Tag Archives: knitting

Easy Ribbed Wrist Warmers

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These wrist warmers are super easy and knit up quickly – perfect for making for yourself of gifting to others!

Easy Ribbed Wrist Warmers
Supplies:

  • 4.5 mm circular needles (US size 7)
  • worsted weight yarn
  • stitch markers
  • stitch holders or scrap of yarn
  • darning needle for weaving in ends

Make 2 (I highly recommend knitting two at a time)

Cast on 40 stitches

Join in round, marking the beginning of your round and making certain not to twist stitches.

Rows 1-42 *K2P2* 10 times
Row 43           *K2P2* 3 times, *KFB* 2 times P2, *K2P2* 6 times (42 stitches)
Row 44          *K2P2* 3 times, K4P2, *K2P2* 6 times
Row 45           *K2P2* 3 times, KFB K2 KFB P2, *K2P2* 6 times (44 stitches)
Row 46           *K2P2* 3 times, K6P2, *K2P2* 6 times
Row 47           *K2P2* 3 times, KFB K4 KFB P2, *K2P2* 6 times (46 stitches)
Row 48           *K2P2* 3 times, K8P2, *K2P2* 6 times
Row 49           *K2P2* 3 times, KFB K6 KFB P2, *K2P2* 6 times (48 stitches)
Row 50           *K2P2* 3 times, K10P2, *K2P2* 6 times
Row 51           *K2P2* 3 times, KFB K8 KFB P2, *K2P2* 6 times (50 stitches)
Row 52           *K2P2* 3 times, K12P2, *K2P2* 6 times
Row 53           *K2P2* 3 times, K1, place 11 stitches on stitch holder or scrap yarn, cast on 1 stitch via backwards loop, P2,  *K2P2* 6 times (40 stitches)

Row 54-75    *K2P2* 10 times

Bind off in pattern.

Slide 11 stitches from stitch holder or scrap yarn onto needles.
Pick up an additional 3 stitches from around the top of the thumb opening.

Knit 8 stockinette rows in the round and bind off.

Weave all ends in.

 

Click here for a printable version.

A Manly Hat

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After my previous attempt to knit a hat for my husband, I wanted to do something different for his manly hat. His coat is grey and orange, and I happened to have both colors left in my yarn stash. I don’t like knitting two of the same item. It becomes monotonous for me. I wanted something a little different, so I modified the pattern I had previously used to make this that. I’m happy to say it fits him much better.

Berry Hat

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I’ve always loved the cute little berry hats for babies and toddlers, but not having any mad knitting skills, they were beyond my grasp. Now that I knit, I could finally make one while knitting hats for the holidays. My toddler loves her hat and matching mittens. When she outgrows it, I may make a strawberry hat for my strawberry loving girl.

Knitted Gecko

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I knitted this little gecko, thinking I would put it away as a stocking stuffer for my four year old. Instead, my one year old fell in love with it. She keeps asking for it, as she loves to kiss it. It’s currently in the bag of things I’ve been kitting, and she knows exactly where it is, so that she can ask to give it kisses. It has prompted me to knit her own little menagerie for her stocking.

A Blessingway

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I recently hosted a blessingway for a friend. I firmly believe that every baby should be celebrated. I’m not really into a lot of ritual, and thankfully, neither is my friend. It took a lot of the pressure off of hosting and I was able to adapt a couple of typical blessingway activities.

While many people send candles home with guests to light when the mother goes into labor, I just couldn’t bring myself to do that. Labor is a private event for me. I know I personally would never want people watching the clock when I was in labor or to feel like I was performing in any way, shape, or form. I also balked a bit at the idea of having the mother tie cords around guests’s wrists, to be taken off when they showed up to help the mother out in some way after the birth. I want to help others out of generosity and kindness rather than some feeling of indentured servitude or expectation.

Instead, I decided to combine these two rituals with a twist. Everyone at the blessingway was a friend of the mother. We each chose a color of emroidery floss that we felt either represented us or represented something we wished for the mother of honor. Each strand was tied onto a candle for the mother to take home and use as she felt fit – either as a reminder of friendship or as a calming presence during labor.

I will also admit to never really understanding a birthing necklace. I can’t quite wrap my brain around what one would actually do with a birthing necklace. Perhaps it comes from my inclination to walk around the house stark naked while in labor. My friend is an avid knitter, so I thought it would be cool to make stitch markers out of beads. Each guest brought a bead for the mother. While I put all of the stitch markers on a cord to take them home, in case she did actually want to use it for some birthing purpose, they will long be used as a reminder of the love and support of friends.

Nugget Bunnies

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Earlier this year, when I was reaquainting myself with my knitting needles, I came across the Nugget Bunny pattern from Danger Crafts. It’s free and adorably snuggly. I thought these would make perfect Ostara gifts for my children while being a nice introduction to cable knitting and magic loop for myself.

Originally I had planned to make them out of different yarns, but sticker shock at JoAnn’s made me rethink that plan. I made all four (which are actually all aboutthe same size, as opposed to how they look in this picture) from one skein of some thick chunky type of cream yarn. However, as I made them, I still had the desire to differentiate them somehow. I began making little items from my stash of yarn.

I ended up with a wizard, a fairie, a king, and a cape. I think they turned out well and I wait to see the expressions on my children’s faces. I knitted them in plain sight, but I would only work on individual components at a time. My children tried guessing what they might be, but the closest guess was mittens.

