Keyword: Project ideas

For each month of the year I have created a folder on the computer. At the beginning of the year, December still felt sooo far away and now all of a sudden we are in the middle of it. So time for one last round of On the Needles 2021! This time supplemented by our tips for beautiful accessories (Which you can also super give away ....;-) ) and our recommendations for a cozy TV evening in Advent or the holidays.

With us knitting and TV everything is there

It's pretty cold in Berlin. Marisa needs warm ears - preferably in a double pack!

After I have delayed the return of Sandra's Cap Ruby a bit longer, I am busy knitting the mohair version of the Oslo Hat in the mohair version. As it sometimes happens, there were matching balls on my desk from Verona and Premia. A dream combination! Make here but necessarily a stitch test and take if necessary another size for the cap, so that it really fits afterwards. Or you go on the safe side and stay with the existing kit - that fits in any case and is also very nice.
When it comes to accessories, the roll-top shoulder bag from Della Q has been with me for a while now. The Buddy Case from Namaste, which is unfortunately being discontinued in its existing form, also fits perfectly in it. But we still have a few colors in stock!

Movie-wise, Advent always takes me back to my childhood. And that with Three Hazelnuts for Cinderella. This Christmas fairy tale just has to be!

Warm ears for Marisa with the Ruby beanie and the Oslo beanie in the mohair version.
Photo: © Marisa Nöldeke
The collar is ready: Magnolia Bloom Tunic by Sandra.
Photo: © Sandra Groll

The Magnolia Bloom Tunic by Camilla Vad has done it to some. Among others Sandra. Who is not the Grinch just because she doesn't have a favorite Christmas movie. No, no. (I do wonder how something like that can happen - but ok! 😉 )

After the Christmas gift production is finished, I dedicate myself now again to a project for me. There the Magnolia Bloom Tunic was allowed to go on the needles. The combination of Snefnug and Midnatssol is simply a dream! And even if no double pointed needles is used in this project, I am always very happy about my well-stocked All Purpose Carrying Case from Twig & Horn.

I don't really have a favorite Christmas movie. But as a family we had a lot of The Grinch amused. Such a cozy movie night is just good at the moment.

The rest of the team, on the other hand, is still in the Christmas gift production phase. Arlene, for example, is knitting something for her mother-in-law.

On the needles I have among other things the Nissa gauntletsas a Christmas present for my mother-in-law. I chose the colors lilac and cherry blossom, which fit together wonderfully and will meet her taste 100%. My favorite accessories are from now on the stitch markers from Cocoknits, which I can call my own since a short time and which I will certainly give away again. And while I'm knitting my Christmas gifts, I'm also watching a Christmas movie or two, of course. My favorite is The last unicorn. Even if he has not soooo much to do with Christmas, we watch it every year together as a family.

But the recipient will be happy! At Arlene's, the Nissa gauntlets are on the needles.
Photo: © Arlene Schulte-Vennbur
Jule knits a simple scarf and a small pine cone.
Photo: © Julia Gotthardt

Jule, meanwhile, wields both knitting and crochet hooks.

I'm still knitting out a scarf in the semi-patent Como Tweed. My Christmas ornament production is also still going on, here I am crocheting a pine cone from leftovers from my Zipper Sweater, viz. Como and Premia. My favorite Christmas movie is not a movie, but a series. Last year on Netflix there was the series Christmas at home And Johanne is hilarious! My favorite accessory this year is the Buddy Case.

Also I still have one or knitting piece that should be finished by Christmas. Among them something for the little man in the house.

My son is really looking forward to his Let's Christmas Sweater. Which doesn't mean he'll actually wear it, but I'm still in good spirits. Knitting with Double Sunday is a lot of fun. Since I'm known to knit multi-pronged, I very regularly use the Stitch Stopper from Cocoknits. They reliably ensure that no stitch slips off the needle, even in the project bag.

What project will occupy my hands during my favorite Christmas movie, I do not know yet. But one thing is certain: The little lord is duty. Because as Cedric says so beautifully at the end, "Merry Christmas to you all and to all people everywhere!"

