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Let’s Get Digital… for a good cause!

Posted on by Anna

It’s that time of year when 1s and 0s turn into Xs and Os!
These amorous androids can’t contain their passion in their 2013-era disk space, so they’re sharing the love: all proceeds from Luvbots pattern sales this month will go to Chicago area food banks and community services.

If you haven’t knitted them before, Luvbots (also available on Ravelry) is a squeezable project that incorporates colorwork and a bit of mattress stitch—and heart antennas! 😍 The pattern also comes with a bonus sheet of printable valentines for all the people who don’t get romantic knitted robots from you this year.

I-cord Legs Tutorial

Posted on by Anna

Start knitting a little two-legged friend with this tutorial showing two versions of I-cord legs! This is the technique I use when knitting pretty much any tiny humanoid creature. Skip to 6:30 for the technique that divides the stitches of each leg onto 2 DPNs before joining.

Peachy

Posted on by Anna

I didn’t expect this to be my first project of 2021, but I also didn’t expect domestic terrorism egged on by the president in the first week of the new year. Now I’m itching to knit a basketful of peaches. Also because Georgia! ❤️

A few people have asked for the pattern—here are my rough notes, in case you’d like to knit little peaches too!

Use any yarn weight with double-pointed needles that give you a relatively tight gauge.

With your peach-color yarn, cast on 6 sts onto 3 DPNs to work in a round.
Rnd 1: knit
Rnd 2: [kfb] 6 times (12 sts)
Rnd 3: [kfb, k1] 6 times (18 sts)
Rnd 4: knit
Rnd 5: [kfb, k2] 6 times (24 sts)
Rnd 6: knit
Rnd 7: [kfb, k3] 6 times (30 sts)
Rnd 8: knit
Rnd 9: [kfb, k4] 6 times (36 sts)
Rnds 10-15: knit (6 rnds)
Rnd 16: [k2tog, k1] 12 times (24 sts)
Rnds 17 and 18: knit
Stuff the piece
Rnd 19: [k2tog, k1] 8 times (16 sts)
Rnd 20: [k2tog] 8 times (8 sts)
break the yarn, leaving a long tail, and draw it loosely through the stitches

For a stem, make a 2-stitch I-cord for 8 rows. When you finish it off, insert the tip into the top of the peach, and draw the top stitches of the peach tight to close.

Use the long tail you left on the piece to make a long vertical stitch running from top to bottom on one side; pull it tightly for cleavage, and weave in the tail to secure in place.

For a leaf, cast on 2 sts to work flat
Row 1: [kfb] twice (4 sts)
Row 2: purl
Row 3: knit
Row 4: purl
Row 5: [k2tog] twice (2 sts)
break the yarn and draw it loosely through the stitches
Stitch the leaf to the stem and weave in the rest of the loose ends.

Embroider a face if you like, then enjoy your peach in whatever literal or figurative way you please!

Happy Moo Year (save some mooo-lah!)

Posted on by Anna

Happy year of the cow! It’s off to a udderly disappointing start (for the most part). But there are good things on the horizon in 2021.

For example, this could be the year that you practice self care through knitting delightful little toys for yourself and for others! Here’s some encouragement: 21% off most everything in the Mochimochi Shop.

Just use the code HAPPYMOOYEAR when checking out to take 21% off everything. (Gift cards, hand-knit originals, and the Bluebirds of Crappiness pattern are the only things the discount won’t apply to.)

Happy Little Trees

Posted on by Anna


Good news: Thanks to your Generosi-trees and Bluebirds of Crappiness pattern purchases, we raised $1,360 for Chicago food support in December!

I just sent half of that to the Greater Chicago Food Depository, and the other half to Jermaine Jordan’s Healthy Hot Free Meals Restaurant.

Our total raised throughout the pandemic is now over $4K. Thank you, knitters of cute things!

I’ve been spending the first days of 2021 mostly with my kids, but expect to get back to things Mochimochi soon.