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Learn Shawl Shaping with this Mini-Shawl Ecourse

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shawl knitting email series from aroha knitsI have a lot of scarves, but lately I have been knitting more shawls to wear in the colder months. I like something that bunches up around my neck a little more (so all that knitting is keeping me warm instead of hanging on the ends of my scarf), and shawls are just prettier and more fun to knit than scarves.

There are a lot of different ways to put shawls together and techniques you can use in shawl knitting, and one great way to get a crash course in those techniques is by signing up for the 5 shawls, 5 days challenge from Aroha Knits. This free email series covers a triangular shawl with a Garter tab beginning, a 3/4 shawl (the triangle with an extra triangle), crescent, swirl and asymmetrical designs.

The idea is to work each of these little shawls for 30 minutes or less, making them just big enough so you can see the shape and get the idea of how it will look in a larger version without having to actually knit a full-size shawl.

This is a great way to learn different techniques and determine which sorts of designs you like to knit and like the look of. If you’re a fan of shawls you should check it out.

[Photo via Aroha Knits.]

 

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Stitch Your Favorite Fruit on a Sweater

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]