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Sewing, knitting, embroidery, easy and fashion blog

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How to knit socks?

Nov 30, 2016 12:00:00 AM

You dream of a nice warm pair of socks for this winter and you know how to knit? Two positive points to finally get you started.

The equipment

- 1 set of 5 KnitPro double-tipped needles or 3 mm circular needles

- 1 wool ball Balade from Cheval Blanc

- 1 simple socks model

The method

Knitting socks can be a little scary seen from afar, to start we knit in circles!

But don't worry, knitting in circles is not difficult, here is a video that could help you.

Traditionally, socks are started with the upper and lowered to the toes. Other models are presented in the other direction which can be not bad to try your sock at the same time as you knit.

Stem and foot are not difficult to knit. For the heel, there are many methods depending on the desired rendering. You ask me the best heel method, here is one (in English on ravelry).

The tip is the rewarding period of the sock: the final cuts! It asks to realize decreases according to the model, nothing complicated.

 

Knitting needles

The double-tipped needles are not very easy to handle at first, but after a first handling, it goes pretty fast.

With KnitPro circular needles , you will use the magic loop method. It is a simple method which, for my part, takes a little longer.

I advise you to take needles n°3. Tiny you tell me? But it is the ideal number for the socks, thicker than in the trade and thus quite warm but thin enough all the same to continue to enter in your shoes!


The wool

Which wool will you choose? This choice is not insignificant. If you're going to knit socks, they might as well keep your feet warm and last a long time, right?

The ideal wool should contain a majority of wool and a little polyamide. Polyamide will allow the sock to resist friction. We suggest you our favourite wool:

- The Balade from Cheval Blanc balls.

Among this wool, you will have the choice between many colors but also the ecological range! A yarn made from 100% recycled fibres: 70% wool, 20% polyamide and a mixture of 5% other fibres.

If you want to make original, lean for the two-tone , you'll never get tired of it.

This wool is knitted with needles n°3, still our ideal number to knit your first pair of socks.

All you need is only one ball to make your pair of socks.
.

The pattern

Now let's go, you'll see, knitting socks is a wonderful experience! But which model to choose?

Crucial choice because knitting socks can be a bit long, especially that you have to knit 2. You therefore need a model that will not tire you so that you remain motivated for the 2nd sock.

Even if a simple jersey model can attract you at first sight, I advise you rather to start with a relief stitch or with an easy cable stitch.

If you have a Ravelry account (the knitting facebook), otherwise I advise you to open one, it's easy and free (be careful the website is in English). Some easy patterns are available in French:

- Hermione's everyday socks

- Shtroumpfette's socks

- Pretty harbour (english)

Personally, I also really like these and their little cross motifs.



Have you decided? Then go for it. Warm socks for Christmas is a good gift idea, right? Do not hesitate to share your creations in wool socks Stroll on our Facebook page or Instagram #aetapatrons.


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Comments Posted in Tutorials & tips By Amandine

5 websites to learn sewing

Feb 17, 2016 12:00:00 AM

You start sewing and looking for help to learn to sew online? We offer today a small blogs and websites overview  for beginners and more savvy dressmakers to help you answer all your sewing questions:

Thread and needles logo

Thread&Needles Thread & Needles is the reference community website for sewing and knitting. The site was created in 2010 by passionate about sewing, now the site has been widely enriched. Very interactive, volunteers regularly publish articles on the blog:

♦ Keeping you informed of the latest patterns and sewing books releases,

♦ Introducing a seamstress or a tailor with interview,

Giving desire with projects that inspire,

♦ Showing a technique, sewing or knitting tools,

Presenting an artist, an exhibition related to sewing or knitting.

As a community site, the big advantage of T&N is to offer an account where you can post your sewing & knitting projects. You add a title, an image, a link to your blog and other people in the community can interact with you via comments and private messages.

Your project is then referenced in the gallery. Each member may vote and may become the "popular of the week" project.

The website also contains very active sewing and knitting groups. Notably by region, allowing you to organize or to meet other real dressmakers or knitters in your corner.

These groups can also allow you to answer your questions about sewing or knitting technical problems.

The + : Thread&Needles is a very complete website as you will understand. It allows to virtually or actually meet bloggers through project presentations.



Artesane is a new website created by the talented blogger Annie Coton . The principle is to offer sewing and knitting online classes and it will increase with arts and crafts.

Several recognized teachers therefore propose a course related to their field of choice.

The platform Artesane is beautiful and well done. Most courses are paid (and that's normal considering the work) but you will also find free lessons. Many videos workshops will emerge during 2016 have to watch closely!

The +: Artesane also contains a nice "newspaper" including clear tips on cloth or special sewing techniques, in particular. The illustrations are very well done and the approach discusses in depth techniques.

