Hooray for the Internet!

We have been doing a lot of job applying and a bit of traveling which has left little time for blogging!  Hopefully, we'll get together our pictures soon and post them.  But for now, links!

-Colleen

An elephants and hot air balloons carousel!
via Lou et Tom

If you have not heard about the campaign for a Tesla Museum on Long Island, go read up on NPR!

Pickles has a new cardigan pattern.

And Knitpicks has a new bamboo/merino yarn that I can't wait to knit with!

Coffee Caviar without all the special equipment!
via Sprinkle Bakes

I want our next apartment to look like this kid's room!
via Vaiko

Hooray for the Internet!

Mid-spring and a lack of upcoming holidays means a significant slow-down in blogosphere but here are some of the things I came across this week.

Doily-Print Fabric  on How About Orange

This blogger, Jessica Jones, was a bit disappointed about how making doily prints on fabric with photo-sensitive dye turned out.  I love this faded result better than if it turned out to have perfect, crisp edges.  I want to do this myself!

Layered Skirt Tutorial on Dana Made It
Via Wee Wonderfuls

Obviously this is a tutorial for a kid's skirt.  Nevertheless, it could be converted to an adult and I am not ashamed to wear ruffles or seersucker.

Hazel the Humpback Whale Pattern by Bec Brittain

Who doesn't want to knit a humpback whale?

Maps of the USA by Relative Green-ness  on Upworthy

I like this one.  There's another one that's much less up-lifting. Follow the link at your own discretion. 

Vintage Kitchen on Heart Handmade
via Kireei

I could live here.

Stenciled Watercolors on Grow Creative

As a teacher, I am four square against using stencils with young children--limiting the creative potential and all that.  However, as an adult, I can use stencils all I want!  And I would do this for making stationary or something.  

Rainbow Connection on Handmade Charlotte

This image fills me with joy.  

Hair Bows, Two Ways

Knitting Patterns for Hair Bows

Two Ways to Knit Hair Accessories

After dyeing some yarn yellow with turmeric (see tutorial here) I had to come up with something to do with it.  I decided to knit some hair bows because I thought the yellow would go well with my dark hair.  I made up the patterns as I went along and here I am to share them with you!  I've never written a knitting pattern before, so feel free to make suggestions for changes.

Hair Bows, Two Ways

You will need for both patterns:

A small amount of light weight yarn (sock or sport works well)

Set of 4 DPNs of an appropriate size (this chart has great recommendations), I used 3mm

Yarn needle

Alligator clip or bobby pins

Both bows are knit in two pieces: a body and a center strap.  Finishing instructions differ for the two bows. Seed Stitch Bow is knit flat for both pieces while Stockinette Bow is knit in the round for the body and flat for the center strap.

Seed Stitch Bow

Make body of bow as follows:

Using two needles, cast on 7 stitches.

Row 1: k1, p1, k1, p1, k1, p1, k1

Repeat Row 1 until work is double the desired length of hair bow.  Mine was about 18 cm (7 in) long.  Bind off.

Make center strap as follows:

Using two needles, cast on 5 stitches.

Row 1: k1, p1, k1, p1, k1

Repeat row until strap is desired length.  To check, wrap around the middle of the body.  The strap should gather the bow so should be tight around it.  Mine was about 5.5 cm (2 in) long.  Bind off.

Finishing:

Seam together cast-on and bind-off rows of body.  Lay body flat so that the seam is in the middle of the back.  Wrap strap around the center of the body, over the seam, and seam together cast-on and bind-off rows.  Weave in ends.  If you have an alligator hair clip, you can sew or hot-glue it onto the back.  If not, use bobby pins to secure bow in hair.

Stockinette Bow

Make body of bow as follows:

Using two needles, cast on 14 stitches. Distribute stitches onto three needles and join to knit in the round.  Place marker to indicate end of round.

Round 1: knit to end of round

Repeat Round 1 until work is double the desired length of hair bow.  Mine was about 19 cm (7.5 in) long.  Bind off.

Make center strap as follows:

Using two needles, cast on 5 stitches.

Row 1 (RS): knit to end

Row 2 (WS): purl to end

Repeat rows 1 and 2 until strap is desired length.  The center strap will not be used to gather the bow very much so should be as long as double the width of the body.  My body was 3 cm (1 in) wide so my strap was 6 cm (2 in) long. Bind off.

Finishing:

Seam together cast-on and bind-off rounds of body.  Lay body flat so that the seam is in the middle of the back.  Using scrap yarn, gather body around the middle using running stitch (good tutorial here). Wrap strap around the center of the body with WS down, over the seam, and seam together cast-on and bind-off rows.  Weave in ends.  If you have an alligator hair clip, you can sew or hot-glue it onto the back.  If not, use bobby pins to secure bow in hair.

