More Vintage Inspired Baby Knits

I am a sucker for baby knits right now. Ok, ok, baby anything, but what can I say, it's how I nest... Anyway I couldn't resist a couple more patterns out of what must be my favorite knitting pattern book right now:

Vintage Baby Knits

Stella Pixie Hat

Although mine looks nothing like this one, I did use the basic design to inform my version:

I used the left over yarn from this project and a bit of yarn from this project for the edging, and a spare button. Not bad for remnants!

And the other one:

Audrey Hoodie

I love the color of this one, but I happened to have the perfect amount of white, bamboo yarn, so here's how mine looks:

 

 

I know, it's crazy to knit anything for a baby in white, but still, it's cute right?

Happy knitting everyone!

New Designs from Phydeaux

Have I ever mentioned how much I love Phydeaux Design's patterns? (Hm. Perhaps once or twice...) I have to admit I hadn't knit a scarf or a cowl since my days as a beginning knitter (more than a decade ago) until I found these fabulous patterns. Could it be the lovely photography that inspires me to knit scarf after cowl? The luscious yarns? The stylish designs? All three?

Well, whatever it is, Phydeaux Designs is the reason all my relatives can expect scarves and cowls (once again—but this time with a tad more mastery) whenever they get gifts from me!

Check out these new lovelies and join me in knitting a cowl (or two, or three...).

Art Deco Neck Cuff

Asterique Cowl

Happy knitting all!

The Lovely School House Tunic

Look at this lovely version of the School House Tunic, posted by Allison on her equally lovely blog. I love the fabric — and that necklace is really gorgeous, don't you think? (Check her blog, Lindsay Road, or her Etsy store, for more lovely handmade jewelry...)

Schoolhouse Tunic

Happy sewing everyone!

Found and Finished 2: The Series

Another sweater for the second installment of Found and Finished. Apparently I have a bad habit of starting them but, um, not finishing them.

This one was finished in the nick of time. Another month or so and I would have missed this winter entirely, and then this sweater wouldn't fit it's intended recipient any more (my five-soon-to-be-six-year-old).

In any case, I found it like this:

And as soon as I pulled it out of the bag, I remembered why I had stopped working on it. I had started with the back and followed the instructions for the ruffle/color change.

I didn't like the fact that you could see the color change in the ruffle, but I knit on anyway.

Well, by the time I had moved on to the sleeves (I think I was anxious to see how the stripes would look since normally I would have done the front panels next), it bothered me enough that I decided to fix the ruffle/color change by changing the color after a few more rows. Then it was perfect.

 

Still, I knew I'd either have to rip out the entire back panel (yikes) or figure out how to fix just the ruffle from the bottom up in order to match the sleeves and the front panels. I had read, once upon a time, that it was possible to take stitches out from the cast-on edge, so when I pulled the project out again, I decided to give it a shot. Worst-case scenario I'd have to rip out the whole panel and start over. Best-case scenario I'd save myself some time.

Well, you can do it that way and I suppose I must have saved myself a little bit of time, but pulling stitches out from the cast-on edge (rather than the cast-off edge) is a pain. So, I can't say I recommend it unless there's no other way or you just want to pick one stitch out a time for some reason or other.

But happily the finished product fits perfectly and is now (miraculously, since it's neither pink nor purple) my daughter's favorite sweater.

Unfortunately I couldn't get her to stand still long enough to button the sweater up, but I did manage a picture of the fixed ruffle, which despite the finicky nature of its repair, turned out fine. Phew.

Happy knitting everyone!

Choosing the Right Fabric for Your Project

I first discovered Colette Patterns through Amy Karol of Angry Chicken, a fellow Portlander and incredibly inspirational crafty artist, when she posted this glowing review of Sarai’s gorgeous patterns. Not long after, I sent in my order—one of the first for the shop.


Sarai Mitnick, founder and creative designer of Colette Patterns, is a self-proclaimed lover of vintage styles and beautiful details, which is evident in her lovely designs. She started designing patterns when she got frustrated enough with the lack of patterns for design-oriented sewers. The result is a line of lovely, original, and extremely wearable fashions reminiscent of earlier decades.


