I finally settled on the Maine Morning Mitts (my ravelry project page) pattern in Clara Parkes’  The Knitter’s Book of Wool. The pattern is actually available as a freebie right here and there are almost 2000 mitts (well, 4000 if you count 2 mitts per project) made with it on Ravelry as it’s an excellent way to show off one skein of pretty yarn. Side note: I don’t (yet) own the book, but I’ve been flipping through it a lot at work, and not only is it full of wonderful tidbits on wool (useful to knitters and crocheters alike), but there are so many classic, wearable patterns inside. It’s definitely work checking out.

Anyway, I decided to use this pattern to show off some of the Mountain Colors‘  Twizzle mill ends I collected when I was working at the Bozeman Yarn Shop. [Note: the pattern calls for a worsted yarn and this one is a DK, but hey, it worked for me and I love the snug fit!]. If you haven’t seen Mountain Colors yarn….well. Their hand-dyed colorways are simply gorgeous. And since we lived only a couple of hours from their headquarters in Montana, Barb (the LYS owner) stopped by occasionally and picked up mill ends for the store. I was there when she had a fresh batch –I’m talking bags full of mill ends–and so I had fun combing through all of the baskets trying to buy enough yardage for an undetermined project. Mill ends are perfect for me, since I often find it way too hard to decide on one color, and also, have a hard time justifying yarn purchases when I don’t know what they are for. Essentially, mill ends are to yarn as fat quarters are to sewing (only it’s harder to find mill ends! Especially ones you can dig through shamelessly).  To make these mitts,  I think I used 4 mini-skeins of Twizzle, max. The mitts are “fraternal twins” because I used two different–but very similar–colorways in one of the mitts.

I took this picture of Mitt 1 on Wednesday. They’re both done now, save for a few scraggly ends to weave in. I love these quick little knit projects, they take just the right amount of time, I learn a little something with each one, and they’re small enough that I can actually complete them between other projects (and big enough that I can use them as an excuse to avoid all of the housework that needs to be done…). And just in case you think I have forgotten about crochet– I’m working on a cardigan made from motifs right now (from this Portugese pattern). Hopefully I’ll share some progress pics with you next week!

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And a  little reminder in case any San Antonians are reading… My Intermediate Crochet: Creating Texture class begins this Sunday, and there are still spaces available. I have lots of fun swatches and examples from my book to show you along with the techniques. Call Yarnivore to sign up.

If you ever read Adorn (RIP),  you probably know the work of Kayte Terry (or, perhaps you know her blog, This is Love Forever). I’d known Kayte for a long time via my crafty internet circle, and then had the chance to work with her as the stylist for many a photo shoot. Kayte has a great eye for color, display, and, well, just putting things together. Which is why it makes perfect sense that she would write a book all about embellishing: Appliqué Your Way

applique (noun) ornamentation, as a cutout design, that is sewn on to or otherwise applied to a piece of material

In this book, Kayte explores the myriad ways to accent your home and wardrobe, using all sorts of techniques including sewing, gluing, and even pasting things to your wall. The book contains several contributions by crafty ladies, and with a quick flip of the pages you can probably tell which project was mine…

This crocheted applique tee came out of my idea to do a crocheted mesh piece covering a deep V neckline and add floral elements to that mesh. Of course, it can be difficult to find a deep V-neck t-shirt when you need one, so the result was slightly less dramatic (but more wearable, which is a good thing). I love to apply crochet to garments, and this design definitely lets you decide where you want to put all of the piecces.

There are lots of cute and clever projects in this book– I wish I had taken more photos to show you. (For more project peeks, head over to Craftypod or The Constant Gatherer.) Think of it as a guide to making your own clothes like those you’d find at Anthropologie, using your own stash of fabrics, bits and bobs. These projects are great because you can start with something that fits–whether you made it yourself or bought it– and go to town decorating it in your own style. Kayte also designed the most adorable home projects, including ornaments, hanger covers, trivets, coasters, cozies and more. It’s definitely worth checking out and there are a couple I have my eye on for when I get back into “crafting for me” time.

