Let the Holidays Begin!

It's two days before Thanksgiving and my mind is on the big feast - the menu planning, shopping, cooking, and so on. However, I'm a knitter, so I'm also thinking about holiday presents for everyone - what I have on hand and what I need to knit and/or crochet. This leads me to think about the yarns I have on hand, and believe me, at KnittingGuru there's always a huge stash of yarns. Still, I may have to order some new yarns for the season. That's why I jumped at the chance to add My Favorite Yarns on Craftsy to my blog. It updates the yarns for sale at Craftsy, including their many excellent deals. You can get a head start on these sales by checking the Craftsy Yarns in the right hand column of this page.

While you're looking there, please also check out my Craftsy Pattern Store which has so many patterns for things to give for Christmas. I always think of the babies first at this time of year. For the littlest babies, why not whip up this Baby Santa Cocoon and Hat Set. It takes only a few hours and not too much yarn. Think how cute your Christmas photos will be with baby wearing this!

The cocoon set is made with 200 grams of red knitting worsted used doubled and about 25 grams of white. While I used some Paton's Classic Merino Wool to make this cocoon because I had it on hand, it would knit up beautifully in Cascade 220 Yarn in Ruby which has the same yardage. And... if you click on that yarn in My Favorite Yarns on Craftsy, you'll see that the regular price is $7.65, but it's now On Sale at Craftsy for $5.40 per skein. That means you could make this cocoon set for less than $16.20 for the yarn and only $6.50 for the pattern.The white yarn will last for many projects, so the next time you make this set your cost will only be $10.80 if you take advantage of this current sale at Craftsy.


That's very little to make such a warm and cozy outfit for your baby or grandchild. But consider this -- The very same pattern can be used to make a springtime or Easter cocoon with other colors. You might want to pick the beautiful Goldenrod Yellow, the Mystic Purple, or the Puget Sound Blue to make the cocoon and hat and trim them with your left-over white. I'm sure once you make this speedy pattern, you'll want to do it again and again for your baby, and those of your relatives and friends. 

So while your checking your turkey and pumpkin pie recipes, take a minute and click here to see the color choices for Cascade 220 now!

Happy Thanksgiving to All!

Signs of Autumn - Part 3 - The Pumpkin Baby Cocoon

My final Autumn post for this year is the quintessential Autumn vegetable - The Pumpkin!

What can we say about pumpkins? They look good, they taste good, and they're a great color. So my knitting brain naturally connected this to babies who also always look great, especially when they're wearing cuddly cocoons. First came the Carrot Cocoon, then the Green Pea Pod Cocoon, and now the Pumpkin Baby Cocoon....

Just what's needed for taking babies Over the River and Through the Woods to Grandmother's House on Thanksgiving, or any other day! The cocoon is snug and warm for Autumn strolls in the carriage, photo-ops, or just cuddling. It's a great way to calm your infant! The pattern has a photo tutorial on how to knit the leaves and includes step-by-step pictures and directions for making invisible increases.

Here's a full view of the cocoon:

This Pumpkin Cocoon is available as a knitting pattern and there's also one available that I knitted in pure Merino wool. The pattern is available at Etsy and Craftsy. The ready-to-wear cocoon is available at my Etsy BurryBabies shop.

Wishing you all a wonderful Thanksgiving!

Signs of Autumn Part 2 - Happy Halloween!

Happy Halloween everyone!

I was going to write many more Signs of Fall, but this year the season has been extraordinarily busy for me. Most importantly, my daughter got married on October 5th and between the lead time and the aftermath time, it took me several weeks to get back on schedule. A very happy event!

At any rate, my Carrots and Peas Baby Cocoon Patterns did very well this year as newborn baby costumes.  

Carrot Baby Cocoon and Hat Set

  

Green Pea Pod Baby Cocoon Set

 

These patterns have been popular for a couple of years because they are so fast and easy to make with thick yarn and big knitting needles. Even new knitters tell me they can finish one in a couple of evenings. These are adorable all year, not just for Halloween. They're always sweet for family pictures and would be a great way to bring baby "over the river and through the woods to Grandmother's house" for Thanksgiving! I was even thinking that if the bobbles on the Pea Pod Cocoon were made in red, this would be a terrific Santa's Elf pattern.

