A Winter Walk with Unfinished Mittens

The name of this blog was inspired by the tremendous amount of formative knitting and sewing experiences that have occurred for me on the banks of Lake Michigan. The shores of this great lake were where I found both my craft and myself many times over. I can think of very few things I love better than looking out at the water with a cup of coffee in my hand and a project in my lap, so when Nick and I found this coop unit right on the beach in the northern part of Chicago I knew it was the place I wanted to live. 

Though the snow was coming down hard and fast last week, I was still eager to get out to the water. I grabbed my newly finished Star Mittens (though the many loose ends were still...well...loose) and our new camera and walked out the front door.

I still can't believe I get to live this close to the water! 

Sweater Patterns for Chilly Days

It feels like forever since I have had a chance to do any blogging. 

Nick and I have finally moved into our new home! After a long wait for all of the necessary pieces to fall into place we closed on our Coop unit and moved in the day after New Year's!

Although we are working to get things unpacked there is an extensive amount of painting to do and repairs to accomplish so it may be a while before I have time for needle projects again. In the meantime I have some new vintage patterns to moon over.

I found The Woman's Day Book of Knitted Sweaters at a thrift shop a few months ago. First published in 1970 and updated every year, this collection has plenty of patterns for sassy, glittering, acrylic, disco era items but there are more than a few classics and some really interesting lady-like blouse patterns that pique my attention.

This week I thought I would focus on a few of the patterns for classic cardigans in tweedy, cozy-looking wool yarns since the bitter cold of January is at full force around here. The double breasted man's cardigan is calling my name... 

This sweater is so lovely and simple. The perfect fall staple.

PDF

I love the chunky, super warm look of this marled jacket! Knit with four strands of yarn at once, this would knit up sooo fast! I would knit this in lighter colors for those chilly, early days of Spring.

The pattern includes the vest and beret pictured on the model; in case you are into the full, three-piece matching set look!

PDF

My favorite! I am a sucker for a double breasted cardigan and especially one as grandpa-tastic and this one! I think I would add a slim cable on the outer edges of the moss stitch panel just to bring a little more attention to the design.
PDF

If you knit any of these awesome sweaters don't forget to snap a picture and tag @lakesideneedleworks or add #lakesideneedleworks to your post on Instagram!
Looking forward to seeing these cozy cardigans come to life!

Simple Project Bag Tutorial

I have so many small projects in progress at the moment. I have been trying to tote them around in a crinkly, awkward shopping bag where they have become hopelessly jumbled.   

I thought of my friend Kristina who always uses the cloth bags that come with each pair of Tom's Shoes to carry around her knitting projects and with my free afternoon I attempted to sew something similar.

The result is this...the most perfectly simple project bag!

It is just the right size for smaller knitting or crochet projects like hats, socks, mittens or even sweater sleeves! This little tote would also make a great travel bag!

All of my fabric and supplies are still boxed up in our storage space. Lucky for me, my aunt sent my mother home from a recent visit with a little stash of fabric! I snagged two large scraps; a rustic, creamy cotton and the pastoral, wintry green and beige print, which I love! I dug out my mother's sewing machine and scavenged through the kitchen drawers for some unbleached cotton twine to make the drawstrings.

This is a very simple sewing project using odds and ends that you probably already have on hand. Perfect for novice sewers and quick to complete!
Enjoy! 
And don't forget to share your creativity by tagging @lakesideneedleworks on Instagram or add #lakesideneedleworks to your post. Can't wait to see these bags carrying all kinds of great projects!

Materials:

Large fabric scrap

1 1/2 yards of unbleached cotton twine

Thread to match your fabric

Tools:

Pencil

Measuring tape or ruler

Iron

Large book or magazine

Sewing machine

Seam ripper

Small safety pin

Step One. 

Iron your fabric and lay it out on a flat surface. Fold it over once so that you have a double layer of your fabric, with the right sides together.

Step Two.

Place a large book or magazine squarely on top of your fabric and trace its outline with a sharp pencil, tailors chalk or a disappearing fabric pen.

Step Three.

Using a ruler, mark the fabric to indicate your seam allowances. I gave myself a half inch seam allowance on the sides and bottom but I marked 3/4" inch for seam allowance along the top edge of the rectangle to give myself enough fabric to create the channel for the drawstring.

Step Four.
Pin the two layers of fabric to one another and cut along the seam allowance lines that you just marked.
Step Five.
Sew the two layers of fabric together, right sides facing. Clip the bottom corners of the bag close to the stitch line.

