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New Year, New Crafty Knowledge
How long did your New Year's Resolutions last? One of mine was to get up earlier every day. I have a bad habit of sleeping in when I get the chance. I lasted about a week. This morning - I got up at 9:30! So much for that one.
One resolution I know I will keep is to learn a few new crafting skills. I have plans to do some decoupage. I have the supplies ready for the next time I have a free day. I found some great tutorials online and I am raring to go.
What about you? What sort of crafting experience have you wished you knew how to achieve? Here at Kooler Design Studio, we have all sorts of great books and kits to help you get on your way to learning a new way to incorporate crafts into your life.
Maybe you have always drooled over your friends embroidery projects. Donna Kooler's Teach Yourself to Embroider is a comprehensive guide to the topic. You will find everything you need to know about the tools and materials needed to get started with embroidery. Even if you are threading a needle for the first time, you can follow these directions. Diagrams and photographs help you along and have you completing the projects included in a jiffy.
Perhaps it is quilting you are interested in. I remember sitting at my grandmother's knee and watching her needle fly. Quilting for the First Time will get you started by teaching you all the basics. Learn to select fabrics, how to create patterns and templates, and machine and hand sewing techniques. You will be making lovely gifts for your family and friends in no time.
If upcycling and recycling is more your bag, then check out Paint-A-Tin. Gather up all those old cookie tins and mint tins and make them over using the inspiring suggestions from the various artists. Create functional and fabulous storage items for your home.
Completing a kit is a great way to plunge into a crafting experience too. Kooler Design Studio offers kits for Needlepoint, Counted Cross-Stitch, Big Stitch, Stamped Cross Stitch, Embroidery with many themes represented from animals to flowers to holiday scenes and beyond. Choose a kit that interests you and follow the great instructions included and learn as you go. Start with simple kits and work up to complex designs, amazing your friends with your developing skills!
Handmade Holidays
Handmade gifts seem to be all the rage this year. Well, they have been all the rage at my house for decades! Even when budgets aren't tight, we enjoy making gifts for each other. My dad would often give us gifts he made in his woodworking shop. Mother's sewing and embroidery projects were special. Both my grandmothers crafty gifts were always cherished whether quilted or crocheted.
You may be looking for handmade gift options this year because you are on a tight budget. But, even if you aren't, I hope you will take the time to make some of your gifts or holiday cards. Even making gift tags for purchased gifts adds a personal touch that will be appreciated.
This year, my mom made me a quilt for my birthday and I can't wait to see what she has in store for Christmas! I have purchased my niece and nephew gifts, but will also be sending along some handmade ornaments for them to add to their collection.
It is definitely the thought that counts when it comes to holiday giving. No matter your budget, take the time to make special gifts for friends and family.
Of course, Kooler Design Studio has all sorts of books and kits at reasonable prices to help you have a handmade holiday season. I want to highlight just a few of my favorites.
Hidden Treasures is filled with ideas for creating cards, pockets, and gift tags for any occasion. This book will be a good accessory for your handmade holidays year round.
Sock Hop will help you make your whole family's feet dance with joy and keep them toasty warm all winter long. Use fun colors of yarn to liven them up even more.
Ruthie's Easy Crocheted Scarves offers up eleven different scarf dessigns that will have you wrapping your friends and family in yarn hugs for the holidays. Extra warmth included just because it is handmade, right?
24 Festive Ornaments is a Counted Cross Stitch kit with two dozen ornaments that includes everything you need to finish the ornaments.
Paint a Gift will help you learn different painting styles as you create different painting projects for all sorts of events. These special gifts will be cherished for a lifetime.
Browse our site for more affordable projects, kits, and gift ideas to help you make your handmade holidays happen.
Fall's Nip
I know it isn't heading toward Autumn everywhere in the world, but in the part I inhabit, there's a welcome nip of fall in the air. Fall is my favorite time of year. I love the sudden burst of colors - red, gold, orange, yellow, brown leaves decorate the trees and shrubs. The cooler air and the crisp skies are welcome after the heat, humidity, and haze of summer.
Planters are spruced up with mums and pansies. Leaves must be cleared (and thank goodness for leaf blowers which may be noisy, but don't cause the blisters raking did!). Autumn is also a harbinger of the winter holidays approach. Sometimes though we get so caught up in preparing for Thanksgiving, Hannukah, Christmas and so on that we don't take time to fully appreciate the autumnal season.
