Show and Tell: Crown Jewel Hat

63Stella on Ravelry made a Crown Jewel hat out of 2 skeins of Plymouth Yarn's Gina.

This is what she had to say about it:

I did this project as a tester and it’s a quick easy knit. I checked my notes and next time I am going do the bobbles thicker so they stand out more. Also I would buy an extra skein of yarn so I can “pick out” colors if I use the Plymouth Gina again.

Thanks for sharing, Stella! Photo is used with her permission.

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Show and Tell: Sprout Blanket

Jill (sheepish1too on Ravelry) made a Sprout Blanket out of 5 skeins of Spud & Chloë Sweater.

This is what she had to say about it:

Gauge is important to make the leaves pop out properly. I am actually making another Sprout now for friend and I am going down a needle size due to my loose gauge to help make the leaves pop more. So you may want to consider doing a gauge swatch.

Decide how much yarn you will need. It is easy to modify this pattern and make it bigger; this will require more yarn. The chart at the top is larger than the beginning and center charts so take that in to account for yarn quantity also.

A friend of mine also made this (RavID: Lightning) and noted some errata so adjust your pattern accordingly. The notes on her project were very helpful!

Look through others’ project pages to see what yarn was used to help you decide what to use. I really like the look of the Spud & Chloe yarn. It has the structure to make the leaves stand out. I also recommend a solid color over instead of variegation for the same reason.

I wrote out the charts as I was having trouble reading it while knitting.

Use stitch markers between each chart and to remind you to do 9 stitches of garter on each end of the blanket.

This is a really nice pattern that isn’t boring to knit but also isn’t terribly complicated, and the result is absolutely beautiful!

Thanks for sharing, Jill! Photo is used with her permission.

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Show and Tell: Ballband Dishcloth

Amanda (blackcat95 on Ravelry) made a classic ballband dishcloth (it's a free pattern!) out of 2 skeins of Cascade Yarns Ultra Pima.

This is what she had to say about it:

Don’t be afraid of clashing colors! I think this pattern really shows up any colors really well, and it’s super fun to knit, so if you love two colors but aren’t sure they go together, I’m pretty sure the pattern will make up for anything.

Thanks for sharing, Amanda! Photo is used with her permission.

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Show and Tell: Dangly Orange

Gail (roadrunnerknitter on Ravelry) made a Dangly Orange out of 2 skeins of Shibui Knits Linen.

This is what she had to say about it:

I think it is a versatile pattern, lending itself to many types of yarn: wool, linen, silk, cotton. I do think it looks better with a larger needle and a yarn weight that can create an open look. That’s what makes it look so lacy and floaty. The pattern does cause the yarn to curl a bit at one end, but I think that adds to the appearance. I and others added beads, and I think it would just fine without any. It’s a very wide shawl relative to its depth, and someone could change the look by doing increases also on the WS, something I might try if I knit it again. They could also just add more stockinette and eyelet rows for more depth.

Thanks for sharing, Gail! Photo is used with her permission.

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Show and Tell: Presto Chango

Pat (pattybknitting on Ravelry) made a Presto Chango! out of 2 skeins of Spud & Chloë Sweater.

This is what she had to say about it:

This is quick and easy…Knitting the placket is engaging and choosing the buttons was fun. The yarn is soft and practical for a baby garment…and it’s darling isn’t it?!

Thanks for sharing, Pat! Photo is used with her permission.

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Show and Tell: A Summer Scarf

Dagmar (Daggi13 on Ravelry) made a scarf she called "Nori" out of 1 skein of Rowan Fine Art.

This is what she had to say about it:
The pattern is from knitty, but I just knitted a little scarf. Increased stitches up to a width of about 18 cm , went on without increasing, and then I decreased the stitches.

And the yarn, Rowan Fine Art is fantastic!

Thanks for sharing, Dagmar! Photo is used with her permission.

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Show and Tell: Queen for A Day!

Amy Shelton, the Co-owner and Online Manager of Crochetville, wrote to share a story about her Queen for a Day pattern and our very own Steven.

