Cozy Hats for Blustery Days

Hi friends!

I don't know about you, but I've been cold lately and when I'm cold I turn to yarn! All of these hats work up quickly and we have samples at the shop for you to try on! 5 of the hats are knitted and 2 are crocheted and all are fun to make :)

From the top left: Gilbert's Hat in Kenzie, & Hunter in Mistral.
From the middle left: Hipster Hat in Reggae Ombre, Venture in Luxair, & Tall Dark and Handsome in Gradient.
From the bottom left: Bon Bon Toque in Simpliworsted, & Maid Marion in Kenzie.


I also have a bit of outfit inspiration for you too! I personally love wearing color when the weather turns gray and cold. It's such a cheery contrast to the lack of vitamin D (as I type I'm wearing high-waisted blue jeans with polka dots and a white sweater!).

Hipster Hat by makers-mercantile 

Uniqlo merino v neck sweater / Uniqlo jeans / Flat shoes / ASOS blue handbag / Liz Claiborne stone jewelry / Accessorize navy blue shawl / Uniqlo thin belt

I love the bold yet tied-together look of this ensemble. The colors are pulled from the hat with the most dramatic being the colored jeans. If the look is too much for you try switching the pants for something more neutral.

Gilbert's Hat: Explore by makers-mercantile 

Antigua jacket / Adidas sneaker / Sandqvist messenger bag / Puma black steel watch / Cashmere scarve / Eyebobs plastic glasses / Banana Republic Slim Fit Diamond Print Shirt - Canopy green / Hat

I haven't forgot about you men! I put this outfit for the adventurer who takes his crochet on the go.



Until next time,

Jessica

Felted Holiday Soaps



Felting Fun



As you might have gathered from my first blog, I was feeling a little like you-know-who, the green guy with the too-small heart!

Then I realized that there were so many handmade gift opportunities just waiting for me at Makers' Mercantile! Every day when I walk in the door at work, another idea comes to me!

This week I am working on felted soaps!!! Such a fast, easy, and fun, wonderful gift!

You will need:

• A bar of your favorite soap (I love the natural goat milk soaps)
• Makers' Mercantile Felter's Wool in the colors of your choice
• a knee high stocking
• hot water.  

Yep, that is it!

Are you ready? Set aside 30 minutes, cause here we go!

With main background color, lay out a layer thick enough, to wrap around and cover the entire bar of soap! Next step is to create a design, using the felting needle and different colored fiber!



Once you have created your design and wrapped your soap completely, place the soap in a stocking, and immerse in a bowl of hot water.  You will want to rub the entire piece, in your hands, gently, as not to distort your design, for approximately 10 minutes, repeating the immersion and rubbing until you feel the fiber has felted around your soap.  Once the fiber has been felted thoroughly, your work of art will need to be left to dry for a few days.

I added my Holly Soap to one of the beautiful soap dishes we carry at Makers' Mercantile!

Have fun!!!

 

Makers' Shenanigans!

Here at Makers' we have been known to get a little silly. If you've ever heard someone poke fun by saying that yarn fumes have an effect on people, then you can probably guess what's causing it. With all the yarny goodness in the air we can't help being ridiculous. 

Our lounge is often stuffed to the gills with crafters of all types, which we LOVE, because it means there are people to share our antics with. Every Tuesday/Thursday evening and Saturday morning we host a social gathering of knitters, crocheters, spinners, fiber hookers, seamstresses, and lovers of food! 

When the shop isn't filled with merry crafting folk, we take it to the next level. Sometimes you'll walk in the front door to see Sharon with a crazy thing or two on her head. Sometimes you'll hear Kassie making strange noises, or see Jessica playing with a pack of children. You'll find me putting faces on lattes or dancing to disco. Terri might be dancing with me or she might be standing in the corner giggling at me...

I am wearing a hat w/ pompom made from Islanda. Sharon is wearing braids of artfelt® Roving.
Terri is smiling in front of RylieCakes! 

