Since starting my own knitware company, Alouetta, I have pooled resources from the internet to fuel inspiration. Some I have bookmarked and can retrieve information on, and others have been dragged to my desktop without any history. Here we go...
Knitting Graffiti
Magda Sayeg, Texas
Carol Hummel, Ohio
Jafagirls, Dayton St. Three Textile Totem
Stockholm
Martha Stewart featured this pattern by Lions Brand Yarn, which is always a goto yarn for me, due to its cost effectivity and my experimentation with knitting at this point. Get it at Michael's with a coupon and its $3.50 a skein! DO YOU HEAR ME!!?
This pattern is so simple I have it memorized, find it HERE or right here:
Use size 19 circular needles. I wouldnt worry with a gauge swatch, personally. A little bigger or smaller wouldn't bother me. I'm not exact. Work K2 P2 in the round for the first 3 rounds. Then, knit in the round...forever.... Or until it reaches 17 inches. At 17 inches, repeat the ribbing, K2 P2 for 3 rounds and bind off. DONE. It also uses three strands of Lions Brand Thick and Quick Chunky yarn to get the look of a super duper chunky wool. I love it. It really is the simple things in life.
These adorable Baby Bloomers and Baby Bootie Moccasins are taken from The Purl Bee website. I wish they had both patterns available for adults! I would so rock some knit bloomers and moccasins! Purl Bee is a store in NYC that offers yarn, fabric, patterns, and classes. They have really beautiful free patterns on their site, but many are for experienced knitters.
Dave Cole knit with these loaded shotguns, with the safeties off. Who said knitting wasn't dangerous and adventurous?
what are these, you ask?
Cute Slippers
These lightweight slippers from Etsy user NikiSlippers are cute and affordable! They are handcrafted by a Macedonian Baba in Toronto and are available here for only $10.95. You can
be their first buyer if you click quickly! I want to pad around my house in a pair of these.
Christien Meindertsma's Urchin Pouf. Love. Christien collaborated with a farmer in Wales to use wool from a single sheep for many of her garment projects. She also uses wool from angora rabbits, alpacas and merino sheep. This ottoman/pouf inspired me to buy size 35 knitting needles! Now I can't seem to find wool thick enough, oh and that doesn't cost $100+ a skein...
If you so desire to buy this pouf, you can find it at Design Within Reach for $800.
The Cozy Cabin blanket is a simple and classic knit for beginners. The pattern is available in The Little Box of Throws, from Amazon for $15. Images come from users SkinnedKnees and Gunnison on the Ravelry website. The pattern calls for Lamb's Pride wool:
The pattern is full of knits and purls on size 10 needles with gorgeous lamb's pride yarn. Brown Sheep's Lamb's Pride comes in really beautiful, soft, muted colours, my favourite!
"Wool and the Gang is the story of a family,
a know-how transmitted to the next generation, re-invented,
self taught, a bond between gang members, a gang of knitters,
guys and girls from 7 to 77 years old, all tied together by a piece of yarn…"
Wool and the Gang is an international knitting store and collective. While I was living in NY they opened their first American store located in SOHO and it is magnificent. They sell kits, wool, pre-knit garments and host many knitting functions. I love how founders, Carolyn and Lisa have helped make a name for this heirloom trade in modern fashion.
Even though summer is coming up, you can still knit! Buy this kit, The Tala Tank Top, for $70. "Tala" means wolf in Native American. I'll take a wolf tank top any day!
Wool and the Gang also has extremely helpful and easy to follow knitting videos. Here's one to get you started: Casting On.
Other videos include:
ANYONE CAN LEARN TO KNIT with these simple videos!
Swank Dollar, also known as SWNKDLLR, is Annie Larson of Minneapolis, MN. Her concept is described as: Fashion Design + Fiber Art + Minneapolis. Items are not for sale. Click to follow her blog or flickr page.
Thanks for looking! Now go knit!
