Winter Is Coming! (Amazing Knitting Books Giveaway!)

Knit Noro accessories 2 & 60 Quick knitted toys giveaway by thisblogisnotforyou.com

WINTER IS COMING.

…or, as those of you eagerly awaiting the Game Of Thrones Season 7 start tonight know: Winter has come.

To be prepared, I’ve checked out some cool knitting books for you! And I teamed up with the lovely folks over at Sterling Publishing to giveaway a copy of each book! (As always – all opinions are my own! My reviews are completely honest and I only giveaway products that I genuinely love.)

Let’s have a look!

Knit Noro Accessories 2 review & giveaway by thisblogisnotforyou.com

KNIT NORO: ACCESSORIES 2

Sixth&Spring Books

First, there’s Knit Noro: Accessories 2. It’s a beautiful hardcover book full of easy, mostly quick to make accessory patterns:Ā gloves, socks, hats, shawls, ponchos, and more. The patterns themselves are fairly simple but show off some really great techniques and colourways. Projects in this book are certainly achievable for beginners and still interesting enough for more advanced knitters.

What I love most about this book is the photography. The Noro yarns come in beautiful rich colours and the projects are styled in a really cool way. The whole book has a really fresh look about it and inspires to start planning your autumn projects right away! It would certainly make for a great present, as well.

The knitting instructions are very detailed and clear, all marked on a 1 to 4 stars skill level.

All thumbs up!

Knit Noro Accessories 2 review & giveaway by thisblogisnotforyou.com
Knit Noro Accessories 2 review & giveaway by thisblogisnotforyou.com

Knit Noro Accessories 2 review & giveaway by thisblogisnotforyou.com

Don’t these projects look lush? I love these cabled boot toppers!

60 Quick Knitted Toys review & giveaway by thisblogisnotforyou.com

60 QUICK KNITTED TOYS

Sixth&Spring Books

The second book I checked out for you guys is definitely my favourite of the two: 60 Quick Knitted Toys.

If I was able to show you all 60 of these projects, I would have! It was super hard to narrow it down to just a few sneaky peeks. This book is full of amazing knitting projects to make for kids: stuffed animals, toys and even games, which I had no idea you could knit! (Such as fishing or ball games, Tic-Tac-Toe, baby blocks etc.)

The book includes super cute stuffed animal patterns and some really fun, unusual knitted toys, such as a tool set, building blocks, a guitar, a peace hippie van, baby rings, numerous hand puppets and a castle set complete with a dragon, king and queen. (Also great for some Game of Thrones reenactment!) It’s all just very adorable and flipping through the books the projects get better and better. The projects range from super easy to really complicated-looking, so there’s definitely something in there for everyone.

The only drawback to this book: There’s simply not enough time to make all of these! But have a look yourself:

60 Quick Knitted Toys review & giveaway by thisblogisnotforyou.com
60 Quick Knitted Toys review & giveaway by thisblogisnotforyou.com

60 Quick Knitted Toys review & giveaway by thisblogisnotforyou.com
60 Quick Knitted Toys review & giveaway by thisblogisnotforyou.com

Super cute, right?

I simply LOVE that adorable little dragon. Which brings me back to the topic… dadam dada dadam dada dadam, dada daaaaaaa… Are you watching the GoT season start tonight?

No, sorry, I got distracted there. I wanted to let you know how to get a chance at winning a copy!

HOW TO ENTER

First, this giveaway it open to US and Canada readers only!
I’m really sorry, if this means you cannot enter. There will be more opportunities to enter giveaways in the future. If you really love the books, both are available to order online or in your local bookstores.

Together with Sterling Publishing I’ll giveaway one copy of each book to two lucky winners! To enter the giveaway, simply leave a comment below letting me know which one you prefer and which GoT characters you’ll think will die this season. Oh, rightĀ – that last part isn’t mandatory!

The giveaway closes onĀ Sunday 30 July 2017 at midnight (UTC) and Iā€™ll announce the two winners shortly after on the blog.

