Meet WEBS’ Designer-in-Residence Fiona Ellis

This year the yarn store WEBS has started a designer-in-residence program, which means that each month this year they’ll introduce a new pattern by the same designer — odd-number months are knitting with Fiona Ellis and even-numbered months are crochet with Doris Chan — as well as sharing blog posts and tips from the designers to make their projects even better.

Fiona’s tenure started with the I Feel Vine cardigan, worked in Valley Yarns Amherst, a pretty merino wool. The pattern incorporates ribbing, funky leaves and eyelet lace for a cardigan that’s great in several seasons.

She talks about her design process, inspiration and more in an interview on their blog, and also covers some of her tips for success or maybe design notes that a lot of us don’t think about (changing needle sizes mid-project to change gauge is a great tip, by the way, one I have used but don’t all that often).

I’m excited to see what the rest of the year holds!

[Photo via WEBS.]

Next Pattern:

Not too long ago I was seeing a crochet pattern for a glasses holder shaped like a bear all over the Internet. It was super cute, and also useful as a place to put your glasses on your bedside table instead of just throwing them somewhere random.

This project stewed in my brain for a little while and I decided I needed to make a knit version, but I didn’t want to make a bear. If you know anything about me you might know that I’m a cat person, so of course my version had to be a cat.

The base is just a basic little basic worked from the center out to the desired size, then up the sides as long as you want them. Knit some ears and add embellishments to make it whatever kind of animal you want.

The way I figured out to work the base from the center out was to use a crochet cast on, which gives you an easier way to pick up stitches from the back of the cast on than if you worked a more traditional cast on for a knitting project. It’s kind of fun to do things in a different way from time to time.

This little project is adorable if I do say so myself, and even as a plain little basket not made into an animal it’s a cute way to keep your glasses or other little things in one place. I’m tempted to make one for my desk to hold pens or even little little scissors and sewing needles that are always on my desk but somehow always seem to get lost on my desk.

If you need a little holder for your glasses on your table, check out the pattern at Our Daily Craft.

[Photo: Our Daily Craft]

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