City Farmhouse Studio

May 2, 2024May 2, 2024

Crochet Take It Easy Sweater

I named this crochet sweater Take It Easy because of multiple aspects of this pullover. From the yarn, construction, and even wearing it all lended to the naming of the Take It Easy sweater. A pattern that all makes it easy for you to relax and enjoy all aspects of it.

For the yarn, I used Lion Brand 24/7 DK Cotton yarn. I have used the category 4 worsted weight yarn on a pair of Crochet Vacation Shoes for me and my daughters, and they wear so beautifully. A strong yarn that doesn’t pill, but is soft next to the skin. I have also used it in dish scrubbies and they have lasted a long time. So, I felt comfortable using this cotton yarn in a sweater that will hold up to wear, and make the time it takes making it worth it.

March 21, 2024March 21, 2024

Knit Winter in the City Sweater

Two years ago I made the Summer in the City top, and last year I wore it quite a bit along with the Summer Breeze top. I think I wore the summer breeze more, but over this winter I ended up missing not being able to wear the Summer in the City top. Just the little edge detail that is so easy to dress up or down I missed. It then came to me that I should make a long sleeve version so that I can wear it all year long.

While the Summer in the City top uses Bernat Softee Baby Cotton yarn, for this winter version I wanted something with wool. I found the Premier Wool Select yarn to be a great option. Also, both Summer and Winter in the City have the same gauge, so either yarn is a great option.

March 8, 2024March 8, 2024

Spring Flower Scrubby

One thing I love about crochet, how easy it is to add a fun and joyous spin to one of my most dreaded chores – dishes.

Several years ago I started making my own dish scrubbies, and I haven’t turned back. I love how fun they are to make, how easy they are to make, and how much personality they bring to my kitchen. They also make wonderful gifts. I always see one of my scrubbies at my Dad’s kitchen sink, so he finds them just as wonderful at cleaning dishes as I do.

With this pattern you can choose how much scrubby texture you prefer to crochet with, or none at all. The scrubby yarn does make it more difficult to see your stitches, but the effort is so very much worth the effort – at least in my opinion.

February 15, 2024May 2, 2024

Crochet Wintertime Cardigan Pattern

Have you ever finished a project, put it on for the first time completely finished, and then did not want to take it off? That was this cardigan for me.

The bulky wool yarn makes a perfect thickness for a material that is warm and comforting, but not so thick that it is uncomfortable to wear. The fit of the cardigan looks polished, but not so form fitting that it is binding anywhere. Putting it on just felt perfect for this cold Michigan winter we are finally having.

Using the category 5 bulky yarn with a size L (8.00mm) hook works up so quick. I sat down with my family to watch a movie while working on this. I was amazed how much I got done on a sweater in such a short time!

February 1, 2024March 26, 2024

Knit Lovely Day Sweater

Have you ever made something that you knew that you would like it, but then once you made it and started wearing it you liked it even more than you thought you would.

That is how I feel about this Lovely Day Sweater. I wanted a sweater with some details so it wasn’t a typical pullover with rib edgings. I also wanted it to have a higher neckline so that it would be warmer in winter.

After going through library book after book in knit edgings, bandings, and stitch examples, I tried several different ideas to finally end up with a cable band that is knit in the traditional vertical orientation but then added to the sweater horizontally.

November 6, 2023November 6, 2023

Choose Your Own Adventure – Knit, Machine Knit, or Crochet Slipper Shoes

Last year I made both of our girls some house shoes out of thick and cozy yarn they picked out from the store. Both of them love their pairs and wear them quite a bit. This year, the youngest came home from school and said her teacher will let them wear slippers in the classroom instead of cold and wet shoes from the playground. But, they need to have a hard sole incase they step on anything.

Well, the ones I made last year don’t have anything on the bottom so they won’t work. I previously made for the girls a kids’ size of our Vacation Shoes pattern, but working into a pair of flip flops takes time and effort. And, in all honesty, I didn’t want to put that much effort into a pair of shoes that she will out grow in a few months.

October 19, 2023October 23, 2023

Crochet I’ll Keep You Warm Cowl

This little pattern came about earlier this year. I bought Lion Brand Landscape Breezes yarn loving the colors and how it appeared in patterns online. My intent was to knit a sweater. I made a swatch and liked it, but once in a larger panel for a garment the stripes became muddled except for a bright citrus yellow stripe.

It wasn’t what I was wanting, so I went back to the drawing board thinking it needed smaller width to get the colors to work like it did in my swatch. So, I created this sample of making a square, then adding on to one side of the square for so many rows, and then repeating the step of adding rows as I turn to a new side. It was better but still not what I had envisioned.

The kicker was when I showed my 4 year old niece the swatch for a different point of view. Before I could even fully get out “what do you think about the colors…” she responded “that is the ugliest thing I have ever seen.” Straight from the mouth of babes, and I kind of had to agree.

October 4, 2023November 16, 2023

Children’s Knit Dream of a Cardigan Pattern

As I mentioned in the adult Dream of a Cardigan Pattern, our 11 year old was hoping that she would get to keep the one I made for myself after she tried it on. I love the cardigan too much to give it up, but couldn’t resist the love for it that I saw in her eyes, too.

So, we went to Michaels to pick out what color of yarn she wanted for her own Dream of a Cardigan. She picked out this lighter blue color, that honestly, in the store I was not fond of. But, she loved it and had decided upon it. I even took her picture with several up against her shoulder so that she could see how it looked next to her. With her having more red in her hair it does impact how some colors look, but for the most part all looked good. She liked the blue the best and thought it would work well with many of the things in her wardrobe. So, the yarn was purchased and now I needed to make her one of her own.