Tag Archives: knitting blog

The Summertime Market Bag Pattern

Posted in June 2023, June 29, 2023 by
Advertisements


I am all for window shopping and retail (yarn) therapy.

You sometimes find the most unexpected things that just have to be purchased.

A market bag is a useful thing to take along for these shopping trips especially if you live in a place where plastic bags are not easily available.

These knitted or crocheted market bags can be for personal use as well as for gifting. They are also reusable and eco-friendly.

For me as a knitter and crocheter, making handmade market bags gives me one more reason to continue yarn therapy.

Advertisements

The Summertime Market Bag Pattern (text and images for personal use only)

Yarn: YarnspirationsTM Caron Cotton Ripple Cakes yarn in the French Vanilla colorway. The yarn is discontinued but may still be available at Michaels etc. For the Summertime Market Bag 1 cake (240 g) of this yarn was used. 
Tapestry needle to weave in ends
Gauge: Not really needed since the center out crochet moss stitch squares can be customized to any size.
Crochet hook: US size F-5 or 3.75 mm for the crochet moss stitch squares and US E-4 or 3.5 mm for the shoulder strap
Abbreviations:
sc: single crochet
[…]: pattern repeat

Advertisements

The Summertime Market Bag is crocheted in the round using the center out crochet moss stitch pattern. The crochet moss stitch square starts with a crochet magic ring.

Advertisements


In a crochet magic ring pictured above (there are many tutorials available online on how to make a crochet magic ring) pull up a stitch with the US F-5 crochet hook, sc once into the ring, chain 2, place marker, sc into the ring, chain 2, place marker, sc into the ring, chain 2, place marker, sc into the ring, chain 2, place marker, and sc. Pull on the yarn tail to tighten the gap (pictured below).

Advertisements
Advertisements


Round 1: Insert the crochet hook into the chain 2 space of the first marker and sc, chain 2, sc, chain 1 all in the same chain 2 space (see below). Remove the first marker and place it as the beginning of the round marker. [Insert hook and sc, chain 2, sc, chain 1 into the chain 2 space of the second marker. Remove second marker]. Repeat […] this for the third and fourth marker in their chain 2 space.

Advertisements
Advertisements


Round 2: [Sc, chain 2, sc, chain 1 all in the same chain 2 space of the first corner with the beginning of the round marker. Sc in the next chain 1 space between the first and second corner (see picture below), chain 1]. Repeat […] for the second, third and fourth corners till the beginning of the first marker.

Advertisements


Repeat the Round 2 till preferred size is reached ending with a sc in the chain 2 space at the beginning of the round. Cut the working yarn and pull through the sc stitch. There was a total of 34 round repeats for the Summertime Market Bag.

Advertisements


Make another crochet moss stitch square of the same size.
Wash and block the two squares (wrong side pictured below)

Advertisements


The two sides and the bottom of the two squares are then joined together using two strands of the yarn and the crochet zig zag slip stitch method.

Advertisements


The Shoulder Strap: Insert US E-4 hook from right to left on top of one side of the joined square, pick up and single crochet 11 stitches (pictured below) for the shoulder strap for about fifteen and a half inches ending with the right side row. Cut yarn and pull through the stitch. Repeat the same on the other side of the joined square. Join the two shoulder straps using the crochet slip stitch join method.

Advertisements

Weave in the ends to complete the Summertime Market Bag.

~coffeeteaknits.com

© Coffee Tea Knits. All text and images for personal use only. All Rights Reserved.

Advertisements

Sheltering Tree Shawlette with Indie Dyed Yarn

Posted in June 15, 2023, June 2023 by

I knit another Sheltering Tree Shawlette with hand dyed super wash merino yarn by Cozy Color Works in the Jersey Peach colorway. I purchased this yarn about 4 or 5 years ago at either a wool walk or the NJ Sheep and Wool Festival. Each hank of hand dyed yarn by Indie Dyers is unique and a work of art. This 550 yards of fingering weight merino yarn is unique in its colorful speckles, its softness, its warmth and lightness.

