Easter Knitting Projects

 

Any fellow knitters out there? I started knitting when I was in middle school, completing a few horribly mistake-ridden garter stitch items before dropping the hobby for well over a decade. I've picked it up again in the last few years, spurred on by photos of cute baby items on Ravelry, and now I have a giant stash of yarn hidden under the bed.

Even though I've hit that stage of pregnancy where I'm just utterly, completely *exhausted*, I still managed to surprise myself and complete a few Easter-themed pieces. (Next on the docket: baby sweaters before it gets too warm to knit much!)

The eggs in the top row above are an Arne & Carlos pattern, from their book "Easter Knits". I rented it from my local library, and followed the flower patterns exactly as written while modifying their chick chart for a ball into one for an egg instead. I loved this pattern, and the shape of the eggs! I used LionBrand Bon Bon yarns, so I wouldn't have a ton of regular fingering weight skeins sitting around (I'm attempting to use up my stash these days).

The eggs in the bottom row are a Julie Williams pattern. This pattern is available for free online, but I wasn't as pleased with the results. I noticed first and foremost that the eggs featured in her pictures don't always conform to the charts. They seem to have rows added. I added some rows for at least the gingham one here as she did (I forget if I added ones to the striped egg.) I also modified the top shaping a bit, to be more egg-like. I knit them in the round as well, because I avoid seaming like the plague (one of these days I'll get over that and knit my first adult sweater!).

I still think they came out a bit too fat and not very egg-shaped. Oh well!

 

You need a rabbit to go with your Easter eggs, right? This bunny is a Rachel Borello pattern. I think it turned out okay. The head seems a bit huge and the face isn't as rabbit-like as I wanted, although I did use embroidery thread for eyes instead of the safety ones suggested. Looking at people's project pages, it seems like I wasn't the only one whose bunny didn't come out very close to the original though. I think she used a fish eye lens or something like that to make hers resemble a rabbit more.

It was also very fiddly to knit - each element is a separate piece that required stuffing and/or seaming. I don't think I'd attempt this again.

 

This chick is a free pattern from Nicky Fijalkowska. I was originally going to make one of the above Easter eggs as two halves, and hide it inside. However, once I started knitting one this way, I realized each half wouldn't have enough structure to maintain an egg shape. So this little guy is homeless, but still cute! I like how the wings curl.

What are you knitting lately?

DIY Easter Egg Dye

Intrigued by the many bloggers posting about natural Easter egg dyes, I finally caved and decided to try it for myself! Here are three white eggs I dyed using purple cabbage. I'll leave it to you to find an exact recipe you like. I basically just winged it, chopping up an entire head (minus the white core) simmering it for five-ish minutes in enough water to cover it before straining it and adding a couple tablespoons of white vinegar.

I submerged my eggs overnight, letting them cool for a bit in the solution before transferring them to the fridge for the rest of their soak.

This egg came out the darkest. It was a lovely deep, slightly teal shade of blue. I've read that if you leave the vegetal/natural matter in the dye, you can get a mottled look. I think I'll try that next time. A marbled effect would look great in this color!

For this egg, I arranged a few dried cherry blossom petals on a square of old nylons/pantyhose and then wrapped this square tightly around the egg, fastening it with a twist tie. I like how some of the dye went through the petals, giving them delicate veins. I was worried they'd just end up looking like giant white spots, but the little detailed lines prevented this!

This last egg came out slightly lighter than the others, for unknown reasons. I think it's interesting that you can get varying shades from the exact same dye bath. It's a nice variation in color without any effort!

I was under the impression that the hot dye, which I only let cool for a few minutes before submerging the eggs, would hardboil the insides. So when I went to crack one for an afternoon snack, I was very surprised to find this instead! I'll have to figure out what went wrong for next time. Perhaps I needed a larger volume of dye.

The remnants of my craft project, all crushed and ready for the compost pile or for dressing the garden! Even in this state, the eggshells are lovely to look at, don't you think?

Next on the agenda is homemade dusty pink dye from avocado pits! I've been collecting them to dye yarn with, but after seeing these results I can't wait to use the dye on eggs too.

Spring Has Sprung...Sort Of...

Well, it's officially spring! The first crocuses blooming last weekend gave hints that it was on its way. I do remain a bit skeptical, however, as we're supposed to get more cold weather and snow this upcoming week. Let's hope that forecast changes stat!

Apologies for my lack of posting, but my little guy is keeping me quite busy...and very sleepy. I haven't been crafting much, but I'll post what I've been up to when I can. I hope you won't mind that it might be "quick and dirty" (ie less-than-stellar phone pics and basic directions) rather than detailed tutorials until my son is sleeping longer stretches at night.

(The above watercolor is from Created by Storm, and is absolutely lovely!)

Easter Table Inspiration

Easter's almost here, and luckily, my cold is almost gone! (Hence the lack of posts.) I've been combing through Pinterest, looking for easy and inexpensive ideas for our Easter table.

I love these simple eggs cup posies from Martha Stewart. Just use take a dyed and hollowed-out Easter egg, tap the top with a spoon to crack it off, then place it in an egg cup. Add water to the inside of the egg and a few sprigs of lily of the valley, lilacs, or pansies and you have lovely little arrangements to place down the center of your table or around the house!

I've been seeing a lot of tulips combined with pussywillow sprigs for centerpieces. I love the way the colors and textures play off of each other in this one. I think I might try blush pink tulips with the leaves removed, and slightly taller sprigs of pussywillow. If you really wanted to be festive, you could arrange them inside a basket.

I've never tried my hand at elaborate napkin folding, but these adorable bunny versions might make me give it a go! The sprigs of pussywillows meant to look like a "cotton" tail really make these lovely. You could also use a real cotton boll or use a ball of bright green moss. This site is in German, but if your browser has a translation service, there are instructions included.

I hope you all have a wonderful holiday, and good weather for your Easter activities and Easter egg hunts!

Easter Lace

Franc Grom creates these beautiful and delicate eggs by carefully drilling thousands of holes in each one, creating lacelike patterns.