Live Near St. Louis? Are You Ready for a Yarn Crawl?

Back in April Yarn Crawl LA got a lot of attention for bringing together nearly 30 shop owners and offering people who visited the shops during the crawl freebies, discounts and prizes. now the middle of the country is getting in on the fun with the Summer’s Last Blast Yarn Crawl in the St. Louis area, running between July 26 and 29.

This yarn crawl will straddle the border, with shops in Missouri and Illinois participating (10 in all). The first 50 customers at each store will get a free zippered notions bag made for the event, and there are all sorts of prizes including yarn from Alchemy and Rowan, Japanese seed beads and more.

Participants can download a passport showing the locations that will allow them to collect stamps during the yarn crawl. People who get at least six stamps are eligible for prizes and those with 10 stamps are in the running for a bigger prize package.

Have you ever done a yarn crawl? Spill it!

[Photo by Summer’s Last Blast Yarn Crawl.]

Next Pattern:

There is something wonderfully nostalgic about a fluffy little baby hat, isn’t there? The Baby Twizzler Hat over on CraftBits is one of those sweet, simple baby knitting patterns that feels very much like the kind of project you could whip up for a baby shower, a new grandbaby, or that “I just need something cute and quick on my needles” moment.

This free baby hat knitting pattern is sized for around 9–12 months and uses chunky, textured fashion yarn to give it that soft, whimsical look. Think candy floss, powder-puff baby yarn, and all those lovely fluffy skeins we buy because they feel irresistible in the yarn aisle — and then later wonder what on earth we are going to make with them. This hat is exactly the sort of project those skeins were waiting for.

What I like about this pattern is that it doesn’t try to overcomplicate things. Baby knits do not always need cables, lace charts, or three cups of coffee and a quiet house to understand them. Sometimes the yarn does most of the work, and this is one of those patterns. The texture gives the hat personality, while the construction stays approachable.

If you are fairly new to knitting baby items, this is a nice little project to practise shaping without committing to a full garment. A baby hat is small enough to finish quickly, which is always encouraging, especially if you are knitting for a deadline. We have all had that “the baby shower is tomorrow and I have three ends still dangling” situation, haven’t we?

The pattern pairs beautifully with the matching Baby Twizzler Poncho, so if you want to turn this into a proper handmade baby gift set, that would be a very cute combination. A matching hat and poncho always feels more special than a single item, and it makes a lovely keepsake gift without needing to knit an entire baby wardrobe.

For yarn, look for a soft baby-friendly fluffy or textured yarn that is gentle enough for little heads. Mary Maxim often has lovely baby yarn options and beginner-friendly knitting supplies, and Amazon is handy for grabbing size 6mm knitting needles if your needle stash has mysteriously swallowed that one size you actually need. Mine does this regularly, usually when I am already sitting down with a cup of tea.

This would also be a sweet stash-busting project if you have leftover novelty or fashion yarn from older baby projects. Just make sure the yarn is soft, washable, and comfortable against baby skin. Babies are not known for politely tolerating scratchy handmade gifts.

If you enjoy knitting small baby gifts, you might also like browsing more free knitting patterns on CraftBits, especially if you are putting together handmade baby shower gifts or quick charity knits. And for another sweet baby-themed project, the Baby Feet Cloth free knitting pattern would make a lovely little extra tucked into a gift basket with this hat.

The Baby Twizzler Hat is a charming, quick baby knitting pattern with a soft vintage feel. It is simple, giftable, and a nice reminder that sometimes the prettiest handmade baby pieces are the ones made with one ball of yarn, a pair of needles, and a bit of love.

Best for: quick baby shower gifts, beginner-friendly baby knitting, stash yarn projects, and matching handmade baby sets.
Skill level: beginner to confident beginner.
Why we like it: it is fast, fluffy, sweet, and perfect for using those soft textured yarns hiding in the stash.

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