Kooler Design Studio has all sorts of interesting projects for celebrating the glorious colors and textures of Autumn. For example, our seasonal samplers are some of the most popular kits in our arsenal and Autumn is certainly represented there. The Autumn Sampler includes motifs related to Halloween, Thanksgiving, Back-to-School and Harvest. It is available as a counted cross stitch kit.
Another lovely design is the Fall Wreath needlepoint design. The wreath abounds with the colors of fall and harvest time. Leaves, berries, pinecones and feathered friends are among the elements of the design. The kit includes canvas, yarn, needle, chart and instructions.
Quilters will enjoy the simple elegance of Pansy Perfection, a leaflet that combines iron-on cross stitch transfers with instructions for creating a quilt. Celebrate the hardy little flower year-round or display it as part of seasonal decorations.
If painting is your thing, then Painted Seasons features projects for every season, including fall. The booklet contains instructions for eight different projects.
The splendor of the Fall season may be brief, but we can enjoy the splendorous colors all year round through creative crafts. Use your crafting skills to bring a little Autumn inside to brighten your day!
What's "Old" is New Again
I hear about going "green" all the time. My Grandmother Garmon probably never heard this term, but she was all about reusing and recycling. She never threw away anything. My Dad said she even made them eat the potato peelings when they were kids. She saved twine, paper bags, boxes, and every fabric scrap she could get her hands on.
Grandmother used the fabric scraps in her quilts. Some of my favorite ones were made from polyester (Yes, I was a child of the 70s). They aren't always pretty, but they sure are warm. She used cotton sheets to line them, so at least you wouldn't be exfoliated on the underside of the quilt! Other favorite quilts used old clothes to make a new quilt.
At Kooler Designs, some "old" things are being made new again. Classic needlework designs that were out of print, or are no longer available as kits, are making an appearance as individual charts. Personally, I like charts better than kits, mainly because I like to choose my own fabric and floss. If I want to use 11 count fabric, I can. Or if I want to challenge myself to stitching over one on 25 count evenweave, and the design is suitable, then I can do that.
One of the recently released charts that I really like is Nancy Rossi's Honey Bee Happening. My neighbors are bee keepers and this would make a wonderful gift for them.
Another chart I want to add to my stash is American Eagle. As, I mentioned before, I am a child of the 1970's. Not only do I remember disco and platform shoes, I also remember the USA Bicentennial. And, my room had that wall paper with the liberty bell and the American Eagle motif. I am not kidding! When I teared up at patriotic tunes as a young adult, I knew it was more from homesickness than patriotism! I still have a soft spot for patriotic scenes and I plan to stitch this one someday.
There are loads more needlework designs available as Charts Only from Kooler Design Studio. Subjects range from seasonal to baby to religious and more. If you like to kit up your own stitching projects, these will be great additions to your stitching arsenal.
Let Me Tell You About My Best Friend
Linda Gillum's design "Best Friends" is one of the many Kooler Design Studio kits in my stash. I plan to stitch it for my sister. Although we spent most of our childhood trying to kill one another, once we reached adulthood (or at least our late 20's) we have been very close.
We have been there for each other through good times and bad - deaths, births, weddings, divorces, more weddings, health problems and so on. I give her advice on child-rearing even though I don't have kids and she has two. She gives me advice on everything because even though she is the younger sister, she's always been the one to take care of me and to stick up for me.
The "Best Friends" design is captioned "We'll always be best friends... you know too much!" How true that is! My sister and I share everything much to our husband's chagrin sometimes. It's great to be able to vent to someone and know it won't go any further. Especially when the person knows you so well!
Stitch up this kit for your best friend. It would make a great Christmas gift or even a birthday present. The design is fairly simple, so even a beginning stitcher will be able to tackle it.
How can we make it without our friends? While my sister is my best friend, I have many other friendships that I foster via Facebook and Twitter. On Facebook, I keep up with many of my "old" friends from high school and college. It is great to catch up after all these years. Twitter has enabled me to meet many other stitchers who share the same interests as me. I meet lots of new friends that way!
Did you know that you can connect with Kooler Design Studio on Facebook and Twitter? It is a great way to find out when new designs and publications are introduced. We also love hearing from you. Your input is important to us!
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Add a Little DIY to Your Wedding Dreams
How many of us dreamt of our wedding day when we were little girls? Maybe we imagined yards of satin, a huge tiered cake, flowers galore, and more frills and furls than anyone has ever seen. We played wedding with our dolls and stuffed animals as the main characters.
