Camp Knitter Merit Badge
If you're stitching around the campfire, then you've earned your Camp Knitter merit badge! This pin makes a great addition to your project bag or hiking pack.
Camping Project Bag
This project bag is perfect for travel! Its small size makes it easy to tote on a camping trip or anywhere else you roam! It's perfect for a little sock or hat knitting around the campfire, or to stuff in your pack for a some mountaintop stitching
Camping Stickers
Add a little fiber flair to your camping items! Made from weather-resistent vinyl, these stickers are great for adding to a water bottle, cooler, or camp mug!
Cable Competence
Badge Description: Cables are a knitting technique where the order of a set of stitches is rearranged by temporarily placing several of those stitches on a precariously dangling third needle, creating a twisting effect in the knitted fabric.
To Earn: To achieve Cable Competence, simply select a pattern with cables and knit! If you don't have a cable needle, a double pointed needle, pencil, or magic wand will suffice.
Yarn Bomber
Badge Description: Yarn bombing is a street art where colorful knitted and crocheted fabric is used to decorate public spaces.
To Earn: To become a Yarn Bomber, find a place in your neighborhood or community that looks like it needs a little extra color and knit it a sweater! Remember to take along extra supplies when placing your yarn bomb so you can get the perfect fit.
LYS Regular
Badge Description: 🎶 Sometimes you want to go where everbody knows your name. 🎶 And that place could be your local yarn shop.
To Earn: Take a trip to your local yarn shop! Then, do it again. And again. And again until the folks that work there begin to greet you by name. "Norm!"
(Side note: if you've never watched "Cheers," then much of this description probably makes no sense, so, apologies.)
So, Purl Scout, get out there and start earning some badges! Let me know which ones you accomplish!
]]>I know I've told you all about my illustration process before, which usually involves drawing things out either on paper or my iPad before I digitize and color the artwork. If there's a new type of product in the mix, then I also have to design the packaging that it will need.
Once the artwork is ready, I send it off to my manufacturing partners to turn it into stickers, pins, bags, and all the other things I offer in my shop. When I get everything back from my manufacturers, you might think that's it... but it keeps going.
Products need packaging! Once I have new products in hand, I have to put pins and badges on backers, tags in cellophane, and attach tags to bags. This is where my hole puncher gets a serious work out!
Next, it's product photography time! Each new product gets several photos showing off different angles, and a photo on a white background to use in my wholesale catalog. I do all of my photography myself, and it all happens on the end of my shipping counter. Working in such a small space, many areas have to pull double duty!
Last of all, there's lots of computer work to be done. I have to edit all of my photos, enter new products into my inventory database system, and then add each product to my online store!
And then it starts all over again! Though my summer collection just came out, I've already started planning my fall release!
]]>What’s it like being a solo entrepreneur? It means I wear every hat you can imagine! I do all of the bookkeeping, customer service, IT, design, product development, marketing, PR, and order fulfillment… all from my teeny tiny office!
Working out of such a small space means I have to be super-organized. Every product gets its own bin and sku number so that I can find stuff easily when running inventory or packaging orders. Thank goodness for IKEA and its modular shelving.
Aside from the administrative side of things, I also am the sole person making inventory! These merit badges for instance… while I use a production partner to manufacture the actual badges, each card they go on get individually hole punched (times 3!) by yours truly. Once the card is hole punched, I attach a pin and it’s ready to go!
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Do you have a favorite tote that goes with you everywhere? Mine has quickly become my Purl Scouts tote bag! It's so versatile and much more roomy than it appears at first glance. Here's what I love about this tote...
It makes a great project bag. With roomy 3" gussets on the side, the Purl Scouts tote can hold more than you think. Just look how many hanks or yarn I was able to put in it! I've got a shawl in my queue that I'm hoping to cast on soon, and this is going to be the bag that keeps it all together. Plus, with that gusset and sturdy 15oz cotton, it stands up on it's own. Because who wants a floppy bag???
It's a great place to display your Purl Scouts badges. I'm sure we'd all love to make a serious fashion statement with a Purl Scouts sash or vest, but this bag is much more... practical. Load it up with all of your Purl Scouts crafting achievements and show off your collection!
It's great for fiber festivals and shows. Juggling a bunch of bags is the last thing you need when you're trying to explore everything at a fiber festival. Consolidate all your goodies into one bag to simplify your shopping! The 25" straps make this an easy bag to sling over your shoulder so your hands are free for yarn squishing!
]]>Hey there, Purl Scout!
