• Home
  • Suggest A Craft
  • DIY Newsletter

Knitting

Patterns, projects and techniques

  • About CraftGossip
  • Our Network
    • Bath & Body Crafts
    • Candle Making Ideas
    • Crochet Ideas
    • Cross Stitch
    • Edible Crafts
    • Felting Patterns
    • Glass Art
    • Home & Garden Ideas
    • Indie Crafts
    • Jewelry Making
    • Kids Crafts
    • Knitting Patterns
    • Lesson Plans
    • Needlework
    • Party Ideas
    • Polymer Clay
    • Quilting Ideas
    • Recycled Crafts
    • Scrapbooking
    • Sewing Patterns
    • Card Making
    • DIY Weddings
    • Not Craft Ideas
  • Giveaways
  • Roundups
  • Store
  • Search

Make Your Own Yarn Swift this Weekend

September 25, 2015 by Sarah White

make your own yarn swift from thrift store materialsHaving a yarn swift is maybe not essential to having a happy life as a knitter, but if you buy a lot of yarn in hanks that need to be wound into balls before you can knit with them, having one can certainly save you some time and aggravation.

I love mine, which I have had for years and leave open, clamped to the side of my desk, pretty much all the time.

Admittedly this gadget is a bit of a splurge, but blogger Measured and Slow has a great idea for how to make your own yarn swift from things you might have lying around the house or be able to find at a thrift store.

The base is a lazy Susan, with an expandable coat rack on top to hold the yarn. Such a smart idea! Using some supplies she already had and thrifting others, this project ended up cost $14.

Have you ever made your own knitting supplies or do you have a tip for making knitting easier? I’d love to hear it!

[Photo via Measured and Slow.]

Next Pattern:

  • Make Your Own Marl with the Sprinkle Tee Knitting Pattern
  • Make Your Own Simple Summer Knit Top
  • Make Your Own Rainbow with the Rainbowgan Knitting Pattern
«
»

Have you read?

A Sweet Skater Dress to Knit

I know knitting a dress sounds like a major time commitment. And that’s before I even tell you that this particular dress, the Sixth Ave Skater Dress by Briana Luppino, is worked in light fingering weight yarn. 

But would you just take a moment to look at it and tell me if it doesn’t look like it would be worth all the time you would spend knitting it? And it’s miles of stockinette stitch so it’s actually beginner friendly and a great semi-mindless knit you can take with you on your travels this summer and wear when it is done. 

The dress is worked from the top down with tank straps, a scoop neck, waist shaping and a flowy skirt for a fun and comfortable fit. 

The pattern has 10 sizes, with finished bust measurements ranging from 28 to 64 inches, or 71.5 to 163 cm. The sample shown was worked with 4 inches/10 cm of negative ease at the bust, and the designer says most people like between 2 and 6 inches/5 to 15 cm of negative ease in the bust and around 10 inches/25.4 cm positive ease in the hips. 

(To refresh your memory, negative ease means the measurement of the garment is smaller than your actual body measurement, while positive ease is bigger than your body.)

To pick a size you’d work from the bust measurement because you can always add more or fewer decreases as you need to get your desired fit at the waist and hips. And because it’s worked from the top down you can try it on as often as you like to make sure it’s the perfect fit. 

The I-cord edgings give the dress a super casual feel, and I think this would be a great one to add to your summer rotation. (Yes, even with a wool blend yarn.)

You can see lots of cute finished versions and grab a copy of the pattern for yourself on Ravelry. 

[Photo: Briana Luppino]

Book Review – Knitted Tanks and Tunics

How to Knit a Simple Sweater Dress

Categories

baby hat Baby Patterns Beginner Book Reviews cardigan Christmas CraftGossip Giveaways Craft News and Events Free Kntting Patterns Giveaways! Hats Knitting Articles Of Interest Knitting Patterns Knitting Technique & Ideas mittens Quick scarf shawl patterns socks Sweaters

RSS More Articles

  • A Sweet Skater Dress to Knit
  • Printable Animal Flash Cards
  • 20 Cowl Crochet Patterns For Winter Gifting
  • Master the Art of Polka Dots with This Easy Painting Tutorial!
  • Do You Park Your Cross Stitch Thread? Try The Royal Roads Method
  • Etsy Spotlight – Sew Your Own Baby Dress with the Harper Dress Pattern PDF
  • July 4th Mini Scrapbook Album
  • Upcycled Writing Desk to Cocktail Cabinet
  • Create Stunning Pineapple String Art – A Fun and Easy Tutorial You Can’t Miss
  • DMC Woodland Moth Tapestry Pattern – Earthy, Elegant, and Surprisingly Relaxing

Pick Your Blog

  • Sewing
  • Knitting
  • Quilting
  • Crochet
  • Home & Garden
  • Recycled Crafts
  • Scrapbooking
  • Card Making
  • Polymer Clay
  • Cross-Stitch
  • Edible Crafts
  • Felting
  • Glass Art
  • Indie Crafts
  • Kids Crafts
  • Jewelry Making
  • Lesson Plans
  • Needlework
  • Bath & Body
  • Party Ideas
  • Candle Making
  • DIY Weddings
  • Not Craft
  • Free Craft Projects

Copyright © 2025 · CraftGossip | Start Here | Contact Us | Link to Us | Your Editors | Privacy and affiliate policy