So, no question, she is a woman who knows fabric. And lucky for us, she has offered this tutorial on choosing the right fabric for your project—something I’m notoriously awful at (I’m easy prey for rich colors, regardless of weight, drape or difficulty!). I’ve printed out her suggestions and plan to take them with me every single time I go to the fabric store or fire up the computer to buy fabric online!

Choosing the Right Fabric
One of the most important decisions you make when sewing is choosing the right fabric to go with your chosen pattern.  The wrong fabric choice can ruin even the prettiest design.  I think we've all had the experience of looking at a garment we've made and thinking it has a bit too much of that homemade look.  I'd say that 90% of the time the major culprit is simply the wrong fabric choice.

I've learned a few easy tips for better envisioning what your finished garment will look like with your chosen fabric, and hopefully it can save you some heartache.  Some of the factors you should look at are weight, drape, color, and how difficult it will be to sew.

{image credit: only alice on Flickr}

Fabric Weight
You probably have a pretty good idea what this is. In short, the weight of your fabric refers to its thickness. For example, silk georgette is a lightweight fabric while wool coating is heavyweight. A cotton poplin might be considered medium weight.

What to look for: Look at the weight carefully, and compare your fabric to what's recommended by your pattern.  Consider that heavy fabrics can add bulk, and decide whether the design of you pattern can support that.  I once made a fitted skirt in a gorgeous thick melton wool.  But the wool was so thick, it added inches to my waist, something I definitely did not need!

{image credit: Abraxas3d on Flickr}

Fabric Drape
So what is drape?  Fabric drape refers to the way a particular fabric falls from the body.  In other words, we're talking about the stiffness of the fabric.

Isn't that the same as weight?  After all, it seems a lightweight fabric would be more fluid and a heavy fabric would be stiff.  This is often the case, but not always!  Consider a piece of silk organza.  It is very light, so light that it's sheer.  But it is also quite stiff, and is even used as interfacing to add stiffness to other fabrics. Organza is lightweight, but not drapey.

What to look for:  I like to literally drape my fabric all around my dressform, hanging it from the shoulders.  This gives me a really good idea of how it will hang, and also helps me better envision it as a full garment.  If you don't have a dressform, you can easily drape it from something else, such as a piece of furniture, just to get an idea.  If you're in a store, most won't mind if you unfold a bit from the bolt and drape it if you're uncertain.

{image credit: kk+ on Flickr}

Color
We all know what color is, but this is a factor I'd like to encourage you to really think about before sewing.  It's a tough one for me, because I love wearing neutrals and soft muted colors, but once I get in a fabric store and see all those lovely, bright colors and prints, I find them hard to resist!

What to look for:  Make sure you look at your fabric in natural light to get an accurate sense of the color.  Try to envision your entire garment in this color.  Draping the whole length of fabric, as I described above, will really help with this.  You may find that your bright poppy orange silk looks lovely all folded up, but an entire dress of it reminds you more of a prison jumpsuit.

Try to be honest with yourself about your tastes, too.  I once made a lovely 1930s day dress in bright lagoon blue silk.  It was very pretty, but a year later I realized I never wore it.  I just felt too self-conscious in such a bright color.

{image credit: only alice on Flickr}

Difficulty
Some fabrics are notoriously difficult to sew.  Satin is one of them, especially charmeuse.  It is so slippery, it will often slip right off your table or out of your hands.  Some fabrics also tend to roll or fray, making accurate seams a bit of a challenge.

What to look for:  Check the cut ends of your fabric for rolling or fraying.  If your chosen fabric has a tendency to roll or fray, be aware of this when cutting and sewing.  If your fabric is slippery and seems difficult to cut, try a fabric stabilizer.  I swear by Sullivan's Spray Stabilizer.  You just spray it on your pre-washed fabric. It becomes stiff and easy to work with, but washes right out when you're done.

Pay attention to all of these factors, and you're much closer to getting that perfect dress you have in your head a reality!

Many thanks to Sarai and happy sewing everyone!

The Fabulous Jane Richmond

I feel so lucky today to be able to share an interview with the fabulous Jane Richmond, knitwear designer extraordinaire, certainly one of the most popular designers featured in the Magpie Patterns shop.

A few of her patterns that I have trouble keeping in stock (they seem to sell the very day they arrive) include:

Jane

Manda Ruth

Pasha

Cozy Bolero

And you really should stop by her lovely blog where she shares knitting tales, new designs, and her experience living on the amazingly beautiful Vancouver Island in British Columbia (one of my favorite places on Earth...).