Advertisements

The yarn also shows the stitch definition of The Sheltering Tree Shawlette Pattern well. There were some modifications made to the pattern. I knit this shawlette with US Size #5 circular needles, added a few more garter stitch rows for the border and omitted the eyelet row. This Sheltering Tree Shawlette is wider and longer than the previous one. The speckles in the yarn added pops of color and made knitting this shawlette fun.

Advertisements

~coffeeteaknits.com

© Coffee Tea Knits. All text and images for personal use only. All Rights Reserved.

The Reverse Side Dishcloth Pattern

Posted in May 26, 2023 by

In knitting patterns there is a right side and a wrong side for a row or a round. It does not mean that the wrong side (the inner side) pattern can’t be reversed and be on the right side (the outer side). I sometimes like the reverse side of the pattern just as much as the right or outer side. The Comfy Hat Patterns are an example of patterns with both the right side and wrong side as the outer side of the hats. When I completed knitting the Spring is in the Air Dishcloth last month, I liked how the two different colors of yarn gave a striped textured pattern on the reverse (wrong) side of the dishcloth (pictured below). The striped textured pattern on the wrong side led to the Reverse Side Dishcloth pattern.

Advertisements

The Reverse Side Dishcloth pattern is the reverse side of the linen stitch pattern in two different yarn colorways. In this pattern I used Capri Eco Cotton™ by Loops and Threads® yarn made from recycled cotton in two different colorways. Stitches are cast on, the round joined and the dishcloth is worked by knitting towards the center with decreases every other round till 8 stitches remain. It is then finished with the duplicate crochet stitch running diagonally beginning at each corner and moving towards the center. Reverse single crochet stitch pattern is used as an edging for the border.

Advertisements

The Reverse Side Dishcloth Pattern (text and images for personal use only)

Yarn: Capri Eco Cotton™ by Loops and Threads® yarn in Yellow (Colorway 1) and Pewter (Colorway 2)
Knitting Needles: US #10 for cast on and US #8 circular needles to knit the dishcloth
Crochet hook: US size 7 or 4.5 mm crochet hook
Tapestry Needle to weave in ends
Gauge: 5 stitches/inch
Abbreviations:

Advertisements

PLEASE SUBSCRIBE FOR THE FREE PATTERN. THANK YOU

Subscribe to continue reading

Subscribe to get access to the rest of this post and other subscriber-only content.

To Knit an Impromptu Custom Sweater

Posted in 2023, May 9, 2023 by


Knitting an impromptu custom top down sweater is much like an unplanned journey to me. The final destination is known but the path taken and the process to get there is not clear.

The cotton yarn for this project was meant for a weaving project that didn’t happen.

Advertisements

I quickly cast on enough stitches to begin a custom top down raglan sleeved cardigan. Since both the yarn were variegated alternating them in stripes to prevent too much color pooling seemed like the way to go.

Several rows in I changed direction and decided to knit a pullover instead of a cardigan. So some more stitches were cast on, the round joined and the journey towards a top down pullover began.

Advertisements

The journey to a completed sweater body and sleeves went pretty smoothly. I washed, blocked and photographed the sweater.

The finished pullover:

Advertisements


Those uneven horizontal stripes (arrows) at the beginning of round where the yarn for the stripe pattern changed were pretty noticeable to me. I had to get some help from the crochet duplicate stitch pattern. The crochet duplicate stitch placed vertically fortunately made the uneven horizontal stripes less noticeable.

The finished impromptu custom sweater was not at all how I visualized it to be when I first cast on some stitches for a top down raglan sleeved sweater.

Advertisements

Reaching my destination of a finished sweater took much longer than I had anticipated. I had expected a journey of simple stockinette and 2 x 2 rib stitch patterns but then had to add a more complicated crochet duplicate stitch pattern in the opposite direction.

Advertisements

Knitting this impromptu sweater was quite a journey for me. I am pleasantly surprised and satisfied with how this unplanned sweater turned out.

Now having reached my destination I look forward to a chance to wear this impromptu pullover.

Advertisements

~coffeeteaknits.com

© Coffee Tea Knits. All text and images for personal use only. All Rights Reserved.

