Tatamy from Kraemer Yarns

You know the only thing I love as much as working with an old favorite yarn is working with a new delicious yarn. I'll give you two guesses what I have been doing... that's right I found a new delicious yarn, Tatamy from Kraemer Yarns. You are going to want to set your needles down and listen to me rave about this yummy yarn.

I have worked with both cotton and acrylic, and a myriad of various blend with each, but I don't think I have ever felt a cotton blend that was as soft and beautiful to work with as Tatamy. This is a DK weight, 45/cotton - 55/acrylic blend from Kraemer Yarns. As soon as I gave it the squeeze test I knew a shawl project was born. I love a soft shawl. I worked in Pearl and Navy, which when combined gave a lovely nautical look, as you can see. 

What I really want to stress is how nice this was to work with. As I mentioned it was very soft, and it didn't leave the little yarn trail line on my guiding finger as cotton blends often do. The yarn glides effortlessly on the needles and I didn't have any splitting issues. There were no knots, and no uneven sections. It has been a joy to work with. You can see from the work in progress, which is unblocked and still on needles that the stitches are even and the lay is gorgeous! I can't wait to see how it blocks out. It is going to be stunning.

Tatamy DK is available in 8 pastels, and 16 Tatamy Tweed colors as solids. While you are on their website make sure you browse all of the quality yarns available and stay connected on Facebook and Ravelry so you never miss a new shade, blend or special.

Disclosure: I may receive products in exchange for an honest review. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I personally believe will be good for my readers.

Spring Collection from Louet

My lovely knitters, I have something fabulous to tell you about. You know I love to create shawls and I am always looking the next level. When I saw the Spring Collection from Louet, which is filled with beautiful patterns, I had to make a shawl.

Louet generously sent me the Zambra pattern and my choice of Euroflax colors to knit the pattern. I selected Angelfish Blue, Orchid and Cream. Zambra is two shawl patterns by Susanna IC.  The first is a crescent shawl that is knit using three colors, three skeins, one of each color. The second is a rectangular stole knit using similar pattern stitches and two skeins of one color.  

I decided to knit the beautiful crescent version. Since things are warming up here, I was looking for a unique and light shawl and this one is just perfect. However, after how much I enjoyed working with the yarn and the pattern, I will also be making the stole. It's stunning as well; all of the patterns in the collection are.

The pattern itself is very easy to follow with a mix of written instructions and charts. It was my very first time making wrap and turn short rows but it wasn't hard at all and the result was stunning. I am also not a pro at lace, but the pattern was written so well that I was able to easily make the beautiful, lacy edges.

Speaking of firsts, this was also my first experience with linen. It was a dream to work with. It is a little stiff which actually served to help me manage the stitches. I didn't have any issues at all working with it. It felt good in my hands, good across my fingers and moved effortlessly across my needles. I found it didn't have any splitting issues either. After a wash and dry it has a beautiful drape and is much softer.

You can find the collection on Ravelry HERE, and on the Louet site HERE. There are 12 patterns in the collection. 11 are knit, and one is crochet.

Disclosure: I may receive products in exchange for an honest review. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I personally believe will be good for my readers.

Knitter's Pride Marblz Interchangeable Deluxe Set

When it comes to knitting, you know I love a good quality set of needles, and you also know that I love Knitter's Pride. I had been eyeing the lovely Marblz needles because they are just stunning to look at, of course, but also because of my experience with Knitter's Pride, I knew they would be a pleasure to knit with.

I had to get the Marblz Interchangeable Deluxe Set. As I said the first thing that drew me in was the beauty. These are hand-crafted colors and the patterns have been developed in a special way so that each needle appears exclusive and different than the other. Seriously, who doesn't want a set of one-a-kind pieces of functional art?

Not that I will ever grow tried of admiring them, but I want to pause on that and talk about the functionality. The needles have a bit of grab and that makes working with more delicate and slippy yarns so much easier. I am a stitch dropper so I really appreciate a grabby needle. It is also very helpful when you are doing stitches that take fiddling, as they tend to slip off when you are maneuvering, well, for me anyways.

