Archive for the ‘Projects’ Category
A few months ago, some of my random craft brainstorming led me to think about knitting or crocheting accent pieces for jewelry. I think you could come up with an endless amount of original designs for anyone and everyone. This one I made with my Mother in mind, so these would make fun custom gifts for friends and family.
All you need are beads, nylon line for beading (fishing line), 2 metal rings, feathers, yarn, and whatever else you want to add for accents. Thread your beads using the nylon line and connect to a metal ring on both ends. Tie ribbon to metal rings to tie the necklace in back, then begin to add your accents. I added a bleached peac0ck feather, a knitted circle, and a vintage poodle pin I purchased at a local antique shop.
You could make any knitted shape from a square to a circle or even a small piece of intricate lace. If you like my knitted circle you can find the pattern under my “Poppies” post in the free pattern section of our blog. I used Rowan Yarn’s Kidsilk Haze because of it’s delicacy and the halo effect it gives to your projects. -B
The cool thing about lace charts is you can use them in so many different ways. For example, for this scarf our friend Mikki took a lace chart she liked did a few repeats across and repeated the chart long ways until she was happy with the length and Voilà! you have a lovely lace scarf. You can do this with any lace chart you like. If you have a short chart just do a few repeats to make it wider or maybe you have found a wide lace chart that will make the perfect lace scarf. We have another L & B customer that will exchange one lace chart in a pattern for another in a sweater to get the exact look she wants. Talk about customizing your knitting.
This customized project was knitted out of Noro Sekku beautifully crafted in Japan of 50% cotton, 17% wool, 17% nylon, & 16% silk. Every project I have seen knitted out of this this yarn has turned out magnificent. The vivid colors are very eye catching and when you wear your newly knitted project you are sure to turn some heads. This is one of the most interesting new lace yarns of the season, you can see different colorways at our online shop just click here! -B
For those cool summer evenings when you’re feeling a little girly, a little dressy, a little 19th-century, comes Amelia! This feminine cardigan features deep garter stitch cuffs and edging, along with pintuck-inspired twisted rib panels.
The scoop neck and slightly cropped length with partial buttons down the front lets you show off a fun top underneath. Gotta love that layered look. A bit of twisted rib at the waist accents your curves or gives you the look of them. This pretty little cardigan is a quick knit and is worked seamlessly (the best part) from the bottom up.
This one was knitted up in one of L & B’s favorite yarns Mission Falls 1824 Wool a 100% merino with good body and stretch.
You are sure to find your favorite shade with over 30 colors to choose from you can’t go wrong with this fiber beauty.
I like that this is a timeless knit that will never go out of style, you can keep it in your wardrobe for years and it will be as cute as it was the day you started knitting. You can find the free pattern here at knitty published in 2008. -B
You can’t beat the idea of two projects in one, and that is what you get with Duet. Wrapped around the neck once and fastened at the front, it’s a fun little scarf, and with a narrow ribbon threaded through the top edge and drawn tight, it’s a pretty lace hat. Absolutely genius!
Knit out of Manos del Uruguay Silk Blend, a brand with a well-deserved reputation for excellence. Combining luxurious silk with their world-renowned Uruguayan wool gives you a blend that will drape elegantly & keep you warm, all with a subtle sheen.
The scarf into a hat and back again idea makes a perfect gift and the leafy lace pattern keeps the pattern interesting for any knitter.
I even think you could make two for a matching set you could wear together or you could use a combination of a solid yarn for one and a complimenting variegated for the other. You can find the free Duet pattern by just clicking here. There are so many options for this quick little project the possibilities are endless. -B
When we first opened the shop we were asked to design a pattern for a baby cocoon. Originally it was thought this would make adorable newborn photo’s which it does, but I like it for swaddling little ones. The pattern is quick, simple, fun, and we have even shown beginners how to make this as a 2nd project. All you need to know is how to work on double pointed needles, increase, bind off and then complete it with a kitchener stitch. We knitted the first cocoons out of two hanks of Farmhouse Yarns Lumpy Bumpy, which makes a whimsical project, but after Tahki came out with Maya a textured cotton I think it is hard to make a decision between the two yarns.