Who taught you to knit? How long have you been knitting?

My mother taught me to knit when I was 5 years old on a pair of wooden chopsticks and some scrap yarn. She bought me my first set of needles and I would make these tight little swatches. I lost interest and eventually relearned as a teenager on a pair of metal grilling skewers. 

How did you get started designing patterns and how long have you been doing it? 

I have been designing as long as I’ve been knitting, I just didn’t know I was doing it. When I wasn’t following a pattern I used to knit garments using a gauge swatch, a few rough numbers, and very minimal notes. It never occurred to me that I was designing. Ravelry opened up the knitting world to me, being able to explore the work of talented independent designers inspired me to write and self publish my designs.

What’s the general process you go through when designing a new pattern? 
I have an enormous catalogue of sketches that I dream of knitting. When choosing a new design project I begin with one of these sketches or ideas, I then choose the yarn and begin swatching. The swatching normally leads me way off course because I tend to allow the yarn to tell me which direction to go. I am very picky about the tension of the knit fabric, I am also very particular when it comes to stitch patterns. Once I am happy with my swatches I spend endless amounts of time writing and rewriting the pattern. I am fanatical about fit and may end up knitting a garment 3 or 4 times over by the time all of the knitting and ripping is over and done with. One thing I always bear in mind is the simplicity of the written pattern, if something is more complicated than it’s worth I look for an alternative. It is important to me that my patterns are enjoyable to knit. 
 
Where do you find inspiration – for patterns, designs, life... 
I like to people watch. Fashion is so inspiring, when the weather gets cold I love to see what everyone is wearing... bundling up can be a very creative thing.  

Designing is a bit of an addiction, I find my mind always wandering off to knitwear ideas. I find it really helpful to keep a sketch book to jot down ideas and sketches that would otherwise get away. 

What is your favorite yarn to work with? 
I’ve spent most of my knitting years buying Red Heart and other cheap acrylic yarns just so that I could afford to keep knitting. Only in the last few years have I had the great luxury of using higher quality fibres so I feel very new in my exploration. Can I share a yarn I dream of working with?... I am head over heals for Blue Sky Alpacas. I frequent the Button and Needle Work Boutique in Victoria just so that I can fondle there huge selection of yarns by Blue Sky Alpacas. The fibre is so lovely and soft to the touch and their colour ways are so appealing to me. It’s to die for. 

Are you solely a knitter, or do you dabble in other crafts too? 
If I dabbled in other crafts there would be less time to knit. I’m kidding, well sort of. Occasionally I will dust off my sewing machine but normally it’s just to mend or hem something. There are so many things I would love to learn to do if there were more time in each day. 

What advice would you give a beginning knitter, or someone who wants to learn?
The very basics I learned from my Mother but the rest I learned from books. I would encourage anyone who would like to learn to pick up a simple How-to-Knit book and just give it a try. Once you have mastered a scarf or a dishcloth choose a pattern that is just a little out of your reach, a pattern that will teach you something new, if it’s too complicated you might end up feeling really lost and totally defeated. If you choose something that is just a little beyond your capabilities there is a wealth of information on knitting techniques on the internet, and don’t forget YouTube, video tutorials can be a life saver!

Happy knitting everyone!

Craft Hope for Haiti

No doubt by now everyone has heard about the earthquake and resulting destruction in Haiti. If you'd like to use your talents or fabulous shopping sense to help, visit the Craft Hope Etsy Shop.

You can list your items for sale there (as a donation, of course) or do a little shopping and know that 100% of the proceeds will go to Doctors without Borders for their work in Haiti.

Craft Hope for Haiti

You can also spread the word by adding the above button to your blog or web site.

In honor of Martin Luther King, Jr., here's hoping for a lot of love, generosity, and compassion to be sent to Haiti.

Happy crafting everyone.

Three Kitchen Fairies

We have new embroidery designs in the shop from Three Kitchen Fairies...

Joy

Swirly Cupcake

...which I think are just as cute as the name (Three Kitchen Fairies is for the designer's three daughters)! Doesn't it make you want to embroider something? Wouldn't "Joy" on a onesie make a sweet baby gift? (Am I fishing? No, no, of course not. But just in case, there'll be a new baby in our house by March...) ;)

Happy stitching everyone!