Ready to earn some more badges? Let’s dip in to the imaginary Purl Scout handbook and see what it takes to earn the Yarnaholic, Brioche Bravery, and Beach Knitter badges!
Badge Description: Sure, you’ve got plenty of yarn in your stash... but it just doesn’t feel complete, does it? A Yarnaholic is an individual who feels an intense pull to add to their stash despite having more than enough yarn to meet their crafting needs for the foreseeable future.
To earn: Go look at your stash. Do you need more yarn? If they answer is yes and you can’t resist a hank of woolly goodness, you’ve earned your Yarnaholic Badge.
Badge Description: Brioche is a ribbed stitch that produces an extra squishy fabric and is often knit in two colors. Brioche can be a little daunting with all its slipped stitches and yarn overs, so many knitters initially avoid it.
To Earn: The Brioche Bravery Badge is awarded to any and all who dare attempt the brioche stitch. Even if the final product is unsuccessful, consider yourself a Braver of Brioche for your valiant attempt!
Badge Description: Beach knitting can often be the ultimate in relaxation, combing a tranquil environment with a calming activity. The Beach Knitter enjoys digging their toes into the sand while working on their latest project.
To Earn: Go to the beach. Knit. You’ve earned the Beach Knitter Badge!
]]>Are you looking for the perfect gift for someone crafty this Mother’s Day? Here are some great gift ideas for all the fiber-loving moms out there!
Knitter? Crocheter? There’s a sticker for that. These 3” vinyl stickers will make a great add-on to your Mother’s Day gifts.
Add a little bit of spring to mom’s knitting! These cute little stitch markers make any knitting project just a little more fun to knit.
Fact: moms like bags. And you can never have too many for your knitting. Gift this roomy project tote and instantly become the favorite child.
Remind mom of when you were a kid and caught fireflies in the backyard!
Maybe you’ve knit something for mom this Mother’s Day? Let her know it was made with love by adding a gift tag!
]]>When I design the Knitional Park stickers, I try to pick a spot in the park that will be recognizable to people who have been there. I do lots of photo research, particularly for parks I’ve never been to. Here are a few of the real-life parks paired with their fiber-themed illustrations!
Glacier National Park
For Glacier National Park, I thought the view from the trail above Grinnell Lake was just gorgeous! The turquoise color of the water with the mountains soaring up behind it was the perfect scene to capture in the sticker.
Olympic National Park
One of the tricky things about the National Parks is that mountains abound! While all gorgeous, I find I sometimes need to avoid the obvious and mix up the mountain scenery, which is exactly what I did with Olympic National Park. This sticker focuses on the Hall of Mosses in the Hoh Rainforest!
Congaree National Park
Where? Congaree seems to be one of the lesser-known National Parks, but when I read about its rainbow pools, I couldn’t resist. Caused by the oils from decaying vegetation and just the right lighting an weather conditions, these rainbows pop up from time to time turning the swamps into pools of color!
]]>One of the questions I get pretty frequently is “where can I put your stickers???”
The answer? Pretty much anywhere. Here are a few ideas for where they can go!
A classic and my personal go-to? The water bottle. Water bottles give you lots of space to show off your collection and since these stickers are made of vinyl, they won’t peel or rub off if the outside gets wet. You can even coordinate your stickers with different color water bottles, or have different sticker themes for different bottles. The theme for my water bottle is this-sticker-had-an-imperfection-so-I-can’t-sell-it.
Another popular place you could round up all your favorite stickers is the back of your laptop. With so much blank space and usually a dull color, laptops are just asking for a little fun to be added to them. Their vinyl material is super-durable, so they can endure lots of trips in and out of a backpack and being toted around the office or school.
For those who like to go old school and keep a paper journal or planner, stickers make a great cover decoration. Their durability can help paper covers last longer and they add a colorful way to express yourself for a notebook that is uniquely you.
Some of my customers have even told me they use these sticker on the outside of their car and they still look great after months of use! While I haven’t personally tried this out, I plan on doing a test run in the near future.
I’d love to see where you put YOUR stickers. Tag me on Instagram (@adknits) with your sticker pic and you might be featured in my stories!
]]>Spring is on its way and the weather is starting to get warmer. Soon, it will be just too toasty outside to put on those wool sweaters. You can still show you're a die-hard knitter, though, with these fun (and definitely cooler) tees from adKnits!
The newest t-shirt in the adKnits line, this one comes in both long and short sleeve!
It's never too early to start thinking about summer. Snag yourself a Black Eyed Susan Tank for when things heat up outside!
A classic! With a slightly more fitted women's cut, the Knitted Mountains Tee is great for layering when the weather's uncertain, or just wearing on its own.