You can get these patterns in several places in addition to the links above: 

http://www.craftsy.com/KnittingGuru

http://www.KnittingGuru.etsy.com

http://www.KnittingGuru.artfire.com

http://www.BurryBabies.etsy.com

http://www.ravelry.com/KnittingGuru

Finally, I'd like to share with you some of the many pictures knitters have sent me of the cocoons they made with these patterns.

The last two pictures are of the cocoons made for brand new twins by their proud aunt. If you want to make both of the cocoons, I have a double pattern for them at a discount at Craftsy and at Etsy.

Aren't those twins amazing? They're already interacting with each other just days after birth! Most babies get to look like the one in the top picture when they're wearing a cocoon. Putting babies into cosy and snug wraps is a time honored way to help them be calm. I certainly found that to be true for my three babies. 

Please write to me if you have any questions about these cocoons. I also have a Santa Baby Cocoon in my shops and am currently at work on a Duck Cocoon. I'm always happy to hear about requests for others you may be interested in.

Enjoy the Autumn! I'm working on some things for Thanksgiving now and taking lots of leafy walks too in my favorite season.

Signs of Autumn Part 1 - Sweet Buttered Corn

Autumn is my favorite season. I love the foliage colors, the golden quality of the light, and the bountiful harvest. Here in New York City, there's lots of fresh corn available at the Union Square Farmers' Market and elsewhere. I've been gorging on Sweet Buttered Corn and will be having some tonight. I love it so much, I've made a soft woolen scarf dedicated to it. So even when there's no more corn to buy and eat, you can still wear it!

I used a beautiful 100% soft wool yarn for the scarf. It's knitted and then edged with crocheted bobbles. The textural result gives it a definitely corn-like appearance. As a final touch, I added two tiny corncob buttons to each end. So when it comes to corn on the cob I say... eat it or wear it!

This scarf is available in my Artfire store Here.

Happy Autumn!

Happy 4th of July!

My 4th of July celebration preparation continues with my newest pattern - Red, White and Blue Coasters. You can make one of these coasters in less than 30 minutes including crocheting, finishing and blocking! Create a little excitement for any national holiday - Independence Day, Presidents' Day, Election Day, Memorial Day - with these Fireworks Coasters.  

I'm very lucky to have a view of the frequent holiday fireworks in New York City from my house near the New York harbor. They're always spectacular and were the inspiration for these coasters. 

I wish you all a very happy 4th of July holiday!

This pattern is available at Etsy and Craftsy. Enjoy!

Firecracker Necklace for the 4th of July

Are you getting ready for the 4th of July? I made this Firecracker Necklace to celebrate this year.

The necklace is a graduated series of curlicues on a choker base. I made it with a shiny red rayon (bamboo) thread and added an appliqued gold metallic chain around the base. The necklace fastens with a vintage button from the 1960s. 

I've made this style before and it's firm and durable - made to last for decades. It's lightweight and fun to wear all year. Since it looks like firecrackers to me, it's especially nice for celebrations. 

If you crochet, please let me know by your comments here if you'd like me to create a PDF pattern for this one and I'll add it to my TO DO list!

The necklace is available in my Etsy shop.

Happy Father's Day Sale!

I always make sure I have some Gifts for Men in my Etsy shop because I find it hard to buy presents for men. This week I'm having a Father's Day Sale. Just use code FREESHIPDAD when you checkout in my Etsy shop: http://www.KnittingGuru.etsy.com and you'll receive free shipping on your purchase in the Gifts for Men Section of my shop. Here's a picture of the knitted and crocheted men's scarves I have available. They're all made with luxurious Merino wool, English chunky wool, or mohair. They are also one of a kind or limited edition pieces, so you'll be getting an original.

Also, there are still 14 days until Father's Day, so if you crochet, you can make the Fred Astaire Scarf featured in this picture in just a few short hours in your man's favorite colors. You can purchase the Fred Astaire Scarf in my Etsy shop in the Patterns Section, or at Craftsy. 

Thanks for stopping by and Happy Father's Day to All!