How to make a face mask with ties

This list of DIY’s is for face masks that use ties. Why ties and not elastic? The elastics are becoming unpopular due to the tension it creates on the ears. Remember most people wearing masks in hospitals and on the frontline are wearing them for hours and hours.

This first face mask is for a pleated mask that has ties for comfort and also a pocket for a mask filter.

This next tutorial is for a basic design with cloth adjustable mask ties, which is perfect for anyone who is a straight stitcher and just learning to sew.

This free tutorial comes with lots of step by step images to guide you along.

This face mask with ties has adjustable ties that are made from knit fabric or an old t-shirt. This allows the mask ties to have a little bit of tension to keep it firmer through the day

This tutorial comes with a video to guide you along, perfect for anyone who is a visual learner and needs some help with making the cloth fabric masks.

Free printable pattern for the mask with ties ca be downloaded here. A great print version with minimal ink requirements.

The main aim of a fabric mask is to prevent YOUR bodily fluids from being expelled or you being splashed on by someone else’s bodily fluids. It is my (non-medical) understanding that air still flows through the masks. The best fabric for surgical face masks is cotton that can be easily washed and NON woven fabric as a filter that can be replaced several times during the day. You can purchase readymade carbon filters too. (for more info about filters read this article here)

Don’t want to make your own but buy a readymade mask? So why should you buy a handmade mask? Because obviously you can’t sew one or you would be making your own, so put a few dollars into someone else’s pocket and keep a handmade business alive.

Looking for a new sew version of the mask? Check this article out No Sew Bandana Mask and different styles of no sew masks using other fabric materials.

Need to make a lot of masks? Check out this amazing Mask Cutting Machine. It cuts 6 masks out at a time!

Not too long ago I did a test knit for another designer that was for a cabled cardigan. It’s really cozy and nice but it just about broke me in a ton of different ways. I couldn’t get gauge, which I suppose is my own problem, but mainly I was somehow both bored and forced to pay attention at the same time.

Because it used the same cable all over, I always had to know what row I was on, but nine out of ten of those rows, nothing in particular was going on. So I couldn’t stop paying attention, but what I needed to attend to was boring.

It may have ruined me for knitting cabled sweaters, but maybe I just need something that’s more engaging. Like this Modern Aran Cardigan pattern from Lion Brand Yarn.

This is a reworking of an old pattern from their archives, and you can tell that form the classic look of the cables and the oversized feel (nothing cropped about this one!). It has allover cables, but like a classic Aran sweater it’s not the same cable, so you’ll have to pay attention to what row you’re on and what cable turns happen for which cables on that row.

Because of this, it’s considered an intermediate knitting pattern, but if you’re comfortable working from multiple charts at once it shouldn’t be a problem for you. There are three different charts and seven different cable moves.

Also because the pattern is so big and boxy there are only two sizes available, with a finished chest measurement of either 49 or 63 inches (that’s 124.5 or 160 cm). It’s up to you to decide how much ease you would like and whether that will work for your body.

The pattern uses worsted weight yarn (and calls for another classic, Lion Brand Fisherman’s Wool). It calls for six buttons and includes pockets to make it extra cozy.

This one looks like a great winter project to make and to wear if you’re up for a bit of a challenge. You can grab the free pattern or buy a kit with the yarn needed direct from Lion Brand Yarn.

[Photo: Lion Brand Yarn]

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