Speaking of gifts for guys...the current free pattern would make a great gift for that fun and playful male in your life. Download the free Jughead Hat pattern before it disappears tomorrow!!

Eileen

Does anyone have any fun knit/crochet projects that would make good Father's Day gifts? I'm finding it's kind of a tough thing to come up with! I did find this syrup cozy on etsy that I know my dad would get a huge kick out of (especially if it came covering a brand new bottle of maple syrup). And I thought these felted coasters would be a fun gift for any dad who likes to entertain.

But really, aside from winter wear, what would you recommend knitting as a guy gift? And if you're not knitting/crocheting something...how will you be acknowleding dear old DAD this Father's Day?

Eileen

Hooray summer has arrived!  Well, it is sunny at the moment but no doubt rain is not to far away!  Now is the time to put all your scarf, jumper and mitten patterns away and knit/crochet something lighter and a bit more summery.   If you haven’t yet tried out one of our free patterns now is a great time to get started.  The Flirt Napkin Skirt from Yarnplay at Home by Lisa Shobhana Mason’s is a quirky, quick and easy project and will make a great addition to your outdoor dinning set.  You can use any colour so why not go for bright pink or yellow to brighten things up.

If you are after a bigger project try knitting or crocheting a picnic blanket, it is a great thing to have in the boot of your car and take out with you on day trips.  You can make it as big or as small as you like and in any pattern or colour.  The easiest way to knit or crochet a blanket is to work in squares and there are 2 great books full of different patterns for inspiration.  200 Knitted Blocks and 200 Crochet Blocks both by Jan Eaton.

Each book features 200 beautiful block designs with instructions on different ways of joining them to make blankets and throws that are both functional and decorative.  All stitches and techniques are clearly explained with step-by-step illustrations, from working in rows and in the round to joining blocks and making figures. At-a-glance symbols denote the methods used and level of difficulty, so both new and experienced crafters can easily create a crochet/knitted masterpiece.

Enjoy the weather!

Marie

We just finished up our first Knitalong (a shrug from the book Fitted Knits) and now it’s time to launch Knitalong #2! A few girls in our group here at work were discussing what might be a good project, and it quickly became apparent that we all had BABY projects on our list. So, this time around we’re focusing on babies!

The freebie pattern this time around is the Ducky Cardigan from Hannah Fettig’s book, Closely Knit (UK readers click here for book info). However, we encourage everyone to pick whatever baby project tickles your fancy.

I myself will be doing the cardigan (as I think it’s the cutest little sweater I’ve ever seen!), I think Jessica might be making a pair of baby pants, and a newcomer to the group, Kelly, is hoping to make a darling little purse for her 9 month old daughter. (This will be Kelly’s first jab at knitting, so we’ll have to cheer her along through the project!)

I’m about halfway done with the back part of the cardigan. I chose to make the 6 month size, in hopes that the recipient can wear it for more than a day. It’s going to be a gift for my new niece/nephew that should be arriving in the next few weeks. I didn’t want to make anything too close to newborn size for fear that it might be too small from the get go.

So, come join along in the fun! We’ll be discussing the projects here on the blog and in the message board. Share with us what baby project you’re working on. And if you’ve written any patterns that you’d like to share, send us an email and we’ll share them with the group!

Happy knitting everyone!

Eileen

Our first MyCraftivity knitalong has recently come to a successful close. We had so much fun knitting our shrugs--I wore mine last week over a blue-and-green dress (perfect!) and got lots of compliments (no one even noticed that strange hole right above the ribbed section in the back that I meant to fix and forgot to). I also brought it along to a picnic last week, and it was just the thing to put on when I needed a little warmth.

Here's me modeling my finished shrug last week. The flower in my hair is courtesy of the Cinco de Mayo party thrown by the fine art team. A nice touch, I think.

And another pic...

Another editor on our team also made a fetching shrug in lovely autumnal colors. Here it is modeled by another of our staffers.

If you knitted the two-tone shrug, we'd love to see it! If you still want to make one yourself, it certainly isn't too late! Many of the ladies in our knitting group are still working on their shrugs. Just pick up a copy of Fitted Knits, by Stefanie ****el, and 2 skeins of Cascade 220, and you're well on your way!

Or we welcome you to join us on our next Knitalong, the Great Baby Knitalong. We're offering the Ducky Cardigan pattern for free during this Knitalong. It's from Closely Knit, by Hannah Fettig. Check it out, you won't be able to resist.

Or knit anything for baby--just let us know what you're working on.

* Jessica *