It’s a swamp in the midwest.

Maybe it’s all the Thai Iced Coffee we drink during our biz meetings at Stone Creek Coffee.  Or maybe we just can’t wait to meet everyone at the Craftacular!!  Either way we’re bouncing in our seats and just couldn’t wait to share a small preview.

Here’s the ruffley plaid scarves I mentioned earlier!  They make me think of the long autumn walks I like to take with my friend Dana. We fill mugs with mulled wine, pull on boots and layers, and try to find the biggest piles of crunchy leaves to stomp through.  Of course it is way too swampy in the Midwest to be doing that but we know how quickly that can change.

Each scarf feels like it was made from one of your dad’s old shirts.  It’s super soft and warm and the ruffles add the perfect lady-like touch….

xo,

kate & kerith

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Inspiration: France… Part 1

As [several] of you know, I have a love-hate relationship with France-a discussion in and of its own…  Currently, I am extremely homesick for la vie parisienne.  So what’s a girl to do?  Express myself!  🙂

Comptoir des Cotonniers is one of my favorite French brands that is not available anywhere near me.  Everything about it is simple and muted.  Here are a few photos from their fall collection that I think we can do without hunting the items down on Ebay.  And by “do,”  I mean find ways to make at home.  Of course.

Comptoir des Cotonniers Cowl

Suede boots, grey tights, mini skirt, striped shirt…So all we have to do is  knit the cowl!  We’ll need this yarn in eggplant or molasses and a pattern…  Should we wing it?  Or we could use this pattern. 

Lacy Scarf

So we still have our grey tights.  We just have to add an oversized blazer.  This is a scarf we’re going to have to improvise.  It definitely looks washed.  Can you think of any patterns for this scarf?  We might be able to come up with something over here, but it’d be great to see what you’ve come up with!  

Let’s bring Paris home via our creative craftiness!

I’ll be posting a few more inspiration ideas from France later today.  I can’t possibly fit them all into one post!  So stay tuned…

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Introducing JT’s High Autumn 2009 Line!!!

A Midwest Needles EXCLUSIVE!!!!

JT’s a small little guy, and a dachshund, so the new autumn weather has inspired him to create his first piece for this season!  And now he doesn’t  get so cold anymore!

JT’s Fall WindBreaker 2009!!!

Perfect for the in between seasons!

This houndhugger fits nicely under a harness and isn’t too bulky!  And it knits up in a jiff!

Here is your first Midwest Needles exclusive pattern!

This pattern measures (approximately) 15 inches around the neck, 17 inches around the waist belt, 5 1/2 inches wide across his back, and about 10 inches long from his neck to the end!  It’s a very stretchy windbreaker, so it really is comfortable for JT, but also remember that when you’re trying it on your pup!  Don’t worry!  It’ll stretch!  If you need help adjusting for the right size…just email us! 

Materials:

size 19 needles (woah)

Brown Sheep Burley Spun in the very manly “Blue Boy” color (you don’t need a lot, we just used some scrap).

2 large and in charge buttons.  We chose orange. 

co (cast on) 26 stitches

Round 1 k (Knit)

Round 2 p (Purl)

Round 3 k2, s (slip) the next stitch over as if you were to knit it, but just move it to the right needle, then k to the end (you created a little hole for the button!)

Round 4 p

Round 5 k

Round 6 bo (bind off) 7 purlwise, p12, then bo 7 purlwise again.  12 stitches remaining.

That’s the collar!

Round 7 k

Round 8 p

Round 9 k

Round 10 p

Round 11 k

Round 12p

Round 13 k

Round 14 p

(*so you just worked in stockinette stitch for a portion of the back until you get to his belt, this should be approximately 5 1/2 inches for JT)

Ok!  This part may seem tricky, but really, you can do it!  I know you can!  JT knows you can!!!

With a separate small amount of scrap on the opposite needle where there isn’t any remaining yarn, you need to cable cast on 10 stitches, leave them on your needles, and relax.

Then go back to the other side where you finished your last round of stockinette stitch, you need to cable cast on 10 stitches.

If you have questions about the cable cast on, we can help!  Also, there are some youtube videos (not of us) that are helpful!  

You should now have 32 stitches (10 of which are not attached, but soon will be…!)

Round 16 k (all of them)

Round 17 p

Round 18 k2, slip knitwise one stitch (like you did for the collar), then k to the end.

Round 19 p

Round 20 k

Round 21 bo purlwise 10, purl 12, bo purwlse 10. 12 stitches remain.

Round 22 k

Round 23 p

Round 24 k

Round 25 p

Round 26 k

Round 27 bo purlwise

Yay!  Those final stockinette stitches are obviously variable.  You can make it as long or as short as you want.  JT didn’t want it too long for his initial piece, but we have a feeling he’s going to come up with some craaazy outfits this season!

Flip the piece over so the knits are on the inside and the purls are on the top.  Sew on the buttons for the waist and the collar, weave in the ends, and ta da!  JT’s windbreaker!

We’ll be posting more pictures up once we have some help outside!

p.s. We’ll have it in PDF form tomorrow.  So please email us if you’d like the pdf version.  🙂 

 

 

You'd be thirsty too if you were this creative!

P.S.S. Please try to remember we want to share our projects with you.  If you’d like to reuse them for your own personal work, obviously, we’d love that.  If you’d like to use it for anything else, please notify us and be sure to mention where you got the pattern from!  Please don’t steal!  It’s not nice!

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