Happy Crafting to all!!!!!!

 

Happy Crafting to you all!!!

I cannot believe it; we are almost halfway through January. I am not sure what are your New Year resolutions, but one of mine is actually to be more involved and present in the knitting world. Trying to release more of the knitting patterns that have been sitting on my finished pile for weeks and months and also host another toy mystery KAL. The toy mystery KAL started with the first clue released on January 1st and the second clue on Saturday, January 10th. There is the third clue coming up this Saturday, January 17th and the final pattern for Lola will be released on January 25th. Check it out, you still have time to join the mystery KAL or wait and make your Lola at the end of January. Link to the pattern is below:

My designer page

I have also updated my favorite wrap pattern: Aiofe Wrap with a version for Bulky weight yarn. Now the pattern offers two yarn weights: DK and Bulky. 

I hope to add more patterns during this year. Or you can check out my previously published patterns, there are plenty to choose from. Stay tuned and keep on crafting!

Thank you for visiting. 

Happy Crafting.....

 

Happy Crafting to all. After a what felt like a rather short summer we are back to school and also, we are getting back to the cold days when a knitted piece is a must to wear. For the first few weeks I love to wear a simple poncho, as a layer for the colder mornings while the afternoons are still warm. I usually wear the Stripy poncho, but my favorite is probably the Harvest Poncho, I created few years back for I Like Knitting website. The pattern is also in their top 50 patterns collection of all time, along with the Helena sweater. Bellow you can see the photos of both patterns. Both photos are by I Like Knitting. Both patterns are available anywhere my patterns are for sale, see the links on the side, or visit my website: Stana's Critters Etc

What are you going to make this fall? 

Thank you for visiting and happy crafting!

Tutorial for Cat Silhouette Bookmark

 

I have created this super-fast knitting pattern for the Cat Silhouette Bookmark in 2015 and it has been my most downloaded knitting pattern for some time, passing over the knitting pattern for Minions.  

Even though this pattern is available for free, I still try to help people if they contact me and ask for help. One of the most asked questions I receive about this, and my other bookmark patterns is how to knit the bookmark in the round. So, I decided to create a small photo tutorial which shows how I do that. 

I have spent one hour knitting the bookmark and since I have some leftover yarn, I created a new bookmark for the Cat Silhouette working flat in garter stitch. I will type up the notes (it is slightly different then just use a half amount of stitches given for the bookmark in the round).

The new pattern, which is written for flat knitting and have an additional updated version of the original Cat bookmark in the round as a bonus is available on: 

Lovecraft: Cat Bookmark

Payhip: Cat Bookmark

Ravelry: Cat Bookmark 

Here is the picture tutorial for the original Cat Silhouette Bookmark 

Start with cast on the number of stitches, I prefer to use the long tail CO.

After I knit the first round, I join the stitches to continue to work in the round. With two double pointed needles, each holding half of the stitches, and using the third needle to knit.

Following the knitting pattern round after round. 

After the Cat Silhouette is finished, continue with the ears.

Then, make the I-cord tail.

In about an hour, the Cat Silhouette Bookmark is done. 

Happy knitting and reading.

New Patterns and more

 

In my blog post from September 2020 (read here) I talked about how my love for knitting and creating started. You can see a photo of my first finished sweater, and in some way my first design of a sweater, even though it was created only to fit me, and I never dreamed of becoming a knitwear designer at that time. 

photo by I Like Knitting

This is my 304th knitting pattern, Helena Cable Cardigan published in February issue of I Like Knitting magazine. The pattern is free for the subscribers. 

link here to the I Like Knitting website

Helena Cable Cardigan on Ravelry

Update on Helena Cable Cardigan

photo by I Like Knitting

For the pictured sample I have use the Cascade Yarns Aereo Tweed in Marine colorwork. It's a snuggly mix of Merino and Baby Alpaca yarn that was a pleasure to work with. 

Two of my previously published patterns are now available as Ravelry downloads and will be shortly also on Lovecraft website and in my Payhip store.  See pictures bellow of the Cuddly Cat Pillow a whimsical pillow and Brie's Cowl an introductory brioche technique in the rounds.

photo by Interweave Knits

photo by Knitpicks

Also, during the last year, I had few more patterns published by I Like Knitting: 

First in August 2021 Issue two patterns for pillows:

Zion Canyon Pillows on Ravelry

Zion Grotto Pillows on Ravelry

photo by I Like Knitting

In September 2021 Issue it was a Raven Plaid Poncho.

 Raven Plaid Poncho on Ravelry.

photo by I Like Knitting

Once the rights to these patterns are reverted back to me, I will add them as PDF files to Ravelry, also to Lovecraft, and Payhip.

My 305th published knitting pattern is a whimsical instant gratification project named Monogram Gift Heart.

