Craft Gossip

Independent craft blog since 2007

Designer Spotlight: Banani Stitchery

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If you’re looking for a realistic cross stitch pattern from your favorite dog or cat, you’ll want to check out Banani Stitchery. This shop is full of gorgeous designs for different breeds of cats and dogs, so you can stitch up a Norwegian forest cat or a red toy poodle or a great variety of other cats and dogs. 

There are less accurate but still adorable kitten cross stitch patterns, as well as bunnies, mostly with a spring flair. There’s also a section called cute characters, which is full of other adorable animals like a owl on a stack of books, a teddy bear in the rain and a baby goat going to the airport with a coffee and a travel bag. 

Many of their patterns are large, colorful and complex, but if that’s your thing there are a lot of beautiful projects here, too. I love this vintage baubles cross stitch pattern, full of classic holiday ornaments packed in a box. If you still use ornaments like this, or fondly remember ornaments that looked like this, it would be a wonderful addition to your Christmas decor. 

The pattern is 160 by 197 stitches and uses a whopping 73 colors and one blend. The design comes out to 11.43 by 14.07 inches, or 29 by 35.7 cm. It uses full and half cross stitches as well as backstitch. 

Another big category is flowers, where you will find lots of colorful, realistic looking florals. There are a few landscapes, vintage inspired designs like the one shown here, and collections of patterns you might want to stitch together, such as flowers in vases or little dogs. 

If this sounds like your kind of cross stitch, check out all their designs at Banani Stitchery. 

Know a designer you’d like to see in the spotlight? Leave a comment or fill out the form linked at the top of the page!

[Photo: Banani Stichery]

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Beach Bag Knitting Patterns

What makes a good beach bag? It is a bag that’s big enough to hold everything you need? A replacement for your purse that can get sandy? Something with holes for carrying your shell collection? This roundup of beach bag knitting patterns has a little bit of all of that. 

If size is important to you, check out the Portside Bag from Knit And Crochet Evr Aft. This big striped bag is worked in the round with faux seams added for extra stability. The pleated sides add storage space, and I-cord handles are easy to knit, too. It calls for DK weight yarn. 

There’s also the Pensacola Tote from Apple and Acorn Co, a basic striped sack that looks like a shopping bag. This one also uses DK weight yarn and you can stash bust to make stripes or keep it solid. 

The Boho Beach Bag from Pickles Knits Oslo is kind of a cross between a tote bag and a purse replacement. The designer calls it a “bohemian stitch pattern” that includes elongated stitches, making it quick to knit in cotton yarn. It comes in two size options. 

Add a little bit of lace to make your beach bag more sand friendly with the Salt Life Beach Bag from Laura Aylor. this pattern, available on Ravelry, calls for DK weight yarn and has a diamond lace pattern on the side panels.

For even more lace, try the Shell We Beach Bag from Knitting Tipsy (also on Ravelry). This one has a garter stitch base and allover lace shell pattern on the body. It uses worsted weight yarn and has straps that are knit separately for extra stability. 

And if you’re looking for allover lace, try the Lanta bag from Paulastrickt. The tote bag shape is great for the beach or elsewhere, and it’s worked from the bottom up in the round with double knit straps. The pattern says it’s advanced but if you have a little lace experience I think this one would be fine for you.