Ready for Spring!

A sweet new embroidery pattern from Nicole Vos van Avezathe hearlds the coming of spring...

Vogel

...even though many places are still buried in snow! Whether you're in balmy climes or snowy ones, it's certainly a good time to at least start dreaming of spring!

Happy stitching everyone!

New Knits! Lovelies from Cotton & Cloud

Kyoko from Cotton and Cloud designs these lovely patterns and now I'm lucky enough to have them in the shop!

Baby's Cabled Yoke Jacket

 

Shetland Winter Warmers

 

Fallen Leaf Shawl

 

Reversible Fingerless Gloves

Kyoko's goals go beyond designing beautiful knitting patterns. She also endeavors to change the world for the better, which is really so lovely. I hope for the same thing, as I'm sure many of you do, but I am inspired by Kyoko to make it a stated goal. No doubt there's endless altruism in every crafter's heart—what a wonderful way to start a new year!

Be sure to stop by her blog for lots of inspiration and free patterns!

Happy knitting everyone!

bieq: Vintage for the Little Ones

Recently I was contacted by the owner/designer-extraordinaire Angelique Roelofsen of bieq, a Dutch company that designs handknit baby hats, mittens, and clothing in vintage style and modern colors. Currently Angelique only sells finished items, but she was curious to find out if I would be interested in carrying her patterns if she wrote them out.

Well, take a look at these and tell me what you think:

Mia

Luut

Jet

Fien

No question, right? So! Something to look forward to in the coming months! I'll be sure to let you know when the patterns are ready and stocked. Until then, Angelique answered a few interview questions about her business and the inspiration for her designs.


Could you give me some background about your business?

Let me start with something about myself. I live with my boyfriend, Steven, and our two children, Seb 10, and Puck, 7. I work as an airline hostess part-time, but I really hope to make bieq my full-time job in the near future.


My grandmother, Riek, taught me how to knit when I was about 10 years old. I loved it from the first moment! About five years ago I was feeling really burned out at my job, and since I've always loved knitting, that’s what I turned to.

I liked to knit small items then so I made a baby hat, put it on a ball, and thought: Wow! How nice! I made some more and when a friend of mine had a baby I gave her one. She loved it and her baby girl wore it all the time. When she visited a children's clothing shop in town, the owner told her that she liked the hat and so my friend gave her my number. I brought some hats to the store, and she sold them! Then my boyfriend suggested I make a small collection to offer other shops. So I made about eight models and a colorcard, and nervously phoned the coolest babyshop in Amsterdam, Keet in Huis. They wanted me to come by! I thought if they like (and sell!) my items, I’m doing well. So I went by, they ordered about 30 hats—which sold out in about a month! That was the beginning! 


What inspires your designs?

Actually inspiration is everywhere: old knitting books, glamour magazines, interiors of houses, outside color combinations... I've learned to really notice what's around me because there's always so much inspiration!

Friends are also a great source of inspiration. Once when I was picking my kids up at school, another mother started talking to me. I had seen her before but we never spoke. Her name is Sacha Doetsch, and she liked my scarf so I told her I crocheted it myself and than we started talking. She also loves to knit and design. Now, few years later she is one of my closest friends and we knit and design together a lot. We even go for "design weekends" where we rent a house, pack the car full of food, knitting books, yarn, and paper and then design all weekend! We stay inside for three days and come out with so many ideas!


You mentioned that you are looking for a community of mothers to knit your garments, could you tell me more about that? 

My goal is to make bieq a brand with completely handknitted (and maybe crocheted) baby garments from luxury yarns. I would love to have all the items made in another country were I can help women create their own income while taking care of their babies or work in community while supporing themselves. I would plan to visit several times a year to show them how to make the new items and then provide the designs and yarn. But it's very difficult to find the right community, so I've been busy with this for quite some time now.

Someday, I would also want to publish a book of bieq knitting patterns, so there are lots of plans in the works!


Do you have any advice for novice knitters? Resources or patterns that would be good for someone still learning?

Just try new things all the time! Start with small projects so you can try something new. Ask around when you need help because knitters don't mind helping, and often even like to knit together!


Do you have any advice for knitters who would like to design their own garments?

