Apple picking sweater.

Hello! This post is a long time coming…my apologies.  The week just got away from me!  I wanted to share this tunic I just finished since I’m really happy with how it turned out.  The pattern is from the fall issue of Interweave knits– easily my favorite knitting magazine right now.  The patterns are so sophisticated!  Here are some images from the magazine:

The tunic is knit in the round with subtle shaping along the sides.  The cowl neck and armhole edging is made by picking up stitches along the edge…I’ll admit, I had never done that before!  I’m pretty happy with how my own sweater turned out.  The pattern calls for Tahki Big Mountain, which I used, just in a different color.  If I would change anything about my own garment I’d make the cowl neck just a bit more floppy.

There is ONE stitch on the back of my garment that I didn’t pull the yarn back around the front while doing a purl stitch.  It will haunt me forever!!  But two women who own the local yarn store Loop saw me wearing it one day and told me it was super professional…that more than makes up for one missed stitch!

On to my own pictures…I really apologize for my lack of picture taking skills.  Please bear with me while I learn….

And a couple more so you can see the stitches better:

p.s. I call everything an “Apple Picking Sweater.”

xo,

Kate

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Did We Forget?

To show you this precious picture?

This is Kati and JT!  Wearing matching sweaters!!!

Kati’s (you can’t tell) is from Twinkle’s Weekend Knits by Wenlan Chia.  We’ll write up a review and take better pictures of it for you later! 

We can’t believe we forgot to show you!

 

xoxo

Kerith

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Yay for Cute Kids!

Ok!

Remember these hats?

These are the little ladies I made them for! 

Hangin' out at the apple orchard!

 

So Virginia (left) is 2 and Nina (right) is 1!  And I made Virginia a “child’s” size and I made Nina a “toddler” size.  Looks like they both needed somethin’ a little  bit bigger!  It doesn’t matter!  They still look cute! 

Thanks, Liz, for sending over some pics!

 

xoxo

Kerith

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Hat Week: Reader Pattern!

Alright!  It’s Friday!  Last day of Hat Week!

We’ve got a reader pattern for you!

This one is from Sam!  She’s a very talented crafter! 

She got this pattern off the internet somewhere, and we don’t have the source, so if you’re interested in it, please email me, and I can forward it to you. 

It’s a great pattern!  Those cables aren’t real cables…  It’s just an illusion!  So if you’re not yet ready to take the plunge into cabling yet, but want the same effect, try this hat out!

She used Manos del Uruguay yarn for this hat; one skien should do it.

Sam’s personal tips:

“I’ve found that adding a couple rows of stockinette stitches after the rib helps keep the rib from stretching out too much (I’ve made this hat a few other times for friends and it keeps its shape nicer).

“If you think the size/volume of the hat isn’t to your desired taste, get the hat damp (not soaking) and stretch it over a large mixing bowl or plate and let it dry over night.  This has helped on several hats that I’ve made.

“Enjoy!”

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Hat Week: Pattern Review #3!

This pattern is from Last Minute Knitted Gifts by Joelle Hoverson.

 

Joelle Hoverson's Last Minute Knitted Gifts

I made these hats in both the toddler and child size.  The pattern called for Mission Falls 1824 Cotton yarn, but I used Blue Sky Dyed Cotton instead, mainly for color availability.

I was able to keep the same guage and stick to the pattern.  The pattern isn’t terribly tricky, except being comfortable with some yarn overs and the i-cord, so if you’re looking for something quick and cute to whip up for a little lass you might know, we definitely recommend this pattern.

These hats were gifts (I hope they got them this week…), so I don’t have any pictures of girls wearing them!  Hopefully I’ll have some pics soon of the girls wearing them!

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Hat Week- Day Number Three

My hat comes from one of my favorite books, Boutique Knits. 

The pattern is called the “Sideways Grande Hat” and it is an ultra feminine accessory that reminds me of all the beautiful cloches currently back in fashion.