 

Couture Débutant logo

This blog was created in 2015 by a young sewing instructor Margaux.

Couture Débutant, is first to overcome the issues and redundant problems of its sewing beginners students. It notes that the problems of sewing beginners are always the same and there are very few site dedicated to the first steps.

Since then, the blog growed and Margaux offers:

♦ Super simple sewing DIY to not be afraid to begin it,

♦ Its patterns and magazine testing,

Its best addresses both on the web than real,

A Youtube channel offering basis support for amateur fashion designers.

The +: The universe of its blog is cool and pleasant. It makes you want to put it right away now even if you were born with two left hands, with these step by step tutorials, you are sure to get there!

 


This vintage and quirky look blog is full of good sewing ideas with supporting tutorials.

There are as well many basic sewing lessons as customization DIY.

There you will find a wealth of information to choose your sewing machine, sewing a particular fabric, but also make everything simple accessories like a headband, a collar, etc.

The +: the blogger's humor. The articles, both for sewing in mood editorial or general web articles are really funny!

 

 

Petit Citron is a small community sewing site. It was created by Perrine Colignon in 2007. She wanted to set up as a virtual sewing club.

The site offers in image sewing techniques, but also free simple patterns.

To participate, send your projects, technical ideas, etc. Just create an account on the site.

The +: the Petit Citron blog is full of tips and inspirations for sewing. It is a mine of information interesting when you start!

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Comments Posted in Discoveries By Amandine

Learning to knit: the basis

Feb 3, 2016 12:00:00 AM

Winter begins to be felt timidly in this early 2016 ... the perfect time to get back to knitting!

Since I give knitting lessons (it's been 6 years!), I had a lot of people completely beginners, ie which start from zero. This allows me to make you a basic tips small summary if you feel the urge to begin knitting.

wool knitting learning

1/ The basis

What do you need to start knitting?

- A pair of knitting needles

- A ball

- A very easy pattern


Knitting learning diagram

2/ The pattern choice for beginners

Very important ! It's the first thing you need to find. It is important to start knitting small as this can be very frustrating to quickly begin a long scarf and realize in the middle we lost the motivation to finish it.

I suggest you start with adult accessories or ultra-easy baby clothing. The easiest beginners stitch is the garter stitch. You can also test the jersey stitch but for the ribs, you'll see it later!

knitting jersey and garter stitches

The snood (or neckband) and mittens are ideal to start. See eg  Sorlin Snood with needles 15 and Triad mittens with needles 6. It's straight on and all in garter stitch. No reduction or increase but a quick super nice finish!


Beginners Snood and Mittens knitting kits

For a baby clothing, I recommend the Paul vest, slightly more complicated than the accessories (you will have to increase by several stitches) and needles are a little finer but clear explanations will guide you easily to the final sewing and you will be proud to offer this little jacket to a baby. It is also available in kit.

Paul vest an easy baby knitting kit

3/ Select the ball

Choose what is commonly called  the "wool" is not so obvious. You will find balls in many haberdasheries with very pretty colors but unfortunately not containing 1 gram of wool!

- The material:

I made the choice to offer you on the website, only knitting threads with a majority of natural material.

The material may be: from the sheep wool  (mostly merinos, very soft), recycled yarn from different materials, alpaca (slightly hairy and warmer), mohair (cloudier), cotton (lighter for summer) or even cashmere and silk.

For beginners I suggest you buy a ball of 100% wool, 100% recycled or 100% cotton (if it is for the summer or for a baby). Other wools are more expensive and sometimes it is less clear to observe our meshes or unravel without nodes (alpaca and mohair particular).

Our special beginners knitting balls:

beginners knitting wool

- The thread size:

It is very important to well choose the thread thickness to begin knitting! It is even essential.

The wool ideal thickness that I recommend to begin knitting is for needles 5 mm up to 15 mm.

The needle number is always shown on the ball label (see below):

wool ball label

4/ Choose the pair of knitting needles

The pair of knitting needles number depends on the yarn you've chosen (and if you were paying attention, so printed on the ball label). The knitting needles numbers match their diameter in millimeters. They range from 2 mm to 25 mm or even 30!

There are also  différent needles shapes: straight, circular, double-pointed ...

The circular and double-pointed needles have been developed for seamless circular knitting: hats, gloves, mittens, socks, etc. But interchangeable circular knitting needles new lines (Knitpro line for example) can be very practical to knit straight works (in two-way) and circular, no need to buy both straight needles and circular needles! They need a small starting supplementary budget but they be used all your life.