Good luck!

xx

Charlie

Please note: Two winners will be selected at randomĀ from all entries enteredĀ before midnight on 30 JulyĀ 2017Ā and the winner will receive the prize described above. There is no cash alternative, and your prize is non-negotiable, and not refundable. If the prize isnā€™t claimed, another winner will be selected at random.


Happy Knitting!
ā™„

facebook/bloglovin/pinterest
twitter/instagram

Stay in touch!

Green Jersey Alice Top (SEW OVER IT online class)

Sew Over It Alice Top by thisblgoisnotforyou,comSew Over It Alice Top by thisblgoisnotforyou,com

Sew Over It Alice Top by thisblgoisnotforyou,com
Sew Over It Alice Top by thisblgoisnotforyou,com

Hi everyone!

A few weeks ago, I got to try out the new SEW OVER IT online class ‘Intro to Sewing with Knit Fabrics’. (As always, all opinions are my own!) I’ve never really made use of online courses before. I bought a couple on Craftsy ages ago but never actually made anything from it.

When the lovely ladies over at SEW OVER IT approached me, I immediately wanted to try after getting a glimpse at the patterns included in the class. I love their work and most of my favourite patterns are from SEW OVER IT. The Alice Top, with a faux bow front, was incredibly tempting! (There’s another pattern included, the Emma dress, which looks lovely, but I haven’t tried it yet.)

About the class:

It was pure joy to follow this online course. It’s always great to see lovely Lisa in action and she perfectly explains all the steps involved in making this cute top. The construction is not too tricky, but a bit unconventional and seeing it being put together on camera helps a lot. There’s a lot of useful information about sewing with knits included. As a more experienced sewer, I really enjoyed this class, none-the-less. It’s delightfully relaxing, as you really get immersed in the project.

My first Alice Top:

I used a green lightweight jersey, as was recommended in the class. (The fabric was gifted to me by my mother-in-law, so I’m afraid I cannot tell you where to buy it!)

For this first version of the Alice Top I went through the class step-by-step, pretty much cutting a straight size 10 without making any fit adjustments. It turned out really well! There were a couple of minor fit issues, I could easily fix before cutting another version of this pattern:
(Remember, these have nothing to do with the pattern itself, but are specific to my body measurements and posture)

  • The front neckline is gaping ever so slightly
  • The sleeve were rather tight
  • The fit at the waist was quite loose

The only thing I adjusted on the green top was taking in the waist by approximately 2 cm on each side. I’ll show you the fitted version of this top in the next post!

But perfect fit or not, this trial round went really well, don’t you think? The top is perfectly wearable and I’m really happy with it.

A few words about the construction: The Alice Top is fully faced, front and back, to create a perfect, close-fitting V-neckline and stabilise the gathers at the front.Ā With the very detailed video instructions, this rather unconventional pattern isn’t very hard to construct. Once I finished the first top, I hardly had to revisit the course to make the second one.
The construction takes a bit longer than the average jersey top, as you have to stabilise the neckline and sew a couple more seams because of the facing. But the finishes look incredibly neat and professional.

No overlocker needed!

For this first top, I only used my sewing machine. So if you do not have access to an overlocker, this is the perfect project for you. Because of the specific construction techniques used in this course, you’ll get very neat finishes without having to use any professional equipment.

Sew Over It Alice Top by thisblgoisnotforyou,com

This was also the first project Aslan very helpfully assisted with modelling. I didn’t realise he might be a bit too big to use as accessory until after seeing these photos! Man, he’s grown so much in the past two months!

As I don’t want to post too many sewing-unrelated pics on my blog’s social media accounts, Aslan now has got his very own…For those of you, who want to see more of this cute little face, you can FOLLOW ON INSTAGRAM to watch him grow up!

Sew Over It Alice Top by thisblgoisnotforyou,com
Sew Over It Alice Top by thisblgoisnotforyou,com

What are your thoughts about online classes? Are you a fan?

xx

Charlie


Happy sewing!
ā™„

facebook/bloglovin/pinterest
twitter/instagram

Stay in touch!