They have gradually tapered points that easily go into stitches, even my more stressed out and tighter stitches. The weight is light and they are a little flexible, both of which makes the time I can knit longer as it helps to slow down hand fatigue.

The set comes with 18 Marblz Interchangeable Circular Needles (9 sizes – 2 needle tips in each size US 4 (3.5mm) to US 11 (8.0mm)) packed in attractive Black & White faux leather case with see through vinyl. The case it really handy. It has a spot for all the needles as well as a place to keep the 4 Cords (to make 24", 40" & 2 of 32"), 8 End caps, 4 Cord keys, and 1 Set of cord connectors that come with the set as well.

This is my very favorite set now and I can't begin to tell you how nice they are to knit with. You need to get a set and fall in love with them yourself. You can find details about these and their other great products offered by Knitter's Pride on their website and stay in touch with them on Facebook as well. 

Disclosure: I may receive products in exchange for an honest review. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I personally believe will be good for my readers. 

Karbonz Interchangeable Deluxe Set from Knitter's Pride

If you are like me, when you find a brand that works for you, you stick with it. Knitter's Pride is my brand for both crochet and knitting tools. I get really excited each time I see something new added to their website.

Last time I was browsing the site, the Karbonz Interchangeable Deluxe Set caught my attention immediately. I was curious to see how they would feel since I have never used a anything made with carbon fiber. When they arrived I immediately cast on and the first thing I noticed was that I liked the amount of flexibility. They are ridged enough to give you perfect, even stitches with the slightest amount of give, that I often need as I stitch tight. 

The tips are tapered, smooth, brass and glide easily into my stitches; even my stressed out stitches. I found them to be very light weight and easy to knit with. The weight made them perfect for longer knitting sessions, which if you are like me, often happens on the weekend. I also noticed they were warm in my hands also adding to the length of time I could knit.

This set of nine includes US sizes: 2.5, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, and 10. There are four cords that allow you to make lengths from 24" to 40" and there are also size marker end caps and cord keys. All of this comes in a beautiful grey and black fabric, zippered case that has a clear vinyl front and will easily fit in my purse for easy travel since it lays flat. The set really has everything you will need and the needle sizes cover all of the patterns I have wanted to start.

When it comes to quality, I have always been with Knitter's Pride and I have a lot of sets in their various materials. This set also feels to be made of the highest quality materials and I trust I will be knitting with them for a long time to come. I would highly recommend these if you are looking for a new needle set.

You can find details about these and their other great products offered by Knitter's Pride on their website and stay in touch with them on Facebook as well. 

Disclosure: I may receive products in exchange for an honest review. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I personally believe will be good for my readers. 

Easyloop Fauxchet Available at Leisure Arts

I have a multi-use tool for all my fiber artists. Maybe you are a knitter who struggles with the hook or a hooker who wants a denser knitted look to their fabrics. In either case, the Fauxchet that I picked up from Leisure Arts can help. I am always game when it comes to new ways to play with yarn, so I was pretty excited to get to try one. 

In addition to giving a denser looking fabric that is a cross between knit and crochet, you can also use the tool to do beading, seaming, edging, or to do top & loop stitching. It can also be used on canvas projects including those cool canvas rug designs. The tool itself is very lightweight plastic with three metal tips that look like the eye end of a needle. The eyes are pretty large and easy to thread as it is designed to be used with worsted or bulky weight yarns. 

I took the Easyloop tool with me on a short road trip to past time; as you know I don't travel well. I practiced the chain stitch, which my crocheters know is very important to master before moving on. At first, I definitely struggled with consistency but by the end of my trip I had a nice chain and I feel like I am ready to move on to learning stitches.   

With the tool came a little booklet that had two patterns for easy scarves using the basic tools and also a link to the website where you can find useful videos as well as free PDF. You can also find more resources on the Leisure Arts website as well.

Are you ready to learn a new way to do yarn crafts? If so, I think you will find the Easyloop Fauxchet is the most versatile tool available. I love how many different things you an do with it! Head over and take some time to browse Leisure Arts' great selection and make sure you also connect with Leisure Arts on Facebook and Twitter so that you never miss a special or new pattern! Also, if you sign up for their knitting or crochet newsletters, you get a free pattern on Fridays!

