tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20121156355034300052026-05-28T05:56:35.167-05:00handmade by stefaniecompulsive craftiness in the midwest - knitting, crocheting, handspinning, cross stitch, quilting & more.Handmade by Stefaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08833182555137552129noreply@blogger.comBlogger1156125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2012115635503430005.post-72090376309733765602024-09-01T10:00:00.001-05:002024-09-01T10:00:00.327-05:00Sock Knitting for October: Planning Your #Socktober Projects [Includes Sock Pattern Discount!]October is the perfect month to cozy up with yummy yarn, needles, and a new sock project. Perhaps you have a few more gifts to finish up for the upcoming holidays, or you just want to treat your own feet to a lovely new pair of handknit socks.While I haven't designed or knit any socks in a while, I'm hoping to join in the fun this October. Unfortunately, my elbow tendinitis has made sock knittingHandmade by Stefaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08833182555137552129noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2012115635503430005.post-63389275725367646552023-05-29T08:35:00.001-05:002023-05-29T08:35:39.045-05:00Cuddle Minky Blanket ObsessionI have a new obsession: making cuddle blankets! It all started earlier this year when my work (Missouri Star) had a sale on 2-yard cuts of cuddle fabric (sometimes also referred to as minky fabric) for just $22 each. I bought a few to make my mom a blanket for mother's day and it turned out beautifully. In fact, it was so soft and luxurious that I almost didn't want to gift it to her!&Handmade by Stefaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08833182555137552129noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2012115635503430005.post-40022115527757662432023-05-17T13:00:00.001-05:002023-05-17T13:00:00.131-05:00Trip To Hamilton & A New Sewing Machine! Last week, I went up to Hamilton, MO (aka Quilt Town USA) to see some of my coworkers, get a tour of the machine quilting department, and pick up my new sewing machine, a Baby Lock Jazz II! It was a gorgeous day and I ended up popping into a few of the shops as well. Not only did I snag the very last May the 1/4" Be With You shirt, I also got a sweet deal on some skeins of Manos Handmade by Stefaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08833182555137552129noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2012115635503430005.post-47458676670932417162023-05-09T07:30:00.005-05:002023-05-09T07:30:00.136-05:002023 PLY Away MarketplaceLast month, I went to my first in-person event since before-times: the PLY Away Marketplace at the Westin in downtown Kansas City. With a three year gap since my last convention experience, I was super rusty - for instance, the only photo I took while I was there was this banner in the lobby outside of the marketplace:I suppose a selfie with my pal Laura would have been appropriate, Handmade by Stefaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08833182555137552129noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2012115635503430005.post-8078941870332518602023-04-22T08:00:00.021-05:002023-04-22T08:00:00.172-05:00Make Every Day Earth Day by Recycling Your Craft WasteWhat do you do with all those thread ends, bits of yarn, and fabric scraps? For smaller lengths of yarn that I can't knit with, I often use them to decorate gifts (if they're long enough), or to use as ties to keep yarn skeins tidy while I'm dyeing them (if they're shorter). And I save as much leftover fabric from projects as possible, to be used later on for crumb piecing. But Handmade by Stefaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08833182555137552129noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2012115635503430005.post-54813138274493891302023-03-15T09:10:00.039-05:002023-03-15T09:10:00.192-05:00Finished Project Round-Up: Knitting, Cross-Stitch & Still More SewingSeems like I've been sharing a lot of sewing/quilting projects here lately, but I assure you, I am still knitting, and have recently completed a couple of hat projects, a scarf, and even a pair of socks!First up is the March Hat by Meghan Babin, which I made using some Plymouth Yarn Homestead Tweed I was gifted during the holidays and a Knit Picks faux fur pom. This pattern, which is available Handmade by Stefaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08833182555137552129noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2012115635503430005.post-38539944938469862072023-01-31T08:00:00.005-06:002023-01-31T08:00:00.168-06:00Half Hexi Table Runner: It Only Looks Difficult!My quilted table runner obsession continues as I sew my way through Creating a Quilted Home. I've had my eye on this hexi braid pattern, but was a little intimidated by it. But when my mom mentioned that she'd like an everyday table runner, I figured I should give it a shot. Turns out, it's really easy to make! The hardest part (for me) was choosing fabric placement - quilting can be kinda Handmade by Stefaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08833182555137552129noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2012115635503430005.post-11348133513647008252023-01-09T16:30:00.001-06:002023-01-09T16:30:00.180-06:00Craft Projects & Goals for 2023Although I don't really subscribe to the whole "new year, new you" thing or making outlandish resolutions that will likely be abandoned by Valentine's day, I have been thinking a lot about my intentions for this year. Of course health and work/life balance is up there on the list, and home improvements are also a major one for 2023 (I have a never-ending list of projects to work on for our house Handmade by Stefaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08833182555137552129noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2012115635503430005.post-66279940173876817412023-01-02T08:00:00.001-06:002023-01-02T08:00:00.174-06:00Yarn Destashing, 2 Years In When we made the big move to KC at the start of the pandemic, I could no longer ignore the ridiculous amount of yarn that I had in my stash. Since then, I've been working on using up or giving away the yarns currently in my stash while also trying my best not to buy more.Sometimes it doesn't seem like I've been that successful, but I just came across this photo of my stash from February Handmade by Stefaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08833182555137552129noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2012115635503430005.post-71464305444343214762022-12-30T09:00:00.001-06:002022-12-30T09:00:00.183-06:00Handmade Holiday 2022Two posts in two weeks....is it possible I'm back in the blogging groove?! I don't know, but I'm just gonna go with it for as long as it lasts! Now that they've been gifted, I can share 2 more sewing projects I made this year! First, I made a cute cat napper/play mat my mom's cat Henry:I used the Sallie Tomato Cat Napper pattern, although I ended up going off book with my fabric design. It'sHandmade by Stefaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08833182555137552129noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2012115635503430005.post-11106753192868418492022-12-23T13:00:00.002-06:002022-12-23T13:00:00.184-06:002022 in Review: Favorite FinishesI know I didn't blog a whole lot this year, but I was definitely making stuff! I thought it might be fun to share a few of my favorite finishes which haven't been shared here. I'd like to blog more regularly in 2023 but let's be honest, that is not likely to happen because I'm 3,000% more likely to share what I'm up to over on Instagram in real(ish) time. After finishing my nephew's Handmade by Stefaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08833182555137552129noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2012115635503430005.post-42805202558479914912022-11-14T08:00:00.007-06:002022-11-14T08:00:00.187-06:00Birthday Pattern Sale: 50% Off Knitting Patterns Until 11/22!Just in time for holiday gift knitting....it's my first-ever birthday pattern sale! Now until 11/22/22, all of my self-published patterns on Ravelry are 50% off, no coupon code needed. Oh, and this discount also applies to my sport sock pattern ebook, Conversation Knits! Shop the pattern sale.I hope you find something that will delight the folks on your gift knitting list this holiday seasonHandmade by Stefaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08833182555137552129noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2012115635503430005.post-8081897170719723362022-08-31T07:00:00.036-05:002022-08-31T07:00:00.165-05:00*taptaptap* is this thing on?Well, that was an unintentionally long blogging hiatus. I've had this tab open on my laptop for several months, but just couldn't figure out where to start - the longer it went on, the harder it became to write this post! Actually, I am still not sure where to begin, but I've decided to just. start. writing. So here goes.The biggest thing that's happened since my last post is that we bought a Handmade by Stefaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08833182555137552129noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2012115635503430005.post-60767799612697942562021-12-01T08:00:00.034-06:002021-12-01T08:00:00.172-06:00Beginner Quilting Revisited! Remember when I said this wasn't turning into a quilting blog? Turns out that was only partially true. Although I am still knitting on the regular, I have also been exploring more quilting stuff. Over the summer, I finished the Quarantine Hexie Quilt made from all the fabric leftover from making face masks:I was also inspire to put together my first real quilt top! A coworker Handmade by Stefaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08833182555137552129noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2012115635503430005.post-22854861990499614742021-09-29T08:00:00.006-05:002021-11-30T09:19:54.052-06:00A Year of Sock Pals!November 2021 Update: Unfortunately, the next round of sock pals has been postponed indefinitely due to the sudden retirement of the majority owner of Knit 1. I'm so sad that we won't get to do another session, but it was fun while it lasted!Popping back in to talk about a subject that has always been near and dear to my heart (even if I don't get to do it as often as I like) - sock Handmade by Stefaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08833182555137552129noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2012115635503430005.post-53965101199368335052021-07-21T08:00:00.019-05:002021-11-28T17:07:30.106-06:00Mystery Revealed: Brown Sheep Mystery KALSharing my new sock design last week reminded me that I never revealed the mystery from the Brown Sheep MKAL which launched in April of this year! I wish I could say that I was just waiting to be extra-super-duper certain that I wouldn't spoil the surprise for anyone, but I'm quite certain that everyone who participated earlier this spring has long since finished their project. So, without Handmade by Stefaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08833182555137552129noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2012115635503430005.post-26084716818230234672021-07-14T08:00:00.220-05:002021-11-28T17:17:06.472-06:00New Sock Pattern: Collin Sox for Knit 1 ChicagoAlthough it's been a full year since we moved from Chicago, I still have strong yarny ties to the city that was our home for over a decade. Largely, I