 

WIN A RUBY RABBIT KIT THIS EASTER WEEKEND! (WOOL AND THE GANG GIVEAWAY!)

Ruby Rabbit WATG by thisblogisnotforyou.com

Ruby Rabbit WATG by thisblogisnotforyou.com
Ruby Rabbit WATG by thisblogisnotforyou.com

Ruby Rabbit WATG by thisblogisnotforyou.comRuby Rabbit WATG by thisblogisnotforyou.comRuby Rabbit WATG by thisblogisnotforyou.com

RUBY RABBITS

WOOL AND THE GANG sent me some of their Shiny Happy CottonĀ Yarn to try their Ruby Rabbit Toy kit just in time for the Easter holidays. I’ve never crocheted before, so this was a first for me! I love new challenges and quick DIYs, so this was a perfect after-work project. (All opinions are my own. You can enter the giveaway at the end of the post.)

It took me two evenings in total and I was surprised how successful my first dabble at crocheting was! I made the white bunny first. If you look closely, you can see it’s a bit larger than the mint green one and somewhatĀ wonky – but all in all, I’m really pleased with how it turned out.

I chose the spearmint green Shiny Happy Cotton, as I love pastel colours in my home. The wool is lovely and soft to touch, and has a silky shine to it. It’s perfect for those amigurumi-type projects, as it’s absolutely lint-free. I always wanted to try amigurumi crochet toys, but thought it was super difficult. After finishing two perfectly cute bunnies with no prior experience whatsoever, I might actually attempt this some time soon!

Ruby Rabbit WATG by thisblogisnotforyou.com
Ruby Rabbit WATG by thisblogisnotforyou.com

Ruby Rabbit WATG by thisblogisnotforyou.com

The kit is rated ‘intermediate level’. The instructions include illustrated basic crochet techniques, which was really helpful. The only thing I had to look up was the magic loop technique. I do have quite a bit of experience with knitting, so learning to crochet wasn’t too difficult. But in my opinion, even an absolute knitting and crocheting beginner could tackle this.

The only thing I struggled with at first was tension, which is why my bunnies are different sizes.

The kit includes one ball of Shiny Happy Cotton (colour of choice), the ruby rabbit pattern, a yarn sewing needle and a WATG label. Optionally, you can order the required 4.5mm crochet hook with it and a differentĀ colour yarn for the eyes. I used less than one ball of yarn for each rabbit, and had more than enough left to use for the eyes and nose. So if you order two balls, you get two rabbits out in the end. You’ll need some toy stuffing or yarn/fabric scraps to stuff the rabbit. I used stuffing from an old pillow.

RubyRabbit (2)photo credit: Wool And The GangRuby Rabbit WATG by thisblogisnotforyou.com

photo credit: Wool And The GangRuby Rabbit WATG by thisblogisnotforyou.com

Ruby Rabbit WATG by thisblogisnotforyou.comRuby Rabbit WATG by thisblogisnotforyou.com

WIN A RUBY RABBIT KIT THIS EASTER WEEKEND!

To have a chance at winning a Ruby Rabbit kitĀ in your colour of choice, just head over to Woolandthegang.comĀ to check out the color options. Leave a comment below, letting me know which one you like best and head over here to sign up to the WATG newsletter!

The giveaway closes on Tuesday 18 April 2017 at midnight (UTC) and Iā€™ll annouce the winner shortly after on the blog.

Also, you can use the promo code “EASTERX”Ā to get 15% off until next Tuesday!

GOOD LUCK & HAPPY EASTER!

xx

Charlie

Please note: A winner will be selected at randomĀ from all entries enteredĀ before midnight on 18 April 2017Ā and the winner will receive the prize described above. There is no cash alternative, and your prize is non-negotiable, and not refundable. If the prize isnā€™t claimed, another winner will be selected at random.


Happy Easter!
ā™„

facebook/bloglovin/pinterest
twitter/instagram

Stay in touch!

