Organizing Yarn

In the past few weeks I have been doing a lot of organizing and developing my ideas for the Home Decorating Challenge. At the beginning of last year I did the Home Organization Challenge and the focus was on decluttering. This year I continue to focus on getting things better organized for my business and my family and I have been improving on how I do things and finding better solutions for organizing and displaying items in my home.

I work from home, and I have several areas of the house that I work from. This helps to keep things organized and allows me to create a separate work space for the different type of activities that I do in my business. This year two of the areas that are at the top of my list are my sewing and craft studios. My sewing studio is on the main floor of the house, just off of the kitchen and my craft studio is in the basement.

One of the things I started with was to reorganize my yarn stash. I have started to collect more yarn than I may have bargained for and it was getting a bit out of hand. I recently purchased a ton of plastic storage boxes ("shoe box" bins) from Walmart and they were just the things I needed to corral the excess yarn. I love these containers and I have used them before in other parts of my home. I love that you can see the contents, the lids are great and they are stackable.  I love labeling, but I can easily see the contents in this case and did not feel it was necessary. I passed on labeling them because I felt they looked cleaner and less busy by leaving them plain. Next time I will share with you what my new yarn cabinet looks like.

How do you organize your yarn?

Crocodile Crochet Stitch

In my continued effort to develop my knitting and crochet skills, I have been exploring new stitches. One of my recent projects include the very beautiful "crocodile" or "mermaid" crochet stitch. After knitting the initial piece to about 8"x 24", I added three rows of this stitch to finish it off.  I also added a velvet ribbon to bring things together.

I love combining knitting with crochet, and seeing the wonderful results you can get. I am looking forward to wearing my new cowl this winter and trying more projects with this stitch. I also think that the colour is amazing and looks stunning with my cream wool jacket.

For this project I used a size J/10 (6.00mm) crochet hook and size US 10.5 (6.5mm) knitting needles. I was able to complete the project with one ball of Lion Brand "Homespun" yarn in "Tulips" colour.

A great video tutorial on how to do the crocodile crochet stitch can be found here!

Learning to Knit a Hat

I have wanted to learn how to knit for some time now and started many years ago, but did not get very far. Last year, I started teaching myself how to knit from some books and online video tutorials. My first two projects were more of a sample piece that I embellished with some crochet details. I was happy with them and used them quite a lot. However, it was more about me getting use to knitting and getting comfortable with the process. I did not have a pattern and the end product was purely by accident and I simply designed as I went along.

Recently I decided to embark on my first real pattern and follow some instructions. I was happy to receive some much-needed assistance from one of my sewing students and her friend. Both these ladies were kind enough to spend an hour with me explaining a few very helpful points about knitting. At the end of our one-hour session, I had discovered that I was actually not doing too badly and had figured out how to pick-up a dropped stitch and discovered that a "Stockinette" stitch was the same knit, pearl pattern I was doing all along.

I wanted to share my latest project with you. I got a simple free pattern from off of the Lion Brand website and even though I used a smaller needle and thinner thread, I was able to create a beautiful hat that fits my son Miles. Next time I'll have to get the proper size needle and yarn so that the hat will fit me.

These pictures were taken with a little effort to get him to sit for more than two seconds, but he was a willing model and we had lots of fun taking pictures.

I used two 10 1/2 U.S. (6.5 mm) needles and a #5 bulky Bernat yarn. I added two rows of basic crochet stitch to the bottom edge of the hat to finish it off. I think however that I must have missed a row or two of stitches, because the finished hat looks a bit different than the picture for the pattern. I had fun doing this project and was able to finish in a couple hours (and I'm really slow).  If you will like to try it out, visit Lion Brand website and refer to pattern number L0503B.  However, I think that the only way to download the pattern is to join their website.

 

Learning to Knit

Knitting is among the list of things I will like to learn this year. When my eight-year-old son Matthew was born I started knitting a baby blue sweater for him, but I never completed the sweater. I learnt to crochet when I was little, and was always fascinated with knitting. Since picking up my crochet needle over the holidays, I have therefore decided to teach myself how to knit.