At the moment the pattern is available as Ravelry download, and will be added to Lovecraft, Payhip and Knitpicks website. The pattern is written for variety of yarn weights, from fingering all the way to bulky, and has charts for all the letters of the alphabet, a paw print and a written-out direction on how to knit the hearts. It is a perfect project for those long gloomy and cold days as it will brighten up your day as you work on the monogram heart, and it will definitively bring a smile to anyone who will receive this little gift heart. You can play with different letters, creating words and messages.

Happy Knitting.

Thank you for visiting.

Dreams...

 

I took this picture sometime last year as the sun was setting in and the light was just perfect. When I look at this image it evokes a dreamy world of endless possibilities. It also reminds me of my last year e-book project Baba Yaga's House a whimsical collection of knitting patterns, recipes, and images. 

This month knit-a-long is all about small and fun projects that can be knit up quick and used as a small whimsical decoration for Halloween, like this broomstick:

...or maybe an eyeball or two, or a whole jar of them, or an eyeball coaster:

Patterns links:

Baba Yaga's House

Broomstick

Deadline Morning Coaster

Eyeballs

My plan was to sent out my first newsletter last month, but the computer decided to stop working and took a long spa vacation at the hands of a computer specialist. After the unplanned break things are getting back to normal and hopefully the first newsletter will go out sometime this month. Don't forget to sign up for it here on my website:

Stana's Critters Etc 

Thank you for visiting and reading.

September is here...

 

...and there is a Knit-a-long for the Farmer's Market hosted in my group on Ravelry or anywhere you happen to be knitting. It's just for fun, a toy to give to someone, and also perfect project to use up all those remnants of yarn from your stash. 

In this blog post you can find the links to the pattern where you can purchase it:

Farmer's Market

In the picture bellow you see a behind the scenes when I was working on the Voyager Sweater few years back.

See the blog post about the sweater here: Voyager Sweater 

Over the past few months I have been busy with work that has yet to be published by a variety of third parties, or has been published and I have not had time to post about these projects, yet. At the moment I am busy with two other projects that will be published at some point in the future and I don't have as much time as I wish to work on my independent work in the meantime. 

Sometime this month I hope to send out my first newsletter, for which you can subscribe on my website: 

https://stanascrittersetc.com/

In the meantime, thank you for visiting and reading my blog. 

Fox Pin Cushion

 "Well, I'm going to help you," said the fox.

                                            Brothers Grimm's fairytales  (The Fox and the Horse)

Fox Pin Cushion if the fifth pattern in the fairytale inspired series of knitting patterns published over the three months of October, November and December of 2020.  The entire e-book will be available in December. In the meantime you can follow the little breadcrumbs of previous posts, knitting patterns and  pictures. 

When I started to work on this project in November 2019 I started with the idea of a gingerbread house. But there are so many of knitting patterns for gingerbread house, so I added a little twist. What if the ginger bread house is not an actual gingerbread house but rather another famous house from fairytales. And so the journey started with a sketch and drawings and looking through my yarn stash for yarn to use up. In some ways this entire e-book is filled with great stash busting knitting projects. 

 This fox pin cushion uses yarn I had left from a knitting pattern  Fox Pillow, which was originally published on Lovecraft website, earlier this year. 

You can purchase this Fox Pin Cushion patterns on Ravelry, Lovecraft (see the link on the right side of the full web version if you are on mobile phone), or Payhip. Or use the buy button bellow which will take you to the Ravelry:

The crumbs left behind to follow the journey into the fairytales world:

The Beginning

Winter trees

Frances

Cat Pin Cushion

Witch's hat

Frog Bag

Broomstick

The middle part of a journey

Thank you for visiting and be safe until the next time.....

 

Knitting Pattern for Small Hearts Cozy and Snowman Bottle Cozy

Heart Cozy

A last minute quick knit for everyone on your list. Small heart cozy pattern has instructions for knitting flat, and in the round. the pattern has written direction, and chart.
It is a perfect pattern to use up small leftovers of yarn.

The pattern is available in my Ravelry store, on Lovecraft, or you can purchase it by clicking on this button:

Small Heart Cozy

Another last minute quick giftable knits are these adorable Snowman Bottle Cozies:

Snowman Bottle Cozies

Last year they were published in December Issue of I Like Knitting magazine.
Now the pattern is available in my Ravelry store, on Lovecraft, or you can purchase it by clicking on this button:




Thank you for visiting.

Food KAL

In the past few weeks I was busy picking up fruits and vegetables from our garden and preserve them for the winter. Even though our plum trees produced only two plums, we are having some yellow raspberries and alpine strawberries to snack on and we still are having an abundance of cucumbers. I have been pickling them at least twice a week.
Our friends and family might be receiving homemade pickles as their Christmas presents.

