Friday, February 19, 2016

Purl Soho Mountain Capelet


I just loved the simplicity of this capelet pattern so I gave it a try.

It only took me about 4 hours from start to finish and it really was a no brainer project! You can watch TV or do this with your eyes closed, I promise. I loved making this so much that I made two!

I absolutely adore all of Purl Soho's projects, from kitting, sewing to crocheting.... take a look
They are my to go to website for patterns.

Here is Purl Soho's capelet

Here is mine

I used 2 and a little more (maybe 1/4) skeins from Loops and Threads "cozy wool" in the granite color for this pattern and again in the mushroom color for the one pictured above.


Because my yarn has a different gauge (thinner) than the one described on their website, I increased the total number of stitches to 90 instead of 70.
When starting the decrease, I followed their instructions but instead of k29 as per their instructions I had to K39 since I have 20 extra stitches.
I also knitted two extra rows for the shoulder decrease so it feels tighter around the neck (I repeated the instructions for that section 8 times instead of 6) and I knitted the neck/cowl area until I almost ran out of yarn. This area (from the last decrease to the top) measures 4 inches only rather than 6 inches. If you have more yarn, go right ahead and continue knitting per their instructions. I just ran out and did not want to purchase another ball.


This piece is gorgeous! It falls right above my elbows, which gives my arms the room needed to move around without the capelet getting in the way. It covers a good portion of my upper body including the neck area which is where I usually tend to feel the coldest.


It is so comfy and cozy and really warms me enough without the bulkiness of a sweater. You should probably make it longer if you are tall and use all 3 skeins of the "cozy wool" or more and make the cowl longer if you want to cover your neck more. I have a small frame (5'2") and the measurements given on the website are perfect for me.


Note: If you plan on using Loops and threads "cozy wool" which is made of 50% wool and 50% acrylic, you can still use the spit splice method for joining your yarn pieces together rather than have to weave the ends into the project. I tried it even though felting requires working with 100% wool and it worked but know, that I did not use the wet method. Instead, I used my felting needles and a piece of foam to join my yarn.
If you want to learn more about the wet splice method, click  here for Purl Bee's tutorial.


The edges will curl a bit, so you should block this piece to give it a neater look. I did.



So what do you think?

Monday, February 8, 2016

Eat Sleep Ski wood sign

Decorate your home for winter with simple wood signs such as this one....


Perfect for a cabin in the mountains, or even your beach house!


Custom stencil


Hand painted


Aged


Distressed


Protective wax finish


just hang it up!

Monday, February 1, 2016

My Winter Decor


Handmade "snowball wreath"

Winter photos purchased on Etsy at VintageSportsPosters



Wood sign made by me

Ski signs made by me

Vintage skis and poles by the fire