If you’d like to be entered to win a free copy of Appliqué Your Way (courtesy of Chronicle Books), leave a comment here by Sunday, December 20th at 12 midnight. In your comment, answer this question: “What’s your favorite way to use applique designs?” Your answer can be a certain thing that you like to decorate, or a certain technique you use, but you must answer the question in order to be entered to win. Good Luck!

(Almost) All of the wraps in the books are secured with knots, and she guides you through each step with helpful diagrams (think origami books). She covers everything from basic shapes to wrap, such as wine bottles, books, and boxes and gives tips on variations that can make your gift unique. As a bonus, fabric wrap is much easier to use on odd shaped items that are typically hard to cover with paper.

I think these ideas would work well for gifts to your sewing and quilting friends, who might have more fun with the wrap than the gift itself. My favorite project has to be the Repurposed Wrap, where she shows you how to use an old long-sleeved dress shirt for the wrap.

I have one copy of this book to give away, so please leave a comment here if you’d like to win a copy! Comments will close next Monday, September 14th at 12 pm Mountain Time.

To begin, Diane shares some history and interesting facts about Kanzashi, the way they were traditionally used to communicate status among geishas, and where the art is at today (only 15 acknowledged masters of the art remain, wow!). She also showcases some of the lovely kanzashi flowers being made today.

Next, Diane walks you through the process of making kanzashi with beautiful step by step photos that are clear and easy to understand. Personally, I love a good step by step photo, especially when it comes to this intricate craft. And Diane leaves no step unmentioned- you’ll get to see everything from the folding and trimming to the hot glue gun, plus suggestions on how to fix any mistakes you might make along the way. It’s as close as you can get to having someone sitting there showing you how to make these lovely flowers.

I like how she shows you how mixing and matching sizes, shapes and fabrics on petals can create different flowers. For each project, she suggests what size and shape petals work best, but I love the open-ended nature of the projects. Each person’s rendition has the capacity to be totally unique!

And then, of course, Diane explores the ways you can use these flowers as adornments in all sorts of projects! Not only does she show you how to make the flowers with everything from quilting cotton to recycled neck ties and vinyl, she has created a wealth of ways to showcase them, so you get some patterns and tips on everything from jewelry making to creating a custom cozy for your teapot. There are a lot of great gift ideas in here, and I think I finally found a new craft that (a) doesn’t require me to purchase anything I don’t already have and (b) will give my scrap bucket a new lease on life!

I have one copy of Diane’s book to giveaway to a reader of my blog. Leave a comment telling me why you’d like to learn to make kanzashi (or how you would apply them) by next Wednesday at Midnight mountain time, and I’ll draw a winner shortly thereafter. And be sure to check out the book website and Diane’s blog, too!

I finished the dress- and I love it. It is simple and cute, not a lot of fuss, and perfect, I think, because the amount of time to make the pattern is feasible and simple enough that I’d make a few of these if I had a toddler running around. At this point I do not have said toddler, so this will go into my “crazy old lady gift stash” or to a friend. My one beef with the book is that it doesn’t really tell you what age the baby or toddler who would fit into this dress might be (although it does give finished measurements. So I could surmise. But I do appreciate books that include it).

Other than that I think the book is marvelous. I really love the styling– cute babies in cute sewn projects, styled in real life situations: on the bus, at the convenience store, digging into the refrigerator (I know Tegue loves to get in the fridge!). The instructions are clear and the book comes with those special Chronicle touches that I love so much: a spiral binding and an envelope full of full size templates for each pattern in the book. I also love the variety of projects in this book–everything is very functional, useable, and modern. Some of my faves include the bloomers, play quilt, nursing pillow, and printed tees. Now to wait for the next round of babies– my friends all seemed to have had theirs last year.

One lucky reader of my blog will win a copy of Simple Sewing for Babies and Toddlers. To enter, just comment on this post by Friday at 12 midnight (mountain time). Hey, it coincides with the end of my July 4th etsy sale/ chance to win my new book. Yay for free stuff.