Armed with my knitting needles in hand and a vague recollection of what I had to do, I was determined to start and finish a project. I decided to use this wonderful Lion Brand yarn that I had left over from making my mom a crochet hat. With the almost overwhelming amount of information available at the library and online, I was able to figure things out. I now have my first knitted project.

{ lots of ways it can be worn }

When I was finished with the flat knitted piece, I felt like it needed something more, so I added a scalloped crochet edge and further embellished with crochet flowers and leaves. The flowers and leaves double as my closure. I cannot, by any stretch of the imagination call myself a knitter now; however, I did enjoy creating this project and will love to work on some more projects. I did not use a pattern, but instead created as I went along. Perhaps my next step should be to learn a pattern or two. A cheer to those who create wonderful knitwear designs!

Making a Knitted I-Cord Flower

This week we are happy to introduce our new DIY project. We had the pleasure of meeting with knitwear designer Jennifer Gontier of Hipknitized last week (read profile), and she demonstrated; how to make a "Knitted I-Cord Flower." This project requires two double point knitting needles, yarn and a tapestry needle. There are lots of possibilities for how you can use this flower to embellish your projects.

Please find below our video tutorial:

Featuring Jennifer Gontier of Hipknitized

Knitwear Designer and Guest Instructor

A FREE instructional sheet has been included with this project to help you to create your own.

Click for FREE download

Your comments are welcomed. You are also invited to join us and share images of your finished projects on our Facebook wall.

Have fun!

Profile: Jennifer Gontier

Jennifer Gontier is the designer and owner of Hipknitized. Hipknitized is a knitwear company that focuses on handmade fashion accessories for women, men and children. Jennifer met with Crafted Spaces to talk about her designs and her passion for knitting.

Jennifer decided to become a stay at home mom, after having her son three years ago. She wanted to work from home and have the flexibility of spending as much time as possible with her son. Faced with the added challenge of being a single mother, Jennifer wanted to do something that she could develop into a viable business and that she is passionate about. With the added moral support of her family, Hipknitized was established in 2009.

Jennifer Gontier, Designer and Owner

pictured above with "Fair Trade" items

Jennifer designs a great collection of hats, scarves, cowls, booties, mitts and accessories. She also provides a collection of "Fair Trade" products, produced in India. Jennifer's original designs are created with environmental consciousness and comfort in mind. Some designs are created using yarn from reclaimed sweaters and are embellished with reclaimed buttons.

Hipknitized is a vibrant collection, with rich texture and bold detail. Jennifer tells us that she is not afraid to break the rules. The result is a unique product line that is fashionable and skillfully crafted. She also took the time to present us with a DIY project on how to make a: Knitted I-Cord Flower.

Baby cap with a floral pin

Hipknitied designs are fashioned from wool and synthetic fibres, employing a range of knitting and crochet techniques. As indicated, an assortment of items is available; however, the collection is primarily for teens and children with a wonderful selection of items for babies and toddlers as featured in these photos.

There is something for everyone. Jennifer also provides custom order service and will design an item to your specification. Hipknitized designs are available direct from the company, as well as online at its Etsy shop or at select retailers in the Barrie, Ontario area.

Baby crochet hat with vintage button

HIPKNITIZED PHOTOS COURTESY OF HIPKNITIZED

PHOTOGRAPHY BY ALLISON MILNE PHOTOGRAPHY

Jennifer has recently added a collection of "Fair Trade" items (seen in first photo above) to her business. These items are available at trade and craft shows. This unique selection of items from India are ethically made and have been designed with environmentally friendly processes. For more information about these items, please contact Jennifer for more details.

UPDATE

View our studio interview with Jennifer Gontier:

To order your Hipknitized design email; hipknitized@gmail.com of visit the blog at www.hipknitized.blogspot.com