Dog approves

I cannot really share the recipe for my pickling liquid as it seems to be every time slightly different. I am following the recipe my mom gave me when we started to do our own pickling.
She said: "I use water, vinegar, pickling salt, a bit of sugar, spices (All Spice, Black Peppercorn, Bay Leaves, Cinnamon, Clove), try how it tastes and add what you think is needed. In the jar put some mustard seeds, fresh dill, sliced onions, garlic, peppers, carrots and cucumbers. Fill the jars with liquid close the top and boil in a pot with a kitchen towel on the bottom for about twenty minutes."
We have been using her recipe for some time, experimenting with variety of flavors, adding hot peppers to some jars, etc. Each batch that I make tastes slightly different, and that is what I enjoy about it - the unpredictability of what it will taste like when we open a new jar of our pickles.

Apples

I was also thinking about the next KAL for my group on Ravelry. I decided that we should knit anything that is food related. Aprons, dishcloths, knitted food, knitted parts of a food chain...…
The Food related KAL will run from now until the end of October, when I will pick the grand prize winner and some more winners to win other things as well.

To start the KAL I am offering  a 25% discount on many of my food related knitting patterns. The coupon code is valid until September 25th midnight EST.

Bowls

Use the coupon code Food to receive the discount.

Joint the fun and a chance to win my group Stana's critters etc on Ravelry.

photo by Knitpicks

Thank you for visiting.

Knitting Pattern for Aliens in PJ

Aliens in PJ

Aliens in PJ
by Stana D. S.

Finished Toy Size: 6.5" (16.5 cm) tall.

Yarn: Worsted weight yarn.
Approximately 50 yards (46 meters) total for PJ (I used remnants of cotton yarn I had in my stash)
Approximately 30 yards (27.5 meters) of MC (I used Universal Yarn Cool Baby; 90% Cotton, 10% Nylon; 140 yards (126 meters) per 3.5 oz ( 100g);  Nr. 106 Green Monster)
Approximately 5 yards (4.5 meters) black yarn.
This is a great project to use up remnants of stash yarn.

Recommended Needle Size: DPN US # 5/ 3.75 mm (set of 5), or use your preferred needles for knitting in the round.

Notions: Yarn needle, scissors, stitch marker, polyester fiberfill (1 small bag)

Abbreviations: 
CC = Contrast color
DPN = Double Pointed Needles
K = Knit
KFB = Knit in front and back of the same st, it creates 2 sts from 1 st.
MC = Main color
R = Round, rounds
SSK = Slip st, slip st and knit the 2 sts together. This decreases 2 sts to 1 st.
st, sts = Stitch, stitches

INSTRUCTIONS:

Notes:
The gauge for this project is not important. The size of your alien may vary depending on the yarn and the needles you use. Make sure that your knitting is tight enough for stuffing to not to show through. Make stripes of 2 rounds in each color, or use up small remnants of stash yarn.
The Alien in PJ is knit in the round, starting at the bottom of the body. The eyes are knit separately and sewn on top of its head.

Body: 
With CC yarn and DPN, cast on 6 sts. Place the stitch marker, and begin working in the round.
R 1: Knit
R 2: KFB 6 times (12 sts total)
R 3: Knit
R 4: KFB 12 times (24 sts total)
R 5: Knit
R 6: (KFB, K1) 12 times (36 sts total)
R 7: Knit
R 8: (KFB, K2) 12 times ( 48 sts total)
R 9 - 22: Knit
R 23: (SSK, K6) 6 times (42 sts total)
R 24 - 26: Knit

R 27: (SSK, K5) 6 times (36 sts total)

R 28 - 30: Knit

R 31: (SSK, K4) 6 times (30 sts total). Cut off CC. Attach MC.

R 32 - 34: Knit

Thread the tail from the cast on sts on a yarn needle. Stitch through all of the cast on stitches, pull up tight to close the hole and stitch to secure. Begin to stuff the body with fiberfill.
R 35: (SSK, K1) 10 times (20 sts total)

R 36: Knit

R 37: (SSK, K1) 6 times, SSK (13 sts total)

R 38: Knit

Finish stuffing. Cut the yarn, leaving long enough tail, thread the end on a yarn needle. Pull the end through the remaining stitches on needles, gather up and close the hole, stitch to secure.

Eyes (make 3):

With MC yarn and DPN, cast on 9 sts. Place the stitch marker, and begin working in the round.

R 1: Knit

R 2: (KFB, K2) 3 times (12 sts total)

R 3: (KFB, K3) 3 times (15 sts total)

R 4 - 6: Knit. Cut off MC. Attach black yarn.

Thread the tail from the cast on sts on a yarn needle. Stitch through all of the cast on stitches, pull up tight to close the hole and stitch to secure. Begin to stuff the eye with fiberfill.