Disclosure: I may receive products in exchange for an honest review. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I personally believe will be good for my readers.

Wound Up in Murder by Betty Hetchman

While I have always been a reader, and pretty partial to mysteries, I had been in a TV watching phase and let my reading slip. There was one author that ended that and reminded me why I love a good mystery, that author is Betty Hetchman and since I found her, I have yet to spend a night watching TV. Wound Up in Murder is the third part in the Yarn Retreat Mystery series and it was as fabulous as the first two.

From the back of the book:

In the newest Yarn Retreat Mystery from the national bestselling author of Silence of the Lamb’s Wool, dessert chef Casey Feldstein continues to develop her hidden talents for knitting…and solving murders.

With two yarn retreats in the bag, Casey is looking forward to running her third one at Cadbury by the Sea’s Vista Del Mar hotel on the Monterey Peninsula. This time, each knitter will get a Mystery Bag of knitting materials to turn into a personal project.

But Casey gets tangled up in another retreat at the same hotel, when the organizer and his wife have a very public spat. As Casey is delivering her baked goods later that night, she finds the woman dead in the bushes with a magician’s silk scarf nearby—just like the scarf Casey’s ex-boyfriend, Sammy, used during his magic act at the retreat. As Sammy takes center stage as the prime suspect, Casey and her friends will have to stitch together the clues before the real killer pulls a disappearing act...

My thoughts:

Every part of this series makes me wish I lived somewhere close to a yarn retreat or that I traveled well. Could you imagine a retreat with your fellow yarn addicts? This part had the same awesome characters. As you may recall, I bonded with Casey because she is real, messes up, a reminds me of someone I would sit down and knit with, especially if she brought the muffins.  

The Vista Del Mar, where the retreat takes place, has really grown on me and so has Kevin the slightly unpleasant manager. I really like Sammy, Casey's friend/ex and since he was the one the bumbling detective was focused on, I was totally routing for Casey to figure this out. Of course, I always route for her... I was turning pages fast and furious, up all night, and bang, I never saw it coming. There was a very cool explanation that left me feeling satisfied and, as usual, longing for the next part. Of course, while you are waiting for the next part there are patterns and recipes to try in the back of the book.

If you are not reading this series, start, start now, grab them all while you are shopping and make sure you also grab the Crochet Mystery while you are at it - you can't go wrong with Betty Hechtman.

Take some time to browse the other great mysteries available from Berkley Prime Crime. While you are there, you can sign up for the newsletter so you never miss a new release. I must warn you though, after browsing my wish list is longer than I could probably read. You can also connect with them on Twitter where can happen across a fun giveaway as well. 

Disclosure: I may receive products in exchange for an honest review. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I personally believe will be good for my readers.

Knitter's Pride Spectra Trendz Acrylic Needles Interchangeable Deluxe Set

Where are my knitters? I have one more fabulous set of Knitter's Pride Needles to tell you about.... and yes there will be a giveaway. The last two we talked about were metal sets and this set is an acrylic set.

The Spectra Trendz Acrylic Needles Interchangeable Deluxe Set has nine pairs of needles in the most popular sizes, plus cords in a variety of lengths and caps. First, lets talk about the storage case! It's pink and vinyl, with a see through window. I love that it has a place for all of the needles as well as place to store the cords and caps which even has room for you toss in your pattern notes and the random bits and bobs us traveling knitters need.  

The needles themselves are very pretty coming in a range of lustrous colors that help make each needle size easy to pair and identify by size. They do feel very different to the metal ones when you use them as they has some give and also seem to grab the yarns more. That makes them perfect for slippy yarns. I am a stitch dropper so this set has fast become my favorite. The are very lightweight and I found I was able to knit for hours without getting any hand fatigue or aches. I made very fast progress on the shawl I was working on using these awesome needles. 

Now I know you are thinking about that giveaway I mentioned! I am seriously excited that I will be giving one of you your very own set, exactly like the set I reviewed! Enter using the Rafflecopter below. Open to US residents, 18 years and older. Winner has 48 to respond before another is drawn. Good luck!

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Disclosure: I may receive products in exchange for an honest review. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I personally believe will be good for my readers. My Empty Nest is not responsible for lost or misdirected mail.