When it comes to actually planning a wedding, however, our dreams may collide with the harsh reality of a budget. When I got married last year, my husband and I went to the Justice of the Peace and took our closest friends and family with us. Then we took everyone out to lunch afterwards. It was budget friendly and suited our tastes, but maybe you want something a little closer to the wedding of your dreams!
More and more couples are adding a DIY element to their wedding plans. Making your own favors and planning your own parties and receptions helps relieve the strain on the budget. And, even if it's not for budgetary reasons, doing some things yourself adds a more personalized element to the celebration.
Kooler Design Studio has loads of ideas, projects, and information for helping you plan your big day and all the events and parties that accompany it. Check these out:
Favors
Basha Kooler shares thirty-five different favor ideas from beaded monograms, soaps, pins, candles, sachets, wine glass charms, place card holders and my favorite, dressed up chocolate bars. These ideas work well for weddings or other celebrations.
Gift Favors: Small Gifts for All Occasions
Basha strikes again with over twenty projects in this collection of small gifts. Use these as favors for small weddings or as gifts for the wedding party. They'd even make great wedding shower favors. Projects range from body scrub to candle tins to paper purses.
Great Wedding Parties
Wonderful ideas for wedding parties with pizazz! Whether you are planning an engagement party, tea, shower, or rehearsal dinner, use these frugal tips to stretch your budget. If your style is less traditional, Donna's got that covered. Since the tips and ideas on invitations will apply to every type of party, you will get a lot of use from this book after the wedding too.
Elegant Wedding Ceremonies
Be your own wedding planner using Donna's tips on how to put together an elegant and affordable wedding ceremony. This book covers everything you need to know about planning a ceremony, choosing a location, selecting invitations and flowers, what to wear and how to give your celebration that special touch that makes it memorable.
Beautiful Wedding Receptions
Innovative ideas on planning a wedding reception that will be one to remember without breaking the bank. Despite the the complexities of planning one of the most important parties of your life, this guide gives you the tips that will help you make it happen.
Creative Wedding Keepsakes
Once the wedding is over, use Donna's tips and techniques to preserve your wedding treasures and memories. Topics include how to preserve your bouquet,gown, and cake. You will also learn about making memory albums and how to preserve you mementos in a way that will keep them safe, but won't cost more than the wedding did. This book will help you remember your special day for years to come.
Complete Wedding Guide
One of the latest additions to Donna's wedding series, this book gives you a practical set of worksheets, calenders, checklists, budgets and more of Donna's tips and ideas for making a memorable event. Working out all the details in advance will make for a smoother celebration when the day comes!
If you use the tips and information from Kooler Design Studio as a part of your wedding plans, we'd love to hear about it! Use the contact form to share your story with us.
Pampered Pooches - Are you a pet spoiler like me?
I have always considered myself a cat person, but this year, a little doggie came into my life and changed my mind. I still love my kitties, but I am smitten with my little poochie. When I went on vacation this year, I had to leave her behind and we missed one another terribly.
She is so spoiled! When we go to town, we rarely come home without a treat or toy for her. She is so used to being fed scraps from the table that she will growl and then bark if we don't give her a little bite. And, of course, she sleeps in the bed with us most everynight. (If my husband's snoring disturbs her, she decamps to the living room couch instead.)
Do you pamper your pooch? Well, if you are as guilty of that as I am, then you are going to love one of Kooler Design Studio's latest publications. The ever talented and creative Linda Gillum, designer and dog lover, has come up with some great Canine Couture. From four basic patterns, you can outfit your pampered pooch in coats, jackets, t-shirts, and scarves. No matter the size or breed, you can dress your doggie in high style. There are patterns for 16 different outfits and the models include everything from a mini Maltese to a grand Newfoundland.
If you are a feline fancier, never fear. Another one of our new items will be right up your alley. The Home is Where the Cat Is Kit is a counted cross-stitch design, once again from Linda Gillum, that honors our friendly feline friends. I am quite partial to tabbies and Siamese and both are featured in this design. The kit includes fabric, floss, floss cards, needle, and pattern with instructions. The standard size of 10 by 8 inches will make it easy to frame when you are finished.
If you prefer animals that are a bit more exotic, then be sure to explore our Animal-themed kits selection. We have all sorts of things from a cute Baby Monkey Birth Announcement to a Heavy Going Grizzly. Of course, if you are looking for more dog and cat themed projects there are lots of those too.