For those spring days when the temperatures starts out cool, the Tree Knitter Hoodie has got you covered. The fleecy inside will keep you cozy while its cotton fabric lets you breathe.
Want more? Check out everything in the adKnits apparel collection!
]]>Ever wondered how a drawing goes from an idea to a finished product? I’ve always been a little hesitant to share my illustration process because drawing is not something that comes as easily to me as other art forms and I often feel like I don’t know what I’m doing.
But, this week, I’m going to put on my big girl pants and share a little bit of how I go from start to finish with something like a sticker.
My process always starts with sketching. I’m very specific about my sketches, though. I’m not a doodler. I have to be able to visualize in my head what I want to draw, and then do it. This sometimes leads me to other ideas, but I always have to see it in my head first.
Sometimes I sketch on paper, but more often than not, I sketch on my tablet.
Once sketching is done, I move into Adobe Illustrator, and trace over all of my lines in black. Then the lines get cleaned up, and color gets added. I often treat my drawings like my own personal coloring book, and color them in with my digital pencil.
Last, I adjust colors, apply stitch patterns, and size the artwork for whatever is going to be produced.
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Hey there, Purl Scout!
With the recent release of my Purl Scouts collection, it seems only appropriate to take a closer look at a few of the new badges and dip into the imaginary Purl Scouts handbook to see just what it takes to earn them!
Badge Description:
When the yarn starts running low but the pattern keeps going, you've got yourself a game of yarn chicken. Will you make it to the end of the pattern with the yarn you have left, or will you have to frantically order another skein, crossing your fingers you can get the same dye lot??
To Earn:
This badge is a difficult one to set out to earn intentionally, but trust me when I say, you WILL encounter this situation eventually. If you emerge victorious by either having enough yarn, unraveling your swatch to get just a few more yards, or successfully tracking down another hank of yarn, consider yourself a Yarn Chicken Champ!
Badge Description:
Sure, you might have seven projects you're currently working on... but isn't it so exciting to start a new project? Castonitis is a condition where the affected knitter temporarily forgets all WIPs when blinded by the excitement of casting on something new.
To Earn:
Given the right pattern/yarn combo, anyone can earn this badge. Simply find a project that's too exciting to not start on RIGHT NOW and cast on! To truly be considered castonitis, one should have at least 4-5 projects already on the needles.
Badge Description:
Sometimes a hat just isn't complete without the perfect pom pom. The Pom Pom Perfectionist pays extremely careful detail to the shape of the pom, meticulously trimming it until it is a perfect sphere.
To Earn:
After making a pom pom, trim away any rogue strands that are sticking out. Reassess and repeat. This can be done for hours. Continue trimming until you give up trying to achieve the perfect pom pom or realize that you have to move on with your life.
I am SO excited about this one! This is the first tote bag I've ever released and I'm so happy with the way it came out! You can use it as a project bag or to haul all your goodies from the next fiber show you go to. And it's the perfect place to display your Purl Scout merit badges!
In this collection, I released not one, but TWO enamel pins! Well, technically one is die struck and doesn't have the color enamel, but you get the idea. Obviously, the Purl Scouts design had to become a pin, but I couldn't resist turning the campfire into one as well!
If I had to pick a favorite from this collection, this sticker sheet might be it. These stickers are vinyl, just like my larger ones, so they can go practically anywhere. Their small size makes them great for planners and journals, too, though! I'm particularly excited about the sticker version of the merit badges... it might have to become a permanent thing.
If you missed the release this past weekend, you can still find everything in the Purl Scouts collection here!
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Really, not much has changed. I still love love a good rainbow, so I thought it would be the perfect collection theme for the spring. Rainbows and and all things colorful were the inspiration for my latest release. Take a look at some of the fun new items from my Rainbow Collection!
Classic, simple, and of course it has knitted twist. Cheer up your water bottle or a laptop with this durable vinyl sticker.
I loved the sticker version so much that I had to turn it into an enamel pin too! It is still has all the detail of the original, and a gorgeous antique copper metal outline.
I couldn’t do this collection without a set of colorful stitch markers! Packaged in an adorable metal tin, the set has 16 markers in 8 colors.
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And then because, why not, I turned it into fabric as well.
I've got the rainbow print, plus some other fabrics I've designed over the years available over at Spoonflower!
If you sew as well as knit, first of all I'm seriously impressed, and secondly, wouldn't this make a cute project bag???
And if rainbows are your thing, keep an eye out at the end of April for a rainbow-themed shop update!
