Craft in Style

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Craft in Style has moved to a new location with a new name. You can now find the new blog at Christine Kim Studio and also on YouTube.

Berets!

I've been on a mission to create a hat for myself to keep my head warm in the cold Chicago weather and opted for berets with the hope that they are loose enough that I don't get hat head after the morning commute. The first one I created was a Spring Beret. Here's the link to the pattern. It turned out nice and fits perfectly, but I realized because of the lace design, the wind gets through the beret, hence it's called the Spring Beret!

To create a warmer beret for the winter, I created the Star Crossed Slouchy Beret.

Baby Girl Booties

This was my first attempt at using buttons, button loops, and straps in a project. This baby bootie pattern was too cute to pass up. It's called Saartje's Bootees. It's a very cute bootie, but it requires weaving in lots and lots of ends! So, have patience if you plan on making these as a gift. The weaving in could take you longer than the actual knitting.

   

I really like the buttons. They are called Streamline K337, Light Pink.

Big Projects

I've been concentrating on finishing up a couple of projects that require 6-8 balls/skeins each. Boy, do these projects take a long time! After hours of knitting, I only see a couple of inches of progress. It makes me want to start some shorter projects so that I can have the satisfaction of having a FO (finished object). Hopefully these projects will turn out to be really good.

This is the cardigan I am knitting for my mom. It is the Minimalist cardigan.

I think it would look better in a fuzzier fabric, so I may try to make one for myself with a different yarn in the future. Unless you use the exact same yarn as the pattern, it's really hard hard to tell what size to make that will fit the person. I used a needle size that is one size smaller since the yarn is thinner than what is recommended, but to compensate for size, I am making a size larger than needed. Hope it works out! So far it looks much bigger than my mom, so I am hoping that washing it may help shrink it a bit after it's all done. She said she wanted something looser, so it may work. It would be so much work to start all over again. We'll see when it's all done!

As for my other project, I am still working on the Mac & Me baby blanket. This one is not urgent since I don't have a baby, but I want to use up the stash since I am running out of places to store yarn. I love the way the blanket is turning out.

Gifts Galore

I've been in a knitting for gift giving frenzy, which has left me little time to think about my posts, but I decided to show you what I've been making. I've been making an item for myself, and then duplicating it in different colors for gifts.

This is a long hand warmer I made for myself. The knitting pattern is called Dashing which can be found on Ravelry, or on knitty.

Then I created it in a creme superwash wool for my sister.

My other sister requested a short one in green. The pattern I used was Fetching (in Ravelry), also found on knitty. I made it in a extrafine merino.

I also made a short one for my friend for her birthday in yellow.

As if this wasn't keeping me busy enough, I've made a few chunky scarves to give out as gifts. They are much faster to make, probably only a few hours each. This is a men's ribbed scarf I made for my husband.

I made a scarf in a nice plum color in a moss stitch pattern for myself and for a friend of mine as her belated birthday present. These chunky scarves are great for keeping out the icy cold in the winter.

And last, but not least, I finally finished the charcoal grey ribbed scarf I made for my father-in-law. This one took quite a while because there are 50 stitches per row. The final product is very nice, so it was all worth it. It was made out of an eco alpaca, so it's nice and soft too.

Next on my list is to make something that is not a hand warmer or a scarf! I'm making my first hat. It should be done maybe today or tomorrow, so stay tuned!

2009 Craft Resolutions

Even though it feels like we are already well into the new year, I decided that I should make some craft resolutions anyway. I made a list of general resolutions, but I feel that my crafts deserve some extra attention this year. I could write a million things I want to do, but I’ll try to edit and select the few that I must do before the year’s end. Hopefully sharing with all of you will help me carry these through and all of them will be checked off by the end of the year.