I first met Steven when he had a booth at the Knit & Crochet Show in Minneapolis in 2011. Although I had a very busy conference schedule, I managed to carve out time to visit the uber-fabulous StevenBe store in Minneapolis, not to mention spending a lot of time in his booth on the show floor. I love sparkle and glitter just about as much as Steven does, so I thought I'd died and gone to heaven! I was thrilled to learn Steven had a booth at the Knit & Crochet Show in Indianapolis last week.

Because you can never have too much sparkle, I designed some crowns to wear in the booth to grab the attention of show attendees. The crowns make people smile, and many stop to talk with me about them. Since I'm selling Red Heart yarn in my booth, we were wearing the crowns made from their brand of cotton thread (the silver one is also heavily beaded). My good friend, crochet designer Tammy Hildebrand, and I wore the crowns in the booth and when walking around the show floor.

Every time Steven saw us, he mentioned the crowns and how much he needed to have one of his own. Well, I just happened to have a couple extra crowns up in my room: the first one I designed using Filatura di Crosa's New Smoking yarn. What was a sparkle-loving girl to do? Obviously, I had to run up to the room, grab a Queen for the Day crown, and present it to Steven as a gift!

He gave me the biggest hug, put it right on his head, and told me he was going to wear it when he emceed The Knitting Guild Association's Fun Night that evening. Saturday morning, he told me he actually had worn the crown that night.

Steven mentioned starting a Crown Club for all his wonderful Diva customers who deserve a crown of their very own. What a fabulous idea!

The Queen for a Day pattern is available in these locations:

Crochetville:
http://www.crochetville.com/community/files/file/7-queen-for-a-day-crown/

Ravelry:
http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/queen-for-a-day-crown

Thanks, Amy! It looks fabulous.

Show and Tell: Cap Sleeve Lattice Top

Jodi (JodiTheGrandma) knit a Cap Sleeve Lattice Top out of 1 skein each of Schoppel-Wolle Leinen Los and madelinetosh tosh merino light.

This is what she had to say about it.

I decided to do mine in the round at a gauge of about 5.5 sts/in. Since I wear a small, I altered it down to 176sts (I knit it in the round), which left me with 88sts for the front and 88sts for the back (which happened to be multiples of 3+1 for the ‘lattice’ portion). I knit to 14” for the body of the piece because it was more flattering for my body at that length. A simple Kitchener stitch hid the seaming on the back pretty well… in fact, I can wear it either way because they look about the same!

It was nice to work on something totally basic since I’ve been doing a lot of car/movie/social-time knitting and need to not always be looking :)

Thanks, Jodi! It looks so nice for summer heat. Photo is used with her permission.

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Show and Tell: Crochet with Two Kinds of Rowan Yarns

Tina (TinaSanders on Ravelry) crocheted a Spring Petals Scarf using 1 skein of Rowan Fine Art and 1 skein of Rowan Kidsilk Haze.

This is what she had to say about it:
This pattern was perfect to show off the beauty of both yarns and sometimes the most simple designs yields fantastic results. For those who are new to crochet, this is a great beginner project that only requires one skein of yarn. I’ve also come to realize that sock yarn is not only for socks and can be perfect for many projects, both for knit and crochet.

Thanks for sharing, Tina! Photo is used with her permission.

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Show and Tell: A Tee from Sock Yarn

Dayana (who is also dayana on Ravelry) made a lovely Rowan Fine Art Tee using less than one skein each of Cascade Yarns Heritage Solids & Quatro Colors and Rowan Fine Art. She blogged about it (and a trip to New Orleans) here.

This is what she had to say about it:
This can be a great stash-buster project for partial skeins or even skein scraps. Choose the first stripe to be the yarn you have less of. You can follow the stripe pattern, as is, until it is gone and then finish with all contrast color. Or, feel free to play with the stripes to really maximize the use of your skein over the whole body length. If you are nerdy like me, I’m sure you could weigh the tee at the midpoint (7/7), and figure out how many stripes you can do!

Thanks for sharing, Dayana! Photo is used with her permission.

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Show and Tell: Another Easy Shrug

Jenn Weidner of J. Rae Fashion made another shrug piece to show off!

This is the same principal as at last shrug I sent you. It's a big rectangle folded in half and seamed.

This one is 107 stitches as a circumference and the brown one was only 50. This piece has more drape!

I love the rider thread of bead and stone pieces. It's an unexpected texture that starts conversations!

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Thanks for sharing, Jenn!