Burda Wool Coat & Mia Jeans

Burda 09/2015 #117 and Mia Jeans by thisblogisnotforyou.comBurda 09/2015 #117 and Mia Jeans by thisblogisnotforyou.com

Burda 09/2015 #117 and Mia Jeans by thisblogisnotforyou.com
Burda 09/2015 #117 and Mia Jeans by thisblogisnotforyou.com

Burda 09/2015 #117 and Mia Jeans by thisblogisnotforyou.com

Today I’m sharing two pretty amazing projects with you. One is an oversized coat I made last Winter and didn’t get around to blog until now and the other one is hot off the sewing machine: my first pair of skinny jeans!

Coat pattern: Let’s have a look at the coat first. For this cosy wool coat I used Burdastyle pattern 09/2015 #117A. View B is belted and slightly shorter than View A. The pattern is pretty brilliant as long as you use the right fabric. They’re asking for double-sided wool because it comes without lining.Ā Therefore, it’s a really quick, simple sew. No interfacing, no lining, no bindings. It’s pretty much just three pattern pieces: front, back and back sleeve (plus pockets). The sleeves are two pieces. The front one is cut as a kimono sleeve and part of the front bodice pattern.

 

Burda 09/2015 #117 and Mia Jeans by thisblogisnotforyou.com

Burda 09/2015 #117 and Mia Jeans by thisblogisnotforyou.com
Burda 09/2015 #117 and Mia Jeans by thisblogisnotforyou.com

Fabric & construction: I found this amazing double-sided wool fabric at stoffkontor.euĀ for a very good price. Unfortunately, they’ve run out of it since. It’s a lovely teal boiled wool on one side and a grey sweater knit on the other side. The pattern really requires a fabric with “two good sides”, so this one was perfect.

You might wonder about the contrast detail I did in the front. Well, this wasn’t planned I have to admit. I made a mistake I haven’t made in a long time: I forgot to mirror the front pieces. To my defense, I had to cut the coat with the fabric laid flat in one layer, because the pattern pieces are huge. I simply forgot to flip over the front pattern piece before cutting it out a second time. As I did not have enough fabric and couldn’t be bothered to order more, I decided to run with it.

Looking at it now, I think it looks pretty neat. The Mr thinks it’s the best feature of the coat, and he’s kind of right. Still, I sometimes catch myself thinking of it as a mistake, because I know it wasn’t planned.

The construction is very easy. So this is a great project for anyone who doesn’t feel ready yet to tackle a proper coat. As for finishing the raw edges, you simply fold over the edges and stitch them in place. So the only tricky bit is getting the mitred corners right and neat.

The coat closes as a wrap with two snap fastenings at the top.

Burda 09/2015 #117 and Mia Jeans by thisblogisnotforyou.comBurda 09/2015 #117 and Mia Jeans by thisblogisnotforyou.com

Burda 09/2015 #117 and Mia Jeans by thisblogisnotforyou.com
Burda 09/2015 #117 and Mia Jeans by thisblogisnotforyou.com

Burda 09/2015 #117 and Mia Jeans by thisblogisnotforyou.com

Skinny jeans pattern & construction: Let’s talk about my first pair of Mia Jeans! When SEW OVER IT published their Capsule Wardrobe pattern ebook, I couldn’t wait to try the skinny jeans pattern. I love a good high-waisted, simple pair of trousers and I love skinny jeans.

I was a bit concerned that getting the fit right might be a bit of a struggle. Luckily I had some really stretchy denim fabric in my stash which I could use as a muslin. Turned out I didn’t really need a muslin, as the fit was great and I only had to make minor adjustments. The pattern comes with an extra wide seam allowance at the side seam which makes fitting very easy.

Burda 09/2015 #117 and Mia Jeans by thisblogisnotforyou.com

Burda 09/2015 #117 and Mia Jeans by thisblogisnotforyou.com
Burda 09/2015 #117 and Mia Jeans by thisblogisnotforyou.com

Sewing the pockets was so much fun. Next to sewing the front fly, getting the pockets right is probably taking longest. I basted them on by hand before stitching to get them perfect.

I had a lot of fun trying out decorative stitching with my new sewing machine. I did not use contrasting thread for all seams, just for the pockets. It’s a very minimalist pattern, so the pockets really are the eye-catcher.