Spring Is In The Air Dishcloth Pattern

Posted in 2023, April 2023 by


Somehow the birds chirping, the bright blue sky, the showers, warmer days, new leaves on trees and the vibrant Spring flowers refresh and lighten my mood. I get motivated to declutter, clean and of course start new knitting projects appropriate for Spring and Summer. As the weather gets warmer, I start knitting more with cotton yarn. Spring is in the Air Dishcloth reflects this cheerfulness that comes with warm weather. The dishcloth was knit in the linen stitch pattern with two different colors of cotton worsted yarn. It was knit in the round moving towards the center through a series of decreases every other round. The knitting technique for this dishcloth is similar to The Toward Center Mitered Dishcloth but was knit alternating two different colors of the cotton worsted yarn in each round.

Advertisements

Spring Is In The Air Dishcloth Pattern (text and images for personal use only)

PLEASE SUBSCRIBE FOR THE FREE PATTERN. THANK YOU

Subscribe to continue reading

Subscribe to get access to the rest of this post and other subscriber-only content.

The Interwoven Earwarmer Pattern

Posted in February 2023 by

One of the things I find interesting as a knitter is how some knit stitch patterns look so similar to certain crochet or woven stitch patterns. To me a plain weave is much like a garter knit stitch pattern. So when I wove this wrap in houndstooth weave pattern (pictured above) using 2 different colors of yarn, I wanted to see how the same weave pattern and yarn would translate into a knitted houndstooth stitch pattern.

Advertisements

The Interwoven Earwarmer is knit bottom up and in the round. It is knit with two different colors of yarn in the houndstooth stitch pattern that uses garter stitch pattern along with slip stitches. A crochet slip stitch is then used for the cast on and bind off edges. Lastly, a duplicate stitch is used to reinforce the stockinette stitch in the back of the Interwoven Earwarmer

Advertisements

Materials needed to knit the Interwoven Earwarmer:

Yarn: Loops and Threads Cozy Wool Merino DK weight yarn in Colorway A: Cream and Colorway B: Purple (The yarn has been discontinued but substitute yarns are listed here on Yarn Sub website)
Knitting Needles: US #6 16-inch circular needles; US #8 knitting needles for the cable cast on and bind off
Crochet Hooks: US F-5 and US G-6
Tapestry needle to weave in ends and for the duplicate stitch
Gauge: 5.5 stitches per inch in garter houndstooth stitch pattern with US #6 knitting needles 
Size: M – about 20 inches in circumference and about 3.75 inches in length without stretching 

Advertisements


Abbreviations:
K: Knit
P: Purl
pm: place marker
sm: slip marker
BOR: beginning of round
s1 purlwise: with working yarn in back slip 1 stitch purlwise from the left needle
[…]: stitch pattern repeats

Advertisements

The Interwoven Earwarmer Pattern (text and images for personal use only)

Cast on 112 stitches with Yarn Colorway A (cream) and US #8 knitting needles using the cable cast on method. Transfer all the stitches to US #6 16-inch circular needles. Place a BOR marker, join the round by knitting as follows:

Advertisements
  • Round 1: With Colorway A (cream), knit to the BOR marker, slip BOR marker
  • Round 2: With Colorway A (cream) knit the first stitch, switch to Colorway B (purple) yarn and  [K2, s1 purlwise] repeat […] till BOR marker, slip BOR marker
  • Round 3: With Colorway A (cream) knit the first stitch, switch to Colorway B (purple) yarn and purl all stitches till the BOR marker, slip BOR marker
  • Round 4: With Colorway A (cream) knit the first stitch, and with the same Colorway A [s1 purlwise, K2] repeat […] till BOR marker, slip BOR marker
  • Round 5:With Colorway A (cream) knit the first stitch, and with the same Colorway A purl all stitches till the BOR marker, slip BOR marker
Advertisements

Repeat Rounds 2 to 5, nine more times. 
Repeat Rounds 2 and 3, one more time.
Repeat Round 1, one more time
Bind off stitches with US #8 and Colorway A yarn. Insert the US F-5 hook in the last stitch for a slip stitch crochet edge.