Must have finished by Christmas Eve: The Let's Christmas Sweater by PetiteKnit.
Photo: © Sophia Michalzik

YOUR KNITTING PROJECTS HERE AT MASCHENFEIN

And what do you have so in December on the needles? Feel free to tell us! "On the Needles" is a series from Maschenfein. Just comment here under this post or link up in the links section. On Instagram we use the hashtag #ontheneedles.

You can link all month long! Attention: You must set a backlink to this post or blog in your post, otherwise it will not work with the link tool. A backlink is nothing more than a link to this blog :)!

Are you visiting here for the first time? Every month we collect knitting projects that are linked here in the respective blog posts on "Auf den Nadeln". You can find all past collections to browse in the On the Needles section.

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

Every month we tell you here on the Maschenfein blog what we are knitting. Since we started our Maschenfein x SANDNES Knit Along but this time it's pretty clear what we have on our needles right now. Namely, a model from the 2109 issue.

So what to tell you today? I was a bit after a somewhat lurid title for this issue. The result is: My knitting confession - This project has been in the basket for far too long. Or what do you think of " This is my biggest knitted corpse? Either way, the Maschenfein team is going into the confessional today - are you coming?

Everyone has a skeleton in the closet

A pretty summer bag. For the summer of 2022
!Photo: © Julia Gotthardt



... only they are of different sizes. Jules, for example, is relatively small. But she is there, there is no denying it.

My project of shame is a summer bag made of Papyrus. I had started it full of verve until this size, even steamed it already, but then it somehow disappeared in the basket... Waits it there just until next summer.

As an entertainment tip I can recommend the series The Bridge on Netflix. Super exciting and a German-Danish-Swedish production.

With Arlene, I have to admit that I thought there would be nothing to get knitted. Simply because she is not yet so long with Maschenfein. But I was wrong ...

Since the end of May the Spring waffle cloth for my sister has been on ice, after it slipped off the needle and I was not able to pick up the stitches again. But I have heard Noah by Sebastian Fitzek, which was so exciting that I finished it even after the "accident".

That's how it is sometimes: Stitches lost and then the project has to wait.
Photo: © Arlene Schulte-Vennbur

And we go back further ...

Sliding further down in the basket: the Kolding by Sandra.
Photo: © Sandra Groll

To track down Sandra's knit of shame, I first scrolled back through her Instagramfeed and did a little research on when she posted her Kolding: It was around March 20. Definitely not to be scoffed at when it comes to a knitting confession!

My knitting of shame is the Kolding from Modena and Premia from LAMANA. Full of good intentions, it was allowed to travel once through Austria and Italy to Greece ... But it remained with the intentions and so the state is still as in this picture from August 15. It was planned to have it ready for the fall. Fortunately, I had not committed myself to a particular year ...

I haven't really gotten any further on the ears either, and for several weeks I've been listening to The bone needle from Andreas Gruber.

Even for myself, I've been scouring my Instagram feed to find out when I've posted my knitted corpse. My luck (or bad luck, as the case may be): I often don't get around to posting. And so on March 15, I was already able to show a good piece of the shawl. Caya show. Ergo: I must have posted it a little earlier. My guess is mid/late February.

Caya was a classic case of "opera of one's own work". Marisa wore the shawl in a story and that's when I knew: I need this too! In my defense, I only use yarn from the stash.

And when I'm not knitting, I'm actually reading a book. The rivers of London by Ben Aaronovitch, Harry Potter for grown-ups in crime novel form, so to speak. This book has also been lying around for far too long - yet it was highly recommended to me!

Phew, just stopped in the middle of the row! My poor cloth Caya.
Photo: © Sophia Michalzik
Not much is missing: the almost finished September jacket by Marisa.
Photo: © Ines Grabner /

Maschenfein

Up to the basement actually had to go Marisa. That always reassures me a bit that I'm not alone with my, hmm, flexible knitting list.