Want to share your story? Email me at jessie at stevenbe dot com.

Show and Tell: Cashmere Cozy

Warmer weather is finally here, but if you want something cuddly (but not too big) to knit and prepare for next winter, this week's show and tell might be just the ticket.

EnchantingJuno on Ravelry made a Rachael's ISBN Cabled Hot Water Bottle Cozy out of two skeins of Jade Sapphire Mongolian Cashmere 8-ply.

This is what she had to say about it:

Choose something you really really love. - make sure its a heavier worsted-to-chunky rather than a lighter one - I find with hot water bottle covers that you want to knit them tight and dense, otherwise it might not insulate the bottle against your skin very well.


I love this thing because it’s such a ridiculous luxury - but because it’s only 200 yards you really can use something special.

Thanks for sharing, Juno!

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Show and Tell: Easy Shrug

Jenn Weidner of J. Rae Fashion made this cute shrug piece out of handspun yarn. www.JRaeFashion.com

This shrug is an easy project that beginners can make in a weekend!

The piece is a knit rectangle with simple seaming that creates big sleeves perfect for layering over a cute tank, cotton shirts, or thin sweaters!

I used the following yarns:
Moda•Dea - Curious (Ivory-9116) and Aerie (9116)
Berroco - Bonsai (4103)
Knit One Crochet Too - Ruby (892)
Size 13 Circular Needles to accommodate the number of stitches (this piece is knit back and forth, not in the round)

Approx Width 44", Length 24"

Cast on 84 stitches (88 for a large/XL).

Work St Stitch for 10 inches and place marker. It is a good idea to place a marker on both sides.

Continue to work until piece is 30 inches (36 for L/XL). Again place marker on both sides.

Work another 10 inches and bind off.

To finish, fold piece in half (lengthwise), match up markers. Sew the side seams from the edge to the markers. This will leave an opening in the center creating a shrug.

Have fun using unique yarns! Also, the sleeves are easily lengthened by knitting 12, 14, or even 18 inch sleeves.

Thanks for sharing, Jenn!

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Show and Tell: Lotus Mimi Cowl

Brigitte Elliott (BZKnitter on Ravelry) knit a cowl for a friend using one skein of Lotus Mimi.

This is what she had to say about it:

The yarn is like knitting a cloud--soft and oh, so light. It’s so hard not to say, “Feel this!” without sounding like a broken record (or a pervert). LOL!

The cowl is a fast knit in which one is able to knit “mindlessly.”

With a size 8 needle, cast on 210 stitches and work the cowl in the round. The first few rows and last few rows were done in stockinette stitch to allow both ends to roll on themselves.

Between sections of stockinette stitch, a modified seed stitch was used, K1, P2. Knitting K1, P2 in juxtaposition by moving the three-stitch cluster over by one stitch on a following round creates a “step” movement in the patterning. In this design as in others which are seen from both sides of the fabric, it is always nice to show both purl and knit stitches.

The cowl can be worn full length which will extend to the waist (depending on the person’s torso). Doubled, the cowl gently encircles the neckline to add a little warmth and softness. It’s just way too “yummy!”

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Thanks for sharing, Brigitte! Photos are used with her permission.

Want to share your story? Email me at jessie at stevenbe dot com.

Show and Tell: Newborn Photo Prop

Jenn Weidner of J. Rae Fashion made this cute newborn piece out of handspun yarn for a friend.

This piece is a wonderful gift for new moms and makes a beautiful prop for pictures!

It is important to use yarns of the same weight in this Snuggie!

Each piece is knit individually and then sewn together.

It is important to swatch to make sure your piece will be the correct size.

A general pattern for this piece would look like this:

Using a medium weight yarn and size 10 1/2 circular needles to accommodate the large number of stitches.

Front Piece:
Cast on 52 stitches. Work St Stitch until piece measures 16 inches.
Work double rib for 4 inches.

(I created button holes and a 2x2 rib pattern that measured 11" x 2 1/2" along the right side of the piece)

Bind off.

Back Piece:
Cast on 64 stitches and work St stitch until piece measures 25" bind off.

Hood:
Cast on 64 stitches. Work 2x2 rib pattern for 3"
Work St stitch for 8" and bind off.

Sew pieces together.
I sewed curved edges and trimmed excess yarn from inside corners.