Green Thumb or Brown?
I am not much of a gardener, but I do like to have flowers in my yard. My mom, now she's a huge gardening fan. She is forever rooting me stuff and sending me home with things in pots when I visit. I usually either pass them on to someone else, but last fall she gave me some pansies, and after leaving them languishing in their original containers for days, I planted them quickly in two pots right before she was supposed to visit one night. Apparently pansies thrive on neglect, because they ended up being just beautiful!
Since I have a bit of a brown thumb, I usually prefer to craft my flowers. Stitchery plants don't affect allergies and they require no watering. Crocheted flowers won't wilt. Painted plants bloom year round. And, there's no dirt involved with any of them!
Whether you have a green thumb or a brown thumb, we have lots of projects that are sure to please. Here are just a few:
Crochet Flowers for Every Wear
Learn to crochet roses, daffodils, forget-me-nots and more to add to hats, flip-flops, pillows, purses, and anywhere else your imagination leads!
Gardening Bears Kit
Stitch up a sweet sentiment and a pair of gardening bears to add a touch of whimsy to your home or for a special gift. This charming Counted Cross-Stitch desing by Linda Gillum comes in a kit with everything you need - Aida, floss, needle, and instructions.
Flowers
No one, I mean, no one "does" flowers in their prime like Barbara Baatz Hillman. She's created projects to paint with all the favorites from the garden including rose, iris, violet, morning glory (my personal favorite), and more. Don't miss her signature "dew drop" on the petals of each design.
For more gardening and floral-themed projects, be sure to visit our shop.
Flipping Out Over Felt
One of my ever present craft supplies has been felt. I have backed ornaments with it, protected my furniture from figurines, cut letters from it, made stockings and on and on. I had never considered embroidering on it until I saw felt embroidery sets. Those were great, but I wanted to expand my felt embroidery experience. Lucky for me, Donna Kooler took care of my need.
In Kool Felt Embroidery Donna and Linda Gillum take you from the basics and beyond with thirty felt embroidery projects. These projects really are cool. There are pillows and pincushions, but there are also projects for bracelets and bookmarks.
The introduction of the book covers the basics. One thing I learned - don't use a hoop or frame with felt. It may cause it to stretch. I also learned that if you will need to wash your project, you need to use acrylic felt and let it dry flat. If you use wool felt, dry cleaning is your only option. (So that's why that yellow sweater fits the dog now!)
When you think of felt projects, your mind may turn to bright colors like pink, yellow, and green. Yes, there are some eye-popping projects, but remember, felt comes in many colors. One of my favorite projects is the hobo bag. The example shown uses dark blue and light brown felt - hardly bright colors, right? Another favorite is the placemat and napkin ring set that uses two shades of sage and cream felt. Just remember - you can choose the colors you like.
Start with some simple projects, learn to make appliqués using felt and then tackle the crown jewel project of the book - a flashy felted scarf that incorporates almost every technique used in the book. The Festival Felt Scarf will be a fun accessory and just imaging casually saying, "Oh yes, I made it myself," when someone asks about it.
How Did He Get All the Animals In?
Noah's Ark is a popular theme - people do up nurseries, guest rooms, and other spaces in their home in this theme. The story is an archetypal, universal one and a version appears in almost every ancient religious tradition, including the Judeo-Christian one.
My sister used to collect Noah's Ark themed things and the funniest one I ever gave her was a cute set that had two of each figure to place in a wooden ark, including, as we discovered when we unpacked it, two Noah's!
In 40 Days and 40 Nights, designer Linda Gillum presents three different interpretations of the Ark story in Cross Stitch. Presented with the inimitable style and quality we have come to expect from Kooler Design Studios, these patterns are guaranteed to become instant classics when stitched up.
The first set of designs is the Modern Ark. The ark itself is colorful and the animals are sweet-looking, even the pair of skunks. A wide range of animals are included from the afore-mentioned skunks to fish, butterflies, monkeys, pandas, bears and more. Being a country girl, I think my favorites are the cows. They look so contented. Group the smaller patterns into a larger sampler or stitch them as shown in the sample scene. I think this Ark set would also make a wonderful mobile to hang in the baby's room.
Traditional Ark is next with more muted colors and realistic-looking animals. Lions, tigers, bears and more are ready to get on board the ark. I really like the pair of camels - they look as if they are holding themselves up regally and looking over the fuss and confusion of all the animals with disdain. Create a special sampler with these charts.