My knitted corpse has been in the basement for so long that I couldn't even remember the name properly. But that could also be because it's a petite knit cardigan and let's face it, November, October, September... Aren't they all great? Finished (as beautiful as he will be in the end) is unfortunately still not my September jacket. Something I didn't like about the collar... now if I knew what, I could finish it. But who doesn't know? Instead of thinking myself into a knitted corpse, I rather quickly hit on something new ...

Rather out of necessity, I recently listened to the Hotel-Matze episode with Carolin Kebekus on the train (I accidentally went in the wrong direction). I don't really know her as an artist, but was quite taken with the conversation.

YOUR KNITTING PROJECTS HERE AT MASCHENFEIN

And what do you have so in October (still) on the needles? Feel free to tell us! "On the needles" is a series from Maschenfein. Just comment here under this post or link up in the links section. On Instagram we use the hashtag #ontheneedles.

You can link all month long! Attention: You must set a backlink to this post or blog in your post, otherwise it will not work with the link tool. A backlink is nothing more than a link to this blog :)!

Are you visiting here for the first time? Every month we collect knitting projects that are linked here in the respective blog posts on "Auf den Nadeln". You can find all past collections to browse in the On the Needles section.

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

... and probably have way too many projects for two weeks of vacation, sigh! Do you know this? I scent knitting time and turn a little free, currently I'm still trying to limit myself a little.

But first of all: A wonderful good morning to the Saturday coffee with a little net whisper and a lot of vacation mood. Here in Berlin (today I, Marisa, am writing for you again) the summer vacations have begun, we are going to the mountains in a few days. And that is: by car! What am I excited. A long car ride means a few hours of knitting at a time! Maybe I'm a little (too) optimistic and suppress the thought of bored kids. But as they say: hope knitting time dies last.

So of course the knitting projects want to be carefully planned and it's not like I don't have a trillion projects in the pipeline, so today I'm going to introduce you to the ones that have been at the forefront of my mind and also tell you which ones are going in the suitcase just in case.

Clothes for the smallest miss

Dresses for the smallest Miss I can not knit enough (head). They go nice and fast and are just lovely to look at. I fell especially in love with this one while browsing Ravelry the other day. Seaside Dress by Marta Porcel. Sophia had already linked it to you last week:

Seaside Dress from Tynn Line by Sandnes as a knit kit in the store.
Photos: © Marta Porcel / SANDNES

For the size three years I need only four balls. So they really do not take up much space and probably go in the color 5930 in the suitcase, unless I still come a spontaneous change idea.

Just as pretty and tempting, because knitted on somewhat heavier needles in Line, is the Lola Kjolewhich was on the shortlist, but to me the Seaside Dress seems a bit more "exciting".

The ballerina skirt from Sandnes Yarn, a classic at Maschenfein SHop.
Photo: © SANDNES

Almost landed in the suitcase also again the sugary sweet ballerina skirt, he just can not get out of my head. The biggest Miss had "spurned" him many years ago, from the yarn laid ready for it was created then the Katla Cardigan for our book Småland . Maybe I start in the coming fall / winter a new attempt for the smallest Fräulein. In the summer vacation, the project has not made it because of the mohair part, because that might be too warm for me on the lap. Whereby this reasoning is no longer able to convince me when writing ... If you can not resist, you can find the knitting kit now even with the pattern for free as a PDF download here in our store.

Unicorns for little misses.
Photo: © SANDNES

Matching the ballerina skirt, I still have this sweater further up on my project list. The (second) unicorn phase is certainly not long in coming. For those of you who are still a bit scared of two-thread knitting, I'd like to recommend our knitting encyclopedia Knitting knowledge to go for the vacations. It doesn't take up much space in your hand luggage and contains all the knowledge you might need.

For guys and men's rooms

A little bit of a lady's knitting list is currently, I admit. But there are already ideas for the better half and the son on the list, they just have not made it into my little suitcase, but maybe in yours?

Simple men's sweater with that certain something.
Photo: © LAMANA

I like the sweater 11 from the first LAMANA men's magazine almost without exception. Knitted from Como, I would choose exactly this color (namely denim blue), but prefer the back in stockinette stitch, making it even plainer.