I did alter the directions for the tail, as the pattern calls to make a pom-pom. I was concerned that the short yarn pieces might get pulled out, so I opted to make the tail by holding loops into one place where it attaches to the bunny. I rather like the alternate tails.

March’s Families, Create! challenge was filled with awesome animal-themed posts. From Mo Willems to monkey finger puppets, our writers and crafters kept busy getting creative with the little animals in their lives.

Visit Code Name: Mama and Living Peacefully with Children to find out how you can participate in the next Families, Create! Carnival. Our April theme is “Fantasy” – childhood is a fascinating time, filled with magic around every corner. What can your family imagine and create?

Please take time to read the March submissions by the other carnival participants:

  • Lizz at Am I a Funny Girl turns a family outing at the zoo into a picture book to keep.
  • Maman A Droit shares her easy pattern for a felt monkey finger puppet with you!
  • Aunalise at My Sweet Potatoes offers helpful ways for a child to remember calming techniques with a “Calming your Beast” basket.
  • Most of us have monkeys running around our house at times. Or lions. Or elephants. Make your child’s creative animal play even better with stuffed animal tails! Dionna at Code Name: Mama shares an easy tutorial.
  • Galit Breen at These Little Waves shares an easy way to get creative with Mo Willems’ “We Are In A Book.”
  • Maman A Droit shares her pattern for a felt bunny finger puppet-a perfect Easter basket filler!
  • Brenna at Almost All The Truth shares a look at butterflies through metaphor, books and a coffee filter craft.
  • Amy at Anktangle shares photographs of crocheting a lovable stuffed turtle for her son to play with.
  • Aunalise at My Sweet Potatoes knows a few ways to bring beneficial birds to the garden.
  • Lauren at Hobo Mama has a fun and easy game to make to stimulate your preschooler’s memory.
  • Aunalise at My Sweet Potatoes is making nature bags or field bags for nature journals and the other things we may need as we explore our planet.

Process Knitting

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The idea of knitting has been a romantic one for me. I so often see others knitting, relaxed and calm in their craft. The reality for me, however, was nothing of the sort. I first tried knitting when my oldest was three years old. I wanted to learn how to knit in case he wanted to try in a a few years. I did knit, but I didn’t enjoy it.

I tried again last year when my then five year old daughter wanted to try her hand at knitting. Her interest was short-lived, and as I still didn’t enjoy it, I put down my knitting needles after churning out a few hats and scarves for my family. Last month, in a conversation about knitting, I shared my romantic ideas and teh fact that I was very much a product knitter. As I sat there knitting, I would imagine how I could easily have drafted a pattern, cut out the pieces, and sewn the completed project. Knitting wasn’t for me.

As the end of 2010 came closer, I decided to give knitting another chance in an attempt to slow down and relax. After all, the third time holds the charm. Amazingly enough, that held true. I began to enjoy knitting. I sat down with yarn and knitting needles with no project in mind.

After that, I sought to knit cozies for our cell phones and Garmins. I half-jokingly asked my husband if anything else around the house needed cozies.

Since then I’ve completed quite a few small projects. It is relaxing, to an extent. I like that I can take my knitting to wherever the kids are playing or working on projects. When we go somewhere as a family, I can knit in the front seat. I do wonder if I am merely finding more ways of multi-tasking, though.

Visit Code Name: Mama and Living Peacefully with Children to find out how you can participate in the next Families, Create! Carnival.

Our February theme is “Heroes and Heroines” – what can your family create this month to celebrate the heroes and heroines in your lives?

Please take time to read the submissions by the other carnival participants:

  • What’s the perfect way to snuggle up on a cold winter night? Acacia at Fingerpaint & Superheroes knows the answer: make the perfect soup!
  • The ArtsyMama teaches us how to create a no sew fleece throw inspired by your favorite snuggle time book.
  • Movies made from books are often pretty poor representations, but this family-made movie from Dionna at Code Name: Mama is monster-ific!
  • Aunalise at My Sweet Potatoes created a cozy for her Kindle, to protect it from little hands that think they need to cuddle with it.
  • What better way to cuddle and get cozy than in new jammies made by Mama G @ Z everyday things?
  • Inspired by her family’s love of the Harry Potter series, Mandy at Living Peacefully with Children decided to make a series of ornaments based on the theme.
  • Laura at Nestled Under Rainbows shared a reflection on and a celebration of snuggies, lovies, cuddlies and specials.
  • Little Hedgehog got a wonderful idea when his red hat from Father Christmas didn’t fit, and Megan at Purple Dancing Dahlias got a wonderful idea to knit a sweet hedgehog!
  • Monster-inspired artwork by a monster-clad kid. Despite the growling, he really is cuddly! Monster love courtesy of Dionna at Code Name: Mama.
  • Arpita at Up, Down & Natural shares a quick tutorial on how to make your very own Pippalily inspire pouch sling, with zippered pocket & key ring, and a matching nursing cover to boot!
  • Amy at Anktangle finally completed something cuddly and warm for her son Daniel: his very own afghan, crocheted with love by Momma.
  • Who’d want to cuddle with a cuttlefish? Aunalise at My Sweet Potatoes thinks you might want to cuddle up with this sweet plush cuttlefish!

Join us in February to create something with (or for) your own family. Visit Code Name: Mama and Living Peacefully with Children to find out more about February’s “Heroes and Heroines” theme.