A colorful Country Ark rounds out the collection. Farm animals galore, owls, crocodiles and more are ready to crowd into the ark as it starts to float on the waves. Be sure not to miss the kangaroos! I can just see these critters hanging out in my kitchen. I have so many ideas now. Off to do a little stitching..
Oh, and don't let your captivation with the Ark patterns keep your from noticing that four alphabets are included to help you with personalizing your samplers and other projects.
Stitching Santas in Summer
The sun is hot, the pool is cool and I am thinking about Santa, snowmen, and dreidels. If you are a crafter, then you understand. It is time to get cracking on holiday projects, if you haven't started them already. (I get the strangest looks when I am working on ornaments in January.)
As you are selecting your projects for upcoming holidays, remember that we have a plethora of holiday projects for you here at Kooler Design Studios. Whether you are looking for knitting, crochet, needlework, or painting projects, you are sure to find a project that pleases.
This week I am highlighting a few of my favorites:
Mini Ornaments to Cross Stitch: 116 cross Stitch ornaments ranging from cute and colorful to sentimental and more. These ornaments make great gifts or gift tags. Keep a project in your purse to work with while you are watching the kids play or waiting for appointments. Or keep one on hand to stitch while you are watching TV in the evening.
Festival of Light Cross Stitch Chart: Choose your own floss and fabric for stitching this colorful, affordable chart. Add a special stitchery project to your celebration of Hanukkah or give someone a spectacular gift.
Crochet Christmas Stockings: Whip up some stockings for the family using the same basic stocking pattern. Use different yarn weights and add embellishments to make each one unique. The coolest thing - one of the stocking ideas is a carrot! Perfect for a family with a pet bunny or aspiring veterinarian.
Nicky's Knitted Christmas Stockings:Knitting is hot. I mean trendy and temperature in this case. Personally, I don't want to work with yarn in the summer unless it is a small project. Make stockings for the family - perfect smaller project, perfect take-a-long too. As with the crochet stockings, each stocking is created using the same basic pattern, but altering the composition gives each one a unique flair.
Painted Ornaments: Perhaps a paintbrush fits your hand better than a needle or crochet hook. Well, don't despair. we have holiday projects for you too. In fact, Painted Ornaments covers more than just winter holidays. There are projects for Easter and Halloween too. Create personalize painted ornaments for every occasion.
These are just a few of the wonderful projects available from Kooler Design Studio. Browse the selection in our shop to see more.
Everyone Is An Artist
I have been working at Kooler Design Studio since the new Millennium began. Just around the time we started designing and producing books for Leisure Arts Publishing. It has been a delightful time for me, working with my Mom, Donna Kooler and the rest of the supremely talented KDS staff. My background is in advertising and graphic design. Attending the College of Arts and Crafts in Oakland way back before the earth's crust cooled. All those years spent learning how to use ruling pens, Letraset and wax to make paste-ups in the Graphic Design department....very useful these days...hmmmm, maybe not!! My interest in crafts in general has been useful; knowing just a little bit about a lot of things seems to have its place. I tend to make things up as I go and don't follow direction well. Thank goodness I am surrounded by many experts to guide me when needed!
I have found my niche here as the photo stylist and as a craft book designer. I also enjoy interfacing with the many outside designers we work with It is always amazing how much great work streams through the studio, either designed in-house or from our large pool of outside contributors. Whether it's knitting, crocheting, beading or decorative painting, I work with our photographer Dianne Woods to showcase each and every project in the best and most appealing way to excite and inspire our artist and crafters around the world.
This brings up the ongoing discussion of "is it art or is it craft".....consider Michelangelo; thought by many to be the greatest artist of all time; who was basically a 'painter for hire' by the Medici family during the Renaissance. Most would agree he was a fine artist, but these days would he have been labeled a paid illustrator....and does it matter? So if you create something and call it 'your' art, then it's art to me.
It's great to work in an atmosphere of creativity, where new 'art' springs forth every day. The artists here design craft books, needle art kits or paint books by day....and go home and make the most amazing fine art...paintings, art dolls and more that are gallery quality. I think the dialogue of serious artist versus crafter is a fascinating and never-ending one. One that becomes more blurred as I interact with more creative people of all walks of life!
2007 has been great so far at KDS. A highlight of this year so far was visiting CHA in Anaheim this January. Seeing bright colors, bold graphic patterns and great design was so exciting and inspiring. And as I am finishing my second book of party favors for all occasions and the advent of a new spring season, my thoughts are turning to fresh colors and spring flowers and accessorizing with elements from nature.