Knitter's Pride Nova Cubics Platina Interchangeable Deluxe Set

I just know my knitters are going to be so happy to hear I have found another fabulous set of needles to tell you about! Plus.... there will be a giveaway so hang out until the end. I do hope you recall we just chatted about Knitter's Pride and the fabulous Nova Platina Single Pointed Needle Set. Now I want to tell you about another fabulous Nova set, this one is the Cubics Platina Interchangeable Deluxe Set!

As with the last set, the first thing I want to talk about is the beautiful functional case. It is a pretty gray case with a clear panel so you can see exactly what you looking for. It has elastic places for each set of tips, so that they are always held together neatly just waiting for your next project. 

When you flip the needle part back you find a little pocket that holds your end caps, cords, cord keys and cord connectors. I also found that it has enough room to put in the current patterns I am working on; that way I always have my needles and patterns. If you are like me, trying to remember to grab everything before leaving the house can be challenging, so it is nice to have it all in one place.

Now let's talk about the set itself. I love that you get everything you need. There are seven sets of tips in US sizes 6,7,8,9,10,10.5, and 11. There are also 4 cords in lengths of 24", 32" (there are two in this size) and 40". Plus, if you need bigger sizes, there is also a set of cord connectors. You will also find 8 end caps which I love because I am always swapping out projects as I can never have just one, and four cord keys which make changing things out a breeze. 

Now let's talk about what makes these needles stand out above the rest. They are made from hollow brass pipes and then plated with chrome. The chrome is such a smooth surface and your yarn just glides easily over it with no snags or dragging. The cuboid shape gradually turns into a nice long perfectly tapered brass needle tip. 

Speaking of the tip, look how pointy it is! It is perfect for picking up stitches. I found these very comfy in my hands and was able to knit in perfect comfort without any hand aches.  

Have you browsed Knitters Pride lately too see what's new? You can also follow them on Facebook and Twitter to stay up to date with new products and for fun blogs posts and giveaways. 

Now I know you are thinking about that giveaway I mentioned! I am seriously excited that I will be giving one of you your very own set, exactly like the set I reviewed! Enter using the Rafflecopter below. Open to US residents, 18 years and older. Winner has 48 to respond before another is drawn. Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Disclosure: I may receive products in exchange for an honest review. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I personally believe will be good for my readers. My Empty Nest is not responsible for lost or misdirected mail.

Knitter's Pride Nova Platina Single Pointed Needle Set

Where are all my knitters today? I have an awesome set of needles to tell you about. You will want to hang out and read on too because there will be a giveaway! You know I am big on having the right tools for the job and if you read my crochet posts, you know I love, simply adore, my Knitter's Pride Waves crochet hooks. Of course, that means when I wanted a great set of knitting needles, Knitter's Pride was where I looked.

They have a lot of new styles (we will be talking about more!!) But the first set I want to tell you about is the Nova Platina Single Pointed Needle Set. The set has 9 pairs of the most popular sized, single pointed needles. (sizes 4,5,6,7,8,9,10,10.5,11). The first thing I want to mention is the case. It is so, very pretty. It is a black cloth material with a stunning floral pattern. It has a zipper closure with a nice big ring pull. Inside, all of the needles are held neatly in place in little elastic slots. This is perfect to throw in a project bag and take with you anywhere. 

On the tip of the needle is a very pretty end that has a wood grain look, made of the popular Symfonie wood. On the very tip you will find the needle size, which is also printed on the actual needle part. I like that they put it in two places because often the printing can wear with use. 

They are made from hollow brass pipes and plated with chrome, which gives it a shiny smooth surface that yarn glides over with ease for really smooth knitting. They have pointy and tapered tips that worked great with the light cotton I was working with. 

Speaking of light weight, the needles themselves are very lightweight and I was able to work with them all afternoon without any hand cramps or stress on my wrists.

These are going to be my new go-to needles for all of my single point projects like this lovely scarf I started. 

Have you browsed Knitters Pride lately too see what's new? You can also follow them on Facebook and Twitter to stay up to date with new products and for fun blogs posts and giveaways. 

