If you like colorwork and making socks, then Charming Colorwork Socks is a must buy for you. This book contains 25 adorable patterns, including holiday themes, animals, and my personal favorite: coffee socks. Most of the patterns involve only working with two colors at the same time, so it’s ideal for colorwork beginners who don’t want to manage too many strands at once. There isn’t much in the way of tutorials in the book, although … Continue reading Charming Colorwork Socks by Charlotte Stone →
I’m taking over Soggy Bottoms this month, because I want to talk about lemons! A freak storm damaged some of the branches on my lemon tree, and I ended up harvesting several bags of lemony goodness. I’ve been desperately seeking lemon recipes ever since. Luckily, I collect vintage cookbooks, so I opened up Victorian Parlors and Tea Parties by Patricia Mitchell, a 36-page booklet with recipes culled in part from the Pittsylvania County Public … Continue reading Soggy Bottoms: Victorian Lemon Bars →
In case you were unaware, 2020 has sucked, and more than anything (with the possible exception of therapy), knitting has really gotten me through. I’ve knitted more this year than ever before, in part because I have more time on my hands and in part because I need the meditative comfort knitting brings me. Seasonal Slow Knitting is a book that aligns with that need for comfort through crafting perfectly. I love this book. It’s … Continue reading Seasonal Slow Knitting: Thoughtful Projects for a Handmade Year by Hannah Thiessen →
I manage two TBRs in my life, my everyday reading TBR (which seems to be getting taller every day) and my knitting TBR. My knitting TBR is a little different. I buy knitting books when I intend to make projects from them, but I’ve also found that sometimes just flipping through a pattern book and admiring the photos of finished projects can be incredibly soothing. This month I wanted to share the books at the … Continue reading My Knitting TBR →
Wonder Woman has been my favorite film so far this year, and it’s clearly resonated with a lot of romance readers (and women in general). For this edition of Stuff You Should Be Stitching, I’m focusing on Wonder Woman-themed awesomeness. Now, you might have noticed that this column title changed from Stuff You Should Be Knitting. That’s because I’m going to try and focus more on cross stitch, needlepoint, sewing, and crochet as well. I’ll … Continue reading Stuff You Should Be Stitching: Wonder Woman →
One of my favorite places to get knitting supplies is Kitterly, a company that combines patterns with the yarn, needles and notions needed to complete them. It makes my life easier and it’s a great option for buying gifts for those who knit and crochet. Kitterly also offers a monthly Kit Club, and I wanted to check that out because 1. I love knitting and 2. I love getting stuff in the mail that isn’t … Continue reading Kitterly Kit Club →
It’s time for the winter edition of Stuff You Should be Knitting. Here in Wisconsin it’s miserably cold (like -25 with the wind chill), so I’m all about warm, bulky projects. The best part? All these patterns are free! Let’s start off with the Pussy Hat–a pattern that’s gone viral among the knitting community. The Pussy Hat is a pink, cat-eared hat that many women participating in the Women’s March on Washington DC will be … Continue reading Stuff You Should Be Knitting →
In addition to his duties as chief cat wrangler and household chef, Mr Elyse works a day job as a barista. With winter imminent he asked me if I would make him a cowl or scarf to keep him warm when he worked the drive through window. As this presented an opportunity to buy new yarn, I of course said yes. (Side note: yes, this means my husband makes one badass caramel latte, ladies and gentlemen. … Continue reading Knitting Pattern: The Barista Cowl →
Fall is upon us, as is evident by the Pumpkin Spice Latte emerging from hibernation. It’s actually getting chilly here and leaves are starting to turn, which means it’s the perfect time to start on fall knitting. In this quarterly column I’ll be bringing you links to some of the coolest FREE knitting and crochet patterns I’ve found online that tie in with the season. For me, fall is all about scarves, cowls, arm-warmers, and … Continue reading Stuff You Should Be Knitting →
For me, knitting is a comfort activity. It stimulates me creatively, but the repetitive motions of knitting and purling are incredibly soothing. I don’t knit as much in the summer, but now that fall is upon us (at least, it is here), I want the cozy feeling of curling up with a movie and my latest knitting project. When I picked up The Knitting Diaries, I was hoping for the same feeling of coziness. Normally … Continue reading The Knitting Diaries by Debbie Macomber, Susan Mallery, and Christina Skye →
