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I’m a knitter through and through. I’ve dabbled in crochet design in the past, but the sewing machine I unearthed from an extensive hibernation under my bed during a spring clean the other day can attest to the fact that I haven’t really ventured into expanding my craft skills.
First, time – there’s never enough of it to knit all the things I want, let alone start something new! Second, I take it personally if I’m not instantly good at something (yes, I know I shouldn’t!). Whilst there’s nothing wrong with sewing scrunchies (we all had to knit squares at some point), there’s a huge part of me that wants to be whipping up a Merchant and Mills pattern right off the bat. Sadly, I know that realistically, I need to walk first before I can sew like a pro.
Lately, though, I’ve been pondering how I can push myself creatively within my knitting skillset. My sister is expecting a baby girl this summer, much to my delight, so naturally, I’ve taken to knitting up all the teeny tiny baby knits I can. I love an easy knit, but sometimes a simple knit project does need a little decoration – like a little embroidered flower or two, for instance. And that got me thinking…
What if I tried combining my knitting with other craft skills? I was a beginner knitter once, so surely I can give something else a go too. Turns out, there are plenty of ways to get creative with customising knits and decorating our knitwear so here are 3 easy ways you can embellish your knits and make your knitting projects loads more fun.
As I mentioned, I’ll be Auntie Sophie in a handful of months so my knitting queue is looking particularly cute and tiny these days. I love all the adorable baby knits and it seems I’m partial to a few embroidered knitwear patterns too.
I’m sure many of you are familiar with the Knitting For Olive Daisy Cardigan designed by Pernille Larsen, but I’ve also found the Daisy Cardigan by Julie Taylor aka LoveFibres (I don’t know about you, but I’m starting to see a bit of a theme emerging here…) I’ve also knit the Teddy Bear Sweater by PetiteKnit in a couple of sizes, all of which are yet to be adorned with the sweet little bear faces ‘cause, honestly, I’m scared of messing it up.
But just like knitting is simply sticks and string, embroidery is just needle and thread. If I mess up, I can unthread it and start again. So, let’s say it’s needle, thread, and just a little bit of patience—wish me luck!
If adding some embroidered details to your knitting is something you’re interested in giving a go, you might like these embroidered knitting projects I found on Ravelry:
Gone are the days when mending meant hiding imperfections. Instead, visible mending has become a form of creative expression, turning our holey knitwear and worn-out patches into beautiful design features.
In recent months, I personally have noticed a surge of interest in visible mending. Maybe it’s the cost of living, maybe it’s a growing appreciation for slow fashion, or maybe it’s both. Whatever the reason, more people are looking to repair their well-loved knitwear and hand-knit items rather than replace them.
When it comes to mending and matching colours, I know that a complete contrast is better than a near miss (because let’s face it, a near miss is likely!). Visible mending is such a brilliant way to add a bit of colour and character to your hand-knits all while extending their lifespan – without having to worry about it looking ‘perfect’. Plus, there’s something so satisfying about turning a hole into a design feature rather than a flaw, don’t you think?
If you’d like to explore visible mending, here are a couple of books we have on the Baa! shelves that might interest you:
We’ve also got a bunch of Fyberspates Gleem Embroidery threads, hand-turned darning mushrooms, and darning needles for all your visible mending needs!
Every knitter I know has a stash. And not just skeins, but bits of skeins and bits of bits of skeins. You know, the 5g here, 10g there left over from past knitting projects. They all get stored up ready to be used for… well something. In my case, it’s usually scrap yarn for holding sleeve stitches, but there are ways of putting these to better use.
Have you ever thought to add a little tassel or fringe to your knitting projects? Customising your knits with a little embellishment like that can both help you create a bit more room in your yarn stash and they’re an easy way to make your knitting projects a lot more fun.
You could take inspiration from the Rancher Shawl by Toni Lipsey and add some tassels to your knitted (or, in this case, crocheted) shawls or whip up some pom poms like in the Glee Shawl by Espace Tricot. You could even look to the Harvest Throw by Alexandra Tavel which features some long, statement tassels and add a whole bunch of your own to either end of an existing blanket. I really like the idea of using up a load of random yarn scraps to create mismatched, rainbow-coloured tassels.
Are you tempted to try any of these creative techniques? Maybe you’re already a pro at embellishing knits! Whether it’s embroidering on knitted fabric, experimenting with visible mending, or adding tassels to your knitting project, there are so many ways to embellish and customise your knits.
Do you like to decorate your knitwear? Do you have a particular embellishment technique you like to repeat or is there something new you’re excited to try? We love to hear about your knitting plans, so please do share with us over on Instagram or during your next visit to Baa!
