Category: Uncategorized

  • Need a New Hobby? Start Knitting!

    Need a New Hobby? Start Knitting!

    If you’re already a knitter, enjoy the validation here of doing what you do! If you’re not a knitter, read on to see why you need to start knitting!

    Us knitters all know why we do what we do. Some of us came across the hobby in different ways, at different times in life. Many have been knitting since childhood, and some (🤚) didn’t start knitting until well into adulthood! Either way, we discovered one of the most rewarding and satisfying hobbies, one that can be continued no matter how old we get.

    1. Coffee and knitting sesh. Drinking your coffee is heavenly, but drinking coffee and knitting is a whole new level of bliss. This is a valid reason to start knitting, trust me. Sometimes, I won’t even be planning to knit and then I go grab a coffee and will be like hey, I should knit while I enjoy this!

    2. Wearing an article of clothing, accessory, or whatever that you literally made. With just needles and yarn. I finish a design, try it on for the first time, and am filled with so much elation. I always take a quick pic to send to my mom or sisters before I do the official pattern photos. Every knitter who has created something to wear, will tell you, you feel so self sufficient. Like you could probably start a homestead, jk. But it does give you this feeling of like “wow, I really made this myself.” You really can do anything.

    3. The act of knitting promotes feelings of zen and happiness. Many studies have been done on knitting, the effects it has on the brain and mental health. The repetition that comes from using the needles and working the stitches has been shown to release serotonin, which in turn, gives you those good happy feelings. Lol, this might be the only reason that’s actually philosophical.

    4. There’s something about yarn colors that really speaks to the fiber artist. It’s no secret that many of us knitters favorite part of knitting, is choosing the yarn colors. I will just stare at my yarn balls for oddly long periods of time, in such a peaceful happy state, envisioning them created into a beautiful thing. It’s the best part of the process. So if you’re into color at all, come knit with us.

    5. It’s a hobby that’s super easy on the go. There’s not many creative hobbies that you can easily tote along on travels. You can take your knitting in the car, on a boat, train, plane, bicycle, you name it. That doesn’t necessarily mean knitting while on those things, but just saying, you can bring them. I don’t knit at all when I’m on fun trips, just the home away from home trips.:)

    6. It’s a pastime you can just pick up wherever, whenever, and work a few rows. My two year old had my phone and I found this photo on it 🙈 😂 I was trying to think of what to make for dinner and decided I might as well do a couple rows while I think. I often will just pick up my work and do just few stitches here and there even, just to get a little ahead.

    7. Knitting makes for really pretty pictures! I love photographing yarn, knitting projects, the finished design, all of it. I just have lots of serotonin boosters.

    8. Knitting projects hold memories. Every single design I’ve ever knit, I can look back at, and know what was going on in my life at that point. This one was in memory of my dad, designed a few months after he passed. I have had multiple people knit this sweater in memory of their loved ones as well. It makes me so happy that we have these memories that we put into something, made by us, and will always think of them.

    As you can see, there are a plethora of reasons to start knitting!

    All you need to do is pick a project and go! You got this!

  • How to do the Drop Stitch for Lost Road Trip Cardigan

    How to do the Drop Stitch for Lost Road Trip Cardigan

    The lost road trip cardigan is by far my most popular, best selling design. There are two questions that I am quite frequently asked on that pattern and figured I’ll make a post to address them.

    Question One: Can I make this without the holes and tears, and if so, how?

    Answer: Yes, you can! All you are going to do is skip over the additional steps within the pattern and knit in stockinette stitch. The only make ones you will do, will be for the sleeve increases.

    Question Two: What does drop a stitch mean?

    Answer: You’re literally going to just drop the stitch off your needle as instructed. You’ll notice a few rows prior, you will have made a new stitch at that same point and that’s going to prevent it from unraveling further down. I have made a YouTube video on how to do this so you can see.:)

    Many people have searched online for tutorials on how to just drop a stitch, but don’t find an answer as that’s not really a common thing you’d intentionally do. That would be more of a mistake, so the tutorials tend to be on how to pick up a dropped stitch. But no worries, the ones in this pattern are not a mistake.

  • Walk on the Beach Cardi Design

    Walk on the Beach Cardi Design

    It’s officially the first weekend of spring! Hallelujah! Although, it’s not quite feeling like spring. We are getting our third winter storm of March this weekend. It’s crazy. Our sixth month of winter weather. And April will most likely still be winter. At this point, I really am feeling a little bit like I need out of this state.

    On the plus side, I have my two florida trips this month and thank goodness for that! I worked up this latest design over the last two weeks in preparation for the first trip.

    I used the alpachino merino wool yarn from Wool and the Gang for this one, it’s so cuddly. I love it. I used this yarn also for my Bring me coffee cardi pattern and it’s held up incredibly, especially being it’s my most worn cardigan!

    I worked this up all in a 1×1 twisted rib stitch and mesh stitch. Mesh stitch is so awesome for spring and summer knits as it’s open and airy. It’s perfect for using for a more chunky weight yarn where you want to have a little warmth, but also not too warm. This yarn and this stitch balance each other out so well.

    I used two sizes of straight needles for this design. A 8mm and 12mm (12 US and 17 US) and 5 skeins of the Alpachino merino yarn. I did include sizing edits for a smaller and larger fit in the pattern as well!

    Knitting skills needed are longtail cast on, twisted rib stitch, yarn over, knit two stitches together, picking up stitches, bind off, and seaming.

    Purchase the Walk on the Beach Cardi here! Or by selecting the shop button on the menu above.

    ☀️ Bethany