He *loved* it!! Kids are so much fun– I love to see Tegue’s brain working while he figures things out. Of course, he was also totally exhausting, but it was worth it.

Here’s a sneak peek at a baby dress I’m working on from Lotta Jansdotter’s Simple Sewing for Baby. I’m hoping to finish the dress and put together a little interview with Lotta for the blog in the next week or so- so if you have any questions for Lotta, let me know! On first glance, I love the book- it’s a great combination of practical and fun sewing projects for little ones. Now to wait for that second wave of births among my friends!

Now that I’m done writing this post, maybe I’ll work on some crochet jewelry for my neglected etsy shop. Or eat licorice and read magazines….sigh.

200 Crochet Blocks for Blankets, Throws, and Afghans: Crochet Squares to Mix and Match

I really like the book and the way that it’s set up; underneath the instructions for each square, it shows you three corresponding color-coordinated square patterns that you could mix to form a whole blanket, which is especially fun if you’re nervous about ‘designing’ your own blanket. I also love that each square works out to be the same size (assuming you use the same size hook and yarn for each). That saves me from having to do the calculations on my own, especially if I’m doing a stripey or stitch patterned square.

My only (small) beef is that there are no diagrams in this book. Diagrams are by no means standard, but I really love them. After going through the process of including them in my own book, I can understand leaving them out (cost, extra editing, space considerations, etc)– but I really do think they make it easier and faster for me to crochet so I appreciate books that include them.  That aside- I totally recommend this book if you like making blankets, or bags, or pillows, or anything else out of squares!

This issue also happens to contain the first bit of press for  my new book, Crochet Adorned, yeah! You can see the clip here (in my flickr stream)– I think it’s too wide to post, so I’ll just type it for you:

From your closet to your jewelry box, Linda Permann shows you how to explore the crafty potential of every area of your life. Classic crochet trims transform same-old shoes and tired tanks. Motifs make aprons and totes new again. Simple stitches create one-of-a-kind earrings and brooches. With Crochet Adorned in one hand and a hook in the other, the possibilities are endless.

I also have a crochet scarf pattern in this issue which I’m particularly excited about. I really loved the finished result and the brain-stretching I had to do to figure out a way to connect all 50+ motifs without creating 50+ more ends to weave in. I now  present the Floral Trellis Scarf (ravelry link):

The sample was made from some lovely hand dyed yarns from Schaefer, and I liked it so  much upon seeing it again that I promptly ripped out the mohair scarf I was working on and started on this one. (I’m using my “use some from the stash, buy some to make it fun”  mentality– I had 2 partial skeins of GGH Kid Mohair, and will buy some mercerized cotton for the connecting. Color suggestions welcome!)

I think mine will turn out a little smaller due to my yarn/hook substitution, but I don’t mind. It’s actually a gift, but it won’t be given for quite a while (summer is coming, or so they say). Oh, and just so you know, blocking is a must for this project!

If you end up making this scarf, I’d love to see it, here or on Ravelry!

What I love the most about the projects in this book is that they are totally doable. Each is simple and adorable, and won’t break the bank. Plus, you can try out lots of different crafts all under one cover–Kayte has how to photographs and illustrations for every technique, from crochet and ribbon embroidery to potato stamping and ruffle-making, so there’s no reason not to jump right in and learn something new. The book is spiral bound, which makes it easy to lay open next to your project–score!  Here are two of my favorite projects:

The Deco Sweater–who knew bias tape could be so fun?

Bits and Pieces Scarf–I definitely have some doilies that need to be refashioned into this!

Check out more pictures of the projects via Diane over at Craftypod or use the search inside feature at Amazon. This book is chock full of projects inside that are certain to inspire you. There are even a bunch of fun home ideas that would also make perfect gifts, like tea towels, embroidered napkins, lampshades and more.  This book is definitely a worthy addition to your craft library for both the visual inspiration and the clear how tos.

Here’s the best part: Kayte is giving away one copy of the book to a lucky Lindamade reader! Just leave a comment on this post by next Monday at 12 midnight mountain time (that’s 2 am EST or 11 pm PST) and I’ll randomly pick the winner. Good luck!