The Hands Occupied Studio is now open! See the finished space, read about the Studio Warming party, and share your ideas for workshops and events you’d like to see!
chicago
Moving in to the Hands Occupied Studio
Take a first look inside the new, first-ever Hands Occupied Studio in Chicago. Learn what’s in store for the space and how you can get involved!
Warm Up with In-Person Events this Winter!
It’s a new year, and there’s so much to celebrate! A lot of us have cold temps as a great excuse to spend time hunkered down with needles and hooks, but if you’re looking for a cozy place to warm up in January or February, I’ve got a few ideas.
Long John Cowl Pattern
As I said last week, it’s another cold January in Chicago this year! It’s not quite the polar vortex level of cold temps of 30 below from last year, but it’s been close. A Fargo native, I can handle my cold weather. Part of handling cold weather in chill-town (see what I did there? Like Chi-town, eh? Eh?), is leaving the house prepared. Not unlike the Faux Woven Cowl designed during last year’s polar vortex, the Long John Cowl is all about comfortably keeping warm and layering for the cold.
Picks of the Week
There’s nothing like uber-cold weather to get me in the mood for hibernating with a few good skeins of yarn I’m dying to experiment with. Polar weather isn’t for everyone, but I’m into it, at least for a month or two.
Vogue Knitting Live Chicago
Holy cow, my last few days were busy! Luckily, it’s because I was at the Chicago installment of Vogue Knitting Live, and it was all incredible amounts of fun.
Chicago Yarn Crawl!
It’s the Chicago Yarn Crawl this week, dudes! This year, I only had a chance to Crawl for one day, hitting up 5 of the many stores participating. But I made sure to snap a few pics of their yarn and supplies to make you all jealous of the amazing yarn stores we’ve got here in Chicagoland. ;) The Yarn Crawl is divided into regions, and I focused on Region 1, the yarn shops within Chicago’s city limits.
Reading Rainbow & DIY Summer Reading Log for Grown-Ups
Last week’s Reading Rainbow Kickstarter launch made quite the splash. It ushered my beloved childhood TV show back into the zeitgeist, and apparently, into my creative brain. Between that and the imminent start of summer reading, I have got books on the brain!
Weekly Reader
I can’t believe it’s Friday and I’m just now remembering to tell you guys about the wonder that was YarnCon. It’s a two day yarn/knitting/crochet/fiber/etc. show in Chicago. Last weekend was my first time attending, and I got to take workshops on new casting on techniques and entrelac with knitting designer Theresa Schabes, and I definitely bought some beautiful sock yarn from Icemelon’s Stash. I had a nerdy blast and can’t wait to practice my new skills!