I guess you can look at it this way, if you want a super warm cocoon use Lumpy Bumpy, if you want a summer cocoon use Maya. Whichever you choose it is adorable, you only need two hanks, and your baby will love feeling snuggled up and secure. We just recently posted the pattern up on Ravelry YEA! I was so excited to finally figure out how to do that, so click here for the link. -B
Knitted by our very sweet friend Rene, L & B is excited to show off these beautiful Jaywalker socks knitted out of one of our favorite sock yarns, Colinette Jitterbug. The author was inspired to create this pattern with Jaywalking in Boston in mind-right, left, right again and I think the pattern looks really cool with all the zig zags. If you are a beginner sock knitter this is a good second pattern because it is easy to memorize and Rene says it is a good traveling by plane pattern or knitting by T.V. light.
You will work the pattern top down and she says when she knits another pair she will use a larger size needle on the calf section than what she normally does because it knits up a little tighter than the foot. If you like snug fit socks you may like to knit them all on the same size needle. Jitterbug is the perfect sock yarn giving awesome stitch definition and it always feels good on your hands. When I decide to venture away from my plain toe up pattern I think I am going to give this one a go! -B
The Wavey Eyelet Scarf from Scarlet Fleece is an elegant beauty that only takes one hank of the luscious Silk & Ivory. The yarn is a blend of 50% silk and 50% merino wool and is very special to knit with. It is soft and gives wonderful stitch definition like you would expect from a merino wool.
The silk adds texture and shine to the final product. This original pattern is a quick lace knit and is free with the purchase of the yarn. If you purchase a hank of Silk & Ivory from the L & B Yarn Co. Online Shop we will include the pattern with your shipment.
All Scarlet Fleece is hand-dyed and the colorways are awesome. My favorite is the Mexican Sunflower that Ms. Mary used on the scarf, it is bright and cheery, great for a lightweight summer accent.
We are pleased to announce this line as a new addition to our online shop we hope you all love it as much as we do. You can check out the “I See Red” and “Patriot” colorways here. -B
I like the idea of a different kind of scarf to throw into a summer wardrobe. I can see making this for me or my husband or dad and it being fun thing to wear for either gender. In the spirit of fathers day I think it would be an awesome gift for any daddy. The good thing about making this for that special man in your life is that we have all made scarves for them, but the tie is something a little different.
You could either have fun with the colors and make a striped version or the solid version would be nice to wear for a more formal occasion. And how many people can say they have a hand knitted scarf after all.
Knitted out of Mission Falls 1824 Cotton, the project knits up quickly using a worsted weight yarn and knitting in garter stitch. I like the idea of having an interesting tie made out of yarn instead of the normal tie you buy at the store.
You can check out the pattern we based our tie on here. The only change we made was we made ours using garter stitch. I guarantee it will be a great conversation piece wherever you decide to wear it. Have fun with it! -B
If you like to knit and also like to cook this might be a good project for you to think about starting. I am not really a cook other than grilled cheese, macaroni and cheese, and spaghetti but, I think the apron is cute enough to make just to wear around the house.
I love how it flairs out at the bottom and has pleats where it meets the tie at the top. The pattern was created by Mom and I love the series of knits and purls that she used, it really gives the flat part of the apron a lot of texture.
This size apron only took 5 balls of Mission Falls Cotton and we used the variegated colorway. It would be just as cute in a solid color, the pattern, design, and texture of the yarn are really what make it so adorable.
If you are messy in the kitchen don’t worry because the yarn is machine washable and dryable so it can be used over and over again. The pattern is pretty much a one size fits all because of the tie you can adjust it easily. If you are interested in the pattern check out the free pattern section of the blog. -B
I feel like we talk about headbands a lot or at least more than probably most normal people but, at least they are a popular hair accessory for this summer season. We love them so much because we have short hair and Leslie seems to be wearing them more and more lately since she has started growing out her hair (for the hubby). You really don’t need short hair to wear this cute little hair accessory. In fact if you look at Noro’s model in the Noro the World of Nature Volume 27, you can see how good it looks on a long haired beauty. It can also be worn around your neck as a short scarf, showing off all of the bright vivid colors we have all come to love from Noro.
The light lace weight Sekku, a blend of 50% cotton, 17% wool, 17% nylon, and 16% silk is the perfect yarn for summer projects. If you are interested in this project you can find it in Noro Volume 27 along with some other cute summer time projects. We have the book and yarn in stock at L & B Yarn. -B