I always thought it was too difficult to design myself but I tried and found that it works out better each time. Read knitting books and patterns a lot! I even like to read knitting books and pattern books for fun.


Is there anything else you could share about bieq?

Last year bieq was mentioned in the French magazine, Milk Magazine. Later I got a call from Stella McCartney's publicity assistant saying that she liked my work. She asked me to make some items for Stella's daughter, which I did, and then I received a handwritten thanks from Stella!

Already bieq has given me so many great moments. Things keep growing and growing, so I hope that one day it'll be my sole source of income!


You can find bieq's designs at the following US retailers:
Nonchalant Mom
Fawn and Forest
Ferrol Studio


...but you can also check here for a complete list of retailers, since bieq is sold in many, many countries around the world. And of course you can buy directly from the bieq web site.

Happy knitting, everyone!

Baking Day

I, for one, am grateful to be past the 'Season of Treats' as the winter holidays are fondly called around our house. At some point in the season (usually about now) I just feel like I've been dipped in sugar (and I don't have the willpower to have the treats around and not eat them).

But these sweet treats won't make anyone feel like a plump and sugared goodie!

Sweetie Pie Bakery's Baking Set

and

 

 

 Sweetie Pie Bakery's Birthday Cake Set

Both of these patterns include templates and instructions for making a whole host of baking tools and goodies. Either one (or both!) would set up any little baker for lots and lots of sweet-treat-fun.

Happy sewing!

The Wren Cowl

It's always a good day to offer a free pattern, don't you think?

Here's a lovely one from FlorrieMarie, a dynamic crafting duo in New York:

The Wren Cowl

...which you can download from the shop for free. So cute, and as the designers themselves point out, simple to knit too!

Be sure to check their blog for future crafty goodness and sign up for their monthly newsletter, Flo-Mail, beginning in mid-January.

Happy knitting everyone!

Found and Finished 1: A Series

I have so many unfinished projects lurking in my WIP (work-in-progress) bags, baskets, and bins—not to mention my attic—that I've decided to start the new year off by finishing at least some of them. A lot of them were started for one of my children, or friends' kids, who have now completely outgrown them—either in stature or concept.

But! I have a new baby coming in February, so there's reason to revisit many of these projects!

I started with an easy one—you know, to get the ball rolling—a sweater that I found like this:

Almost completely knit, just not sewn up (it also needed a button band and neckband, so there was a little bit of knitting left to do). It was intended for my oldest daughter to wear when she was about one (she's almost six now). Sigh.

I was particularly motivated to finish this sweater because I had used one my favorite yarns, Debbie Bliss Baby Cashmerino, a yarn that should never, ever be wasted. (Of course, isn't that true of all yarn?)

I remember that I had made the pattern up as I went along, so I'd have to make up the button and neck bands as well. I decided on a simple crocheted edge with only two buttons at the top. I might change that in the future and have buttons run all the way down the length, but we'll see.

In any case, here's how it looks finished:

 

 

Not bad! And you have to love a project that can be finished in less than an hour!

Happy New Year eveyone! And as always, happy knitting!

Poor Bunny — Hand-Stitched Felt Redux

Remember this post? The one in which Christmas was quickly approaching and bunny still needed to have her head attached to her body?

Well...only two days after Christmas found bunny with two separate appointments for reconstructive surgery.

Looking a bit like Franken-bunny, don't you think?

My five-year-old—the recipient of this doll—is a very gentle child, so I don't think that this little neck problem has anything to do with rough play. I suspect that the way these dolls are constructed isn't exactly hug-proof.

In fact, in retrospect I would have sewn her together differently.

Kata Golda's Hand-Stitched Felt

I got the pattern from this lovely, lovely book, and as mentioned in my original post, pretty much followed the instructions as written. Now I think rather than cutting four separate pieces for the body and head (two for each), as the pattern instructs, I would have cut two pieces: the front body/head and back body/head.

This would mean that I would have had to stuff the bunny from another place (rather than the neck), but it would have been just as easy to do from the top of the head — or even better, the side of the body, which gets covered by clothes (that can't be removed) anyway.

Hopefully I'll find a way to get bunny's head to stay put, but if not I'll probably give my new idea a try. If so, I'll let you know if it's a little more love-proof!

Happy sewing everyone!