R 7: (SSK, K3) 3 times (12 sts total)

R 8: (SSK, K2) 3 times (9 sts total)

R 9: Knit

Finish stuffing. Cut the yarn, leaving long enough tail, thread the end on a yarn needle. Pull the end through the remaining stitches on needles, gather up and close the hole, stitch to secure.

Finishing:
Sew the yes on top of aliens head. Weave in ends.

Copyright:
This pattern was design and written by Stana D. S. Please acknowledge the author. Thank you.
 

Blogging

Huggalufs

In a few days this little blog will have an anniversary. I have been writing here for eight years.
Frankly I didn't know what to expect in the first place. I started the blog with a help of my friend, and continued on the journey, unsure what to hope for. Somehow it stayed alive, survived and continues to exist. There were more visitors in some years then are at this time, but that was because of the free pattern for the Minions.

Minions

The Minions are not as popular as they were once. It is interesting how popularity changes with time.
It seems that what is hot right now changes faster than in the previous years.
Sometimes I long for the slower days of the past, when everything took longer and we were more satisfied with the finished results. In the present days of instant gratification it seems to me that there are fewer and fewer things that can bring this sort of satisfaction.

On a whim I have created a coupon code this past Friday valid through the weekend. I wanted to post about it here on my blog, but this weekend was one of those rare slow weekends when I had time to bake a bread from scratch, leisurely cook delicious meals for my family, and even knit a lot. I wanted to finish a wrap so I can give it to its recipient. I have the notes and will in time write up the pattern, though it's probably fourth or fifth pattern in line to be written up. I stayed away from the electronics most of the weekend, and therefore missed the opportunity to let know the readers of my blog about the promotion. So I have decided to create a new promotion, it's valid from today until February 28th, midnight of Eastern US Time.
It is buy one and get one free pattern. So for every pattern you buy you can receive one pattern for free. Use the coupon code in your shopping cart:
The coupon code is Blog

The patterns

Voyager Sweater

Everything takes time, especially knitting. You make your masterpiece one stitch at time.
Happy knitting, and thank you for visiting and reading my blog.

Knitting Pattern for 12th Hour Cowl

12th Hour Cowl

This superfast cowl is a perfect last minute handmade gift, for almost everyone on your knitting list.
Worked in super bulky yarn, it takes about two hours to from start to finish.

The pattern is available to purchase in my Ravelry store or by clicking on this link:



If you buy this pattern during December 2018, the profits will be donated to our local charity. More details on the pattern page. The finished samples were donated to our local library for the annual giving tree.

Thank you for visiting.

Summer...and Ami-a-long

It's official, summer is here now.

Treasure Island

When I was a little girl I dreamed of living by the ocean. As an adult I know that not every dream we have as children comes true... can you imagine the world filled with superheroes and pirates, and what about all of the horses that little girls dream of having....In my History of New York City class I just learned about the manure issues the New York City was dealing with in the time when horses were the only other option for transportation.
But I have come pretty close to fulfilling my dream of  living by the ocean. I can drive there and visit and return back home all in one day.
I did such a trip few days ago, and managed to visit the treasure island as well. The island is accessible via sandbar during the low tide and when I arrived to the ocean I could walk to the island and back.
A story has it that a pirate buried some treasure on this island, therefore there is a chance that someone will one day stumble across this treasure. Every time I visit I think it's a treasure just to be able to walk to the island and back. I also found few heart shaped stones along the walk.

Heart shaped stone

I always take my knitting with me, and while I was waiting for my friends to come, I managed to knit few stitches and snapped a picture of my knitting project. It will be a small owl when finished.

Ollie WIP

This knitted toy fits with an announcement I have.
I am participating again with other fabulous designers in annual Ami-a-long event.
Between June 25th and July 8th a 25% discount for all eligible patterns by participating designers of  Ami-a-long event kicks off the annual Ami-along extravaganza that everyone can participate.
This even takes place on Ravelry in group called Ami-along. There you can join and post your projects and win some fabulous prices.

Have fun knitting.

Eligible Patterns for 2018

Thank you for visiting.

Knitting Pattern for Diamond Cowl and Hat

Diamond Cowl

I needed an instant gratification project. Something that knits up fast and looks great. This Diamond Cowl fits that description. The sample is done in Knitpicks Dapple Yarn but the pattern would look great in any super bulky yarn. The pattern is reversible and it took me less than three hours to make the cowl.
From the leftover yarn I made this Diamond Hat. It is also reversible pattern and is done within few hours.

Diamond Hat

Both patterns are available to purchase in my Ravelry store or by clicking on this button:
For Diamond Cowl click here:



For Diamond Hat click here:

Diamond Cowl and Hat

Thank you for visiting.