My son is a bit difficult to knit, because he is on the one hand extremely sensitive to materials, collars and sleeves, and on the other hand is insanely, uh, let's say, "careless" with his clothes. But I always like to admire the projects that Sandra knits for her two sons and have asked her to list her favorites for you:

Ideas for WIllard Mini by Alicia PlummerPhoto
: © Alicia Plummer

For example, there is the Willard Mini after a tutorial by Alicia Plummer, who, by the way, also designed this men's sweater, I also like very much. You can find the pattern for Willard Mini on Ravelry, Sandra had knitted it (twice, of course, for the sake of fairness) from Organic Cotton by Blue Sky Fibers, which is currently being phased out by us due to lack of space. I've reduced the remaining stock, so if you like, you can grab it quick! For Willard Mini we now have the knitting kit from Bergamo in the store, which is of course the warmer version. Who wants to stay with cotton, could also take LAMANA Ica.

Mini Montrealer "made from any Rown yarn".
Photo: © Designs by Delz

Knitted from "some Rowan yarn, I think, Creative Linen"Sandra has also knitted the Mini Montreal according to a tutorial by Designs by Delz. (Sorry, how can you keep up with the speed of knitting, you can quickly lose one or the other yarn. I understand completely).

Sandra recommended Merino 120 from Lang Yarns for this sweater and I really have to say, THIS is a yarn that the young gentleman in the house Maschenfein would certainly tolerate. AND: I would actually dare to knit him a sweater out of it, without having to worry that it (the sweater) would be irrevocably dirty and ruined in the corner behind the hamster cage after the next soccer game or oh-I-don't-know-what-the-boys-are-doing-with-their-clothes-ever. Merino 120 is pretty much indestructible, I have already tested several times on toddler clothes, honestly. In fact, I'm just wavering ... I still have a little space in the side door ...

The lemming in me

Let's move on to the most important things in life: Bags. I admit, at first I thought: Who needs a fluffy mohair bag? Exactly: ME, ME, ME! The Honey Clutch from Petite Knit has come across me on Instagram so often now that I just can't get past it. I have two different colors in Sunday and Tynn Silk Mohair (original variant of Mette,) ready, but then Krea Deluxe was here just so "around" and it was done around me ...

Honey Clutch by Petite Knit as a knitting kit with original zipper.
Photo: © PetiteKnit

So I knit out the Honey Clutch in our kit variation 2 Deluxe Silk Mohair and Organic Wool from Krea Deluxe. Again, I would highly recommend our Knitting knowledge to go because the pattern are really hard to follow. In addition, you should actually pack two circular needles and two single needles from a double pointed needles in the strength 2.5 mm, the rounds of the bag make (me) on the long circular needles not so really fun.

The matching zippers we also had for you in the store, but were sold out quickly almost all and also at PetiteKnit they are unfortunately not available. But we are on it and order them as soon as possible for you. You can find beautiful fabrics (for the lining of the bag) from ITO here. There is hardly a way around the Honey Clutch. Do you also participate?

You can never have enough bags anyway, and we're talking about them a lot here at Maschenfein. The matching inspiration went online this week, surely you have already seen it.

In the future, only go shopping with Edda Bag.
Photo: © Susanne Müller

Oh, yes of course, my Edda Bag to be I pack of course also. Pure knitting time you need probably only three to four hours for a bag and who likes, can look again at our ICA-stocks. Because with shopping nets you can confidently leave your color scheme once.

Practical in hand luggage

What else I pack in my suitcase.... My Namaste Case in large and in small, which I pack with a little melancholy, because the company Namaste has unfortunately not managed to re-brand and bring the really great cases under a new name on the market. Therefore, they are unfortunately phased out one by one. Who would like to have another one, should be quick.

Then of course I have my needle bag with me Mara (honestly even two, one for my numerous long needle tips and one for the many short needle tips) and the project bag Mona, which always houses the latest knitting project and many things for the road. So it fits perfectly that our joint sales slot with Franzi Klee started on Thursday! You can currently order our joint collection until the end of next week (Friday). So if you've been thinking about it for a while, now is your chance again. Listen to our podcast, where you can learn more about the story behind our collection and the label Franziska Klee.

