strawberry sweater 01/06/2025
god bless youtube, there are so many creators on there who make free content and tutorials for us mere mortals to follow and I owe them so much. I used a free video tutorial and pattern on YT by a creator called Ashley Lillis Knits to create my first raglan sweater. I used a chunky wool and chunky needles and it was so much fun! it worked up really fast so I felt like it was an achievable project for me, as a beginner. but it took a while for me to work up to this point...
overall, I'm a really slow knitter because I originally learned in my teens and did English style, but once I took it up again, and essentially retaught myself, I changed to Continental knitting which helps you go a bit faster. I think I got really used to crochet and only using one tool, so switching to using two needles at a time was really intimidating and it takes some getting used to. for me, knitting is a bit scarier overall because I can't freestyle as much and it feels higher risk because when I make a mistake I can't just pull my yarn out and go back. sometimes I mess up and I'm not even sure what I've done so it's really hard to fix then, too. I could have twisted stitches or been knitting through the loops the wrong way, drop stitches, etc, so very scary times.
but - WE PREVAILED - I tried a beginner raglan pattern and I figured it out!! I'm so proud of this sweater, even if it is extremely hot to wear, and obviously there are some things I would have done differently, but I'm really happy I made it. we had been watching a lot of Gravity Falls around this time because I knitted this sweater from september-november of 2024, so it is the perfect fall show. I was inspired by all of Mabel's adorable sweaters in the show so I decided to try duplicate stitching and added a strawberry onto the front! it was so much easier than I thought it would be and I'm obsessed with the outcome! it's one of my favourite sweaters and I will keep it forever :)
xoxo jaz
scrunchies galore 31/05/2025
when I first started crocheting, scrunchies were one of the first items I learned how to make because they were really easy to work up. they were quick projects and I used a fluffy yarn so that they would work up quickly and be these fun, fluffy accessories. I sold those in bundles at markets and gave them away to the kids at my school - they loved them! last summer I elevated my scrunchie game using a free pattern from Wool and the Gang, it was this flower motif and I thought it was so cool. it's used more as a band you put around your existing scrunchie or elastic as sort of a decorative piece, so less functional and more decorative but a very cute accent for your hair. I gave them to my friends when I went to a wedding that summer! they make for a great, quick little gift.
the other scrunchie I made was my first ever knit accessory. using the yarn I hand-dyed with Cassandra, I followed the Soho Scrunchie pattern by Tori Yu, and I learned how to do a provisional cast-on, jogless seams, and the kitchener stitch to seal the scrunchie up! it was a lot of fun, I did a striped pattern using two colours of the smaller fingering weight hanks we dyed up and it was so cool to have a finished piece that was so finely knit - by me!! I'm really proud of these finished pieces - especially the knit ones - because it does take longer for me to knit so having those pieces be complete feels really amazing. I'll have to make more scrunchies soon :)
xoxo jaz
flower scrunchies - pattern by wool and the gang
summer studio 27/05/2025
my friend Cassandra is one of the most talented artists I know, and last summer she got the chance to work and create out of a studio space in Toronto for a month. luckily, she invited me to come for a few days and use the space to create some amazing stuff. we decided to try out hand-dyeing our own yarn and fabric with plants and flowers she had freshly collected. I took care of the yarn prep and she took care of the dyeing materials so we were all set to go. it was insanely hot over those few days and we had all the burners on the stove going, with no AC! but it was the most fun and we were so busy, I was exhausted by the time I got home. we also tried out eco-printing on this big piece of white mystery fabric that I had, which I believe was a cotton/linen mix, but I can't be sure. it was our first time doing any of this so our expectations were low, but I have to say, the results were so much better than I thought they'd be!
the yarn turned out so beautifully and I've used some already for a quick project that I gifted to Cassandra so she has a handmade memento of our days at the studio! I feel really lucky to have been able to do that and it was truly the highlight of my summer in 2024. I still have some bare yarn left so I'm looking forward to my next dyeing experiment!
xoxo jaz
knit city toronto 25/05/2025
last May, I went to my first fibre festival in Toronto, called Knit City (or Knit Social), and it was so much fun! I went in with a budget and made sure I only got yarn that I could use at my current skill level, and with projects in mind. of course, these project ideas changed over time and I did end up making some different items, but that's part of the fun! I went with my friend Cassandra and it was her first time at an event like this as well. it was really interesting to go and see what types of vendors were there, what colourways handmade artists were creating, and there were some handmade garments for sale, too. I went home with two hand-dyed mini hanks and 2 full sized hanks of yarn, all in a number one weight. looking back, I wish I had gotten some bulkier weight yarns, however, you need more of that yarn to make projects with so i'm still really happy with my choices.
