Keyword: Inspirations

Crochet often enjoys a niche existence compared to knitting, because the feel of a crocheted piece is usually very firm. This gives the finished piece a rougher feel than, for example, a smooth knit stitch piece.

But who actually says that you can not take advantage of these characteristics? That's why we've put together a colorful potpourri full of crochet inspiration for all crochet fans and those who want to become one. Recommendations for suitable needles and yarns are of course on top!

For beginners: Basics and first designs

In crochet, there are a few techniques that you can use to recreate many designs.

The basis of many designs are often chain stitches, which can be worked as a row or ring. This chain (or ring) of air stitches serves as the first row or round, into which single crochet, for example, can subsequently be worked. If a crochet piece consists exclusively of solid stitches, the result is a very firm and dense structure.

If the feel is to be a little more flowing, crochet stitches are often used. These can be worked as half double, double or treble crochets . The name results from the number with which the thread is placed around the needle and pulled through the stitch of the previous row.

Another variant is the post double crochet, which in appearance is close to the knitted brioche.

With these basic techniques you can crochet your first accessories, for example.

Crochet for advanced and professionals

If you can crochet solid stitches, double crochet and air stitches in your sleep, you need new challenges. We have something for you!

The Amish Puzzle Ball makes a great birth gift. photo: © Dedri Uys

The Amish Puzzle Ball is wonderful for leftovers. We recommend Ica from Lamana! The pattern is in English and the designer also offers a free photo tutorial on her homepage.

Still need a bigger project for the summer? Take a look at the Calad Shirt. The lace stripes give the top a vintage look - and it can still be combined with jeans in a modern way. Semilla Silkbloom from BC Yarn is your yarn of choice here.

Crocheted nonchalance: the Calad shirt.
Photo: © Jessica Tsung

Crochet yourself happy with Paula_m

Paula who? Behind the pseudonym "Paula_m" hides Susanne Müller, who has published numerous knitting but also crochet designs for several years.

Lucca Hat
The Lucca Hat is a stylish companion not only in sunshine.
Photo: © Susanne Müller.

Her designs are characterized by classic cuts and timeless beauty. Susanne writes very detailed patterns, with which even beginners can achieve great results. All her patterns are also available in German!

The Lucca Hat conjures the sunshine directly on your crochet hook. You use here Papyrus from Kremke Soul Wool - this ensures a particularly good shape stability!

Always dressed appropriately with Susanne's Reno Top. The simple cut comes with Pascuali's noble Sole (10% cashmere!) perfectly to advantage.

RENO Top
Simple and beautiful: the Reno Top.
Photo: © Susanne Müller

Tools

The variety of materials for crochet hooks is almost infinite. Ultimately, your preference decides whether you choose needles made of wood, metal, with plastic handle or, or, or....

One of our favorites and already long in the store: Addi crochet hooks.
Photo: © Maschenfein

If you prefer to buy your crochet hooks individually and as needed, you should take a look at the needles from Addi. Both the variant with olive wood handle and the one with plastic coating we like very much!

The Addi Swing series is available in more sizes; the olive wood version is especially interesting for those who like to sweat their hands in the summer.

Beautifully colorful and available in many sizes: crochet hooks from Addi Swing.
Photo: © Addi

For passionate crocheters*innen is certainly worth the purchase of a set. The advantages are obvious: You always have different needle sizes at hand and the whole thing is also practically stowed. Often there are even little helpers in the case ready.

To all crochet hooks

The agony of choice in material

The solid structure of crocheted pieces is ideal for accessories that need to withstand a lot - such as bags or potholders.

The yarn can additionally support the durability. It should be equipped with as little stretch as possible, and what could be more natural than cotton?

Ica by Lamana in the most beautiful petrol. Photo: © Lamana.

One of our declared favorite cotton qualities is clearly Ica from Lamana. You can find all 34 (!) colors in the store, of course. Ica is Pima cotton and therefore the best quality available on the market.

If you want to take your crochet to a new level, the best way is to try Papyrus from Kremke Soul Wool.

As the name suggests, this original yarn is paper. Due to a special manufacturing process, it is nevertheless water resistant!

Papyrus appears quite rigid(headed) when processed, but provides a great hold for hats and bags, for example.

Papyrus Kremke
Papyrus by Kremke in soft natural tones.
Photo: © Kremke Soul Wool

Learn crochet

The world of crochet books is now huge. From home furnishings to clothing and cozy animals, there is something for everyone.