Although I’ve sewn quite a few front flies before, I struggled a bit with this one. I accidentally sewed the front shut and overlocked the seam before realising I was missing the front fly. Stupid, I know. I had to cut off quite a bit of the seam allowance to remove the overlocked edge and there wasn’t much left to play around with. Which made constructing the front fly a bit difficult. That’s why the zip is showing a bit, which is somewhat annoying.

Lisa of SEW OVER IT made a wonderful video tutorial on sewing the front fly, which you can find on her youtube channel. There are photographed instructions in the ebook, but if you’ve never tackled a front fly before, I really recommend watching the video tutorial.
Burda 09/2015 #117 and Mia Jeans by thisblogisnotforyou.com

Burda 09/2015 #117 and Mia Jeans by thisblogisnotforyou.com
Burda 09/2015 #117 and Mia Jeans by thisblogisnotforyou.com

(Very casually sucking in that tummy and hiding the showing zip)Burda 09/2015 #117 and Mia Jeans by thisblogisnotforyou.com

Both jeans and coat are amazingly comfy and therefore my new work uniform. I got a lot of compliments for the coat. Nobody mentionedĀ the jeans, which, I think, means they don’t look handmade and that is a good thing. Ā I made a pair of skinny jeans that looks store-bought, ha!

Will I be making more? I definitely won’t make the coat again, as you do not need an indefinite amount of coats, and I am planning on making a properly lined and interfaced one this winter. But I will be making tons of Mia Jeans! In fact, I have already made another pair and bought fabric for at least three more! It’s definitely my go-to jeans pattern now and plain enough to use as a base for some great pattern hacks.

What’s your favourite pattern at the moment?

xx

Charlie


Happy sewing!
ā™„

facebook/bloglovin/pinterest
twitter/instagram

Stay in touch!

Recycled Denim Beanie (Free Pattern + Wool And the Gang Giveaway!)

Recycled Denim Beanie by Thisblogisnotforyou.com (Click through for more info & pics)Recycled Denim Beanie by Thisblogisnotforyou.com (Click through for more info & pics)Recycled Denim Beanie by Thisblogisnotforyou.com (Click through for more info & pics)Recycled Denim Beanie by Thisblogisnotforyou.comRecycled Denim Beanie by Thisblogisnotforyou.com

Recycled Denim Beanie by Thisblogisnotforyou.com
Recycled Denim Beanie by Thisblogisnotforyou.com

Recycled Denim Beanie by Thisblogisnotforyou.com

Ā  HELLO AUTUMN

It was the first day of autumn this week and although I wish for summer to last just a little bit longer, the colder season has undeniably arrived. I found myself wearing woollen socks, comfy cardigansĀ and sipping hot chocolate on the sofa the last couple of days. With the beginning of autumn the weather changed here in Germany. The air is crisper and the mornings are really foggy now. So I try my best to adapt to the changing seasons and find some joy in thinking up my autumn/winter wardrobe and digging out some of my warmer handmade clothes.

I finished my first knitting project last weekend! It was a super easy and simple project to dive back into my knitting, which is a hobbyĀ I only keep up during the colder seasons.

The lovely folks over at WOOL AND THE GANG sent me some of their very popular Billie Jean Yarn, which is now back in stock. They’re giving away two balls of Billie Jean Yarn for one of you lucky ones and I’ll share the knitting instructions in case you want to make a hat like mine. (All opinions are my own. Giveaway at the end of the post!)

Those of you following my blog know that I’m a big fan of recyling and upcycling, well, generally using secondhand products to create unique things while being a friend to nature. TheĀ Billie Jean Yarn is made using upcycled pre-consumer denim waste. This waste is ground back into fibre and then woven into beautiful yarn.Ā The process does not make use of chemicals and dyes and therefore is super eco-friendly. That’s pretty amazing, right?

