holidays, etc. - handmade ornaments

There is still time to make an ornament for yourself or a gift this year! Here are three of my favorite handmade ornaments:

Arne and Carlos' 55 Christmas Balls to Knit:



Crochet Ice Skates - tutorial here:

Mini Santa Hat from the blog Wooly Wormhead:

Do you have a favorite handmade ornament?

knit picks, etc. - 12.11.13

 

   

(eat) Marcella Hazan's penne with rosemary and bacon. (christmas) It's crunch time to finish knit ornaments in time for holiday gift giving! (stamp) This stamp would be cute on packages being sent to buyers. (read) Amazing series following a girl living in an NYC shelter. (cookies) I made these cookies this weekend, and they are great for anyone who likes peanut butter desserts - like me!. (knit) Free program to turn images into gridded patterns for knitting. 

knit picks, etc. - circle time

   

  

(nom) Perfect for a winter weekend. (crochet) You don't often see crochet stockings, but this pattern is quite cute. (art) Artist lets her four-year-old finish her drawings - amazing results. (party) I think this garland would look great in white, black, and gold for New Year's Eve. (diy) Make your own bauble wreath!

holidays, etc. - thanksgiving 2013

 

  

Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays. I love getting together with family to relax, enjoy good food, and - if I'm lucky - find some time to knit. This year I was able to make a few christmas ornaments (more to come!), and another braided knit headband. Did you get a chance to work on any projects?

Happy Thanksgiving!

nails, etc. - gold spots

With Thanksgiving just a few days away, I wanted to share my trick for adding a little holiday sparkle to any outfit: gold spotted nails! I'm in love with this new gold glitter nail polish from Milani that I picked up at CVS. It reminds me of these - holiday appropriate - gold glitter items from Kate Spade. So cute!

  

anna knits - cable knit headband pattern

I finished my cable knit headband a few weeks ago, and I am now getting around to posting the pattern. It is a quick knit, and a great way to practice cables. See my progress here and my inspiration here. Enjoy!

~ Cable Knit Headband Pattern ~

I used 2 strands of Rowan Pure Wool 4 ply yarn in Toffee (453) together on a size US8 needle, but you could also use a single stand of worsened weight yarn, or even a thicker yarn for a chunkier headband.

Cast on 18 stitches

Round 1: K6, P6, K6

Round 2: P6, K6, P6

Round 3: K6, P6, K6

Round 4: P6, K6, P6

Round 5: K6, P6, K6 

Round 6: P6, K6, P6

Round 7: K6, P6, K6

Round 8: P6, slip 3 stitches to cable needle or double pointed needle and hold in the back, K3 from the left hand needle, K3 held in back from the cable needle or double pointed needle, P6

Repeat rounds 1-8 until your headband is long enough - you can test it around your head, but know that it will stretch out after it is blocked. My headband took 13 rounds.

Blocking will help to flatten out your headband, although I like a little curl to the edges. 

After blocking, attach the ends with mattress stitch. 

See the Ravelry posting here.

anna knits - braided knit headband

Last week a reader reached out to me to commission a braided knit headband (thanks Jessica!). I made a few braided headbands last winter, but this was my first of this season. I used two strands of Ella Rae Classic in Silver Heather (104) held together on size US15 needles with this pattern from the blog LuluKnits. I completed ten rounds of the pattern to get the right length - including the 1/2 inch that came when I blocked the headband. Blocking really helped to flatten it as well. 

I hope it helps to keep Jessica warm this winter!

If you have an idea for a custom order, don't hesitate to email me: annaknitsetc@gmail.com