One of the reasons I like knitting blocks for Warm Up America is that about halfway through my big projects I get bored or frustrated and need a break, and these blocks are just the right size to knit quickly before going back to it. Another reason, though, is that sometimes I want to try […]
Munchkin’s Toddler Socks
Last year I knit a pair of winter socks for Munchkin’s tiny little baby feet. This year my toddler-Munchkin is running around with much bigger feet. He doesn’t need thick socks to keep his feet warm in the baby swing so much, but he does need them to help him keep his winter boots on. […]
Finnley Hat
Years ago I was in a yarn shop near Lancaster, PA, and I saw an intricate Fair Isle hat knit with two colors of ombre yarn. The colors shifted and changed throughout the hat beautifully and played against each other in such interesting ways. I couldn’t help thinking (and I still do, in a way) […]
Sunset Shawl
I last saw my grandmother on Thanksgiving a few years ago, before we had kids. We drove eight hours into a snowstorm (it dumped about a foot of snow on the east coast the day before Thanksgiving) so that we could be there in time to have Thanksgiving dinner at the nursing home. It was […]
Mossy Cable Christmas Stockings
“The stockings were hung by the chimney with care…” Okay, to be honest, we don’t really have a chimney. We’ve hung our stockings beside a door frame and across the top of our french doors, depending on which room we’ve put the Christmas tree in. But there’s something nice about having a set of […]
Eva Scarf
Show of hands: whose favorite season is fall? *raises hand* I love fall. To be fair, I just love living in a place with four distinct seasons—I love each snowfall, I love watching the flowers come out in the spring, I love the sunny days and even the thunderstorms of summer. But I […]
Baby Bear Hat
Is there anything cuter than a baby in a bear hat? Maybe, but I’m not convinced. We have a couple new babies on the way among our friends and family, and not all of them will need handmade blankets. (When the baby’s grandmother, great-grandmother, aunts, and great-aunts all knit, you can imagine how well stocked […]
Green Apple Blanket
When my friend told me she was getting married, I immediately thought of a blanket for her. Some backstory: A. and I met in seventh grade and were inseparable through middle school and high school. We survived horrible Spanish teachers together. We skipped our senior prom and went to see Shrek 2 instead. With […]
Crochet Half Hexagon
The problem with hexagons is that they don’t give you a straight edge. When making a blanket with them, the rows are offset, leaving gaps at the ends. (Sorry I didn’t post more of a picture–I’m trying to keep the blanket a little bit of a surprise until it’s finished!) For me, […]
Crochet Modified Hexagon
I decided a few months ago to crochet a hexagon blanket for my friend’s wedding. I’d never crocheted a hexagon before, so I followed Make & Do Crew’s tutorial. (It’s a great tutorial, by the way—clear and easy to follow. If you’re new to hexagons, start there.) But I didn’t like how tight and […]