I also like to always have at least one crochet hook (or just the pretty Tulip set) with me on vacation, then of course a really good pair of scissors and many, many stoppers for way too many projects and stitches on the needles.

What are you packing in your suitcases this summer?

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 weeks my inbox fills up almost daily with many emails asking for yarns for certain projects. I try to answer within a day if possible, sometimes that doesn't quite work out, but if you don't hear from me for more than three days, feel free to ask again. Not that you got lost in the vastness of my mailbox. From time to time you can also get help in the Maschenfein Facebook group, because there are so many professionals around, who either know a lot or always have great tips. Anyway, I thought I'd just pick out one of the many beautiful projects that are being knitted or planned in the Maschenfein "community" and write down a project idea of the week for you, which will then also answer a request.

Chilp anchor knit what yarn
Photo left: ANKESTRiCK, photos right top down: ITO Washi, ITO Urugami, ITO Shio all from ITO Yarns.

Yesterday, for example, Elca asked for a suitable yarn for her new spring project, the "Tschilp" by ANKESTRiCK. The pattern are also available in German on Ravelry, yeah! However, I had to take a closer look at Tschilp first, because I didn't know it at all yet. After looking at the model in question, I always take a look at my favorite stitch samples and see what feels right and where, above all, the gauge roughly corresponds toinstructionsttern. It doesn't matter what needle size I knit the sample with. The only thing that matters is whether the knitted fabric is nice and suitable in the "stitch density" I'm looking for. Using a needle size other than the one specifiinstructionshe pattern is the least of the problems. The main thing is that the stitches (and preferably the rows, although this is not quite so bad) do not have to be converted.

For Elca and her project Tschilp I have two ideas, both are knitted multi-thread:

  • ITO Washi (54% paper, 46% viscose) in combination with ITO Urugami (72% wool, 28% paper), or
  • ITO Washi in combination with ITO Shio (100% wool), where the Shio can be combined into Washi with one or two threads as desired

ITO-Yarns-for-Chilp-ANKESTRICKPhoto above: ITO Washi in the color "carrot", bottom left: ITO Urugami in the color "tangerine" and below right ITO Shio in the color "tangerine".

I really like the feel of the first combination (Washi and Urugami). Urugami is a twisted paper thread at the core, with wool spun around the outside. It looks like a smooth round thread and stands out quite a bit from washi in the knit, as washi is a slightly textured yarn. I like that, you can clearly see the two-thread in the structure then. At the same time, it's very airy, so it's certainly great for summer knits.

For those who prefer a "melting together" of the threads, I would recommend the combination of Washi and Shio. And if you also like it a bit "denser" (like me), you should combine Shio with Washi in two threads, i.e. knit with three threads in total to get the right number of stitches. A great knitting pattern, a larger proportion of wool and it also feels a bit softer than the first combination with the Urugami.

No matter which combination you choose, you must necessarily knit a sample beforehand to find out with which needle size you can knit the chilp according to the pattern. In my sample I come for both combinations with a 3.5mm on about 24 stitches for 10cm. Thinner needles I have not yet tried, I would knit a MaPro with 3.25mm, wash it naütrlich and then measure times.

Yarn quantity: according to the pattern, you need 730 to 1170m, depending on the size. So:
4-5 cones of Washi and 3-5 cones of Urugami, or.
4-5 cones Washi and 2-3 cones Shio, or
4-5 cones Washi and 4-6 cones Shio (if Shio is knitted two-threaded)

Pattern: Tschilp can be found on Ravelry as a PDF download. When you buy the tutorial you get all available languages, which in this case are English and German.

Needles: You will have to try this out. Knit a test stitch starting with a needle size of 3mm. Cast on about 30 stitches, knit a sample, wash it and let it dry. Only then you can reasonably measure and decide whether 3mm fits or is too dense!

Have fun!

PS: Why I love stitch tests and a lot of information about material & Co. can be found in my video course "1×1 of the stitch test".