Rightly a standard work!
Photo: © Topp

Häkeln - Das Standardwerk is best suited for beginners and advanced crocheters. It is designed as a reference work and contains explanations of almost all conceivable techniques. In addition, you can access online tutorials to perfect your crochet skills. Please note that it is only available in German.

About the book

If you have already acquired some basic knowledge, you can decide whether you would prefer to spruce up your home or make the children in your family happy. And a new bag for your own outfit is always good, isn't it?

There are so ideas that you would have liked to have had yourself, because they are so cool. But somehow it also makes sense that Sophia had them, because she has also infected the blogger world with the sock miracle. I hadn't really appreciated that at first (maybe you remember). If she hadn't raved to me about it, I would still be knitting all my sleeves with the Magic Loop, cursing and swearing, or a little less cursing but still annoyed. In the meantime, I would not want to miss my collection sock miracle in any case.

Pairfect baby pants-2Image: Stichfest.net

What does a pair of baby pants have to do with the Sock Wonder? It's simple: the sock wonder is perfect for knitting baby pants. I would not have thought of it now, but Sophia has been showing us for a few weeks on Instagram. And then combined with the Regia Pairfect is just really pairfect, as Carina puts it so aptly in her post today. Regia Pairfect is the self-ringing sock yarn (for those of you who don't know much about that (like me)) that makes simple stockinette stitch suddenly perfectly adequate and entertaining. Fits perfectly with the sock wonder, with which the many knit stitches knit almost all by themselves.

Pairfect baby pants
Image: Stichfest.net

Carina had brought me last week to the knitting meeting a ball of Regia Pairfect that she always carried around for me since the last Yarncamp. Now I could fit the launch of the so long rumgeisternden knitting pattern on Instagram now directly a few baby pants anstricken.

Baby pants socks miracle regia

A cool idea, a good to follow tutorial, combined with the sock miracle. I also find pairfect!

You can find the tutorial including yarn and sock wonder over at Sophia's site now.

In the last few days I had three emails from enthusiastic Milano knitters with project supply needs in the mailbox, so I thought I dedicate a whole post to this beautiful yarn. Of course I have a lot of ideas what you can knit with Milano, because first of all there are already some knitting kits with Milano and secondly some shawls from my book can be knitted with Milano.

milano-lamana-mesh-fine-blog

There are so phases that first the yarn laughs at you and then you look for a suitable tutorial. The nice thing about Milano are the many beautiful colors. Color-wise, one is therefore almost not at all limited - already good.

hinata-from-milano

Let's go a step further and look for pattern that can be substituted without much effort, then a big wide world of Milano ideas opens up. For example, you could knit the cover cloth "Hinata" from Milano. Especially if you don't like mohair, fleece or brushed yarns, Milano is a great alternative. You can easily change the number of repeats of the pattern set (continue knitting or stop earlier).

leokadia-in-milano-knitting

By the way, the Leokadia shawl is also designed in such a way that the yarn can be super easily replaced by other run lengths. I would be very excited to see a Milano variation, which would be much more delicate and lighter than the shawl pictured. The shawl is knit from the right tip and the pattern set repeats over and over until the short edge. I would choose a small needle size (so 3.5mm or so), because the stockinette stitch squares between the swatch sets shouldn't get too holey. So if any of you ever knit this in Milano, please get back to me in between and afterwards with pictures!

belinda-milano

I would also find two-color brioche pattern with Milano absolutely exciting, you could try it out with the Belinda shawl from the book. Two-color brioche requires some practice, but the effect is phenomenal. Here you could use slightly larger needles. Maybe 4 or 4.5mm? A stitch test would be quite good (what else, nech?).

vienne

There are even more lace patterns in the Vienne shawl, which is knitted from the top up. Here, too, the pattern set is repeated continuously and you can easily replace the yarn.

cloth-anke-christine

The chipmunk scarf is (in the original) also knitted from Milano and thanks to the popularity of the chipmunk there are for example on Instagram yes already many beautiful color inspirations to admire like here from Anke and Christine.

After the book is before the book! So if you have already diligently knitted your way through all the shawls, you can confidently start again from the beginning and achieve completely new effects with other yarns. Just ask me. I always get mails with questions about yarns, they are looking for certain colors or thicknesses and so far I could always help.

