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?

My DIY Version of Purl Soho's Heirloom Wool Easter Eggs

Did you guys see Purl Soho's Heirloom Wool Easter eggs pattern? I thought they were nice, but I wanted a thinner version with more colorful flowers. So I decided to wing it and DIY my own.

I started by making a template out of paper. (Save this image, print out at whatever size you like, and use as a template for yours if you like it.)

I then cut twice the number of egg shapes as eggs I wanted to make out of plain white felt. You can use the good wool stuff, but I honestly prefer the polyester - it won't get eaten by moths or carpet beetles over time.

Then cut another template out of paper, but take about 3 - 4 mm off all around. Use this template to cut smaller egg shapes out of thin quilt batting, one per egg.

Then you can either hand-stitch these using blanket stitch, or use a sewing machine to sandwich the batting in between two egg felt shapes and stitch all the way around. If you look closely, I tried out a few different stitches for mine - a small zigzag, a wider zigzag, and some plain stitching. Make sure you catch the back piece of felt as you sew. You can use a walking foot if you have one, but I did these without it - I just went slowly.

Don't worry about it being perfect though! I had some spots where the back piece of felt stuck out from behind the top piece. Instead of redoing it, I either trimmed it with scissors or just put flowers over this spot.

Now for the decorating! I decided to make loops out of thin blue ribbon for hanging. I stitched them on the back side of the egg. (In retrospect, I should've sandwiched them in when I sewed the eggs, but oh well!)

Then I cut petals out of different colors of felt. Many flowers can be broken down into simple shapes. This pansy is just two bigger ovals, two medium ones, and a really big one that's almost pinched into a triangle at the top out of purple felt. Then cut two small ovals and another medium oval out of a contrasting color (here I used yellow). Then layer your petals as shown and stitch on using embroidery thread.

For this one, I drew a five-petaled flower, cut it out, and then turned it over so the pencil lines wouldn't show. If drawing isn't your thing, just do a basic five-pointed star then nip a bit more out of the petals near the center to give them a better shape. I layered a smaller flower over a larger one for the middle bloom. These were stitched on using pale pink embroidery thread and tiny stitches.

Violets are one of my favorite spring flowers! These are just two smaller ovals on top with three larger ovals on the bottom. I stitched the petals on with purple thread, then added bright yellow centers.

I got a little fancier with this one. It's just two purple cones and a larger pink oval for the pink hyacinth and purple grape hyacinths. I stitched little flower shapes in pink for the middle part, then just did lots of French knots (do a Google image search to find step-by-step tutorials!) for the side flowers.

Here you can see the other bluebells, abstract round flowers, and orange-centered daffodils one I made. Just play around with colors and your favorite blooms to customize these!

Quick Summer Seashell Ring Tutorial

This silvered shell ring is so easy to diy, you'll be able to whip one up in time for a sunny daytrip or night out whenever you need something new to wear!

You'll need the following (see below for pictures): a ring blank, a seashell of your choice - make sure it's a few millimeters smaller in diameter than your blank, jeweler's glue or epoxy - I use E6000, and Rub 'N Buff in Silver Leaf.


Take your shell, and apply a good amount of glue/epoxy to the bottom. Place it firmly inside your ring blank, and allow it to dry thoroughly (see directions on the tube for approximate times).

Once it's dry, take your Rub 'N Buff and apply liberally using a brush (or your fingers... I tend to use the latter to ensure I get it into every crevice). The Rub 'N Buff shade shown here is liquid silver leaf - so much easier to apply than the extremely fragile leaf sheets! Plus, you don't need a special glue. It will stick to your seashell all on its own. It also comes in a crazy amount of colors - gold leaf in various shades, silvers, pearlescent colors, a vibrant red, and many more.

Allow to dry, then buff off with a rag or paper towel until no more extra silver comes off. That's it! You can wear and enjoy your ring as soon as the silver is dry.

Experiment with different size blanks and shells, or different colors (gold leaf on faux gold, rose gold on silver, pearlescent blue on silver). There are so many different combinations you can play around with to make a ring that's uniquely you.

Happy Holidays

Just a quick note that my shop is now closed for the holidays. A big thank you to everyone who visited and purchased from my shop, and to all of you for reading my humble blog! I really do appreciate everyone who takes the time to support handmade art and small businesses. I hope you all have a wonderful holiday season, filled with everything you love and everyone you hold dear! (And lots of snow - if you don't hate shoveling, that is!)

I'll still be blogging here during the next few weeks, but I'm also planning on taking a spin around the Frog Pond, making gifts and cookies, and drinking my body weight in hot cocoa!