Our website is so full of creative ideas and endless possibilities. Each of our dozens upon dozens of books is filled cover to cover with great crafting ideas. Along with our kits and other products there is so much to see. Take a good look and see what's in store for you. Please contact me with any questions or comments you may have, I would love to hear from you!
Small Things
As I threatened last month, I have been knitting baby clothes, not because I am having a baby, but because so many other people are. Baby clothes are extremely gratifying to knit because babies have no pronounced fashion sense, and are happy just to be not-too-warm and not-too-cold, and dry. This leaves a lot of room for my own creativity, yarns that are on sale, and small amounts of time to knit. Really, why knit a sweater for an opinionated, fussy, 40 inch chest when you can knit for a small, grateful, small, uncomplaining, small 15 inch chest? If a garment is sensible and well constructed it will see a lot of use, simply because babies do horrid things to their clothes and require vast wardrobes every day.
The first impending baby is due in April, and things warm up quickly, so I decided to knit in cotton, so the baby can wear it all spring and summer. Wool is for winter, and winter is over, or it ought to be; ask anyone in Vermont or upstate New York. So you heard it here first, it is Spring.
The small coat, called a matinee jacket, is as plain as it gets: straight up to the armholes, raglan sleeves, 4 eyelet buttonholes, stockinette stitch with garter stitch hems, cuffs, button bands and collar. The yarn is tender peapod green.
- It took 3 balls of Praemium Cotton yarn from Italy, 137 yards per ball.
- I used a pair of 9 inch, size 4.25 mm bamboo needles for the entire coat.
- The gauge is 4 stitches to the inch, stockinette stitch MORE OR LESS.
I did knit a gauge swatch, but I was on a trip and didn't have a ruler, so I measured it with graph paper. That's right, call the knitting police. I know for a FACT that 90% of the knitters out there don't ever knit a gauge swatch in their entire lives, much less worry about the fractions of an inch. This is another reason you should knit for babies: unless the infant is the size of a Saint Bernard, this coat will fit it at some point in the first few months of life.
Here are the instructions for a 15-inch diameter matinee jacket. Follow them if you like, or knit by the seat of your wits and find some hapless child who is too young to pronounce "couture".
Back
- Cast on 42 stitches. Knit 2 at each edge, every row, for the uncurling border edge, to be a seam later.
- Knit 6 rows for a border.
- Continue in stockinette stitch (Knit one row, Purl one row) until the back is 5 inches long.
- Begin armhole shaping on Knit row, and work decreases on each KNIT row: K2, decrease 1; knit across to last 4 stitches: decrease 1, K2.
- Purl rows: purl across.
- Continue decreasing one at each side until there are 20 stitches left. Bind off loosely.
Sleeves (work 2 at once, using separate balls of yarn)
- For each sleeve cast on 26 stitches. Knit 2 at each edge, every row, for an uncurling border, to be a seam later. Work 6 rows in knit for cuffs. Switch to stockinette stitch, and work until the sleeves are 5" long.
- Begin armhole shaping on Knit row, and work exactly as for Back armholes, decreasing one stitch at each side on Knit rows, until there are only 5 stitches remaining on each sleeve. Work 2 more rows WITHOUT DECREASING. Bind off loosely.
Fronts (work 2 at once, using separate balls of yarn)
- Cast on 24 stitches for each front. Knit 2 at each outer edge, every row, for an uncurling border, to be a seam later; work both Center Fronts with 4 knit stitches each row, for button bands on BOTH fronts. Only one side will have buttonholes. Work 6 rows in knit for hems.
- Work in stockinette stitch until the Fronts measure 5 inches.
- Begin armhole shaping, just as on the Back: decrease one stitch on outer edges, every Knit row. CONTINUE TO KNIT CENTER 4 STITCHES, EVERY ROW, FOR BUTTON BANDS. [ Do not turn these center edges into armholes, or the cardigan jacket will look very, very peculiar.]
- When the Fronts are 4 inches long, work first buttonhole on ONE side in the button band. It doesn't matter which side, but I always do the left side, the one that the mother's right hand will touch, just to make buttoning it easier. I have never met anyone who remembers which side his/her baby sweaters buttoned on. Don't brood over this.