since then, i've only used one of the colourways I picked up, but I do have ideas for the other ones! for the first one, I held it double with my own hand-dyed yarn (more on that in my next post) to make a pair of DK weight yoga socks that i'm super pleased with! now, i'm currently experiencing second sock syndrome but I will power through and make the second one in no time. I'm using a free pattern on Ravelry called the Janne Yoga Socks by quasigerade, and it's very beginner friendly. the great thing about this sock pattern is that it skips over the heel and the toe, which are the hardest parts of a sock to knit! I became interested in this pattern because I started doing yoga last fall really consistently and thought it would be perfect to keep my feet warm. I can't wait until I have the full pair! any day now.....
xoxo jaz
summer is coming 24/05/2025
we are nearing the end of May and it has felt like the least summery weather lately! it has been very rainy and cold so any hint of sunshine or warmer weather to come is a lifeline. I'm excited for warm weather so that I can wear some of my summery clothes and handmade items! probably my favourite item is this flower crochet top I made in April of last year. it was a super viral pattern that was popular the year before, everyone was making it, but I wasn't really into following complicated stitch patterns at the time. I decided to take a crack at it the year after and it was really cool to make. I do think I made it a bit too cropped, I would have liked to have added another row of the flower motif before stitching together at the shoulders, but maybe I'll make another one to wear for this year!
for this top, I used a pink Patons mercerized cotton yarn, in a worsted weight, that I thrifted and it was really nice to work with. I would love to make one in a navy blue yarn that has long sleeves to wear with jean shorts and as a nice cotton layer for summer evenings. I'll have to look through my stash and see what I have available. one of my goals is also to work my way through all my stash yarn, which has significantly decreased, until I buy any more yarn unless it's for a specific project. following up on my last post, I also have a long list of WIPs to work through so those need to get finished before I start any big new projects. I feel like my summer plans are coming together, and I have a list of things to make for some upcoming events and for some friends so those tend to take priority as well! hopefully I can make my way through a lot of projects this year, the summer is usually very productive for me :)
xoxo jaz
so many wips 19/05/2025
as I go through my projects from the last couple of years, something really stands out to me which is that I love to start new projects but finishing projects is so hard!! this is especially true when I get to a part in a pattern that I don't understand and have to problem solve. I'm having this issue with a knit cardigan that I casted on back in April 2024. I was so excited to cast on and knit up my first every cardigan, I picked out a beautiful shade of marine blue and started off with the bottom ribbing. this pattern is by Daisy&Peace on Etsy and it's truly a beginner friendly pattern, I'm just SO beginner that I don't understand some of the basic parts. unfortunately, I don't have a ton of people in my crafty circle that I can consult with about the pattern and find out what it's telling me to do, so this project has been in snooze mode for almost a year.
lately, in general, I've been finding it really hard to get motivated to finish a lot of my WIPs and when I counted I believe I had about 8 projects on the go. that's a lot for me, but that thrill of finding a pattern or an idea that I'm super excited to make and then starting that project is so exhilirating, that finishing ones I've sort of lost that feeling for makes it hard to follow through. once I have that finished object though, it's truly such a good feeling so I know that it's worth it. so this is my promise to myself to seek out help from the knitting community and finish my cardigan in 2025!! I am really looking forward to having it in my wardrobe so I need to check it off my list :)
xoxo jaz
this is my blog 16/05/2025
welcome to my very first blog post! I decided to create this page as a way of sharing some of my crafty projects without relying on other social media platforms. I've taken a long break from socials and the benefits have been too great for me to return so I'll be updating here from now on.
this leads me to my first post! I went back in my photos to see what projects I've been doing over the last year or so and chose a spot to pick up from so there's already lots to talk about. I'll start with these custom crochet pillowcases I made for a friend when she moved into a new apartment. I made it for her as a housewarming gift and then her mom wanted one immediately after seeing it!
for this square, I used a standard 20"x20" ikea pillow as the insert and made sure my panels were large enough to cover that size. I also installed a zipper on the bottom for easy removal and washing. It was such a fun project, and I love making things that are functional for the home instead of always trying to focus on garment pieces. my friend loved this pillow and I'm so happy it was a fun project since I made it again in a different colour palette! I think that wraps up this week's post, I really want to make these short and sweet and use them as more of an online journal so I appreciate any readers and I'm excited to have a place to keep all my creative projects together :)
xoxo jaz
god bless youtube, there are so many creators on there who make free content and tutorials for us mere mortals to follow and I owe them so much. I used a free video tutorial and pattern on YT by a creator called Ashley Lillis Knits to create my first raglan sweater. I used a chunky wool and chunky needles and it was so much fun! it worked up really fast so I felt like it was an achievable project for me, as a beginner. but it took a while for me to work up to this point...
