Knitting

Free Patterns, Tutorials and Project Ideas

Northern Michigan Lamb and Wool Festival

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Alert! Alert! Mark your calendars, hitch up the horses, and head on out for the Northern Michigan Lamb and Wool Festival the 26th – 28th of September. Up here in beautiful Northern Michigan we are all joining again on the Ogemaw County fairgrounds.
The vendor booths are SOLD OUT so you know there will be new yarns and patterns, tools and toys jam packed into the buildings. Free parking and free admission, all you have to do is show up!
There will be spinning, knitting, felting, weaving, crochetting, dyeing classes (be sure to sign up for these early, they sell out quickly).
Do you want to learn to shear sheep? Come to the sheep shearing school and then join us for the sheep and pasture seminars and tours.

Here’s the informational brochure, see for yourself, you can’t miss this event!
http://www.lambandwoolfestival.com/brochurein.pdf
I have to tell you what happened to me last year. I was nonchalently wandering up and down isles, occasionally tripping over my jaw and slipping on my own drool when I came across a novelty yarn that “spoke” to me. (it said, “you must have me”, as it jumped into my arms. I don’t like novelty yarn, but still it persisted, almost attacking me viciously until I finally got out my charge card. I had no idea what to do with this stuff that already owned me. So, that night I fired up my trusty internet and searched for The Perfect Pattern! And this is what I came up with. From Jimmy Beans Wool, the Venus Openwork Diamond Cardigan. You have to pet, er I mean, see this yarn, it’s just awesome! And maybe I’ll have my sweater done and wearing it!

Have you read?

Pencil Knitting Patterns

Getting ready for back to school makes me think about pencil crafts, so let’s take a look at some pencil themed knitting patterns! 

I recently made a pencil on a circular knitting machine, and it was a fun, quick, easy project that uses little bits of leftover yarn (and if you don’t have yellow you can make it a colored pencil using whatever color’s your favorite). And if you want to make a bigger version check out this pattern from Orange Olive Road on Etsy.

If you want to knit a pencil pillow by hand, check out Sketchy, available on Ravelry from Shana S. Cohen. This one uses worsted weight yarn and has two size options and the choice to make a pencil with an eraser or a colored pencil. 

Pencil scarves seem to be the most popular kind of pencil knitting pattern, and there are lot of cute ones. This one from Cosy Craft UK mostly uses garter stitch, with some welts to add texture and what looks like an I-cord edging. It calls for DK weight yarn. 

If you want to go all garter stitch try this version from Emsley Co Creations, which uses five colors of DK weight yarn and just a little shaping to make the point of the pencil.

There’s also this fun, mostly stockinette so it looks like it curls a bit, pencil pattern that looks like it’s worked in chunky yarn from Little Knits Studio. This one uses just a little garter stitch and easy shaping for the point. 

If you don’t want a pencil scarf, how about some pencil socks? The No. 2 Pencil Socks from The Yarn Enabler are available from Ravelry and use five colors of sock yarn. They feature wide ribs to mimic the texture of a pencil and have options to be worked from the top down or the toe up. 

Needs Sharpening by Alexander Walker is a free pattern on Ravelry that uses five colors of sock yarn to make a sort of shortie sock. The little bit of black at the tips of the toes inspired the name. These, too, can be worked in either direction and are available in three sizes.