Eyelet Buttonholes
- On front side of sweater, knit to buttonhole band, Knit 2, Yarn Over, Knit 2. On the return trip, Knit 2, Knit 2 together, Knit 1; purl the rest of the row. In between eyelet buttonholes, knit 4 rows.
- Armhole shaping begins just after the first buttonhole, when the fronts are 5 inches long.
- Continue armhole shaping just as you did for the Back armholes. Don't forget to put the buttonholes on the button band as you shape the armholes. Yes, it is annoying, but it will be a whole lot more annoying if you forget either one.
Neckline Shaping
- After you have worked 4 eyelet buttonholes there will still be more armhole shaping to do. Now instead of doing eyelet buttonholes, you can shape the neckline in the middle. Still remembering to decrease one at each outer edge on each Knit row, work until there are 16 stitches on each Front.
- Begin Neckline Shaping. This will start from the center of the sweater, which means that on the first pass across, you will bind off the 4 Knit button band stitches on the Right Front as you work the knit row; purl back from the outer edge.
- On the return trip of your first Neckline Shaping, on the Left Front, (as you begin to work the purl row) bind off the 4 Knit button band stitches on the Left Front, and finish the row in purl. At the end of this you should have 12 stitches on each Front, with the start of a neckline in the center. Continue armhole shaping, while AT THE SAME TIME you decrease 1 stitch at each neckline edge, until there are only 6 stitches for each Front. End Armhole Shaping. Work 2 more rows, decreasing one stitch at each Center Front. 4 stitches remain on each Front. Bind them off. Fall on your knees and thank heaven you made it this far.
- Stitch the little garment together neatly with very small seams. The bound-off top edges of the sleeves are part of the neckline. The sleeves are long enough to serve as built-in mittens, or can have the cuffs turned up to reveal enchanting little fingers.
Collar
- Starting at either center front pick up 16 stitches for the front, 18 stitches on the shoulders/back, and 16 stitches for the other front.
- Work 5 rows of garter stitch. Bind as you knit the 6th row.
- Sew on buttons.
With a yarn needle work all the yarn ends into the seams; you don't want them to tickle the baby. Block the garment. This is no time to be slovenly; make the lovely little matinee jacket gorgeous. Take a photo of the finished heirloom. Anything that looks awful after the first wearing is not your fault: that is what babies always do to their clothing.
Wrap it beautifully.
Chilly Everywhere
We have come through January. If ever there has been the crying need for more mufflers, we have seen it: snow in LA and Tucson. If you suffered through holiday triplet blizzards in the Midwest, you are utterly justified in your howls of protest. So there is every reason to whip out a pair of knitting needles and put winter back in its place. Knitting a muffler lets you to experiment with two new things: any yarn that you like and any pattern stitch that you find attractive. Keeping it muffler-sized makes it almost-immediate gratification. You can get it done during the Super Bowl. This is DOABLE.
I have always wanted a peacock tail scarf. Despite its name, the Ostrich Plume pattern reminds me of a peacock's tail, full of eyes. I trotted off to my Local Yarn Shop and bought 3 balls of luxurious Dune yarn by Trendsetters, so that the peacock's tail will have the feathery texture and shimmer of the real bird. My friend Monica is freezing in bleak Chicago, and she needs something glorious to get her through till spring.
Of course I did a few repeats of the pattern with some leftover yarn to see how many repeats wide to make the scarf. The Ostrich Plume pattern is a 16+1 stitch repeat-rather wide. I need AT LEAST 2 repeats to get the peacock tail effect, which means the scarf is a minimum of 33 stitches wide. Monica is not a giraffe, and I am not a millionaire, so 2 repeats wide and 3 balls long is the size of the scarf.
The Ostrich Plume pattern has a knit right side and a purl wrong side, so it will curl; that means I need a border of garter stitch-3 knit stitches at the beginning and end of each row (33+6=39 stitches wide), and 3 rows of knit stitch at the beginning and end of the scarf: (6 rows beginning and end would be better, but I am impatient to start the fun part.) This is a great pattern because it has only 2 different rows to memorize. This is my idea of BRILLIANT.
- Border: Knit 3 rows.
- Row 1: K 3, (K2together) 3 times; (YO, K1) 5 times, YO;(SSK) twice, K3tog, (K2together) twice; (YO, K1) 5 times, YO;(SSK) 3 times; K3.
- Row 2 and all even rows: PURL.
- Repeat [rows 1 and 2] 4 times.