Now I know you are thinking I mentioned a giveaway... I am seriously excited that I will be giving one of you your very own set, exactly like the set I reviewed! Enter using the Rafflecopter below. Open to US residents, 18 years and older. Winner has 48 to respond before another is drawn. Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Disclosure: I may receive products in exchange for an honest review. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I personally believe will be good for my readers. My Empty Nest is not responsible for lost or misdirected mail.

More Blankets!

For a while, I was totally obsessed with making blankets! I think that is waning now because boy, does it take a long time to make a blanket!! 

I started this gray beauty for my husband but while making it, which took forever, he decided he liked something else better, so this one is now mine. It is made with two strands of #4 yarn so it did work up faster than most blankets. However since it is knitted and I knit slowly it still took a very long time. 

This pattern was part of Leisure Arts free pattern Friday, if you sign up for the knitting or/and crochet newsletters you will get a free pattern every Friday!! 

Up next is a crochet blanket. I made this one for my mom. Being crochet, it should have gone faster but this was a little fiddly so it did take a while and it was a yarn eater for sure! You can find this free pattern on Ravelry. This works up into such a lovely family heirloom. 

Blossom Street Collection Book 1 from Leisure Arts

My two great hobby loves are books and yarn arts and I do so love when they come together. Often when I find a fiction book that has a yarn art theme, I will find one or two patterns at the end of the book and occasionally a recipe. Imagine my surprise when I was browsing Leisure Arts and found that they have pattern books, whole books, from the Blossom Street Series by Debbie Macomber!

I instantly had to get my hands on Blossom Street Collection Book 1. One thing I really love is that all of the proceeds from both the Blossom Street pattern books and the Blossom Street Yarn Collection go to helping children all over the world. 

There is something for everyone in this collection with nine patterns ranging from easy to experienced, and from pullovers to tote bags! Plus, it has both knitting and crochet patterns so if you are able to both, it is a real treat! But if you only do one or the other, there is enough unique and lovely patterns in each skill that you won’t be disappointed!

These patterns are easy to follow and there are great pictures as well. I am personally in love with the cover vest, the lace and cables vest. Of course, I would be! You know I have a weak spot for textures and cables. Have you read the Blossom Street Series? Have you ever made any patterns from the back of fiction books?

Take some time to browse Leisure Arts' great selection and make sure you also connect with Leisure Arts on Facebook and Twitter so that you never miss a special or new pattern! Also, if you sign up for their knitting or crochet newsletters, you get a free pattern on Fridays!

Disclosure: I may receive products in exchange for an honest review. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I personally believe will be good for my readers. 

Easy Textured Knits from Leisure Arts

When it comes to knitting, I still consider myself a beginner. I can do a few things like cables, but not with any great speed of certainty like I can with crochet. However, I am always drawn to things with texture as it just seems to add another dimension and make a piece look polished and advanced. 

Easy Textured Knits is a great resource for both beginners and more advanced knitters, as it teaches you how to create beautiful textured things with only the simplest of knitting skills. Meaning even a novice like me can create beautiful textured things. In fact, most of the projects in this book only use the knit and purl and I can do that!! 

You will find 72 stitch patterns with great photos and easy to follow, row by row instructions. Plus, these are arranged in order of difficulty, which makes it easy to know where to look depending on what sort of challenge you are ready for. It even has a section of stitch multiples and chart reading - I am so not good at chart reading! 

Following the stitch gallery, you will find projects, in order of ease, starting with dishcloths! I think they are such a great project to learn on and when you are done mastering a stitch you have something useful to keep or give as a gift. When you want something bigger, there are pillows and even afghan patterns. Once you are feeling confident, there are clothes patterns like vests and pullovers! This stunning empire coat that is on my to do list when I feel my skills are up to the task.You will find 29 patterns in all to keep you in beautiful textured style. 

Have you made any textured knits? I have made a basket weave blanket but  am ready for something more challenging now. 

Take some time to browse Leisure Arts' great selection and make sure you also connect with Leisure Arts on Facebook and Twitter so that you never miss a special or new pattern! Also, if you sign up for their knitting or crochet newsletters, you get a free pattern on Fridays!

Disclosure: I may receive products in exchange for an honest review. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I personally believe will be good for my readers. 

