Easter Knitting: 9 Free Online Patterns (by Ina Gilmore)

Are you considering making a unique Easter basket for a special child?  To get your ideas flowing, here are 9 free online patterns for bunnies, chicks, eggs, and even Easter baskets.

1. Pocket Bunny for beginning knitters.  At 5-inches long this cute bunny can fit in a pocket. It’s is made from a garter stitch square, folded and stuffed.  The Lion Brand Yarn site requires sign in, however an account is free!
2. Cuddly Bunny listed as easy (advanced beginner) by Lion Brand Yarn. This bunny is larger at 12 inches and fuzzy. While the Lion Brand Tiffany yarn is not available as of this writing, the website lists alternatives that sound soft and cuddly.
3. Easter Bunny for intermediate knitters is about 20 inches tall. This bunny from Berroco Yarn has an adorable pocket for added treats.
4. Easter Peeps: These cute ducklings would make great additions to any Easter basket.  And the come with a surprise! At the end of the pattern there are directions for making chicks and even a bunny from the same pattern!
5. Knitted Felted Basket and Crocheted Chicks: A felted basket for your Easter treats, and soft crocheted chicks are both in this free pattern from Berroco Yarn.
6. Felted Easter Basket with Handle: Traditional round basket, which is knit and then felted. The pieces are separately knit, felted and then sewn together.
7. Round and Oblong Easter Baskets with Handles: This pattern uses blocks of stockinette stitch (a basket stitch variation) to simulate woven baskets.
8. Easter Eggs reminiscent of Ukrainian eggs. These eggs are knit flat and then sewn into shape. The instructions include pattern charts. And they’d be adorable knit in solid colors too.
9. Sock Yarn Easter Eggs:  Use your leftover sock yarn to make these colorful eggs. They’re knit on double pointed needles, and stuffed as you knit.

So, whether you want to tackle a whole basket, or just an Easter egg, you can knit treasures. You could even choose one pattern at a time, knitting a yearly tradition.  For Easter as always, remember to Knit Happy!

What is Rolag? (by Michele Grim)

 

Don’t fear!  I’m here to answer all your questions.  One of the most common types of spinning fiber that will be processed is called roving.  Roving is carded wool that is a long continuous strand of twisted fiber.   

A roving is a long and narrow bundle of fiber or fibre. It is used to spin wool yarn. A roving can be created by carding the fiber.  Because it is carded the fibers are not parallel.  Roving that is not twisted is called a sliver (pronounced SLYver).     

The first picture on the right is Llama roving.   

A batt is a wider than roving, rectangular and made from a drum carder.     

The second (white and yellow fiber) picture on the right is that of a wool batt.  

A rolag is a roll of fiber made from hand carders and generally used to spin woolen yarn.  A rolag is created by carding the fiber using handcards and then by gently rolling the fiber off the cards. If it’s properly prepared a rolag will be uniform in width distributing the fibers evenly.  A combed top is another type of long, continuous strand of fiber.   The difference is that instead of being carded it is combed with all the short hairs have been removed to create a smooth fiber.  

Animal fibers have traditionally been used to create rolags but today’s yarn spinner uses many different materials including synthetic and even plant fibers – like bamboo. 

The third picture on the right is that of a wool rolag. 

Either one you pick will give you some very beautiful yarn. Stay tuned for more fiber spinning related articles.  I’d sure like to hear from you if you also dye and spin your own yarns.  If you visit Misfit Yarns you’ll see some of my work.  Naughty Knitterz will soon be displaying some of my work on a newly created Yarn & Fiber Shop page.  No matter if you spell it fiber or fibre you’ll find it there.  

If you have email me ( michele@naughtyknitterz.com ) with any questions you might have.      

Spin & Grin you Naughty Knitterz!     

Source: Start Spinning: Everything You Need to Know to Make Great Yarn, Maggie Casey, Interweave Press, 2008.  Pictures taken by Michele Grim.