Step Six.
Iron the side seams open at the top of the bag.
Step Seven.
Fold the top edge of the bag over 1/4" and press with your iron all the way around. Turn the top edge over again a 1/2" and press again. You can use pins to hold the folded edge in place.

Step Eight.

Stitch down the top edge close to the fold creating a channel for the drawstring.

Step Nine.
Turn your bag right side out and press.
Step Ten.

Use a seam ripper to cut the stitching above your channel stitches and open up each side seam just a bit.

Step Eleven.

Cut your twine into two equal lengths and tie the end of one length to a small safety pin.

Step Twelve.

Use your fingers to work the safety pin through the channel, out one side and through the other side. Once both ends are sticking out the same side, tie them securely together and start the process again with the other piece of twine starting on the opposite side.

Now fill your bag up with a project and enjoy!

I wanted to share some photos of one of my favorite vintage pieces. 

It is a 100% camel hair cardigan from L.L. Bean.

 L.L. Bean was founded as an outdoor apparel company in 1912! 

 This is the perfect grandpa sweater and it has been in heavy rotation in my wardrobe for the last 10 years or so. The camel hair yarn is so fine and sturdy and the design is a classic. I've had to darn a moth hole or two over the years but the sweater is still going strong! 

simply perfect. 

Star Mittens

I got started on these star patterned mittens from Scandinavian Snow Sets last week. I love that even the underside of the thumbs are beautifully and simply pattered. And the stranded colorwork makes them so warm. Can't wait until I have one for each hand!
Luccas likes them too. He, or his sister Indie, insisted on being in every photo I tried to take of this mitten in progress. 

I think I'll skip making the hat. There is no shortage of knit caps in our trunk of winter woolies. Hats were the first thing I learned to knit and I made the same one more than a few times!

I am knitting these up in a dark, mossy green and a creamy natural colored wool. The cuffs are pleasingly long and tight to keep out the wind and, as I suspected from this vintage pattern, they are significantly smaller in size than might be expected from a "Man's Mitten." I used a worsted weight yarn from Cascade and they fit my hands perfectly!

If you want to knit these mittens or the full set just click on this PDF!

And don't forget to share your knitting on Instagram! Tag me @lakesideneedleworks
or simply add #lakesideneedleworks to your post. Can't wait to see more of these mittens and caps on everyone's needles!

Scandinavian Morning

A tremendous hiccup in our moving plans has forced us into a bit of a nomadic existence this month. With all of our belongings now in storage and my husband and I, as well as our two cats, bunked up at my mother's condo it is hard to feel settled or productive, although we are getting a tremendous amount of reading done.

My mother is the one who taught me to sew. She is also the patient soul who taught me to knit a half dozen times before the lesson took. She has a little collection of vintage pattern books that make for great reading and I thought I would share a few of the patterns from one of my favorites, Scandinavian Snow Sets.

 First published in the late 1940's, this book is full of patterns for mittens and hats all covered in the beautiful stars, snowflakes, diamonds, and floral motifs of traditional Scandinavian design. Mema and I often get together and knit on chilly winter evenings and I almost always find myself drifting through the pages of this book imagining my hands tucked warmly and securely inside these beautiful mittens. I must admit that I've never actually knit anything from this book but that is more from lack of time than interest. My winter knitting time is usually taken up entirely with warm socks and hats knit quickly to see me through the season. I am also currently devouring a copy of Elizabeth Zimmermann's A Knitter's Almanac in which she advocates knitting up mittens and hats in the warmer months of the year so that one can enjoy the process and be patient with the design rather than trying to take pleasure in knitting when speed and time are of the essence in the deep cold of winter days.

We had our first snowfall in Chicago last week so the opportunity for the leisurely knitting of mittens may already be behind me but the necessity of mittens is fast approaching, perhaps one of these designs will make it onto my needles this year...

Snowflake Mittens
Click here for PDF

Peasant Boarder Mittens
PDF

One of my favorites. I love the dark tips and cuffs on these.
Swedish Modern Mittens
PDF

These sweet and delicately knit thumbless baby mittens would make fantastic holiday gifts. I love when small things are knit with appropriately fine yarn and needles. It just keeps everything so perfectly in scale!

Baby Mittens (Fawn and Rose Patterns)

PDF

Hope you enjoy these amazing patterns! And if you cast one on, be sure to take a photo and tag it #lakesideneedleworks on Instagram! I would love to see these designs on some warm hands this winter! Happy knitting all! 

A busy week ahead of finishing projects and starting new ones, not to mention all of the packing that has to be done for our move at the end of this month... I am trying to finish the better half of my basket full of unfinished projects before I have to transport them all to our new place, pins and all.