Please note that I used many different yarns and that your swatch will yield individual results. Count your stitches and make a decision on the dimensions you would like your piece to measure. The above directions are only a guideline.

Thanks for sharing, Jenn!

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Show and Tell: Like Buttah!

Julie (passioknits on Rav) knit a Cinnamon Toast shawl out of 3 skeins of Lotus Mimi (held double). She called it "Like Buttah!" on Ravelry, if you're looking for it.

This is what she had to say about it:

I LOVED this pattern, but I love doesn’t even begin to measure how much I adore this yarn! It is exquisite! I knew when I felt it that I wanted it to be something I would wear as close to my skin as possible, and that I would probably double it to get more cush out of it. I’m glad I did, because it is the softest thing I’ve ever felt! And ultra warm and cozy!

The pattern was a nice change from all the lace I usually do. I definitely recommend putting a marker on the public side so that you always know what you’re doing, because it quickly gets hard to tell which side is which. I love the simple beauty of the pattern and enjoyed making the triangles and diamonds appear with just some knit and purl stitches. It has a nice thickness and beautiful drape, and the ruffly bottom is so lovely and feminine! I will probably make another one (or more) of these, and I highly recommend both the pattern and the yarn.

Photo is from Julie's Ravelry page, and is used with her permission.

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Show and Tell: Just Enough Ruffles

Mindyo1 on Ravelry made a lovely Just Enough Ruffles with 4 skeins of Jade Sapphire Mongolian Cashmere 8-ply.

She sent us this note about it:

I knit it up for my shop, and also wear it as one of my favorite winter pieces to keep me warm and cozy. Nothing’s better than cashmere!

Thanks, Mindy! It looks wonderful.

Photo is from Mindy's Ravelry page, and is used with her permission.

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Show and Tell: Cashmere Bandana Cowl

Karen (kbnature on Ravelry) knit a Cashmere Bandana Cowl (designed by The Purl Bee) from two skeins of Jade Sapphire Mongolian Cashmere 8-ply. 

This is what she had to say about it.

I think the short row tutorial that they’ve got on their website is particularly well done and helpful when making this pattern, unless a knitter is completely conversant working short rows….

You can find out a lot more about Karen on her blog. 

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Thanks for sharing, Karen!

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Show and Tell: Lacy Mink Cardi

Shaye (ShayeDKnits on Ravelry) made a Lacy Mink Cardi using 3 skeins of Lotus Mimi.

This is what she had to say about it.

I really loved working with the mink yarn. It has a soft hand and a beautiful sheen. The lacy pattern shows up beautifully in the mink. I enjoyed the pattern a lot too and will be adapting portions of it to offer a workshop at my LYS. In this feather and fan pattern, you add beads to your knitting as you work and complete a gorgeous lacy border which adds a special elegance to the garment.

My shop is called Fun with Fiber, and is located in Farmington Hills, Michigan.

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Thanks for sharing, Shaye!

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Show and Tell: Rescued Mink Tres Laces Cowl

Anne (mamaduke2 on Ravelry) made a Rescued Mink Tres LacesCowl using Lotus Mimi. 

This is what she had to say about it.

When I first finished the cowl, my cast on was not loose enough, so it was unbalanced, unfortunately. It would not hang properly then. I started unraveling, intending to start over, when I learned of a way to potentially fix the cast on by inserting needles into an early row, then cut yarn above it (yes, I said CUT), and then knit a couple of rows and do lose cast off.

So I did pick up stitches from unravelled edge, but one or two picked up a row below, so there were a few vulnerable stitches on safety pins. Then I needed to figure out where in the pattern that edge is and complete before tackling the other end.

I picked up all my stitches, and fixed it! 

The pattern is lovely and the designer is very responsive to questions.

Though the directions say to use one pillow, I used two to fill up space.

I LOVE MY MINK!

The one thing I’d do differently, knowing that the yarn was actually lace weight rather than fingering, would be to use a smaller needle, just one size, as I do need to “fluff” the cowl periodically during the day. Also, the larger needle yielded a cowl that is too long to wear untwisted. Though it does look nice twisted, I love the drape of the finger weight version that isn’t as long, and it could also be twisted.

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Thanks for sharing, Anne!

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