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Cuddly & Cute!
Friday | May 19, 2023
Okay, I'm obsessed.
I recently stumbled upon A Crafty Concept's free Addi Bear knitting machine tutorial, and I can't be stopped. I'm going to be found one day soon buried under a mountain of these snuggly beasts. They are SO quick to whip up, and they turn out absolutely precious!
These wee beasties incorporate so many skills: using the knitting machine in tube mode, amigurumi crochet, and embroidery!
Once I got a hang of the original design (the teddy bear), I started to imagine what other animals might be possible...
Now, the teddy bears, koala, otter, and axolotl are available on my Etsy store! 😍
With a little trial and error, I now have five adorable options available online! Whether you're looking for a unique gift for a loved one or a delightful addition to your own collection, these snuggly handcrafted treasures are sure to bring joy and enchantment to your life.
The Learning Curve of a New Tool
Saturday | April 22, 2023
I finally feel like I have a *handle* on my Sentro 48-pin knitting machine...pun intended.
My mom generously gifted me my Sentro on my birthday back in February. I had been watching creators on TikTok make blankets, tote bags, sweaters, tops, hats, stuffed animals, wall decorations (basically any craft imaginable) on their Sentros since last year. Once I had one of my own, I wanted to get right to work!
I assembled the machine on our kitchen table and began playing with some of the scrap yarn that the machine came with. After a few rows of trial and error, I felt confident enough to try and make a full-on project. I grabbed a ball of Lion Brand "Scarfie" yarn from my stash and got cranking!
My first finished object, hot off the pins! I knit 140 rows in tube mode and cast off with a long tail. I cinched both ends, folded it in half to double its thickness, and added a pompom from the leftover yarn. My Clover XL pompom maker made quick work of the added flair.
The fastest beanie ever created! 😲
I was completely obsessed with the stretch and comfort of the fabric created by the machine. As a lifetime crocheter and a once-in-a-blue-moon knitter, I was immediately inspired by the speed and neatness of the knitting machine.
After several more beanies and many hand-cranks later, I was ready to tackle a new challenge. My nephew's ninth birthday was right around the corner, so I turned to TikTok and Pinterest for some inspiration. I came across @creatively_altered's video where she made an Among Us crewmate on her Sentro, and I knew that would be the perfect gift!
Knitting Machine Among Us Crewmate from @Creatively_Altered on TikTok
I cast on with Red Heart Super Saver worsted weight acrylic yarn in the shade Red Hot. In tube mode, I cranked out 50 rows and cast off with a long tail. I cinched the bottom end and stuffed the body with Poly-fil stuffing. When the body was completely filled, I cinched up the top, leaving a half-inch hole for the leaf detail.
For his goggles, I used my 5.0mm crochet hook and chained 18 with Mainstays acrylic yarn in Teal. I worked 5 rows of double crochet and fastened off. I sewed the goggles panel onto the front of his body. To add the reflection, I sewed several rows of white acrylic yarn over a span of 5 stitches in the upper right corner (see image).
For the leaf detail, I used a pipe cleaner, some scrap worsted-weight yarn in green, and some hot glue. I put a dab of hot glue at the end of the pipe cleaner and attached the green yarn. I tightly wound the green yarn around the pipe cleaner and secured the other end with another dab of hot glue.
To make the leaves, I followed Annie Design Crochet's pattern and attached them with another dab of hot glue to the top of the pipe cleaner. With a bit more glue, I wound the green yarn around the gap between the leaves to make it look a bit cleaner.
Once the stem was completely assembled, I bent it into an organic shape and secured it in the half-inch opening with (you guessed it) some hot glue.
To create his legs, I cut an 18-inch string of the red yarn and threaded it into a yarn needle. I stuck the needle through the center of his body, about 3 inches up from the bottom. I stopped when there was an equal amount of yarn on both the front and the back of his body. I brought both ends of the yarn to the bottom and tied a tight double knot. This cinched in the bottom and created the two "legs." After weaving in the ends, the crewmate was complete!
Ready for a New Challenge
With how adorable the little crewmate came out, I felt ready to finally tackle the dreaded Panel Mode on the Sentro. I had tried it a time or two, but became immediately frustrated by the dropped stitches and finicky cranking. I turned to YouTube for guidance and stumbled across Cass Wong's video about making a sweater on her Sentro for the first time.
There was something about her positivity and calm demeanor that inspired me to try one more time.
I grabbed my gigantic skein of Super Saver in Cafe and got cranking. With only a few rip-outs (and lots of rewinding and rewatching Cass's video) I eventually had the two panels and two tubes needed to make a sweater!
Sewing the pieces together was definitely the most tedious part. I forgot to include holes for the sleeves the first time, so there was a fair amount of un-doing. Once my teeth were sufficiently ground to nubs from the tedium, I thought, "let's keep these good vibes goin'" and added some single-crochet details to the neck, cuffs, and bottom. Lots of frogging to be had there, too.
I loved the look of those details so much, I went back to the shoulder seams and did a few rows of my single crochet border there.
When I tried the sweater on, I immediately thought of the plate armor that knights used to wear in the late Middle Ages. I liked how the center panels of the sweater molded to my torso, and how my shoulders looked strong and broad. I felt so proud!
Thus, after several more rounds of perfecting and trial-and-error practice, the Plate Armor Cropped Sweater pattern was born. The printable PDF pattern for this sweater will be available on my Etsy shop after I do some more rigorous testing. This was certainly a labor of love, and I hope you feel as empowered as I do once you put on your finished sweater.
Plate Armor Cropped Sweater
Available for download soon on my Etsy shop!
This project uses about 320 grams of worsted weight yarn for sizes XS-M. Sizes L-2XL will use about 475 grams.
This garment is constructed by creating a front and back panel and two sleeve tubes on a 48-pin knitting machine such as a Sentro or an Addi. The pieces are sewn together with a yarn needle and embellished using a 4mm crochet hook.