Photo of the Week

Here's some more tea cozy fun. I'm really enjoying making lots of different tea cozies. Each one presents a unique challenge as it needs to fit a specific tea pot, but still look right. Fortunately, they're fairly quick to knit. This latest cozy is a very cheerful pineapple.

Photo of the Week

I love knitting tea cozies. There's just something very cheerful about a teapot in a colorful vintage style cover.

Knitting Fun

I absolutely love knitting. From sweaters and socks to hats and even doilies, I've knit it all. It's my favorite way to relax and keep stress levels down, especially in the last few years. 

I also love learning about old knitting techniques and tools. Patterns from the early 20th century are always an adventure, but so much fun to try. And the tools that were used in the past are making a comeback for their usefulness, beauty, and simplicity. One of those tools is the nostepinne. 

The nostepinne, which means "nest-stick" in Scandinavian, is the original yarn winder. It needs no batteries and you don't have to plug it in, so it's very portable. Its also the easiest way to wind a center-pull yarn ball. While they can be as simple as a tapered dowel, most feature some decoration. My sister turned this one on the lathe for me for Christmas. It's my new favorite yarn tool. If you need me, I'll be winding all my yarn into balls.

Be Merry In Merino

Aardman Animation

Aardman Animation, in collaboration with the Woolmark Company, have created an adorable Shaun the Sheep short celebrating knitting wool Christmas gifts. I love knitting with wool so this short really appeals to me.

Poor Shirley! At least things turn out well in the end.

It's Earth Day, So Here's An Earth Friendly Knitting Pattern

I love knitting. I find it very calming. It helps me keep my stress level under control. I also love knitting things that are reusable. Dishcloths are one of my favorite things to make, and so are little scrubbies for washing my face. They are a great substitute for single use face wipes. In honor of Earth Day, here's my pattern for a simple cotton scrubbie.

Reusable Cotton Face Scrubbie

Supplies

• Worsted weight cotton yarn such as Peaches & Creme
• Size 6 (4mm) knitting needles
• Yarn needle for weaving in ends

Instructions

Cast on 15 stitches using the long tail cast on.

Row 1 - *K1, P1*, repeat * to * across row, ending with k1

Row 2 - Slip 1, *P1, K1*, repeat * to * across row

Row 3 - Slip 1, *P1, K1*, repeat * to * across row

Row 4 - Slip 1, P1, K11, P1, K1

Row 5 - Slip 1, P1, K1, P9, K1, P1, K1

Row 6 - Slip 1, P1, K11, P1, K1

Row 7 - Slip 1, P1, K1, P9, K1, P1, K1

Row 8 - Slip 1, P1, K11, P1, K1

Row 9 - Slip 1, P1, K1, P9, K1, P1, K1

Row 10 - Slip 1, P1, K11, P1, K1

Row 11 - Slip 1, P1, K1, P9, K1, P1, K1

Row 12 - Slip 1, P1, K11, P1, K1

Row 13 - Slip 1, P1, K1, P9, K1, P1, K1

Row 14 - Slip 1, P1, K11, P1, K1

Row 15 - Slip 1, P1, K1, P9, K1, P1, K1

Row 16 - Slip 1, *P1, K1*, repeat * to * across row

Row 17 - Slip 1, *P1, K1*, repeat * to * across row

Row 18 - Slip 1, *P1, K1*, repeat * to * across row

Bind off knitwise. Weave in ends.

I throw these in the washer and dryer with my towels to clean them and they hold up quite well. I hope you enjoy making them as much as I do.

Please respect designers and copyright. Although this pattern is free for you to use, direct copying is strictly prohibited. If you would like to share the pattern, please Pin it, or share this page’s link. If you share this pattern, you must add this page’s link. While free, this pattern is for personal use only. Do not distribute, copy, or use for commercial purposes. 

Finding Dory Inspired Washcloths

I am absolutely addicted to knitting and crocheting my own washcloths and dishcloths. They are so easy to make and fabulous to use that I tend to get rather carried away. I came across some yarn recently that reminded me of Nemo and Dory, so I knew I needed to find a pattern for a fishy cloth. I found the perfect pattern from Judith Prindle on the Dish Cloth Corner Blog (you can find it here.) It is quick and easy to crochet and makes the most adorable fishy. I used Lily Sugar'n Cream yarn in Sunkissed for Dory, Poppy for Nemo and Moondance for one that reminds me of Flo from the tank gang in Finding Nemo. (These yarns are fairly easy to find at your local craft store.) Aren't they just too cute?

Knit Socks

Have you ever knit your own socks? It is a surprisingly gratifying experience. I have made over a dozen pairs in the past few years and am becoming quite good at it. I love finding new patterns and colors to play with. I'm also quite fond of naming my socks, based on their colors and designs. My most recent pair I've named Mount Doom. The colors reminded me of lava flowing over rock, so I chose a mountainy design to complement them. (The pattern is actually called Bifrost and is available for free on Knotions.com) I'm currently knitting a pair I think I'll call waves on the beach. The pattern is called Zigzags and is available for free on Ravelry. (Just make sure you download the corrected version.) One of my favorite pair I call Mardi Gras because of the green, gold, and purple stripes. I don't remember the name of the pattern, but I love the way it looks. So, are you ready to tackle your own sock knitting project?