Knitting

1. Learn to knit my first sweater or cardigan by hand. I have already started knitting a summer cardigan for my mother, but I want to make one for myself that fits perfectly, and in time to use during this winter season.
2. Learn to knit a hat. It seems pretty simple, but I want to make a hat that I love that I will actually wear around without having to worry that it’s so tight that it will ruin my hair and give me hat head. I want to make a cute warm hat that is soft and loose.
3. Knit a sweater and scarf using my new knitting machine. I read the reviews and it looks like it takes a lot of time to learn how to use this thing and a lot of patience to make it work well, so I need to devote some time to this endeavor so that it will save me lots of time in the long run. Hopefully this will help me finish making all the gifts I’ve promised all my family members.
4. Knit baby booties for gifts. I’ve created a couple of baby booties, but none that are soft and cute enough to make as gifts. I’d like to find my go-to pattern for baby booties that would make the perfect baby shower gift. I might need to add mittens and a hat to that, or a baby sweater. If I find a good pattern that I can use on my knitting machine, it would save me a lot of time, but might cost me a lot of yarn. The goal is to find the perfect baby present for a boy and a girl.
5. Meet some knitters at a local knitting group. I’ve found a group through Ravelry that I just need to make time to attend. It’s good to meet fellow crafters out there!

Crochet

1. Learn to crochet. I have many patterns picked out. I want to crochet a beautiful scarf pattern that I have already picked out.
2. Crochet a cardigan. I have a very easy pattern and yarn all ready to make once I’m done with my knitting projects.
3. Crochet baby booties. I found very cute girl baby booties that I want to make. And if I have extra time, a pair of cute slippers to keep my feet warm during the winter.

Sewing

1. Sew a dress for myself that I love and can wear to an event this year. This one is already in the works since I’m taking a sewing class and have the pattern already picked out. If I can finish this by the end of February, then I have an charity event in March that I can wear it to. That would be exciting!
2. Sew pants for myself. Finding those perfect pair of pants are not easy, but I have a couple that have been altered to fit me. I would love to find a pattern that I can alter or create a pair of pants by making a pattern from an existing pair.
3. Learn to drape on a sewing dummy and create a new outfit for myself without using a pattern. I bought a dummy online that should be coming soon. I just need to buy or borrow a book on draping to educate myself and find an outfit I want to make.
4. Sew a dressy blazer/jacket that I can wear on top of dresses.

Photo Albums

1. Organize photo albums. What a mess. There are so many albums, unused and old ones that need to be consolidated.
2. Create an updated photo album or scrapbook. I don’t think I’ve created an album since before I started dating my husband, so I’d like to create one just for my husband and I.
3. Order wedding albums. This one is 3.5 years past due, so hopefully I (or my husband) can get this one done this year!
4. Digitize photos. Going electronic means less baggage we have to carry every time we move.
5. Create a family photo book. I found a cool site called www.blurb.com that can publish books. I would like to create family photo books along with descriptions for both my family and my husband’s family.

I think these are enough resolutions to keep me busy this year. Basically I want to learn to knit, crochet, and sew to an intermediate level. These are all brand new hobbies for me, so it’s going to be one very exciting year! The resolution about the photo albums are there because it’s one of those projects that have just been sitting on the back-burner year after year that I just need to get done this year. I’d like to hear your resolutions if you have posted.

Using My First Sewing Pattern

I just went to my first sewing class this weekend and chose a pattern to make as my project for the class. It is a nice dress from Vogue patterns. I purchased it at Vogue Fabrics on Roosevelt Rd. in Chicago, but after doing some searching on the web, I realized that buying patterns on the web is much cheaper than buying it at the store. You can buy patterns for 40% off online, and get another 10% discount if you buy an annual membership. It gives you a 10% discount on all Vogue, Butterick, and McCall patterns, and allows you to save on shipping by being able to put purchases from all three brands into one combined shopping cart. I’m glad I discovered this because it makes it much more economical to buy multiple patterns. This is the pattern I will be making: V1026

It was $27.50 retail price, but goes for $16.50 online, $14.85 if you are a member. I am in the midst of cutting out the pattern. Fun, fun. There are so many pieces, though, that it is taking much longer than I had expected. I think I need to invest in a better pair of scissors too.

I am hoping to make multiple patterns during my 10 week class to get the most out of it. We are cutting muslin first before working with the actual fabric, and we can work on as many projects as we can fit in during the 10 week period by doing some of the sewing and cutting at home. Along with posting my sewing projects on this blog, I will be posting my projects on Burda Style. There are a few free sewing patterns on that site. If you know of any other sewing online communities that are worth joining, please leave me a note.

My First Hand Warmer

I am so happy to have finally created an item for myself that isn’t a scarf! It’s warm and fuzzy and is very useful when I’m driving. Here’s my very first hand warmer.

