The weekend’s coming early to Hands Occupied this week – I’ve gotta get to the church on time. Literally! I’m off to be a bridesmaid in my sister-in-law’s wedding. My outfit is ready and my bags are packed, so now it’s time to take a break and enjoy some knitting inspiration before my plane takes off for wedding land.
crochet
Worldwide Knit in Public Week
Happy Worldwide Knit in Public Week! Did you even know that was a thing? It’s been around since 2005 and takes place the second Saturday in June. It originated as a single day to bring knitters together, raise awareness for how awesome knitting is as a community building activity, and how widely it’s been adopted by crafters of all ages.
How to Make T-shirt Yarn
Is it just me, or is jersey (t-shirt) yarn all over the place this summer? Don’t worry, I’m totally into it! Jersey yarn is perfect for summer, and can work up into fast, fun, chunky projects. Jersey yarn is also super affordable, especially if you make it yourself. Here’s how!
Weekly Reader
There were a lot of great new knitting and crochet projects posted this week! Home decor, summer patterns for keeping just the right amount of warm (or cool), fun toys and more were all well-represented. I want to sip a homemade iced tea in a crochet cozy while wearing that striped sweater every afternoon for the next three months. And don’t you just love the crocheted balls with subtle striping?
Weekly Reader
I love this new tradition I’ve started of making my weekly roundups about sharing favorite knit, crochet & yarn finds from the week (and maybe a week or two before if it’s something I just came across on Pinterest). My favorite part is spending too much time lingering over the pictures and enjoying the overwhelming sense of relaxation I feel imaging getting to work on them. There’s also something kind of just dreamy for me about looking at cotton projects in early summer.
Inspire
Lately, I’ve realized that not all inspiration posts need to be clean and tidy and all based on a theme. Neither does life. As many of you know, when I’m not blogging about knitting or DIY, I am a librarian. It might come as no surprise that I like things that make sense. I like rules. I like order.
Easy No Slip Hangers
I have a couple of dresses I really love, but they’re always falling off their hangers. And like a lot of knitters & crocheters, I also have a LOT of scrap yarn laying around. With scrap sock yarn in particular, it can be hard to find a good use for the leftovers. Two problems? One solution – a simple crocheted band of yarn for my slippery dresses to latch on to. Plus, this DIY hack takes about 10 total minutes. Win, win, win!
Weekly Reader
It’s been a full year of the Weekly Reader format we’ve come to know and love, so I’m thinking it’s time for a change. Instead of sharing random faves of the week every Friday, I think I’ll start sharing themed roundups that feature amazing projects from a little more than the past week. But! I’ll still share items that are fresh, focusing on the most recent month or two. Pinky swear!
Crochet Trinket Basket
I originally made this little basket to test out a yarn that caught me by happy surprise and to try a cute new pattern at the same time. I wasn’t planning on blogging it, but I realized I used this little 4ish inch basket for a very important purpose: a catch-all for desk ephemera. For a crafter like me, it’s everything from a jump drive to miscellaneous craft supplies to a pack of cards.