But not only that, just look at how preeeeetty it is:

Recycled Denim Beanie by Thisblogisnotforyou.com

photo credit: Wool And The GangRecycled Denim Beanie by Thisblogisnotforyou.com

photo credit: Wool And The Gang

Well, long story short – I’m very much in love with Billie Jean! I chose the “Dirty Denim” which is one of three different colour options on offer. The Dirty Denim isĀ 60% Upcycled Denim and 40% Upcycled Raw Cotton and super soft on the skin. No fear – it does not smell like jeans at all!

It gives your knitting project a unique look with its edgy and effortless cool look. For a hat or cardi it’s perfect to wear with actual jeans or a white shirt. The Dirty Denim really gives the effect of a lot of texture, so IĀ didn’t use a special pattern – it would’ve been hard to see. I knitted with metallic knitting needles as the yarnĀ is easily separable which was a bit tricky with my bamboo needles.

Now onto making your own cosy & warm Billie Jean hat!

Ā  KNITTING INSTRUCTIONS

You’ll need two balls of Billie Jean Yarn. I used roughly 150-180g to finish my beanie including the pompom. So two balls Ć” 100g should be enough even for larger sizes. The recommended needle size isĀ  US 8 / 5mm, but I found that smaller needles worked better for me. So I’ll stick with that in the instructions.

Size:
54cm head circumference. Adapt to your size and tension if necessary.

Beanie Pattern:
With 3.5mm cast on 80 sts.
Row 1 (right side): K1, *p1, k1, repeat from* to last stitch. So you’re basically justĀ alternating between a knit and a purl stitch.

Now work in rows (knit the knits and purl the purls), repatingĀ row 1 another 29Ā times. (Or less if you want the brim to be narrower!)

Change to 4.5mm needles.

Row 31 – 75: Knit all stitches.Ā Keep working in rows in a simple stockinette stitch for another 45 rows.

Row 76:Ā *k2tog, repeat from* to last stitch (40sts).

Row 77-78:Ā Knit all stitches.

Row 79:Ā *k2tog, repeat from* to last stitch (20sts).

Row 80:Ā Row 77-78:Ā Knit all stitches.

Row 81:Ā *k2tog, repeat from* to last stitch (10sts).

Cut yarn, leaving a long tail, and thread tail through remaining 10 stitches.

Pompom:
Cut two cardboard circles, 11cm in diameter. (Cardboard from a pizza box will do!)
Cut a 4 cm hole in the centre of each to create two rings.

Hold the two rings together and wind yarn evenly through the centre hole and around the edge until the centre hole is full with the wraps. SlipĀ the blade of your scissors between the two pieces of cardboard and carefully snip through all the loops of the wound yarn. I used to IKEA cork coasters hold it up with one hand while cutting with the other. It makes it a bit easier.

Thread a long length of yarn between the two card rings and around the centre of the pompom, then tie tightly in a firm knot to secure. Remove the cardboard and fluff up the pompom. You can then trim the pompom with scissors, if necessaryto get a more even shape.

Use a darning needle to sew the pompom onto your beanie and to hide any loose threads.

And you’re done!

Recycled Denim Beanie by Thisblogisnotforyou.comRecycled Denim Beanie by Thisblogisnotforyou.com

Recycled Denim Beanie by Thisblogisnotforyou.com

Recycled Denim Beanie by Thisblogisnotforyou.com
Recycled Denim Beanie by Thisblogisnotforyou.com

Recycled Denim Beanie by Thisblogisnotforyou.com

To have a chance at winning two balls of Billie Jean Yarn in your colour of choice, just head over to Woolandthegang.com, check out the color options and leave a comment below, letting me know which one you like best!

The giveaway closes on Friday 7 October 2016 at midnight (UTC) and I’ll annouce the winner shortly after on the blog.

GOOD LUCK!

xx

Charlie

Please note: A winner will be selected at randomĀ from all entries enteredĀ before midnight on 7 October 2016Ā and the winner will receive the prize described above. There is no cash alternative, and your prize is non-negotiable, and not refundable. If the prize isnā€™t claimed, another winner will be selected at random.


Happy knitting!

facebook/bloglovin/pinterest
twitter/instagram

Stay in touch!