Advertisements
  • With the last stitch on US F-5 hook and Colorway A (cream) yarn, chain 1 and then insert hook under the first bind off stitch, yarn over and pull the yarn over under the bind off stitch and slip stitch it with the first stitch on the hook. Repeat this with the next bid off stitches till one stitch left on the hook. Bring the working yarn through the last stitch.
Feb2023_a

Feb2023_b

Feb2023_c

Feb2023_d

Repeat the same with slip stitch crochet method as above for the cast on stitches with Colorway A yarn and US G-6 hook

Advertisements

Duplicate Stitch or Swiss Darning (optional):
Using a tapestry needle and Colorway A yarn reinforce the first knit stitch of each round with the duplicate stitch (to learn how to do this watch a video tutorial on duplicate stitch by Staci of verypink.com)

Earwamerback_Feb2023
Advertisements

Weave in the ends, wash and block the Interwoven Earwarmer

Feb2023pic
Advertisements

~coffeeteaknits.com

© Coffee Tea Knits. All text and images for personal use only. All Rights Reserved.

The Winterland Neckwarmer Pattern

Posted in 2023, January 2023 by

The Winterland Neckwarmer

Hello folks, it’s 2023 now and time to either plan or start working on our goals for this year. This year my goals are to write and learn more about rigid heddle loom weaving as well as complete my lingering knitting/crochet projects from the previous years.

The Winterland Neckwarmer is knit bottom up and in the round. The cable stitch pattern and the yarn used for this pattern are the same as the ones used for the Winterland Hat. These two knitted items can be worn together. The bulky yarn makes it a quick project to knit. The Winterland Neckwarmer is light and warm making it quite suitable to wear for the freezing temperatures of this month.

Advertisements

The Winterland Neckwarmer Pattern (text and images for personal use only)

PLEASE SUBSCRIBE FOR THE FREE PATTERN. THANK YOU

Subscribe to continue reading

Subscribe to get access to the rest of this post and other subscriber-only content.

2022

Posted in December 2022 by

Although I had a slow start to the year in terms of my makes, there were a few projects besides the knit/crochet patterns published on this blog each month, I was able to complete.

I knitted these four sweaters;

Advertisements
Advertisements

Tried some different techniques weaving these blankets and wraps on the rigid heddle loom;

Advertisements

And also learnt how to crochet a market bag and a pouf.

I’m grateful I was able to complete these projects despite the slow start and look forward to completing all the unfinished projects next year.

Advertisements

Thank you readers of this blog for all your comments and feedback. Warm greetings this holiday season.

~coffeeteaknits.com

© Coffee Tea Knits. All text and images for personal use only. All Rights Reserved.

The Winterland Hat Pattern

Posted in November 2022 by

Where did 2022 go? I can’t believe this year is almost over. After a rough start to the year with illness due to covid (blogged here), I’ve been trying to catch up with all the goals I had for this year. Needless to say there will be some unfinished works in progress that will be completed in 2023. Knitting smaller projects such as hats and cowls are more enjoyable when other non-knitting things require our attention and time.   

Advertisements

The Winterland Hat is knit bottom up and in the round. It has a simple cable stitch pattern and is a light and warm hat for this time of the year.

The Winterland Hat Pattern (text and images for personal use only)

PLEASE SUBSCRIBE FOR THE FREE PATTERN. THANK YOU

Subscribe to continue reading

Subscribe to get access to the rest of this post and other subscriber-only content.

Autumnal Leaves Cowl Pattern

Posted in October 2022 by

It never ceases to amaze me how fast the colors of the leaves change from Summer to Autumn. Around the autumn equinox, the leaves start displaying their autumnal colors and brighten our days as we adjust to the cooler weather and shorter days. 

The tonal and earthy colors of the yarn in the Autumnal Leaves Cowl represent the changing colors of the leaves in Autumn to me. It will be there to provide me warmth during the cold season ahead and also to remind me of the bright colors of the leaves in Autumn.  

Advertisements

The Autumnal Leaves Cowl is knit bottom up and in-the-round in a simple textured pattern with two strands of the same yarn held together. The cowl narrows slightly at the top for a cozier fit around the neck.

The Autumnal Leaves Cowl Pattern (text and image for personal use only)

PLEASE SUBSCRIBE FOR THE FREE PATTERN. THANK YOU

Subscribe to continue reading

Subscribe to get access to the rest of this post and other subscriber-only content.