It’s a fairly simple pattern and one that could give advanced beginners a little confidence…you really CAN make something pretty just by knowing the knit and purl stitches!  The hat is knit flat in three pieces and joined by picking up stitches at the crown and decreasing to form the top.  To finish, simply pick up stitches at the brim to knit the two pieces which form the cable.  Twist them together and sew near the crown’s edge.  I used Cascade Yarns Baby Alpaca Chunky.  Having a nice yarn makes a project that much more enjoyable!

Here’s my finished hat….My apologies for the cheesy pics  😉

As I was knitting this hat I thought of so many ways you could alter the design.  The pattern instructs you to slowly decrease the bulk of the stitches around the brim by switching to smaller needles three times. I think when I make this again I will make that decrease much more dramatic.

And one more photo of the crown!

As always, if you have any projects you’d like to share with us. Please send them our way!

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Hat Week: Pattern Review

Hi!

Today’s post for Hat Week is a pattern review from this fall’s issue of Vogue Knitting.  I knitted the Vine and Leaf Beret found on the front cover and on page 75 of the magazine.  

 

Vogueknitting Fall 2009 Issue

They have the pattern tagged for “experienced” knitters, but I found the pattern to be very workable (except for the last stitch…).

There are stitches such as the “slip slip knit” and “yarn over” and “knit two together,” so if you can handle those stitches, you can handle this pattern!  The only really hard part was the last stitch where they ask you to do multiple slipping and passing…It’s very confusing, but if you just decide to do exactly what they say without thinking through it, it’ll turn out just fine.  Mine did!  It seems ok!  🙂

Another issue is the ribbing.  It’s very loose.  So if you do decide to work this pattern, remember to keep the ribbing tight.  Mine just slides over my head, and I knitted a small.  You can then ease up on the tension for the rest of the pattern.

 

Vine and Leaf Beret from VogueKnitting Fall 2009

The yarn they used for the hat is “Baby Cashmerino” by Debbie Bliss/KFI in carnation.  I like pink, but I didn’t need a “raspberry beret,” so I wanted to use a blue.  I couldn’t find the right color in Debbie Bliss, so we found RYC’s Rowan Classic Cashsoft Aran in Tornado, which is basically the same thing.

 

Close up!

 

Bird's Eye View

Ta Da!

Overall, I give this pattern a 4/5 stars!  It’s a quick knit!  Happy Hat Week!

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Hat Week : Inspiration

Dreamy…

In.Spir.A.Tion…

Anthropologie Ring & Peal Cloche

Oversized felted cloche…swoon…

NOA NOA

Cloudy, muted beret: perfect for a cloudy fall morning…

Yellow Field: Behida Dolic

Yellow Field is also on Etsy, so please find her and check her out!  She’s amazing!  She does all vintage inspired pieces from the 20s, 30s, and 40s!

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Hat Week!!!

Hi Friends!

If you can’t tell by the title, this week is Hat Week at Midwest Needles!  All week long we’ll be talking about hats!  Inspirations, pattern reviews, your work, and ours!

We’ve had a lifelong love of hats.  Kate’s grandmother enjoyed being a milliner as a hobby.  She grew up watching her crafting the perfect pill box hat and dreaming about being a classy lady someday just like her gramma!

Later today we’ll be posting some dreamy photos that have inspired our hat-making side this season!

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Inspiration: France…Part 2

This is the second half of my Inspiration : France “series” for today!  I split it up because they’re not at all related (except that they are found in Paris, and I love them). 

I used to live down the street from Marché Saint Pierre.  I didn’t have much space in the apartment in which I was living, so there wasn’t a lot of crafting going on, but there sure was a lot of dreaming…

Oilcloth

 

And your very own section of Art Deco Fabric

 

Silk

 

Suit lining!

 

Ground Floor Goods

 

Cotton

If you could go through six floors of amazing fabric, what would you get?  What would you make?  And if you DO go through six floors of fabric somewhere in the Midwest, where do you go (in the not so distant future, you’ll be coming to us…)?!

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