Winter Wear Sets

Over the years we have received a good many winter wearable sets to knit or crochet. 

 So this January Donna and I decided to experiment with some of these patterns.

Here are a few of the hat, scarf, cowl and fingerless mitts sets we have been trying.

This is a very different set. 

If we make this again the hat pattern would have to be altered and Donna has already thought of a different way to make the scarf.

We love a good cable knit! Love the scarf pictured below.  Would have to alter the hat pattern some if we were to make it again.

 When you say set - most people think of a hat and scarf set - who says it can't be a cowl and fingerless mitt set.

We are still working with patterns so I am hoping to have some more to show at the end of January.

2018 Fall Craft Show Schedule

It's time to unveil Knitting by Pam and Donna's Fall Craft Show Schedule for 2018.

We'll be in Swissvale, Munhall, Plum, Monroeville, Penn Hills and Crafton 

during the month of November.

10th Annual CAMEO Club Craft Show and Food Festival

October 20, 2018

St. John Cathedral

210 Greentree Road

Munhall, PA 15120

10a - 3p

The Last Swissvale Farmers Market for the year

October 27, 2018

2036 Noble St.

Swissvale, PA 15218

9a - 1p 

Clover Commons Craft Show

November 3, 2018

Off Route 286 in Holiday Park

Plum, PA 15239

9a - 3p

Gateway High School Band 17th Annual Craft/Vendor Show

November 10, 2018

3000 Gateway Campus Blvd

Monroeville, PA 15146

10a - 3p

17th Annual Holiday Craft Show at Bishop Canevin High School

November 11, 2018

2700 Morange Road

Pittsburgh, PA 15205

10a - 3p 

Penn Hills Parks and Recreation 21st Annual Holiday Craft Show at Linton Middle School

November 17, 2018

250 Aster St

Pittsburgh, PA 15235

8a - 4p

Swissvale Holiday Stroll

November 24, 2018

2036 Noble Street

Swissvale, PA 15218

11a - 4p 

We hope that you shop handmade for your holiday gift giving this year.

Shop Local

Knitting by Pam and Donna have some of their products in a couple local businesses. 

HLane Dry Goods in Swissvale has their grand opening on Sept 1, 2018. 

Here's an Instagram post of some of our products in this shop. 

We also have some items in Eccentricity Designs, LLC in Carnegie.  

The first picture is an Instagram post with one of our penguins. The other pictures that follow are some of our products in this design shop.

I hope many of you will check out these local businesses. 

Home Decor

Springs seems to have arrived so we thought we would work on some home decor projects. 

Here's a sample of what we have been working on.

This pom pom afghan is a really fun way to jazz up a chair.

This was made with super bulky yarn and has lots of texture.

Speaking of texture - here's a bauble lapghan.

A customer asked us to make this lapghan for her mother for Mother's Day. 

It turned out absolutely beautiful.

This afghan was made using size 50 needles and super chunky yarn. 

Looks great with the couch since it has a little blue in the cushions.

Now on to some fun decorating the mantel for the warmer weather.

Here are some canning jars dressed up in cable cozies.

Here are two pictures of the hugely popular succulents in crochet plant baskets.

Nothing cheers me up more than decorating. 

I hope we have inspired you to have some fun decorating your own home for spring and summer.

Stuffed Creatures

So far this winter, Knitting by Pam and Donna have been very busy making all kinds of stuffed creatures for special requests.

This flamingo was made for a neighbor and friend. She is giving it to her niece's child since he apparently likes flamingos. Let's be honest what isn't there to like about flamingos!

A lot of people have been asking for sloths recently. The little sloth was shared on my Facebook page. Since it is a crochet pattern, Donna has been working on perfecting this pattern. The bigger sloth is a knitted pattern that worked up very fast and is cute as can be.

The next three pictures are items made by special request for the Flying Squirrel, a vintage toy store in Carnegie, PA 

The next two pictures are Instagram posts from the Flying Squirrel Instagram page.

Apparently the owls are being saved for a special event the Flying Squirrel will be having in February.

These project have been a pleasure to work on during these cold and dark days of winter. 

These little creatures do make you smile while working on them. 

I do hope they make others smile as well.

The Tale of Knitting a Christmas Stocking

A very good customer of ours asked us in December of 2016 if we could knit a Christmas stocking for her for next year. This stocking was for her daugher-in-law. Apparently all of her children have this same stocking.

In January she brought the stocking to us. Of course life gets in the way (in a big way this year) and we don't get to the stocking until November. We all know when she needs it!

Keep in mind we have never done a Christmas stocking before. This pattern is called an Old Fashion Christmas Stocking and old fashion it was - right down to the yarn - very old wool yarn that I kept getting splinters from. Who knew you could get splinters from yarn?

So with that build up,  here's the tale of Knitting a Christmas Stocking Step By Step.

The ribbing was the easiest part of this whole project. It was knit one, purl one for an inch and a half.

The next step was knitting her name into the stocking. You guessed it we have never done that before. The way the pattern wanted me to knit the name in wouldn't work since "Chelsea" was too long. So out came the graph paper to figure out how this was going to go. Donna and I worked on the name for two days trying to get it to work in 52 stitches.

So then the pattern called for us to knit the tree in the stocking. Well we did and it was the most anemic tree ever. So I tore out the whole block and then just knitted with the red and made my own version of the tree and sewed it on. It looked so much better. 

The next block was the Santa block. We did have to knit him in as we didn't have any idea of how to make a Santa and sew him on. 

The next part was turning the heel - never did that before. Thank heavens Donna made a pair of socks once and sort of remembered how to do that.

My only regret in this project was following the pattern for knitting in the year. 

I wish I would have made it smaller like her name. 

Oh well, live and learn. 

Here it is - the stocking is all finished. 

I have to say it is the longest stocking I have ever seen.

The customer was very happy with it and she said the stockings that have been used for years are very long at this point. I guess Chelsea will have to work on being a good girl so hers will get longer from all the gifts as well. 

Merry Christmas

and

Happy New Year!

Holiday Craft Fairs

We have a pretty busy schedule for December this year!

Here is where you can find us throughout the holiday shopping season.

December 2

Arts and Crafts Fair Hosted by CC. Mellor Memorial Library

1 Pennwood Ave

Pittsburgh, PA 15218

9a - 6p

December 8 and 9

Swissvale Library Holiday Bake Sale

1800 Monongahela Ave

Pittsburgh, PA 15218

Friday - 10a - 4p

Saturday - 9a - 11:30a

On Saturday we are leaving a little early for another event. The bake sale actually continues until 2p.

December 9 and 10

The Novelty Collective

The COVE Art Center

939 California Ave

Avalon, PA 15202

Saturday - 1p - 8p

Sunday - 1p - 8p

We are available by appointment throughout the month of December. 

We may also have an open house closer to Christmas if we have enough inventory.

Keep an eye on Facebook for any updates!

Merry Christmas 

And

Happy New Year!