These may not be things you expect to see in a yarn store, but we think abandoning our pride makes life and knitting that much more fun. As a result of having a very lighthearted bunch of girls on staff, I have collected quite the scrapbook of shenanigans! Today I am sharing with you just a few of those silly snapshots. Stay tuned for more!

Sharon's giant hat was made on the Addi Express using Simplicity

When you visit us in the shop make sure to ask us to put something on our heads for you.

-Kelly

Poplar Bark Cowl Outfits

Hello lovely crafters!

Have you seen the ever talented Kassie's Poplar Bark Cowl? It's perfect for this chilly weather! The cowl only takes 1 skein of InSilk or Alpaka Queen. Since cool grays are one of my favorite colors I decided to do some outfit planning with some brights thrown in.

Poplar Bark Loop: Kelly Green & Grays by makers-mercantile featuring wedding hair accessories

// Mini dress / Uniqlo tight / Flat shoes / ALDO silver jewelry / Wedding hair accessory / Poplar Bark Loop / Allrounder SFifties / Alpaka Queen10 Colors //

This outfit is great to wear all day with the cozy tights, flats, and dress with a generous skirt. There's a lot of textures that tie into the cowl: the plaited look of the shoes, the curves of the flower hairpiece, and the twists of the ring. The Reisenthel bag has plenty of room for your knitting and other everyday essentials.

I like to feel cozy but polished enough so I don't look like I'm hibernating for the winter!

[~*~]

Poplar Bark Loop: Berries w/ grays by makers-mercantile featuring skinny jeans

// Vero Moda long sleeve open front cardigan, $27 / River Island top, $11 / Eddie Bauer skinny jeans / TOMS slip on shoes, $40 / Jeffrey Campbell earrings / Poplar Bark Loop / Alpaka Queen10 Colors //

This outfit was inspired by something Kassie might actually wear. Her style is a fun mix of saturated color and neutrals like deep black, and various grays. The brightly colored skinny jeans, checkered Toms shoes, and throw on cardigan make for a great on the go combo!

By mixing with textures and colors you can go knitter incognito, and you just might get the revered compliment, where did you buy that?

[~*~]

Need help with the cowl or to stay motivated? Never fear, Kassie will be here! There's 2 classes in November and one in December.

Until next time,
Jessica

Terri's Colorwork Blog

Fall is here!! OMGoodness, where did this year go?! For the first time, and yes, I'm being completely honest, I have not completed my Christmas knitting! The men in my life, hubby/sons/father-in-laws, along with two friends, were going to receive hand knitted socks, and then there are the daughter/mother-in-laws, my daughters would receive the yearly sweater, and the grand babies were going to get their long awaited Christmas Stockings! Weeelllll, let me tell you, with all my planning and good intentions, they'll just have to give me a break this year.

However, I did get to fit in designing the grand-babies Christmas stockings. I have to say I had a wonderful time designing them!! Who could stop themselves from knitting for these cute faces???

My Grand-babies!

That being said, I have added a Holiday Ornament class to the Makers Mercantile class schedule for this month so that you all can make quick, last-minute gifts for your friends and family! Christmas is saved!!!

 

I love color work, also called stranded color work, using two or more strands of colored yarn to create images/scenes in a project. From the first pair of Selbuvotters (mittens) I knitted, I was hooked!!!!

So, one day earlier in the year, I turned the fire place on, got a hot cup of coffee, spread out on the living room floor with my colored pencils and drafting paper (Thud, my 175 lb. English mastiff, wasn't overly happy with me, ha!) and went to work charting each color work pattern.  My 3 grandsons will have trains, my 3 granddaughters will have hearts, along with each child's name! It took me two days!
 

In addition, I collect vintage Santas. Every year, I go on the hunt for the most original Santa! I even found a 'wine' Santa, he is one of my favorites! So of course, there has to be a vintage Santa, fuzzy beard and all, on their stockings! (I plan on using Caribou and Wooliebullie for the beard and robe!)

See you soon!!