Hooray for the Internet!

Another week, another collection of delightful things I've found on blogs and Pinterest!

Knitting the World Together by Bonnie Kate Wolf
found via CRAFT

I have obviously chosen the Atlantic Ocean view of the world because of my love of New York and Europe. There are plenty of other views on the artist's website!

Plain Tunic by Pickles

I'm always excited to see a new pattern from Pickles, one of my favorite knitting sites!  Their designs tend to feature double-stranded patterns that knit up quickly with a minimalist aesthetic.  Best of all, they are often free (at least in one size).  

Wood-burned Caddy by Becca Thornton
on Natural Kids

As a nursery school teacher, the uses I have come up with for a wooden caddy are endless. A touch of Peter Rabbit could never hurt, either!

Rolling Stamp from a Potato on Kireei

Another idea for nursery school teachers.  All you need to make rolling stamps is a potato, a straw, and a knife.  My children can never get enough of rolling stamps and this would be great for making all sorts of designs. 

Play House on Kaunis Pieni Elämä 

Another thing I would love for my nursery school is this child's room.  The play house and laundry accessories are just what my classroom needs!  Young children should live in a world of beautiful and useful things.

Floating Teepee on Tiny House Blog

Sometimes, students get sick of dorm life and decide to live in teepees on rafts made using a fair number of beer kegs.  Or, at least, one of them did.

Tin Tile Dishwasher on Restyled Home

Appliances need not be given a faux-cabinet look in order to get a visual upgrade! 

Doilie-inspired Embroidery on Cafe Cartolina

I cannot tell if Cafe Cartolina is the original source of this but let's just say it is.  To not state otherwise would just be bad manners.

Hope you find these links inspiring or at least entertaining!

-Colleen

Baby Steps

Baby Socks:

A first attempt

Baby Socks in Progress

 This winter, I wrote about my scarf which I knit out of Jawoll Magic yarn.  When I was finished, I had quite a nice little ball of it left over that I decided I would use to start a new phase of my knitting education: socks.  My friend Nicole had given me a skein of sock yarn for Christmas that I wanted to make a cute pair of socks for myself out of.  I just did not have the confidence to begin.  I decided that the best solution was to start off simple... to take... baby steps, if you will.  Knitting baby socks would mean learning the necessary techniques but speeding up the process and not wasting a lot of yarn if the project failed.  

Baby Socks!

I picked a pattern called Hunca Munca because it was very popular on Ravelry.  I chose to knit the pattern with a technique similar to cabling because that is also something I am not well-versed in.  I've had trouble getting good photos of them but I am really pleased!  They turned out the same size.  They have no big holes or obvious mistakes.  The only thing is that the variegated  yarn transitions so slowly that they look like a strange ombre.  I did not have enough to make sure I started both on the same color patch but I think it's fine.  

All these socks are waiting for is a friend to have a new baby who might want some tiny purple socks.  Feel free to request them if you fit this description!

Groundhog Day Cowl

Groundhog Day Cowl

A Late-Winter Scarf Pattern

Newly Finished Scarf!

 Let this be the first of many posts about knitting!  Last summer, I got one skein of this amazing wool while I was in Vienna picking up a visa.  The yarn is Jawoll Magic from this lovely little shop.  One skein was more than enough for this scarf.  I have a large scrap ball left over that I am probably going to make into some baby socks for sock-making practice.  I've looked online at prices and found that it's much more expensive from any online shop (~15 Euros) than where I purchased it in Vienna (8 Euros).  So, if you ever find yourself in Vienna, definitely hit up A. Christian.  They may not speak any English but they are very helpful with their hand motions! 

Two Wraps

I had been saving this yarn for months, trying to find the perfect pattern for it.  I had pretty much given up on knitting anything with it before it got too warm for wool--and then winter hit for real.  When Punxsutawny Phil predicted 6 more weeks of winter, I cast on a modified Dayflower Cowl.

Three Wraps For Maximum Warmth!

Though the pattern makes it big enough for one wrap around your neck, I tripled it so that I could have a nice warm scarf.  My exact specs are on Ravelry.  (If you're not familiar with Ravelry and cannot see these links, go ahead and sign up!  It's an incredible resource for knitters.  I cannot advocate for it enough!)  

Pattern Close-Up

I'm not generally a fan of variegated yarn, especially with lacework--but the lines in this are so subtle that I don't mind.  I love the bluebell-esque flowers in this lace.  After spending the winter making two pairs of mittens that were heavy on the color work, this lace was a nice escape.  

And so, I've come to accept that lace is where my heart lies even if I'm always eyeing a fair isle pattern.