- Row 3: Knit 4; (YO, K1) twice, YO; (SSK) twice, K3tog, (K2tog) twice; (YO, K1) 5 times, YO; (SSK) twice, K3tog, (K2tog) twice; (YO, K1) 3 times, K1.
- Repeat [rows 3 and 4] 4 times.
- Alternate these groups of 1&2, and 3&4 until you have run out of yarn or patience.
Just because there are only 2 pattern rows doesn't mean I don't still have to count at the end of each row; that is the way it goes with lace. If I don't have 39 stitches at the end of every row, I am toast. After a few ripping episodes I am careful to count to 39. There is no way around this; heaven knows I have tried. If sloth could devise a way to fiddle with the wrong stitch count and make it work, my repeated attempts with sloth would have borne much fruit over the years, and in a way they have; I have given up the foolishness. YOU CANNOT CHEAT IN A LACE PATTERN. Abandon all thoughts of getting away with it. Just count carefully and you will be much, much happier.
So here it is the beginning of February, and I am through 2 1/2 balls of Dune yarn-that means one more evening of knitting my peacock tail. I would have been finished with it, except that I left it out one night and Yiayia pulled it off the needles and undid a few rows. Fatdog says That Is What One Can Expect From Pussycats. I will wash out the kitty spit before I send it to Monica.
Here is the lumpy-looking muffler so far, but I can see the beauty of the pattern even before I block this little darling. Off it goes to Monica on Monday, and then I can start on February's project: baby clothes. Anders and Marta are going to have a baby in April, and Jon and Claire's young Jack is outgrowing his rompers. Fortunately babies are not fussy about their fashions, and use up the supply of fresh, clean knits pretty quickly. If you like to knit by the seat of your wits, as I do, babies are your best friends. So make experimental mufflers while the crummy weather lasts, and hatch the plots for your next knitting projects. Find some babies and be creative!
Welcome to the New Year at Kooler Design Studio!
Now that you have had enough time to begin writing the correct year (2007) on your checks, it is time to begin working on that list of resolutions, the first of which was DO SOMETHING UTTERLY ENJOYABLE FOR YOURSELF ALL YEAR LONG. Oh, that is not at the top of your list? Then your first job is to put it there. Nothing will put the year on such a sound footing as doing something consistently pleasing. No doubt that is why you are at the Kooler Design website, where beauty is always at the top of the list.
Any kind of needlework that appeals to your senses has already justified its existence, rather like a flower arrangement. Actually DOING needlework that appeals to you simply extends the realm of beauty, and a well-chosen project can improve not only your year, but your environment. A lovely needlepoint pillow nestled into your favorite chair, or a beautiful knitted or crocheted garment cuddling up to you (or someone you love) is a reminder of time and efforts well spent.
Every person at Kooler Design has spent years doing needlework of various kinds because we love to. Each one of us has at least one area of expertise, and we are all dedicated to needlework because it is delightful. The simple physical activity of putting a needle into canvas, or counting threads in cross stitch, or making a row of knitting is what keeps us coming back, year after year, to the simple pleasures of needlework. If needlework were boring or frustrating, we wouldn't be doing it; we all have housework waiting to pounce on us, and needlework is always better.
I am Shelley, the blog mistress, for want of a better term. I have been working with Donna Kooler for about a decade, and have been doing needlework for about half an eon. I wrote the history and technical sections for two of the Kooler encyclopedias, so when you ask me how to do something I have probably done it several times, as well as investigated how to do it wrong several times, too. If I haven't, there is someone behind me who has, and I can just prod her and get the correct information.
Doing things wrong is something I specialize in because it is fascinating, similar to the unconquerable urge to touch something marked Wet Paint. Making a swatch to practice mistakes is less frustrating than fixing a mistake in something that must be PERFECT. Occasionally I will root around in my mistakes file (a large sack hanging on a chair) to find a favorite error, but usually I just use them as cat toys. Sometimes I re-do a mistake, just to see if the laws of the universe have changed, allowing knitting to run sideways. It hasn't happened yet. If it does, you will probably read it here FIRST. And occasionally I will post a photo of what happens when you do something wrong, just so you can stifle the urge to do it wrong yourself. If you have just discovered an error of mythical proportions on a project, share it, if it doesn't make you weep or gnash your teeth.
Other hints to start the year out right:
- Browse this site and find something that inspires you.
- Start to do it.
If you have needlework questions, email us and let us know. We can help you turn your needlework projects into triumphs that live up to your NUMBER ONE RESOLUTION.
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