For beginners, if you do not yet know if you and knitting that's for life, I suggest you opt for straight knitting needles 25 to 35 cm long. 25 cm is a minimum and for small works for babies and children.

You will also have the choice in the knitting needles material! Increasingly type of needles exist and that's good.

There are metal needles, used since time immemorial, they have the advantage not to break but can be heavy (in addition to knit), too slippery to begin, noisy and cause allergies.

You can choose also in wooden needles: bamboo or birch.

knitting needles wood, bamboo or birch

Wooden needles are much lighter than metal and do not let slip the stitches. Bamboo remains fragile for small sizes needles (2 to 3.5mm) but the birch is one of the toughest! See our range of 100% birch Basix Birch Knitpro needles. In addition, the wooden needles are very pretty!

It remains plastic needles that I prefer not to propose, they cling too much wool, stitches do not slide well and the feel always appeared to me unpleasant. By cons they do not break and are also very slight.

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Babies sewing kits

Jan 4, 2016 12:00:00 AM

Happy new year 2016 !

The end of 2015 was very active for A&A because we wanted to introduce you our last sewing kits for babies !

Nadine has developed, after the summer, Sirli romper, Colin shepherd vest and Marouette bathrobe patterns, the plates and finally the explanations but still had to tweak the presentation as a kit.

Baby romper sewing kit

It is time now to tell you about these three new patterns for baby and child made in A&A patrons

The Sirli romper pattern is available as envelope sewing pattern and as  kit. The romper is slightly puffed on the upper thighs, as a bloomer and has a rounded bib on the front, decorated with 6 buttons. The suspenders are crossed in the back.

An intermediate sewing level is required to sew the romper, the available sizes are: 3-6-9-12 & 18 months.

It is stitched in Corduroy and lined with organic cotton veil (for ecru). You can sew around a nice Lurex (or in the color of your choice) piping.

Romper opens from the bottom thanks to its little snaps band easy to put (and easy for changing baby)!

Sirli romper sewing pattern

The Colin shepherd vest is sewn made of Organic cotton fur, Corduroy lined.

The pattern of the vest is available as sewing envelope pattern, downloadable pattern or as sewing kit. The vest is easy to sew and accessible to beginners. Available sizes are: 3-6-9-12-18 months et 2-3-4-6-8 years. So you're spoiled for choice!

You can add a frog or leave open. The vest will be fully reversible.

Baby vest sewing pattern

The Marouette bathrobe is also simple to sew and make a perfect birth gift.

The bathrobe is available in sewing envelope pattern and as kit. It is available in: 6-12 months, 18-24 months and 3-4 years sizes.

It has to be sewn in organic (or not) cotton sponge with a  finish in the bias tape of your choice. You also have a choice in the finishing of the seam angles: round or square and in adding a tassel on the hood and a hook at the neck.

Baby bathrobe sewing patten

The sewing kits of these three patterns are available on this page. We have decided to offer them in a nice carrying for decorating a child's room, make a sewing storage according to your imagination!

They are achievable by beginners as by the most experienced. The explanations are made with precise step by step diagrams with a clear cutting plan to guide you in achieving. Patterns are designed with sizes complying to the new IFTH French standards.

Feel free to send us your achievements with our new sewing patterns! We will post them on social networks and our blog.

You can sew around a

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Romantic Clothing Japanese Couture Book

Feb 19, 2015 12:00:00 AM

couture Romantic Clothing book

In the series of sewing books "Seamstresses Secrets ", here one dedicated to romantic clothes.

these sewing books of this set are translations from japanese books.

You will find 21 sewing models awith their explanations with pictures accompanied, of course, with full size patterns.

Many of today models are presented: tunics, shorts, dresses, skirts, blouses and pants.

This sewing book has many models in eyelet lace (broderie anglaise) which provides a very romantic feel.

The patterns are available in S, M, L and XL sizes, but be careful to properly compare your measurements with those of the book.





Details
:

Dedicated activity Sewing
Title Romantic clothes
Author Ruriko Yamada
Publisher Les Éditions De Saxe
Release date November 2012
Price 19,50 €


What we liked:

The models presented in this book are relatively simple, and therefore ideal for beginners for sewing. The presentation is original bringing a nice vintage look to the work. There are the basic sewing: Bermuda shorts, blouses, simple dress, a little buttoned blouse, trousers with elasticated waist ... The explanations are in the form of diagrams, step by step, very clearly at the end of the book as we usually find them in Japanese sewing books.

If you want a simple book to start sewing clothes for you, this book will not disappoint.

Another plus:

A community blog dedicated to Japanese fashion presentes all these seamstresses works made from this book:The Japan Couture Addicts. To see all the achievements from the Romantic Clothing book, it's here.

 

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