Category: Knitted Things

Say hello to Holi-Log!

Posted on by Anna

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Introducing the sweetest new friend in Mochimochi Land, the Mini Holi-Log! This little treat of a design is destined to be the life of your holiday gathering. Just look at her adorable lil face! And her mushrooms! And her holly! And sprinkles!

Use the code YULEBEMERRY after adding $5 or more in products from the Mochimochi Shop, and the Mini Holi-Log pattern will magically appear in your cart!

Holi-Log’s elegant wood grain is made using a fun technique: basically knit and purl at random!

Other techniques used in this cozy little project include knitting in the round on double-pointed needles, I-cord, a little bit of mattress stitch for assembly, and French knots for holly berries. (These last two are shown in video tutorials linked in the pattern.)

You’ll need some woody-brown yarn (about 24 yards), some creamy white (about 8 yards), and a teeny bit of green, red, and black for details. Any weight of yarn and corresponding needle size will do, but the sample shown is made using fingering-weight yarn and size 1 (2.25mm) double-pointed needles.

As those of us in the Northern Hemisphere approach the darkest part of the year, we’re wishing you warmth and light and coziness among your favorite creatures and comforts!

Share the love

Posted on by Anna

UPDATE: With your help we raised $156 over the weekend with this little fundraiser! All went to Brave Space Alliance. Thank you!

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I’ll be donating all proceeds from PDF pattern sales this weekend (through 6/19) to Brave Space Alliance in honor of Pride 🏳️‍🌈 (Click on their name to learn more about all the great stuff they’re doing for Chicago’s trans community!)

This rainbow hug went through a couple of different versions as I was trying to figure out how to express the radiance of their love. You can see them in my latest Instagram post.

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!

Make your Crumbles an icing mask!

Posted on by Anna


Embroidering an icing mask onto Crumbles is a snap! 😷

I think you can see how easy it is—a stack of wide stitches across the face, and two stitches, top and bottom, that wrap around the head.

For your 2020 keepsake ornaments ✨

Remember to use the code GINGERBREAD to get this pattern for free with $5 purchase! Update: This code expired in January 2021

Share a tiny bit of Thanksgiving

Posted on by Anna

UPDATE: Thanks to your turkey and bluebird pattern purchases in November, we raised $309 for Chicago food pantries last month!

These proceeds went to Common Pantry, an organization helping feed people in our neighborhood, and for Giving Tuesday we matched the total with a donation to North Side Housing and Supporting Services, another neighborhood charity helping alleviate homelessness.

Together we’ve raised $3,049 to help feed Chicagoans so far in this pandemic. Thank you, knitters! Please keep an eye out for future fundraising patterns.

2020 is truly the year of the Tiny Thanksgiving 🦃
So all proceeds from sales of my Tiny Thanksgiving pattern collection this month will go to Chicago area food banks.

Knit your loved ones a tiny turkey or tofurkey, tiny mashed potatoes, tiny cranberry sauce, and tiny pumpkin pie. 🥧 The tofurkey pattern can double as a tiny fruitcake!

This collection originally came out in 2016, right after a big divisive election. I’m still convinced that if anything can bring people together, it’s miniature knitted food.