Midknits

Modern Knit and Crochet Patterns

I'm a Lumberjack and I'm Okay!

YarnspirationsErin Black

We are getting so close to the Canada 150 celebration and I am excited to present to you this amazing new Lumberjack Crochet Throw Pattern.  It is available, for free, from Yarnspirations and can be found in their awesome Canada 150 Lookbook!

The idea for the Lumberjack Throw came to me while I was brainstorming for the Canada 150 projects and thinking about my childhood. I remember watching Sunday night TV as a kid (The Raccoons to be specific) and this amazing cartoon for the "Log Driver's Waltz" would come on. I loved the song, and the fact that my Dad was a real life lumberjack made it even better (he wasn't actually a lumberjack, he worked for the city and sometimes cleared brush, but I was 7 years old, so steel toed boots and thick grey work socks with a cream cuff and red stripe meant lumberjack.) The nostalgia factor of this blanket is huge for me, and using a cuddly yarn just makes wrapping up in it that much better.

This throw size blanket is crocheted with cozy Bernat Softee Chunky. This yarn is an old friend of mine that I use whenever I am looking to make something soft and cuddly that works up quickly. And this blanket definitely fits the bill.

It is also a pretty easy stitch pattern that makes it the perfect project for working in front of the TV.  The amazing ribbing is created with a combination of front and back post double crochet stitches and the pattern becomes pretty intuitive once you get going. 

The front-post and back-post stitches are actually pretty easy! It's just a question of where you place your hook.

For front-post stitches, simply place your hook under the post of the stitch from the previous row instead of through the top loops of the stitch as your normally would (see below.)

For back-post stitches, simply place your hook over the post of the stitch, coming through from the back of your work, (see below.)

Pretty easy, Eh!?!

This blanket really is so much fun to make and use! If you are looking for an in depth tutorial, my friends over at The Crochet Crowd have recorded a video tutorial just for this blanket, making it super duper easy to follow along.

Be sure to post your amazing creations to Instagram and tag me @midknits #midknitsmakers. I would love to see your makes!

Get the free Lumberjack Crochet Throw pattern from the Yarnspirations Canada 150 Lookbook!

Happy Crocheting,
Erin

Croch-EH! Throw Pillow

YarnspirationsErin Black

Happy Birthd-EH Canada! The big party is this weekend and you could easily whip up one of these pillows before the big day! The Croch-Eh! Throw Pillow pattern is free from Yarnspirations and is available through their Canada 150 Lookbook!

This pattern uses one of my all time fave crochet stitches and it might not be one you are familiar with. It is called the split half double crochet (splhdc) and it gives the fabric a thick texture that slightly resembles knitting. The Splhdc is worked like a normal half double crochet, but instead of working the stitch into the top of the previous row as your normally would, you work the stitch in between the legs. (See the photos below for a visual guide to this stitch.)

The Croch-Eh! Throw Pillow pattern uses a chart to make it easy to follow and uses tapestry crochet techniques so you can carry your non-working yarn along the top and backs of your stitches; No need to use yarn bobbins!

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To change colours in tapestry crochet simply finish your last stitch of your first colour to your last pull-through, wrap with the colour you are switching to, and pull your final pull-through for the stitch. This will leave you with your new colour on your hook, ready to start stitching.

As I worked this pattern I made sure to keep the yarn I was carrying to the wrong-side (or back-side) of the work.  I also made sure not to carry the red yarn across the entire pillow, keeping it only in the area where the EH! is located. You can easily drop the red yarn to the wrong-side of your work once you reach the edge of the EH!, and pick it back up once you crochet your way back to it on the next row. This ensures that you get a crisp and clean finish on the front of your pillow.

The final step for this pillow is to seam up three sides, stuff with a pillow form, and seam up the final side!

I really love this pillow (and I don't think I am the only one!) If you are looking for a more in-depth tutorial, my friends over at The Crochet Crowd have recorded an amazing video tutorial for this pattern that walks you through the entire process from start to finish! From reading the chart, to working the split half double crochet stitch, tapestry crochet techniques and how to properly change colours, Mikey has everything covered! Check out the video tutorial here!

Be sure to post your amazing creations to Instagram and tag me @midknits #midknitsmakers. I would love to see your makes!

Get the free Croch-EH! Throw Pillow pattern from the Yarnspirations Canada 150 Lookbook!

Happy Crocheting,
Erin

Very A-moose-ing Knit Pillow

YarnspirationsErin Black

I was very a-moose-ed with this free knitting pattern from the Yarnspirations Canada 150 Lookbook, so I knit one up to celebrate the majestic moose in all of its Canadian glory!  

This 20" x 20" (58.8 cm x 58.8 cm) cushion uses Bernat Maker Home Dec Yarn which happens to be one of my faves. I love it because it creates amazingly smooth stitches with awesome definition and it is thick and durable, so it knits up quickly!

One side of the pillow is cream with red and the reverse is red with cream (this way you only need one ball of each colour to finish the project!)

