Help Funding the Knitting Maine Pattern Booklet

I love a good knitting-related Kickstarter, and this one from knitwear designers Kristen TenDyke could use our support.

She’s looking for funding for the printing of her lovely looking pattern booklet Knitting Maine. That’s certainly a topic I can get behind because I love Maine (even went on my honeymoon there!) and I love knitting, of course. The designs, from the look of them, are classic with a twist, and Kristin is mindful to use ec0-friendly yarns in her designs, if that’s something you care about. All five designs — four sweaters and a shawl — are knit using yarn produced in Maine.

She’s hoping to raise $5,000 to print the booklet on recycled paper with soy ink with the help of a local, family owned printer. This is such a lovely idea for a project I was sure you all would want to hear about.

As I write this there are 12 days left in the campaign and she’s raised about $2,000. Thank you gifts include PDF and printed copies of the booklet or her previously published patterns, crocheted hearts, beads infused with Reiki energy and distance Reiki healings.

Check it out for more details and information.

[Photo via Kristin TenDyke.]

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]

Next Pattern:

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