If Milano is too fine for you, take a look at Bergamo. That is just with me on the needles. I'll show you soon!

PS: The pattern for the scarves featured here are in my book except for the chipmunk scarf.

Photo cloths with model: © EMF/Corinna Brix

Last year I crocheted some Easter eggs for Mollie Makes. The pattern were in the March issue.

Easter eggs crochet tutorial

Today, these Easter eggs are again on the living room table as decoration. To crochet I did not come, instead I have knitted for the children Easter bunnies. I have you but still a few beautiful Easter egg pattern and ideas on the net searched out:

First of all, there is the super simple basic pattern for crocheting Easter eggs. Perfect leftover recycling, I would say. I also find this variant pretty: bows around the crocheted eggs. Although not free, but neatly gaudy is this tutorial for colorful crocheted Easter eggs. And here's another nice idea for somewhat more discreetly decorated eggs.

Easter eggs crochet tutorial free

If you don't want to stuff eggs with absorbent cotton, you can just crochet around eggs or embroider them, oha!

Knitting Pattern for Easter eggs are somehow rarely found. I found one at Purl Soho. And so really cool I find these felted eggs. No idea how to make them, but you can just buy them!

Have you crocheted or knitted eggs this year?

Christmas is just around the corner, I feel it very clearly from your questions via email or Facebook. Which cloth goes the fastest? Can I make a baby blanket before Christmas? But rather a hat? How much do you knit in a week? Well, I can only say: It depends! I'm sure there are readers here who will easily knit three scarves before Christmas. Others can't even manage a hat. Unfortunately, I don't have a general answer. But of course I have many ideas and give you today a few inspirations, what you can knit until Christmas, if you want to spend the time. In my store you will find in any case directly the appropriate knitting kits! You don't have to think about it or search for wool. Just buy the whole package and get started quickly!

Baby blanket-knitting-for-Christmas

Knitting gifts for babies and young mothers

For godchildren, babies, grandchildren or young mothers, of course, baby blankets of all kinds are suitable. They are actively used and in the best case they accompany the child for a lifetime. What could make the knitter's heart more happy? My baby blanket "Kora" is perfect for beginners, but still has that special "something" due to a beautiful pattern. Yours finds it as a knitting kit or also as a knitting tutorial with me in the store.

Baby blanket kora knitting kit

The baby blanket "Mila" is one of my absolute top sellers and also this tutorial can be found in my store, if the matching wool is already waiting for you at home. Ask me but happy, I also have beautiful matching yarns for this blanket in the store ready. This tutorial is also suitable for beginners, if you have the knack with the increases and decreases, which is really not difficult. -> To the knitting pattern

Baby blanket knitting kit-Christmas

Who a baby blanket no longer goes in time from the needles, which could also simply still crochet a hat. This crochet tutorial is my very first tutorial ever and all my kids have worn them in a variety of styles and sizes. The pattern include all sizes for ages 0 to 3. -> To the crochet tutorial

Shell hat crochet kit

Gifts for big daughter, best friend, mom or grandma

Shawls are also great to give away and depending on the difficulty and needle size, they can also go off the needles reasonably quickly. I personally love the glitter version of the Easy Triangle Shawl in gray. But even without sequins, the cloth is available in the kit in different colors with or without knitting needles. The pattern are really super easy and best suited for beginners. -> To the knitting kit

Easy cloth knitting kit

And then there is alsozum Beispiel my XXL stole, which I am constantly wearing at the moment and on which I am addressed daily. But it is also so great! Unfortunately, I do not sell it knitted, but I can tell you, it knits also reasonably fast, because it is knitted namely double-threaded. Browse but just times in the knitting pattern and the knitting kits, certainly you will find something! -> Tinstructionsttern

XXL stole

Oh yes! Finally, I have another hat for you, which you get in different color combinations also again as a knitting kit at Sandra: My "Lift-it" cap, which carries this name because of the lifting stitches that create the pattern. I like it very much and have also knitted my daughter already last year this hat in dark blue with a pink pom-pom. I would have to take a picture of it! -> To the knitting kit

Lift-it cap

Now I wish you a happy selection and next week here are a few inspirations and gift ideas for knitters! I can think of a lot right away!

