happy love co

Author: Bethany

  • Twisted Rib Stitch

    Twisted Rib Stitch

    I’ve finally gotten around to getting my first little tutorial video up on YouTube! I can’t count the amount of times over the years that people have asked me how I do the twisted rib stitch in my patterns.

    It seems that a lot of the videos you guys find instruct how to work it in different ways and there’s a little confusion on how I do it.

    I haven’t actually ever searched it myself, but learned to do it from a wool and the gang pattern I did when I first started knitting.

    It is a very simple stitch. You’ll just be knitting and purling through the back loops. That’s it! For 1×1 twisted rib, you’ll knit and purl from the back loops, alternating knit and purl. For 2×2 twisted rib, you’ll do the same thing except work two knit stitches through the back loops, followed by two purl stitches through the back loops.

    I use twisted rib stitch in nearly all of my patterns! My winter magic sweater pattern is worked in all twisted rib, with different needle sizes for the waistband, wrists, and turtleneck part. It’s a fun one to do if you want to get better with working twisted rib!

    You’ll want to make sure that you’re knitting the knit stitches and purling the purl stitches for each row of twisted ribbing. Otherwise you will end up with what looks like almost a twisted moss stitch. Which actually looks pretty cool! Someone had accidentally done that and sent me a photo of it.

    If you’re knitting and purling through the back loops, you’re doing it right!:)

  • A glimpse into my design process

    A glimpse into my design process

    I just returned from a quick little spur of the moment trip to visit my family in Minnesota and had a much appreciated break! I managed to get in a coffee with my bestie, lots of laughs and just an all around good time. The kids had fun, I had fun, and now I’m feeling excited and rejuvenated to get back to business. I’ve got some YouTube videos in the works for you all, a new tank coming along, amongst some other exciting spring things!

    I had brought along a purple skein of We Are Knitters “the cotton” to Minnesota and hadn’t thought much of it for the first couple days I was there. Too busy doing Target and coffee runs tbh. But then I booked a Florida trip because ticket prices were insanely low, which led to searching for some clothes for the trip, which led to casting on stitches for a purple tank top.

    It seems whenever I start getting the urge to design a new project, but don’t know what to do, I just take a step back. I don’t force it. I’ll go about my regular days for a bit and be snapping photos of whatever and doing whatever. Then it always seems once the “aha!” moment hits, I’ll look back through my camera roll and have a whole vibe going that I didn’t realize. And it’s usually a color vibe. So I think subconsciously I’m drawn to a certain color first. I feel like my color choices are always a current mood. I’ve been buying everything purple right now and it’s just making me happy. So this new project was just destined to be purple.

    Then I envision wearing a piece knit with the color. Just a quick like, getting coffee in a cute Floridian coffee shop, what are you wearing? Knit purple tank, denim shorts, gold necklace, some rings and a bracelet, ankle wrap sandals. Got it.

    Now that I have the color and basic stitch planned, I’ll have more ideas come to mind as I’m knitting the piece. It never fails. I always go in with one idea and come out with the idea plus extra. Also, I’m not going to describe what this new tank design is because I love having it be a surprise! It wont take long!

    I think the design process is so different for each designer. I even often just sit and stare at my yarn, for an embarrassingly long time, testing ideas in my head. My kids will walk by and be like “what are you doing?” But it works really well for me! And as a bonus, it’s almost like meditation too.

    I hope your week has been off to a great start! Don’t forget to do those little things that make your life happy and looking forward to every day! ❤️

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  • The Cropped Striped Winter Sweater | Valentines Edition

    The Cropped Striped Winter Sweater | Valentines Edition

    Can you guys believe it’s only 11 days to Valentine’s Day?! I love this holiday so much. It’s got so many delightful memories for me, dating back to when I was a child. My dad would get all the girls in my family a little jewelry piece and chocolate and leave them out for us in the morning before he left for work. It was so special and cute. Looking back now, he’s been gone for four years, it means so much that he went above and beyond for every holiday, and every day in daily life. He always looked forward to all the things! It put a passion in me to find all the ways to bring joy to the people I love.

    I designed my cropped striped winter sweater pattern a few years ago and it continues to be one of my favorite basic sweater designs. It’s easily able to be made your own by simply changing and mixing different colors. If you want it longer, just throw on an extra section or two of colors! More cropped? Take off a section or two! I’ve seen people knit this sweater and add fringe on the bottom, it’s been knit upside down (lol I love the creativity!) and extra cropped!

    I bought all of these yarn colors to make my hooded valentines sweater and had a bunch extra so I figured I’ll finally make another cropped striped winter sweater. It’s been on my to do list for quite a long while and this seemed perfect. I’m so obsessed with this combo! The bright pink, purple, and ivory are a match made in heaven.

    Where the original sweater design had all different colors for each section, I had to do a repeat since I was only using three different colors. You know how much I like using colors, so I added on some little duplicate stitch hearts using random leftovers of wool I had in my stash. It added so much more to it!

    This sweater can be knit in just a few hours! Honestly, it’s my fav to make because of how quickly it comes together. Using different colors always make a knitting project work up faster, along with the gigantic needles. Yes, you really do use size 50 US needles.

    Purchase the pattern for the cropped striped winter sweater here.

    https://happyloveco.etsy.com/listing/665547703

    ❤️💕

    Bethany