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Easter Candle Holder with Twine Bird’s Nests

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Chirp chirp! I want to make tiny needle-felted birds to go along with this candle holder so badly right now, I should be embarrassed (but I’m not). I found the tutorial for this project at the blog Beneath My Heart. This project features teeny tiny bird’s nests made with twine that house little “robin’s eggs” made from turquoise beads. Completely brilliant, right? On top of that, vintage book pages are Mod Podge’d to the pillar on which the candle sits. I think I’m in love. Check out the tutorial.

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Knit Flowers on Your Sweater

I feel like I’ve knit most things that you can knit through my many years of knitting and designing, but one thing I’ve never done is a sweater worked in fingering weight yarn. It just sounds like too much commitment to me, like it will take forever and be too delicate for me to want to wear.

I know none of that is true. Despite the gauge fine knit sweaters don’t necessarily take longer than other projects, especially if they have something to hold your interest like fun colorwork. And the level of detail you can get in a project with so many stitches really can’t be beat.

Consider Bloem by Natasja Hornby. This bottom up crew neck sweater has colorwork all over, whether it’s stripes or these big mandala-like flowers on the front and back (flowers also show up on the sleeves).

I think there’s really something to the idea that colorwork goes faster because you want to see what’s going to happen next, and in the case of this sweater there are other design elements that you’ll be excited to knit. The yoke of the sweater is a hybrid design that ensures a good fit and probably a knitting experience you haven’t had before.

You’ll knit the body of the sweater in the round from the bottom up to the underarms, then knit the sleeves separately and join all together for the yoke.

The pattern has 8 size options, with finished bust measurements ranging from 33.5 to 61 inches, or 84 to 152.5 cm.

You can choose more muted, harmonious colors like the ones shown in the sample or go bolder for a real showstopping piece. Check out the finished projects on Ravelry to give you some ideas and see how it fits on different size bodies. There’s one where the knitter made all the flowers different colors that I just love. 

Learn more and grab a copy of the pattern on Ravelry.

[Photo: Natasja Hornby]

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