There are a bazillion photo editing apps out there, but my personal favorite is Adobe Lightroom. This is the phone-friendly version of Adobe's powerful photo editing software. The basic app is totally free, and you can upgrade to their pro version for some more advanced features.
When I go to edit a photo, there are three main things that I’m looking at: composition, lighting, and color.
Composition
Using the crop tool, you can fine tune your composition. It's great for straightening lines, cutting out distracting elements in the background, and zeroing in on your focal point by adjusting what parts of the photo you’re going to keep, and what parts can be cut out.
Here's a photo I took of myself on my phone. It's in a hallway at my house, and I wanted to crop out the window and junk on the floor on the far left. So, using the crop tool, I just tightened my shot.
Lighting
Though I am sure after you read my blog post on finding the right light for your knitting photos, you’ve taken extra care in this area, sometimes the lighting in a photo will still need a little adjustment. Use the exposure tool to make your photo lighter or darker as needed. You can also use the contrast tool to make your darks a little darker and your lights a little lighter, which will make your photo pop more.
Here, I bumped up both the exposure and contrast a bit. Not a huge difference, but enough to make the photo seem a little more airy.
Color
Sometimes when you take a photo, the colors do not look true to life. This all has to do with the color of the light being cast when your photo is taken. For example, a cloudy day might yield a generally blue overtone in your photo. Use the temperature tool to slide between more yellow or more blue as needed. If the colors are more blue in your photo, slide it a little bit towards the yellow side, and vice versa.
I will sometimes also use the saturation tool, and bump up my saturation just a bit in order to make my colors pop.
Here, I made the photo slightly warmer (yellow tones) and bumped the saturation the tiniest of bits.
Here's our final Before and After!
Again, not a huge change. Just some subtle adjustments to make the photo stand out!
]]>Back in the day when I sold handmade knitwear, I had to do a lot of knitting photography for my product photos. I was usually the model (not much has changed there), and there were three color rules that I generally stuck to when choosing what to wear along with the knitted item I was showcasing. Ready for some throwback photos?
1. Coordinate With Neutrals.
Let the your knitting be the star of the show and use neutrals to make everything else fade into the background. This works particularly well with brightly colored knits.
Check out these BLUE Meherrin Mittens! They pop because I've just got gray and white in the background.
Neutral on neutral works too! Just make sure there's some contrast between the two. For instance, I wouldn't want to wear a gray scarf with this shirt.
2. Use Complementary Colors
A pair of complementary colors is any two colors directly across from each other on the (a chart used to organize the colors and their relationships).
So, for instance, green/red are complementary colors.
When used together, complementary colors make each other pop and seem brighter. They’re like the perfect couple if colors dated and had feelings.
Consequently, when you pair a piece you’ve made with its complement somewhere else in the photo, your work will pop and pull the viewer in.
Here, I’ve paired a blue-violet dress with a yellow-orange mitten. Scroll up and check the color wheel… complementary colors, right? Hopefully, your eye is drawn immediately to the mitten, set off by the blue-violet background.
3. Use Analogous Colors
Analogous colors are two to three colors in a row on the color wheel. Red-violet, violet, and blue-violet, for instance. An analogous color scheme lacks the pop and contrast of a complementary color pair, but because all of the colors in an analogous scheme are similar, it conveys a more rich, harmonious feeling.
So, I’ve got a blue-green honeycomb cowl and paired it with a dark blue shirt. Blue-green and blue are analogous colors, and I’ve just gone with a darker version of blue.
Here, I’ve got a dark green mitten on a yellow-green sweater AND there’s green detailing on the mitten. Yellow-green and green — analogous? Yup.
I hope with your next FO photo shoot you have the opportunity to think about the other colors in your photo and get some amazing results!
]]>I didn't do it for terribly long and didn't exactly have a steady stream of business, so I quit. Also, I kinda hated it.
The people were lovely but the job was super-stressful.
Long story short, I know a thing or two about photography and thought that I'd dedicate a few posts on how to best photograph your knitting projects. After you've spent months on a sweater, you deserve some decent pics of your project, right?
My next few blog posts will each have a couple tips and tricks to up your Ravelry game and get the most out of your project photos.
Today's post is all about... LIGHTING.
Lighting is the thing that will really make or break your photo. Too much or too little and what's in the photo won't even be visible.
Tip #1: Use Natural Light
Use natural light by taking your photographs either outside or by a window. Lamps and overhead lighting cause weird colors and shadows, and are often too dark to get a clear picture. If you use light from a window, turn off any lights in the room that might add a yellow glow.
For instance, I took this Skiff Hat picture with my iPhone in portrait mode with the camera turned for a selfie. I turned off all the lights in the dining room and stood by a window to get the natural light.
