I need to make done, and I’m taking a break from them with some super simple all stockinette arm warmers that are just for me.

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

Next Pattern:

Comments

  1. Working on infinity scarfs, both sewing & crocheting! Making purses and quilting several pieces! I enjoy many different crafts!

  4. Right now I’m setting up my “new” craft room so that I can delve into projects I’ve been saving up to do in my new space!

  5. I am making lots and lots of Christmas gifts! Just finished placemats, working on mug rugs, a baby blanket, pot holders, doll clothes and a soft game board. Oh, and Christmas stockings!

  9. I love to knit and crochet and am gearing up for the frenzy of pre-holiday gift making. Thanks for the chance!

  11. i started a knitting group last month and everyone is working hard making gifts for the holiday.

  13. Completinga few more fabric scissors sheaths
    And finish the baby blanket this weekend. Then on to the baby dolls!

  14. I am currently working on a Christmas tree skirt for my son. It’s his second one since his ex-girlfriend walked off with the first one. I guess she liked it too!

  18. Hi! I make all my greeting cards, which keeps me busy. As well, this year, I am trying my hand at making penny rugs.

  21. I am trying to knit my husband a sweater for Christmas. This mag looks fabulous! Keeping my fingers crossed that I win a copy.

Have you read?

Knit a Linen Stitch Hot Pad

Linen stitch is one of my favorite knitting stitch patterns that, every time I use it in a project, I think about how I don’t use it often enough. 

It’s an easy stitch to make, with slip stitches done with the yarn held to the front of the work on the right/front side and to the back on the wrong/back side, which makes the strand of yarn a visible part of the pattern. 

It also makes a fabric that is thick and looks kind of like a woven fabric.

I recently used linen stitch to make a double-thick pot holder, which I worked in a kind of interesting way. I didn’t want to have to do any sewing on the project, so I started it from a crochet cast on and picked up stitches from the side of the cast on to make the hot pad all in one piece in the round with the edge sealed. 

This requires working on two circular needles, which is another technique I don’t use that often and am always reminded how much I like it when I do. 

The combination of double thickness and the stitch pattern makes for a hot pad that’s already pretty thick, but I also added a bit of old towel to the inside before I closed up the end to make it super thick and extra protective for your surfaces. 

I found the engineering challenge of this construction method to be a lot of fun, but you could also just knit it as a tube (casting on twice as many stitches as I did) and sew up the ends by hand when the knitting is done. Either way you’ve got a useful and pretty addition to your kitchen, whether you work it in a solid color, stripes or as a stash busting project will all your cotton odd balls. 

You can grab the pattern over at Our Daily Craft, or check it out on Ravelry. 

40+ Hot Pads You Can Sew For The Kitchen [Sewing]

A Cozy Knit to Calm Your Mind

Double Knit an Infinity Scarf