Loom Knits Hats and Scarves from Leisure Arts

Last week, I mentioned that I had just started playing with my new loom. Well, now I am feeling a little more adventurous and ready to try some new patterns. What I really wanted was to make some hats that are slightly fancier than a basic beanie but not too hard for a beginner, like myself. I will give you two guesses who had the books I needed? Exactly! I bet you only needed one guess... Leisure Arts! They always have the perfect pattern book, no matter what I am in the mood for.

This week I had the great chance to read and explore Loom Knits Hats and Scarves. In this book you will find ten patterns for hats, scarves and cowls that range from easy to intermediate, with most being easy. That makes it a perfect starter book for a new loomer like myself.

I was really excited to see a cabled set and can't wait to try that. Of course, those are the intermediate ones so I may need to work a few more easy ones before I move on to those. I love that they have a ruffle pattern because I grabbed some ruffle type yarn on sale and had no idea what to do with that!

As with all the books at Leisure Arts I have read, this one is easy to follow and has great pictures. An extra bonus here is the little camera image which you will find in various places. What that means is, for that technique, you will be able to watch a video of how it is done! For a visual learner like me that is so helpful, I love the new feature.

Have you loomed yet? What type of things have you made?

Take some time to browse Leisure Arts' great selection and make sure you also connect with Leisure Arts on Facebook and Twitter so that you never miss a special or new pattern! Also, if you sign up for their knitting or crochet newsletters, you get a free pattern on Fridays!

Disclosure: I may receive products in exchange for an honest review. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I personally believe will be good for my readers. 

I Can't Beleive I'm Loom Knitting from Leisure Arts

For Christmas, my husband surprised me with a large loom kit that has square and round looms and weavers. I have never loom knitted before and the last time I weaved, it was a small pot holder as a kid. I think we all made a few of those for our moms way back when. Needless to say, I had no patterns or no idea what to do with these cool new looms.

I'll give you one guess where I found the resources I needed... yep! You guessed it; Leisure Arts. They have a great selection of knitting books and, as I had hopped, they eve had some loom knitting books. I settled on I Can't Believe I am Loom Knitting because it seemed the most focused on beginners.

The first part of the book covers the tools you will need to loom knit and, thankfully, my kit included them all. After the tools, it gets straight into working on a round loom. It has clear instructions, great pictures, and fabulous projects designed for beginners. I like that when they explain a new technique they also give a new pattern to work with.

After the round you will find the same attention given to the flat looms. They even show you how to make cable, which you know I love, and iCords! Then they teach decreasing and that let them show you lace making as well! Lace making on a loom, how cool is that? Last there is a section for making short rows, which you may recall from my Tunisian review, are so great for shaping fabric. In all, you will find 18 projects for beginners and beyond. I really am amazed by all you can do with a loom... no more dropped stitches!!

Take some time to browse Leisure Arts' great selection and make sure you also connect with Leisure Arts on Facebook and Twitter so that you never miss a special or new pattern! Also, if you sign up for their knitting or crochet newsletters, you get a free pattern on Fridays!

Disclosure: I may receive products in exchange for an honest review. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I personally believe will be good for my readers. 

Knit Prayer Shawls from Leisure Arts

As I said before, I have been trying to catch up my knitting skills with my crochet skills. I did learn to knit first but once I started to crochet I kind of dropped it, as I find it a bit harder. Since I have a deep love for shawls, I decided a knitting book of shawls would really be a great way to get me motivated to knit more.

I headed over to Leisure Arts where I found Knit Prayer Shawls which has 15 awesome patterns. I absolutely love the lacy look and the way these shawls drape. There are a few marked easy, which I will have to start with until I get my knitting legs again and then the rest are marked intermediate. 

The lovely lace you see on the cover is called Sunny Days Ahead and is an intermediate pattern that is on my list for as soon as I feel ready to jump to that level. It is a simple beautiful pattern that I would love to make for a dear friend. 

This book has wonderful written instructions that are easy to follow and great illustrative pictures, as well as pictures of the finished projects so that you get a great idea of what they work up to look like. 

Are you a knitter and a crocheter? Have you ever made a prayer shawl?  