I used the pattern named Fetching, using size 5 needles instead of 7 since I have smaller than average hands. Everything was going well until I needed to bind off. It required a Picot Bind Off, which I never heard of. After a few minutes of searching, I found a video to help me out. If you plan on making this hand warmer and have never done a Picot Bind off, this video should help you finish the project. She knits continental, so it was a little confusing at first for me to watch, but after some trial and error, I figured it out. Really, all it was was casting on an extra stitch before binding off to create a little extra decorative edge every 5 or 6 stitches in this pattern.

Designer Spotlight: Norah Gaughan

Being new to the world of knitting, I decided to purchase a couple of knitting magazines see what knitters out there are reading. While flipping through Interweave Knits Magazine, I found an article with beautiful knitted sweaters by Norah Gaughan.

Norah Gaughan
Norah is a famous knitting pattern designer that works for Berroco. I had no idea that there were professions out there where people could actually knit and design knitting patterns for a living. I knew knitting was a fun hobby to learn, but I was truly excited to see that there are possible career opportunities out there that support the art of knitting full-time! Not that I would be ready for something like that for myself. I’m just getting started, after all. But perhaps I could entertain the idea of having my own knitting designs published in knitting magazines and books in the future. That expands the possibilities of my future in knitting. Maybe my hobby can grow into something bigger where I can contribute to my fellow knitters out there by providing beautiful patterns. For now, I’m going to learn to knit a multitude of patterns and stitches to get on that path. See what’s in my queue. I love Norah’s sweaters. They are simple, elegant, and have just enough interest with unique pattern that make them truly special. I definitely plan on making some of her designs once I get through my current projects. I have to purchase her books to get my hands on some of her patterns. My first Norah project is her Aida scarf. I’m starting with something more simple than a sweater to test my skills first.

You can get this pattern for free on Berroco’s site: Aida scarf pattern. I decided to use a thicker yarn than what was called for on the pattern. The pattern calls for Berroco Ultra Fine Alpaca yarn, but I’m using Suri Merino from Blue Sky Alpaca because it was the only yarn in the store that was remotely similar to the color I was looking for that my mother-in-law likes, since I’m trying to knit this one for her. It’s a light green, and although it’s a bit fuzzier than I wanted, it seems to be the right color for her. I may reconsider my yarn choice if I can find a different brand yarn that is thinner, less fuzzy, and just the right color. I’ve already run into a part of the pattern that doesn’t make sense to me, so I will be taking it to Nina, where I purchased the yarn, to get some help. Everyone else on Ravelry seems to think this is an easy pattern, but I’ve had to rip it out at least 5 times already because I couldn’t get past row 20, which seems to be hanging me up. You can see the part that is giving me some hanups on the left side. I’ve also reduced this scarf pattern’s width by one multiple since the yarn is thicker than the one on the pattern.

I’ve recently discovered that Norah has her own Ravelry page! Now I can add my favorite sweaters from her designs into my favorites and queue. You can also see her posts on the Berroco blog.

Here are some of her designs that I really like and plan on making, some of which were featured in the article:

Loppem
Link to Loppem on Ravelry. This pattern is available in the pamphlet Norah Gaughan Vol. 3, which can be purchased from your local yarn store.

Lacy Waves Top
Link to Lacey Waves Top on Ravelry. This pattern is available in the book Lace Style.

Eastlake
Link to Eastlake on Ravelry and on Berroco. This pattern is available in the pamphlet Norah Gaughan Vol. 3, which can be purchased from your local yarn store.

Chantal
Link to Chantal on Ravelry and on Berroco.

This is the first knitting designer that I have featured in this blog, but I will be featuring more designers whose designs I like and plan on making. Stay tuned!

Baby Blanket Project

I have a lot of projects I’m working on concurrently, and just to add to the mix, I’ve started making a baby blanket. I want to keep this one even though I don’t have a baby because of all the work and yarn that goes into it. So far it’s looking pretty good, but it’s probably too early to tell. I’ve seen other baby blanket patterns, but this one was so soft! I saw a sample at Nina and decided to buy the pattern by Mac & Me and make it. I’m using Suri Merino yarn from Blue Sky Alpacas. It’s a wonderfully soft yarn that I’m using for many current and future projects. Here is what the blanket looks like so far.