I'll have some handmade projects up soon, just in time for Christmas. I promise they'll be lovely but easy. No impossibly-perfect, time-consuming Martha crafts here!

(Although I do adore her website...and magazine...and books. Okay, I'll admit it, I secretly love her too.)

In the meantime, enjoy this brightly-colored "Winterberry" painting from Still Life Quick Heart!

Victorian Puzzle Purse Valentine

I've always been fascinated by antique or vintage valentines, hand-drawn and created with so much love. So this year, inspired by this tutorial, I decided to make my own Victorian Puzzle Purse!

For the calligraphy, I used a hawk tip (left) for the words and a globe tip (right) for the drawings. I think the globe is easier to control for fine lines, while the hawk tip makes handwriting look charmingly imperfect and vintage. For paper, I used plain parchment. For a more antique feel, you could soak the paper in tea til it reaches the desired hue. This can make the paper more delicate, however, and cause tears. Handle gently!

Here's the front of the valentine. I made a scalloped-edged blob with red watercolor paint, and let it dry. Then I added petals using the globe tip, and added leaves. Then I finished with the first line from the Robert Burns poem "A Red, Red Rose".

Make sure you let the ink dry thoroughly before moving on to the next layer!

Close-up detail of the rose. You'll notice my lines aren't perfect (especially when it comes to the lettering). Don't think yours has to be flawless! The imperfections add charm and reinforce the handmade look.

The second layer, decorated with a center heart and the second line from the poem.

The inside! Add whatever sentiments you like. You could also add another stanza from the poem. I chose to go with a simple yet heartfelt "I love you" and another rose.

Hope you all have a wonderful Valentine's Day!

Paper Art by Yulia Brodskaya

My favorite thing to do on a Sunday morning is curl up with a fresh cup of coffee and the Sunday Globe. I hurriedly flip through the sections, looking for the one I always read first - the Boston Globe Magazine! (I'm kind of a crossword fiend, and I love the Food section.)

This past weekend, I was pleasantly surprised to find a cover illustration by Yulia Brodskaya. Her distinctive style is immediately recognizable, as her lovely works have been traveling around the blogosphere for months now.

Her current style relies heavily on quilling, the art of rolling paper strips into shapes that was popular during the Renaissance and later Colonial times. She modernizes the craft, however, by using it to create clean-lined, hollow letters and flowing flourishes. Yulia has recently created pieces for everyone from Wired Magazine to Starbucks to Cadbury!

See more of Yulia's work here, and the Boston Globe Magazine here! (Above photos of the cover taken by me.)

Festive Banner

I made this festive red foil banner to hang over a doorway. It's easy to make, and can be customized to fit any space!


I had leftover cupcake liners from holiday baking, and decided to put them to good use.



Cut about a half-inch wide strip all the way around from the top of the liner. Save the bottom for another use. (You can cut out the bottom circle and use it as a gift tag!)

Grab the two ends of the strip. Twist in opposite directions, until you like the way it looks and the twist holds itself in place.


Thread a needle with whatever color you wish. (I used an offwhite, strong upholstery thread.) If you want the twists to appear to be floating, use monofilament.


I folded down the top of the twist before piercing it, so the knot wouldn't rip through the foil. I used a single knot, but you can double-knot it if you would like.


Space the twists however you like - I did every 6 inches. Though red and white are great colors for Christmas, they also work for Valentine's Day! (I think I'll keep mine up until then!)

You can substitute silver liners for a winter/New Year's Eve version, or make this in the springtime using pale pastel yellow, green, pink, and/or blue ones.

Cute as a Button Flowers

These wonderful fabric and button flowers are from SoSheSews. The scalloped edges and button centers are great touches, but the stems are what caught my eye the most. It looks like she's twisted strips of fabric into stems, which gives them a great texture!

Print Your Own Pinhole Camera!

In honor of Pinhole Photography Day (which was April 26th), Corbis created these print-your-own versions. Each one really stands out and has its own distinct style. The one shown at the top here is my favorite - it reminds me of an old Rolleiflex or Mimaya camera!

Design Ideas

I saw this on Flickr today, and immediately had to post about it! It's a series of framed photos, forming a large clock on the wall. The hands are attached to a box containing the mechanisms and a battery, mounted in the middle.

This would be a great way to display family photos, artwork from family members, small prints from fine artists, maps, or just favorite pictures cut from magazines and newspapers. You could even use shadowboxes instead of frames, and fill them with mementos or sentimental objects.

For more photos from Decor8, click here!