overall, I'm a really slow knitter because I originally learned in my teens and did English style, but once I took it up again, and essentially retaught myself, I changed to Continental knitting which helps you go a bit faster. I think I got really used to crochet and only using one tool, so switching to using two needles at a time was really intimidating and it takes some getting used to. for me, knitting is a bit scarier overall because I can't freestyle as much and it feels higher risk because when I make a mistake I can't just pull my yarn out and go back. sometimes I mess up and I'm not even sure what I've done so it's really hard to fix then, too. I could have twisted stitches or been knitting through the loops the wrong way, drop stitches, etc, so very scary times.
but - WE PREVAILED - I tried a beginner raglan pattern and I figured it out!! I'm so proud of this sweater, even if it is extremely hot to wear, and obviously there are some things I would have done differently, but I'm really happy I made it. we had been watching a lot of Gravity Falls around this time because I knitted this sweater from september-november of 2024, so it is the perfect fall show. I was inspired by all of Mabel's adorable sweaters in the show so I decided to try duplicate stitching and added a strawberry onto the front! it was so much easier than I thought it would be and I'm obsessed with the outcome! it's one of my favourite sweaters and I will keep it forever :)
xoxo jaz
scrunchies galore 31/05/2025
when I first started crocheting, scrunchies were one of the first items I learned how to make because they were really easy to work up. they were quick projects and I used a fluffy yarn so that they would work up quickly and be these fun, fluffy accessories. I sold those in bundles at markets and gave them away to the kids at my school - they loved them! last summer I elevated my scrunchie game using a free pattern from Wool and the Gang, it was this flower motif and I thought it was so cool. it's used more as a band you put around your existing scrunchie or elastic as sort of a decorative piece, so less functional and more decorative but a very cute accent for your hair. I gave them to my friends when I went to a wedding that summer! they make for a great, quick little gift.
the other scrunchie I made was my first ever knit accessory. using the yarn I hand-dyed with Cassandra, I followed the Soho Scrunchie pattern by Tori Yu, and I learned how to do a provisional cast-on, jogless seams, and the kitchener stitch to seal the scrunchie up! it was a lot of fun, I did a striped pattern using two colours of the smaller fingering weight hanks we dyed up and it was so cool to have a finished piece that was so finely knit - by me!! I'm really proud of these finished pieces - especially the knit ones - because it does take longer for me to knit so having those pieces be complete feels really amazing. I'll have to make more scrunchies soon :)
xoxo jaz
flower scrunchies - pattern by wool and the gang
summer studio 27/05/2025
my friend Cassandra is one of the most talented artists I know, and last summer she got the chance to work and create out of a studio space in Toronto for a month. luckily, she invited me to come for a few days and use the space to create some amazing stuff. we decided to try out hand-dyeing our own yarn and fabric with plants and flowers she had freshly collected. I took care of the yarn prep and she took care of the dyeing materials so we were all set to go. it was insanely hot over those few days and we had all the burners on the stove going, with no AC! but it was the most fun and we were so busy, I was exhausted by the time I got home. we also tried out eco-printing on this big piece of white mystery fabric that I had, which I believe was a cotton/linen mix, but I can't be sure. it was our first time doing any of this so our expectations were low, but I have to say, the results were so much better than I thought they'd be!
the yarn turned out so beautifully and I've used some already for a quick project that I gifted to Cassandra so she has a handmade memento of our days at the studio! I feel really lucky to have been able to do that and it was truly the highlight of my summer in 2024. I still have some bare yarn left so I'm looking forward to my next dyeing experiment!
xoxo jaz
knit city toronto 25/05/2025
last May, I went to my first fibre festival in Toronto, called Knit City (or Knit Social), and it was so much fun! I went in with a budget and made sure I only got yarn that I could use at my current skill level, and with projects in mind. of course, these project ideas changed over time and I did end up making some different items, but that's part of the fun! I went with my friend Cassandra and it was her first time at an event like this as well. it was really interesting to go and see what types of vendors were there, what colourways handmade artists were creating, and there were some handmade garments for sale, too. I went home with two hand-dyed mini hanks and 2 full sized hanks of yarn, all in a number one weight. looking back, I wish I had gotten some bulkier weight yarns, however, you need more of that yarn to make projects with so i'm still really happy with my choices.
