Kits Make Great Gifts

Racks of pattern books, binders full of single patterns in plastic sleeves, shelves full of a large variety of yarn…so much to choose from, but where do you begin? If you feel a bit overwhelmed when you walk into a wool shop, you’re not alone. That is why catalogue shopping with Mary Maxim and online shopping at Etsy.com is so popular. Places like those help take the pressure off, especially if you’re looking for a gift.
With that in mind, I have here a handy dandy dish cloth pattern that can be found in a kit.

Tiled Dish Cloth

The kit includes: 50g cotton yarn, knitting needles, and the Tiled Dish Cloth pattern. There is enough cotton to make two dish cloths.

This kit would make an excellent birthday or holiday gift for both adults and teens alike!

Find the kit for sale here.

 

 

Happy Shopping!

You Are What You Eat

There is a wild and wacky side to almost anything that humans make, it’s just our nature. Crochet is not an exception. It really is amazing what we can think up! Have a look…

There was a time when wax, glass, and plastic fruit in a bowl was a centerpiece on many a dining table. Fruit is life. Fruit is good. Fruit can be knitted and crocheted! Here are a fun and funky pair of juicy pears for your home decor. The free pattern, found here, is written for both Australian-style and American-style crochet.

This gorgeous display of crocheted cupcakes can be found at BitterSweet, a fantastic blog for all foodies, not just those that craft. The link above will take you to the Free Patterns page where you will find an extensive list of food to make for both knitters and crocheters.

If you’re curious about what else is out there on the Web, just type in what you’re looking for. For instance, a search for “knitted carrot pattern” turned up this crocheted version:

 

Moon Arts Crochet Carrot

And this knitted version:

Knitted Baby Carrot

 Depending on your tastes and your crafting abilities, you will surely find what you are looking for. The sky’s the limit! There are patterns for cake, ice cream cones, bacon and eggs, as well as fruits and vegetables. If you can eat it, then chances are that someone out there has designed a pattern for you to craft and display in a bowl, on a plate, or give away as a funky gift.

 

Charity Begins At Home

No matter what the economic status in your country is, it goes without saying that there are people living there who could really use your help. They quite possibly live in your own neighbourhood.

When it comes to charitable donations, some of the most useful (aside from cash) are supplies. With our knitting and crocheting talents, we can help provide blankets, sweaters, face cloths, dish cloths, slippers, socks and more to those in need.

The Denise House is an organization that helps women and children who have left harmful home situations. They provide housing and supplies to help people get back on their feet, as well as counceling. Each year they provide a list of items that are greatly needed on their website The Denise House.

There are plenty of other organizations that could use our help. Feel free to leave a link to an organization you know about as a Comment.

To  help you get started on your charitable crafting, here are some ideas:

These jeans for babies are absolutely adorable! They are a step away from the traditional knitted pants for babies and toddlers, and they’re much softer than the real thing. This pattern is from Knitty.com, an excellent resource for all things knitted. Find the free pattern here.

Patterns for babies knit- and crochet-wear abound. There is an endless supply of free patterns on the internet. Just type in “baby knits” in your search bar and see what pops up!

You can also try the links on our Virtual Pattern Book, here at Needles And Hooks Cafe. There you will find links to web sites that have free patterns to share. You have to do the searching for specific patterns yourself, but the hunt is half the fun!

 

This little sweater is a home run! Not only does it have matching mittens to keep baby’s little hands warm, but it also has button fasteners at the shoulder for an easier fit. This simple, yet stylish knit, can be worn from Autumn through to Spring and will surely be a favourite. Find the free pattern here.

 

Blankets keep babies warm and comforted. This blanket, inspired by a traditional log cabin quilt design, is easy to make with beautiful results. You can add strips to make this blanket for bigger children, as well. Find the free pattern here.

Although the patterns I’ve shown here are for infants, remember that there are older children and adults that could use a little help, too. Take a look around the great big world wide web for easy to make sweater, hats, socks and mitten patterns. 

Let’s put our needles and hooks to good use and help those in need…one stitch at a time.

Paint Me A Picture

Pictures. They are a visual expression or reproduction of something we have seen either in our minds or in reality. They are cute, sad, friendly, fun, thought-provoking, imaginitive, and records of people, places, and things. We can photograph, draw, paint, and assemble them. We can also knit and crochet them….

Praying Hands Dish Cloth

 

This dish cloth is a good example of how knits and purls combine to create a raised image. And a dish cloth is the perfect size for experimenting with different images that you can sketch out on graph paper and translate into your knit-wear and accessories.

The free pattern for this dish cloth can be found here.

Woody Dish Cloth

 

Here is a really cute dish cloth with Woodstock, the topsy-turvy bird that hung out with Snoopy, from the Peanuts comics. With the right character image, you might be able to convince the kiddos to do the dishes every night!

The free pattern for this dish cloth can be found here.

 

Filet crochet is a classic technique for creating images in lace. A mesh background with filled squares is basically what filet crochet is all about. There are numerous patterns and charts to be found at  About.com. They even have tutorials to help you on your imagery adventure.

 

Filet Crochet By Teresa is the place to go if you’re looking for something a little out of the ordinary. Her selection may be small, but her charts of medieval knights and this handsome fellow to the left are simply fabulous. Find her charts and tutorials here .

You can imbed images into dish cloths, pillow cases, scarves, sweaters, shawls, purses and bags. Just about any item is a candidate for image decoration. So go ahead and “paint” a picture!

To Knit or To Crochet

Do we really need to ask ourselves this question?

Just as artists and crafters debate the “What is art? What is craft?” questions, knitters and crocheters have been trying to lay down definite boundaries to distinguish one from the other. But more and more, we are seeing the two mixed together in a wonderful combination of magical stitchery.

Newborn Hat

At right is a fine example of the two combined to make a gorgeously patterned hat for baby. The free pattern can be found here.

 

 

 

 

Crochet edgings can also play a bigger role in the overall design of knitted garments, as seen in this fabulously feminine sweater!

The crocheted lace cuffs and edging add texture, while a simple stockinette stitch keeps this piece smooth and sophisticated. Believe it or not, you can find the pattern for this stunning sweater here.

These are just a sampling of what can be found. There is a plethora of patterns that combine both knit and crochet in an undeniably blessed union. So embrace them both! And while you’re mulling over which of these two projects you should add to your list, here is a link that will make your mouth water! CrochetPatternCentral has a full page of knit/crochet combo patterns to tempt and please.