A nice good Saturday morning to today's knitting net whisper! Unfortunately, unfortunately, I simply lack the time in recent weeks to make beautiful pictures. That changes now (hopefully) again, I still have so much to show. But today there are first as usual, a few links, but this time with a very specific theme.

Knitting blog knitting inspirations

Sonja, who writes one of my favorite non-knitting blogs because she always makes me think, tells how she keeps her consumption in check. The first 7 points can almost all be wonderfully applied to conscious yarn shopping. So the topic today is:

Sensible yarn consumption

1) Hard to believe, but true: I actually browse very little in online stores. Of course, I'm on Pinterest, Instagram and Ravelry way too often. But in online stores I actually only look very specifically for a certain yarn for the next project.

2) I practice this to the extreme. I write down or save on Ravelry or on my bulletin boards, which projects I would like to knit and come back to it later. If I'm still convinced of the part, it goes on the to-knit list, but is still not bought, because I usually do that just before I cast on stitches.

3) Every time I buy yarn, I think about whether the color and material will fit into my closet and whether I really have a meaningful project in mind. Sounds funny? Ha! Fooled me, of course that doesn't work at all. I let my mood, pretty pictures and beautiful yarn colors guide me way too much. Sometimes you just have to take chances, like when Sophia flies to America and brings me Woolfolk, remember? I actually still haven't found the right project for that.

4) Mmhhh. Yes ... so quite sometimes I look at my yarn supply and consider whether I could not knit the next project from it. But honestly? Most of the time I just look and buy again. After all, I usually buy matching quantities, so my yarn supply but also somehow keeps within limits.

5) No, so the point is really not implementable at all *laughs*.

6) Ha! That's as far as it goes!

7) Good idea! Give away or raffle my clear stock would perhaps actually be an alternative. Then there would be room for new things again.

In a post called "Why we stash" Felicia describes very well which mechanisms seduce us to superfluous material purchases. She even went so far as to subject herself to a "Stash Challenge". You can find all posts of the entire series here, one or the other time I felt very caught!

How do you do it? Do you have a large supply of yarn or none at all? Do you choose projects based on the yarns you have in your stash?

 

Good morning to your Saturday coffee. Especially in times when the big questions in life are very much on your mind, you can become particularly aware of the balancing effect of knitting. I'm feeling that way right now. That's why I'm especially happy about my knitting round-up today and have gone in search of a few inspiring links again:

Knitting blog

Our supermarket is already fully equipped Easter, so Easter is just around the corner. Since you could knit but fitting a pretty bunny hat.

There are spring-like temperatures here in Berlin, but early in the morning and late in the evening it can still be sub-zero. If you need a few last-minute gloves and you lack the time to knit, very you here how you can sew them from an old sweater together quickly.

Just because of the name you would have to try this stitch stop times, translated it is called the Chinese waiter stop. So called by the author of one of my favorite books, which, by the way, is now alsoavailable in German.

While I was browsing, I also came across the twisted German stitch stop, which I hadn't seen before.

Afterstumbling across the Fleece and Fiber Sourcebook on various channels,I had to order it yesterday. Do you know it?

Do you actually have favorite books about wool & Co. so not knitting, but actually the material "wool"? I look forward to tips!

Have a great weekend!

A nice good Saturday morning to the Käffchenrunde! Thanks for the super great response to my new cap model! I am so happy about it! Since I always get such high praise for the design of my e-books, I'd like to mention that my friend Martina designed my e-book layout. She describes the process behind it on her site "Die Formgeber".

Circular knitting Close round

The Lift-it e-book contains the adult size as described, but since some of you wanted to know how to knit the corresponding children's hat, I'll briefly tell you the stitch count for a hat that fits from about 2-3 years: Just cast on 90 stitches and knit the pattern as described in the pattern, but only for a maximum of 16cm. Then start with the decreases, but you can easily calculate one or two decreases less.

Melanie Berg has released a collection of 5 scarves in collaboration with Quince & Co. I find not only the scarves beautiful, but also the pictures. You can download the pattern both in the package and individually.

I fell very hard in love with this design for Knit Purl! Two skein knit with a mohair-silk blend and a merino-cashmere-silk blend.

I like the combination of two yarns anyway very much and I'm currently flirting with the yarns Sky and Air, which can also be combined excellently. Together they look like this. You could make the BeauB out of that, couldn't you? But no. I'm not allowed to think that further now. You know... theme UFOs and so...

