Knitting

Patterns, projects and techniques

Mother’s Day Gift Hints

by

Mother’s Day is this weekend! If your mother or grandmother or mother-in-law is like me, they would enjoy gifts related to their hobby.

I am always running out of room to store my projects and thought these items fromKnitting Warehouse are great! There are so many choices and are not overly expensive.

How about getting a good set of circular needles? She would then have most of the desirable sizes available at her fingertips. The Knit Picks et is a good choice.

A very good idea that keeps on giving is a magazine subscription to her favorite publication. There are many to choose from, but my favorites are Interweave Knits, Vogue Knitting and iNknitters

if none of these suggestions work for you, then you might consider a gift card at her favorite yarn store. Mom, or Grandma can use the card for a class or even to add to her yarn[/tag] stash!

Update 05/11/07 I just spoke with an individual at INknitters magazine.  It seems that due to hurricanes in Texas, where they are located, they will no longer publish the magazine.  However, back issues of the magazine will be available in approximately one month.  Check INknitters website for updates.  I am sad to see the magazine cease publication.

Next Pattern:

Have you read?

Summer T-Shirt Knitting Patterns

Knitters are always looking for ways to continue to knit and to wear their knits even when it’s hot outside, so there are tots of great T0shirt knitting patterns to choose from. I love knitting short-sleeved shirts because they feel so much faster than sweaters, and you can wear them on top of dresses or even longer-sleeved items when it gets cooler.

There are lots of different styles of knit tops, from the basic to the more detailed. On the more basic side are things like the Perfect T-Shirt from Originally Lovely, a basic raglan tee with nine sizes and worked in worsted weight yarn; Paper Bloom by Yvonne Hugo (free on Ravelry), available in six sizes and worked with cotton and silk yarn for extra coolness; or Iris H’s Amelia Top, also on Ravelry, a slim fit, DK weight top with nine size.

Jazz it up with a bit of lace like on the Athens Lace Hem top by Sarah Hatton (Ravelry). This otherwise simple project has a bit of lace at the bottom, which is an easy way to make a project more interesting without a ton of work. This one uses fingering weight yarn and comes in nine sizes.

Another simple embellishment is to emphasize the lines of your top with different stitches. The Spring Lines top uses twisted ribbing at the center front and V-neck and along the raglan lines to give it a slimmer fit and more interest. This design from Turquoise Toque Designs has 11 size options and is available on Ravelry.

Silfurberg by Joji Locatelli uses both of these elements, with lace panels at the center front and back and purl ridges throughout to make it a little more fun to knit and to wear. The pattern uses fingering weight yarn and comes in 10 sizes. Learn more on Ravelry.

Keep it simple or add puffed sleeves (and/or long sleeves) to the slim fit Knitty Committee top by Lily Kate France. This one has two length options, waist shaping and optional bust darts to fulfill all your curvy top dreams, and it comes in nine sizes. You’ll find it on Ravelry.

Take it even more romantic with the Daphne Top from Friday Knits, which has puffed sleeves and applied I-cord to emphasize the bust and sweetheart neckline. It comes in eight sizes and uses DK weight yarn.

Or add some sweet flowers with the Gigio pattern from Emilie Luis. This pretty pattern found on Ravelry has cable panels running up the front with the option for adding sweet embroidered flowers. You can also add decorative buttons if you like. It comes in 11 sizes and calls for sport weight yarn.