Take some time to browse Leisure Arts' great selection and make sure you also connect with Leisure Arts on Facebook and Twitter so that you never miss a special or new pattern! Also, if you sign up for their knitting or crochet newsletters, you get a free pattern on Fridays!

Disclosure: I may receive products in exchange for an honest review. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I personally believe will be good for my readers. 

My First Knitted Blanket

I have to admit this was started before I even learned how to crochet but not finished until after two crochet blankets!! I found knitting harder and I really am going to work on my knitting skills this year. This pattern was found in the back of the little learn to knit book I grabbed at Walmart. It came with needles and everything. 

I spent a lot of time working on it on the side porch...

And on the front porch...

It was made of six large squares which I did as two solid pieces and sewed together in the center.

To give it a more finished look I did a crochet border around the whole thing. I really love the density of knitted fabric and the fact it uses less yarn. I am so determined to get better at it!

Deborah Newton's Cable Collection from Leisure Arts

Hello crafty cats!! You all know I have had a bit of  a cable obsession lately with my crochet. Even though I am bistitchual  I do not feel very savvy a cable knitting. Of course you know the best way to get better at something is to dive right in, and the only way for something to hold my attention is if it is fabulous and challenging.

I found the most stunning cable knit patterns in Deborah Newton’s Cable Collection found at Leisure Arts. There are 19 original designs featuring sweaters, coats, and accessories by renowned designer Deborah Newton. They range from casual, dressy, elegant, or fun, with things like a cabled cardigan, a cropped sweater, a lush mohair hoodie, a hobo-style shoulder bag, and a beret with matching fingerless gloves.

In addition to being stunning designs Deborah offers attention to design details like toggle closures, raglan sleeves, cap sleeves, zippers, slit pockets, and more. The hardest part about getting started is settling on which design to start with. My daughter asked for a cabled sweater and I am pretty certain that she would be beyond happy with any of the designs in this book.

As with all Leisure Arts books you will find that the instructions are clear and easy to follow. There are several pictures of not only the finished works but there are also photos of the basic stitches you will need in the patterns included.

Have you made anything with cables? I would love to hear about it and if you are a crocheter too, do you cable in both? 

Take some time to browse Leisure Arts' great selection and make sure you also connect with Leisure Arts on Facebook and Twitter so that you never miss a special or new pattern! Also, if you sign up for their knitting or crochet newsletters, you get a free pattern on Fridays!

Disclosure: I may receive products in exchange for an honest review. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I personally believe will be good for my readers. 

50 Fabulous Garter Stitches from Leisure Arts

I must admit that even though I started knitting first, crochet is the yarn art that seems to come like second nature to me. As such, I don’t know how to make the fancy looking knitted items. In fact, I really only know the very basic stitches and didn't feel like that was enough to make anything really pretty - boy was I mistaken!

Garter stitch is the first stitch you learn when someone teaches you to knit, but rows and rows of just a knit stitch are pretty boring. In fact, I even got bored with a blanket I made using knits and purls, so as you might imagine I didn't realize the garter stitch could be so interesting until I opened  50 Fabulous Garter Stitches.

I really had no idea that the garter stitch can be used to make lace, ripples, mosaic designs, and ribbings. In fact, without using a purl stitch, garter stitch can even be made to look just like stockinette. As the title suggests, there are 50 different stitches all created by only using a knit/garter stitch! In fact, there are more than 50. And there are no purl stitches in this book.

Another fabulous feature is that you can make these stitches using any weight yarn you want. They are fun to make and will add a new dimension to your knitting. I personally cannot wait to try my hand at a lacy one since I am in a real shawl mood lately.

With a book like this, even a beginning level knitter, like me, can make and design the most beautiful works of yarn art. I am seriously still in awe with all that can be done only knowing one stitch. Just look at the beautiful stitches on the cover! I see shawls, blankets and even sweaters in those stitches.

Take some time to browse Leisure Arts' great selection and make sure you also connect with Leisure Arts on Facebook and Twitter so that you never miss a special or new pattern! Also, if you sign up for their knitting or crochet newsletters, you get a free pattern on Fridays!

Disclosure: I may receive products in exchange for an honest review. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I personally believe will be good for my reader.