You know when you have grande ideas of what to be for Halloween… and then you just forget about it till the last minute? That is me every year. This year is no different, but instead of the night before, it was the weekend when I started contemplating my outfit.
THE PERFECT OFFICE KNIT - BRAIDED PONCHO
KnittingCommentI always giggle that because of my Canadian heritage, people expect me to love the cold. Frosty window panes, fluttering snow… below freezing temps. Nope. No thank you. To be honest, I hate it with a passion! I’m the one you’ll find reaching for the fleece lines tights in the end of August when its 16 degrees out (60 Fahrenheit for my US folks), and I wear slippers around my house constantly. Heat? Give it to me baby.
Knitatude X Lion Brand Fall Collection
KnittingCommentThe Knitatude x Lion Brand fall collection:
To tell this story correctly, I need to go back to September of last year. On a double decker bus in London during my trip to Europe to be exact.
The Confetti Crop
KnittingCommentHave you ever heard of Fibre Share? Well if not - this is how this story started.
YARN SUBBING - How to Substitute Yarn
2 CommentsLet’s talk yarn subs!
Have you ever been nervous to knit a pattern, because you can’t find the same yarn available, or maybe it’s out of budget for that project at the moment?
As a designer I know that everyone has a different amount of income that they can spend on a pattern, let alone the yarn to make it, so I figured I would give some tips on how to make a pattern work in your favour. I know I’ve learnt a bunch through osmosis, and still have a lot to learn, but maybe we can all help and teach each other a thing or two!
The OML Experience
KnittingCommentI sit here in my yarn room after just dropping Toni (TL Yarn Crafts) off at the airport, and I am sad. Actually, to be honest; I’m bawling. The Calgary; Our Maker Life event is finally coming to a close and I am feeling all the feels. Like a chunk of my soul is leaving with every plane that takes off, as my new and old friends leave my city and head back to their respective homes.
The Easy Eyelet Yoke LITE - Summer Version
Knitting2 CommentsThe summer time knit is a total crapshoot for us knitters. Half of us fall off the bandwagon and wait for colder temps to sneak in and actually take the summer off, while the other half are just struggling to find a project where we 1) Don’t have to knit with crazy hot wool, and 2) Can actually wear it in the next month or so.
5 Quick Tips to Going with the Flow of Knitwear Design - The Bombshell Crop Top: Collab with KenYarn
Knitting, Small Biz Tips1 CommentBack in April-ish of last year, Jake from KenYarn sent me a message asking if I would like to do a collab with his company and his hand dyed yarn. I immediately said yes, and that’s where the Bombshell Crop Top came from.
Why Do You Gauge Swatch?
3 CommentsOh Brother. The gauge swatch. How is it possible that such a tiny 4x4 inch square can give us such a headache.
I remember learning to knit and not understanding what a gauge swatch was, what was the purpose of a gauge swatch and why would I waste my time knitting a four inch square to only then start the project after? Fast forward a few years… oh if I could have bitch slapped my old self, I would have. So if your like 2014 Chantal, let’s break it down so you don’t make the same mistakes as I did.
The Teddy Cardi
1 CommentI swear my new favourite thing about knitting is fuzzy knits. Mohair and alpaca have been popping up left right and center and that “halo” or super fluffy texture is just my jam. Seems like I’ve not alone either, as the world is on a craze of “Teddy Bear Coats” and I’m seeing them everywhere.
Knitting the Forever Shawl
2 CommentsBack in January Frenchie of Aroha Knits put on a shawl challenge. 5 knit shawls in 5 days. Luckily they were little minis, not the full thing so I totally got behind it. So in 5 days you learnt the 5 traditional ways of how to hand knit a shawl. From triangles, to asymmetrical shawls, to square - the whole shebang, and it’s because of this course that I finally took my first dip into shawl designing and came up with the Forever Shawl. You can still sign up for that challenge and do it yourself: HERE.
Simple Striped Headband - FREE PATTERN
Free Patterns1 CommentAfter finishing up the Forever Shawl, I wanted to use up the yummy remnants of my Blue Sky Fibers. It’s so soft that I couldn’t let it go to waste, so I whipped up this cute little twin headband to be able to pair with it while walking the dogs, or just dealing with those bad hair days.
How to Price Your Knitwear
24 CommentsPricing your items when it comes to handmade is so difficult. It essentially comes down to asking yourself "How much am I worth as a person?". Too many times I see people pricing their items so low that I know there is no possible way that they can be making a profit, and it drives me crazy. It hurts me that they aren't paying themselves what they deserve - as well as it enrages me that they are without a doubt undercutting Knitatude, myself, and the handmade community that I love.
Knitting A Top Down Yoke Sweater - The Easy Eyelet Yoke Sweater
Knitting9 CommentsIf you’ve been following along for the past year or so, I have become head over heels in making seamless knits that are worked from the top down, and in doing so have wanted to design and knit my first top down yoke sweater ever since.
The Mr. Rogers Cardi
CommentWhen I was designing this pattern I had Mr. Rogers in mind. Not just because of the bright red iconic sweater eh wore, but for what he stood for. Todd (my hubby - scroll down to see him!) and I had just finished watching the new Mister Rogers documentary on Netflix, and it really hit home.
THE COURSE OF THE CROSSBACK SWEATER
CommentYou know when you see a sweater or knit at the mall or in person and you’re like “Hot damn, I could make that!”. Well for me, that was the crossback sweater.
COLLABING WITH SONGBYRDY
CommentIf you know me, you'll know that I am terrible at buying yarn (crazy for a knitter I know). I look at it and hum and haw forever and then cave after a couple months. Well that's the exact case with Whitney's Angel Aura colorway. I have never fallen so madly in love with one before. It's tonal, it's soft, its neutral but not, and it matches every single hair colour I've ever done. So when I finally went to make my order I got as much as I could. We’re talking a whole sweaters worth of fingering, a shawls amount of single ply fingering weight, and then this scrumptious amazing single ply super bulky.
The Diamond Knit Dress
Knitting10 CommentsI started this dress actually back in February, but just knew Spring was peeking too closely around the corner. So I laid in wait, patiently (who am I kidding - impatiently) for the fall, and now, this baby can finally be set free. So I introduce you to: THE DIAMOND KNIT DRESS.
Knitting The "My Beginner Raglan"
Knitting7 CommentsYou know when inspiration hits you and you just have to run with it? That my friends, was the "My Beginner Raglan".
Tips to Become a Knitatude Pattern Tester
Knitting5 CommentsHello friends! I figured that since I call for pattern testers pretty often - I would explain how I pick and choose and give some tips and do's and don'ts to help better your chances of getting to test. If you're a pattern designer, maybe you can take home some tips too.