handmade socks

my mom knit me these socks! love them. thanks mom!

knitting and winter

i think the knitters out there would agree, knitting and winter go especially well together. i know that when it starts getting colder is usually the time i start thinking about new knitting projects. and, it seems there might even be snow falling in kyoto this weekend!

like most things related to crafts, knitting books in japan are especially cute, filled with good patterns and interesting-looking projects. i have to admit that since i got into making felt several years ago, i haven't been knitting as much. but recently i've become inspired especially by the combination of cold weather and great new knitting books.

and i am happy to say that i've finally added these knitting books to the shop. they have both japanese and english written instructions, so i am betting that they will be the perfect introduction to using japanese knitting books. and, the projects are awesome! they are all from nordic countries, and are very clever, seemingly simple with with very unique results. ok, so i should admit here that i am kind of a lazy knitter. i like big yarn, on big needles, not only because i can finish a project faster, but let's be honest, that's a consideration. also, i tend to make simple projects (hats, scarves, mostly a single color with a simple rib) that don't involve much surface design at all. but i really want to try some of these patterns,
maybe these armwarmers will be first...
although i also love this mobius scarf
and this crown hat would be great for a kid!

i also love this frilly scarf
and someday i might even be inspired to try socks (but probably not this year;-)

you can see all the photos from these books in my flickr knit and crochet books collection.



i also found this book that has explanations of all the common knitting stitches, including the symbols using in japanese knitting charts (it's in the shop).

and, last week i found some great yarn/ scarf kit, that i'd love to pass on to any reader of this blog who's interested:
each kit has 5 balls of 100% wool yarn (very soft, not sure about what kind of wool it is), each ball is 50 grams, and 100 meters. the kit also includes 2 knitting needles. with the rib 2 pattern included (in japanese) each kit should make a scarf that is 17 cm wide and 160 cm long.
i picked up one of each color: red, dark blue, and blue and brown.
if anyone would like one of these kits, they are $20, plus shipping. since i only have 1 of each, i am not going to put them in the shop, but just make them available to the first folks who send me an email to feltcafe@gmail.com. or maybe i will just knit with them myself, we will see...

happy knitting!

tiny knit turkey from spud and chloë

and here's a little knitting project for november! the pattern for this cute little turkey is available for free over on the spud and chloë blog.

felt plus yarn crafting

i saw this project for felt mittens with knit cuffs on the purl bee a few weeks ago. i love the look of the combination of felt and knitting or crocheting, and this tutorial made me realize how easy it is to combine them!

the slippers on the left are felt, with knit cuffs, from this book, felt and fabric rendezvous, shown below:

and here's an example of crochet plus felt bottle covers, from this book, simple zakka and a bag of felt wool, show below:

felt and knit/crochet are such a great combo, because while felt is amazing in so many ways, knit and crochet are better for fit or places you need stretchiness.

and now that it has gotten colder (suddenly, it feels!), i'm scheming about knitting and crochet projects that i could do on the train. i especially want to try more crochet, at which i am a complete beginner. good thing there are lots of cute japanese craft books for inspiration!

ribbit from from spud and chlöe

free pattern for this cute froggy, 'ribbit' is available from the spud and chlöe blog, where they are also having a giveaway right now!

via craft gossip