Tip #2: Use Diffused Light
Diffused light is light that is soft and comes from all directions, i.e. not direct sunlight. You'll find this on cloudy days and in shady areas. Avoid taking your photos in full sun and don't use flash (unless you know what you're doing). If using a shady area, make sure it's full shade and not dappled so you don't wind up with weird bright spots where the sun got through.
For example, this picture was taken on my back deck. Why? Because it's was the only shady area in the yard! No weird shadows or sunny spots because the lighting is even.
Tip #3: Use the Golden Hour
The Golden Hour is the half hour right before sunset or right after sunrise. It makes for softer lighting, and pretty golden and pink tones.
For example, this photo was taken right as the sun was going down and was no longer casting direct light on the beach. The soft light is giving the sky, water, and sand a slight pink tone, and the edges of my hair have a little bit of gold going on.
Hopefully this gives you a little bit of an edge in getting better photographs for your knitting projects! If you try any of these tips out, I'd definitely love to see the results!
]]>These progress keepers and the little flowers in them are as hand-crafted as it gets.
I grew 'em.
I pressed 'em.
I cast 'em.
I assembled 'em.
For real, the flowers are straight out of my garden, I pressed them in a giant cookbook that belongs to my husband, and then I taught myself how to use resin because that just how I live my craftypants life. I did NOT hand-forge the metal components, but I guess the line has to be drawn somewhere.
Before we go any further, I'd like to say a special thank you to the previous owners of my house. Though we've been here for quite a few years, flowers pop up every spring in a clearly carefully coordinated succession, and I almost never touch them. They just do their thing and I pretend that the floral glory of my front yard is all my own personal doing. Now, I have a mean green thumb when it comes to vegetables, but I know diddly-squat about growing flowers. Fortunately, these little purplish-bluish buds reliably pop up every spring and they are the perfect size for a progress keeper.
Despite my floral ignorance, I did manage to track down what type of flower they are. It seems to go by several names, none of which are terribly pretty. Tidal Pool Prostrate Veronica is my personal favorite (uh, who is Veronica and why is she prostrate???), but I've seen Prostrate Speedwell and Tidal Pool Veronica as well.
Ultimately, though, what I love about these progress keepers, aside from the fact that they have real flowers in them, is that each one is completely unique. Some have stems, some don't. Some are light blue, some are purple. Everything varies slightly from flower to flower making each one an individual little work of art!
]]>I recently released the Pinesap Mug Cozy pattern, which was craaaazy popular on Etsy for awhile. There was definitely a October where all I did was make cozies. The pattern combines both knitting and crocheting techniques, and has a base to it that doubles as a coaster. All of the proceeds will go to Black Lives Matter.
Knit with bulky weight yarn, this cozy knits up literally in a couple of hours. It's a perfect last-minute gift! The pattern primarily uses knitting techniques, but there is some crochet work for the base and edging. Ready to get this cute little cozy on your mug? Get the Pinesap Mug Cozy pattern!
]]>The other is the Montana Mountain Cowl, which was so much fun to knit. If ever you have the opportunity to work rainbow yarn into a project, DO IT. The constant changing of the colors kept it interesting and kept me in touch with my inner seven-year-old. The pattern has a chart, but by the third or fourth iteration, you can just look at the stitches you knit before to guide you and ditch the chart. I like a project where I don't have to refer to the pattern constantly. In quarantine, this is an asset, as devoting my attention to something without my kids demanding snacks is near impossible.
While the rainbow yarn was fun (Zauberball in Tropical Fish), the real star was the Barrett Wool Home Fingering that I used for my main color. Soft and delightfully springy, I will definitely be looking for opportunities to use it again.
I also knit this bunny.
Quarantine makes you do strange things.
But, in all seriousness, this was one of the most detailed and clear patterns I've ever encountered. Little critters are not my thing, but I had no trouble with Bun-Bun (named by my three-year-old). So cute!
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Earlier this month I wrote about finding the best yarn for your summer knitting projects. But what to knit? I've rounded up a collection of tops that I've been eyeing for some summer knitting.
Cullen by Isabell Kraemer
Kathryn by Jerusha Neely
Fable by Alicia Plummer
Linum Tee by Bristol Ivy
Argil by Claire Lakewood
Gemini by Jane Richmond
Tarmac by Anna Maltz
Kagerou by Michiyo
Will you be knitting something for the summer months? I've never knit a summer top before, but I've gone so far as to add Cullum to my Ravelry queue, so we will have to see! I hope you've found some inspiration here!
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