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Once I finished knitting both sides I buckled down for a good ole blocking. I know that not everyone does this, and I don't always do it for every project I work on, but I find when you are working with Intarsia knitting a good soak makes the stitches sit much more evenly.

I even use a tapestry needle to grab each individual stitch and adjust the gauge until it looks exactly like I want it to.

Check out those crisp edges, corners, and stitches! Now it's time for assembly (for a cushion it is pretty easy, just stitch three sides together, stuff it, and then seam up the fourth side.)

To seam the vertical sides of the cushion I used an invisible vertical seam.

How-To: Using a tapestry needle and a piece of Bernat Maker Home Dec in a corresponding colour to the cushion work with the sides of the cushion lined up stitch-by-stitch:

+ Insert the needle under the horizontal bar between the first and second stitches.
+ Insert the needle under the corresponding horizontal bar between the first and second stitches on the other piece.
+ Continue in this manner, working from side to side, and pulling the yarn taught.
+ Check out your awesome invisible seam!

To seam the horizontal sides of the cushion I used an invisible horizontal seam stitch.

How-To: Using a tapestry needle and a piece of Bernat Maker Home Dec in a corresponding colour to the cushion work with the bound-off edges of the cushion lined up stitch-by-stitch:

+ Insert the needle up through the center of one stitch on the first piece.
+ Insert the needle under a full stitch on the second piece.
+ Insert the needle back through the center of the the same stitch on the first piece and up through the center of the next stitch.
+ Continue in this manner, working stitch by stitch, and adjusting to tension on your yarn to create a row of stitches that are the same gauge as the rest of your cushion.
+ Check out your awesome invisible seam!

Be sure to post your amazing creations to Instagram and tag me @midknits #midknitsmakers. I would love to see your makes!

Get the free Very Amoosing Knit Pillow pattern from the Yarnspirations Canada 150 Lookbook!

Happy Knitting,
Erin

Knit Maple Leaf Applique

YarnspirationsErin BlackComment

Add a touch of colourful Canada-Love to your knitting projects! This Maple Leaf Knit Applique lets you add a pop of patriotism anywhere you like and it is a FREE pattern from the Yarnspirations.com Canada 150 Lookbook. This little beauty measures in at about 5" (12.7 cm) in diameter and is the perfect size for so many applications.

At first go, I think I made about 10 of these. They work up so fast!

Okay, maybe not quite this fast, but still...

Once you knit the main part of the leaf use your hook to surface slip stitch the stem in place and get ready for some blocking.  I find that the Bernat Handicrafter Cotton blocks beautifully making the job really satisfying!

"But now that I have 1 million of these little beauties blocked and looking all crisp and Maple Leaf-y, what am I going to do with them," you ask?

These are just a few of my favorite ideas...

Bernat Handicrafter Cotton is absorbent and soft making it the perfect choice for a coaster.

Stitch It On! You can sew, or glue, these appliques onto almost anything!

Stitched onto little goody bags, these would make the perfect gift at your Canada Day Celebration!

Fascinating Fascinators! How cute is this headband!?! Simply sew through the backs of the stitches and around the band to secure the applique in place.

Festive T-shirts are easy to make. Just stitch the applique in place or, to make them removable, you could always just tack them in place with a couple of sewn stitches at each point.

I love a good throw pillow, and these are so cute they would be perfect for all year round!

These are just a few ideas and I am sure you will be able to come up with about 100 million more. This pattern is so versatile! Be sure to post your amazing creations to Instagram and tag me @midknits #midknitsmakers. I would love to see your makes!

Get the free Maple Leaf Knit Applique knitting pattern at Yarnspirations.com

Happy Knitting,
Erin

Happy Birthd-EH!

YarnspirationsErin BlackComment

It's Canada's 150th Birth-year and what better way to celebrate than to show off our Canadian pride with our favourite yarn-y hobbies; Knitting and Crochet! If you haven't had a chance to check out Yarnspirations Coast To Coast - Canada 150 Lookbook yet, make sure you do. It offers an array of free knit and crochet patterns that are all Canadian-centric in their design and super cute!

I was lucky enough to be asked to design some pieces for the collection and look forward to showing you some behind the scenes photos for some of the patterns soon!

Here are the pieces I was lucky enough to design! the patterns for the ccc, xxx and xxx are all available for free at Yarnspirations.com
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The patterns are all available on the Yarnspirations.com website for free!

Croch-EH! Throw Pillow
A-moose-ing Knit Pillow
Lumberjack Crochet Throw
Maple Leaf Knit Applique
Crochet Buffalo Plaid Afghan

Take a look at these other amazing projects that are also available through the Coast To Coast - Canada 150  Lookbook.

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Go To Seed Knit Scarf

I will definitely have to make some of these projects for myself!

Happy Knitting & Crocheting,
Erin

Be sure to post your amazing creations to Instagram and tag me @midknits #midknitsmakers. I would love to see your makes!