since then, i've only used one of the colourways I picked up, but I do have ideas for the other ones! for the first one, I held it double with my own hand-dyed yarn (more on that in my next post) to make a pair of DK weight yoga socks that i'm super pleased with! now, i'm currently experiencing second sock syndrome but I will power through and make the second one in no time. I'm using a free pattern on Ravelry called the Janne Yoga Socks by quasigerade, and it's very beginner friendly. the great thing about this sock pattern is that it skips over the heel and the toe, which are the hardest parts of a sock to knit! I became interested in this pattern because I started doing yoga last fall really consistently and thought it would be perfect to keep my feet warm. I can't wait until I have the full pair! any day now.....
xoxo jaz
summer is coming 24/05/2025
we are nearing the end of May and it has felt like the least summery weather lately! it has been very rainy and cold so any hint of sunshine or warmer weather to come is a lifeline. I'm excited for warm weather so that I can wear some of my summery clothes and handmade items! probably my favourite item is this flower crochet top I made in April of last year. it was a super viral pattern that was popular the year before, everyone was making it, but I wasn't really into following complicated stitch patterns at the time. I decided to take a crack at it the year after and it was really cool to make. I do think I made it a bit too cropped, I would have liked to have added another row of the flower motif before stitching together at the shoulders, but maybe I'll make another one to wear for this year!
for this top, I used a pink Patons mercerized cotton yarn, in a worsted weight, that I thrifted and it was really nice to work with. I would love to make one in a navy blue yarn that has long sleeves to wear with jean shorts and as a nice cotton layer for summer evenings. I'll have to look through my stash and see what I have available. one of my goals is also to work my way through all my stash yarn, which has significantly decreased, until I buy any more yarn unless it's for a specific project. following up on my last post, I also have a long list of WIPs to work through so those need to get finished before I start any big new projects. I feel like my summer plans are coming together, and I have a list of things to make for some upcoming events and for some friends so those tend to take priority as well! hopefully I can make my way through a lot of projects this year, the summer is usually very productive for me :)
xoxo jaz
so many wips 19/05/2025
as I go through my projects from the last couple of years, something really stands out to me which is that I love to start new projects but finishing projects is so hard!! this is especially true when I get to a part in a pattern that I don't understand and have to problem solve. I'm having this issue with a knit cardigan that I casted on back in April 2024. I was so excited to cast on and knit up my first every cardigan, I picked out a beautiful shade of marine blue and started off with the bottom ribbing. this pattern is by Daisy&Peace on Etsy and it's truly a beginner friendly pattern, I'm just SO beginner that I don't understand some of the basic parts. unfortunately, I don't have a ton of people in my crafty circle that I can consult with about the pattern and find out what it's telling me to do, so this project has been in snooze mode for almost a year.
lately, in general, I've been finding it really hard to get motivated to finish a lot of my WIPs and when I counted I believe I had about 8 projects on the go. that's a lot for me, but that thrill of finding a pattern or an idea that I'm super excited to make and then starting that project is so exhilirating, that finishing ones I've sort of lost that feeling for makes it hard to follow through. once I have that finished object though, it's truly such a good feeling so I know that it's worth it. so this is my promise to myself to seek out help from the knitting community and finish my cardigan in 2025!! I am really looking forward to having it in my wardrobe so I need to check it off my list :)
xoxo jaz
this is my blog 16/05/2025
welcome to my very first blog post! I decided to create this page as a way of sharing some of my crafty projects without relying on other social media platforms. I've taken a long break from socials and the benefits have been too great for me to return so I'll be updating here from now on.
this leads me to my first post! I went back in my photos to see what projects I've been doing over the last year or so and chose a spot to pick up from so there's already lots to talk about. I'll start with these custom crochet pillowcases I made for a friend when she moved into a new apartment. I made it for her as a housewarming gift and then her mom wanted one immediately after seeing it!
for this square, I used a standard 20"x20" ikea pillow as the insert and made sure my panels were large enough to cover that size. I also installed a zipper on the bottom for easy removal and washing. It was such a fun project, and I love making things that are functional for the home instead of always trying to focus on garment pieces. my friend loved this pillow and I'm so happy it was a fun project since I made it again in a different colour palette! I think that wraps up this week's post, I really want to make these short and sweet and use them as more of an online journal so I appreciate any readers and I'm excited to have a place to keep all my creative projects together :)
xoxo jaz