In the right sidebar, by the way, I have now added the button for the monthly "On the needles" post at the top. So you can always find the quickly and browse what has come to new projects.

Have you not knitted in rounds so often? Then take a look here at the different ways to close the round after casting on the stitches so that there is no "hole".

By the way, at Mylys I just discovered a few needle bags that are halfway pretty. They do not quite meet my taste, but they look practical! Here I remember again the great tip for needle bag DIY from Cécile.

Have a great weekend!

Instagram is bad. Bad, bad, bad. Anyway, I always fall for it, uh, I always get inspired. So also from this so great, cozy pants for kids. In sizes mini to 6 years, it kept slipping into my Insta feed with the hashtag #simpelthenbukse. So when I stumbled across this version yesterday, which I think is so cute for boys, the pattern (available in Norwegian or English) nimbly landed in my shopping cart.

The pants are knitted from "Babysilk" of Du Store Alpakka, there made my knitting heart a hop, I have namely in my gauge mania very close to the heart (which is certainly also excellent for a baby blanket ... hach, I do not need unfortunately). So I had a direct reason to order two columns in blue - for the prince. Hopefully they will be here soon. A new in-between project, when the socks are ready.

There are more beautiful tutorials on Paelas' site:

Knitting beautiful children's thingsPhotos all from www.paelas.com.

Top left: The Simpelthen Bukse, which will soon land on the needles here. The pattern are in English, it is very easy to understand, have already read through it. The pants are knitted with baby silk on 2 to 3mm needles. A nice detail I find different colored pockets. I will show you when it is ready.

Top right: The All-Season Jacket, knit from Fin and Air on 4 or 5 needles.

Bottom left: The Flashtopp, again knit from baby silk, on 3.5 needles.

Below right: The Julekjole, the pattern are unfortunately (still) only available in Norwegian, but I think the dress is too cute.

Finally I get to tell you a little more about the new platform " Woolspire ", which Heidi from the blog Wool Rocks started a year ago. Some of you have already been with me via Instagram in Copenhagen to visit her in the office. This is the Heidi I introduced to you in my first maschenfein interview.

Knitting blog knitting pattern knitting meeting

Woolspire is to become a new online community for all those who love wool and all that goes with it - and in Germany, too, in German. The idea for this new platform was born over a year ago. Heidi was writing her knitting blog, had many contacts with other knitting bloggers in Denmark (where she lives) and Norway (her home) and for this group a need to get together online arose more and more. To find a meeting place that allows more than just commenting on each other.

A kind of virtual knitting café, where pattern are lying around that you can show each other. In which everyone can lay out their wish lists. Your projects can be nicely organized in their own compartments. You can look over the shoulders of others. Maybe even get up sometimes to tell the round a little more. You can create your own designsinstructionsttern, share them, or display them for sale. Adjacent to the café is a shelf where anything your heart desires can also be purchased. No more searching the internet, in the vision everything should be available in one place.

Stricktreffn online knitting blog

Since this platform, which has been programmed for months now, is launching in four countries at the same time (Denmark, Norway, Finland and Germany), there is a lot to do and a nice team has gathered, with a wide variety of skills. Many bloggers in Denmark and Norway are already on board and even blogging with each other on a beta version of Woolspire.

Knitting platform knitting community

When we met in October actually rather by chance (to knit of course), Heidi told me more and quite detailed about all her ideas. And she asked me if I wouldn't like to support her with the German part of the platform? Many ideas and a few weeks later there is now already once the German Woolspire Instagram account (which I Insta-freak diligently fill, höhö, I'm happy if you come visit me there too) and the German website is under construction. There is still a lot to be translated, but

Also the store is under construction and you can imagine how much work alone photographing and entering the many products is. One color of each kind of wool. Every needle, every little accessory has to be unpacked, photographed and packed again. Texts have to be entered, prices and stock quantities carefully noted. Then one thing leads to another.

But as far as the knitting café is concerned: The starting signal will be given soon and everyone can join in. Not all features are available yet, but as soon as it starts in small steps, I'll let you know! You can even sign up there on the page, if you want to be informed first, as soon as there is more to see!

If you feel like showing your projects or blogging about certain topics, please get in touch already! Be part of it and create this new place on the Internet together. That would be great!

Who is curious, just send me an email to hello (at) maschenfein (dot) de for a further exchange! I am looking forward!