have the good people at Knit 1 to thank for this - their daily Instagram Live videos are my main connection to the yarn world now that I've left the fiber arts industry, professionally speaking. Their Instagram Garage Sale account has tempted Handmade by Stefaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08833182555137552129noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2012115635503430005.post-34533914686510810952021-06-23T08:00:00.001-05:002021-06-23T08:00:00.253-05:00Easy, No-Mess Yarn Dyeing with Abundant Earth Wool TincturesNote: a version of this post originally appeared on the Nancy's Knit Knacks blog, for whom I was ghost writing for at the time. Since the future of this business is in flux (last I checked, the website was password protected with a conflicting coming soon/closing business message), I wanted to make sure that this tutorial wasn't lost, so I am republishing it here.Have you ever admired a Handmade by Stefaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08833182555137552129noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2012115635503430005.post-74844684714060948882021-05-05T08:00:00.001-05:002021-05-05T08:00:00.265-05:00Latch Hook: 12 Projects for the Modern Maker [BOOK REVIEW]On the very first day of 2020, my friend Heidi, the crafter behind the Hands Occupied craft blog, taught me how to latch hook so that I could make a sample for the pattern book she was working on. Heidi's Latch Hook book & my latch hooking suppliesAs a sample maker, I was given everything I needed to make the project - mesh, precut yarn, and the latch hook. And I didn't have to worry Handmade by Stefaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08833182555137552129noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2012115635503430005.post-39746418633849706872021-04-28T08:00:00.001-05:002021-04-28T08:00:00.249-05:00A Finished Sweater, With Cat HairAfter losing Tilly and Robin within a year of each other, I sure didn't think I'd be finding cat hair in my knitting any time soon. But the universe had other ideas. Over the winter, a white feral cat adopted us. I'd noticed her when we moved into our apartment last summer - I would see her hiding in the bushes or sunning herself in the grass when she thought no one was looking. I assumed she wasHandmade by Stefaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08833182555137552129noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2012115635503430005.post-61841805115830244582021-04-21T08:00:00.004-05:002021-04-21T08:00:00.288-05:00Sew into QuiltingWell, that didn't take long. I started working at MSQC last December, and I've already completed my very first quilt project, a quilt-as-you-go hexagon tree skirt! While I was waiting for more border/backing fabric for my quarantine quilt (which is also a quilt-as-you-go hexagon project), I decided to use all of the fabrics left over from making holiday masks last year by pairing them with aHandmade by Stefaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08833182555137552129noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2012115635503430005.post-31917586751862875222021-04-14T08:00:00.002-05:002021-04-15T09:30:52.993-05:00It's a Brown Sheep Mystery Knit-Along!Brown Sheep is one of the first yarns I ever knit with, and they have always had a special place in my heart - so when they asked me to team up for a mystery knit-along, of course I said yes!Now, I know that not everyone likes a mystery knit-along (or MKAL for short). In fact, I swore them off after being "tricked" into doing intarsia one too many times by Stephen West (said with tongue firmly inHandmade by Stefaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08833182555137552129noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2012115635503430005.post-83215434035226881792021-04-07T08:00:00.012-05:002021-04-07T08:00:00.299-05:00Cross Stitch, ReframedAt the start of this year, I managed to knock one of my favorite cross stitch pieces off the wall it was hanging on, breaking the frame. Since the glass miraculously didn't break, I was hoping to glue the broken pieces of the frame together, but unfortunately it didn't work out. Then I remembered the cool wooden frames from Modern Hoopla I'd spotted on Instagram, which are designed to fit a Handmade by Stefaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08833182555137552129noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2012115635503430005.post-78618396643428735902021-03-17T08:00:00.000-05:002021-03-17T08:00:01.294-05:00I'm A Poncho Person NowI admit it: I used to think ponchos were stupid, and couldn't envision a single scenario in which I would spend time knitting one, much less wearing it. And I probably would have never changed that opinion if it hadn't been for a request to knit one as a sample for Knit Picks. Believe me when I tell you that the entire time I was working on it, I still had an unfavorable opinion about ponchos. Handmade by Stefaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08833182555137552129noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2012115635503430005.post-8553835206857789722021-03-10T08:00:00.027-06:002021-03-10T08:00:00.266-06:00Let's Talk About Yarn Stash, Baby!Ah, the yarn stash. If you've stuck with knitting/yarn craft long enough, you've probably accumulated more yarn than you could ever use in this lifetime. People find out you knit and they gift you random skeins of yarn (or worse yet, random bits of mystery yarn), you buy skeins just because they're pretty, and if you happened to work in the yarn industry for 10+ years (off and on) like I did, Handmade by Stefaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08833182555137552129noreply@blogger.com0