Karen L's Crafting Portfolio

Enthusiastic Arts & Crafts instructor with great patience, attention to detail, punctuality and vast crafting expertise.

Portfolio

Knitting

A simple garter stitch knitted square, cleverly sewn into a bunny.
Bunny From a Knitted Square
This popular pattern makes a great first project, as it can be knit in a few hours and is cute!
Skills used: casting on, knit stitch, binding off, sewing, embroidery.

A small tote bag knitted in gray wool yarn that is then felted in a washing machine.
Gray Knitted & Felted Bag
Knit in gray wool yarn, this bag was then felted by washing it with towels in a washing machine on hot. After washing, it was air-dried using a plastic bag of paperback books to shape it. It's a simple, fun, and useful project.
Skills used: Casting on, knit stitch flat on circular needles, knitting in the round on circular needles, binding off, knitted i-cord using double-pointed needles or circular needles, felting in a washing machine.

A knitted purse featuring celtic cables of various designs.
Cabled Purse
This intricately cabled purse was designed by H. Huggy, and was great fun to knit!
Skills used: casting on, knit stitch, purl stitch, cables, increasing, decreasing, binding off, sewing, pattern reading (both written and charts).

A lacy half-circle knitted shawl in white, featuring cascading arched designs on the body with a feather border.
Wavedeck Knitted Lace Shawl
Designed by Kate Atherley, this half-circular shawl can be a tricky knit due to all the increases and decreases.
Skills used: Garter Tab Cast-on, knit stitch, purl stitch, yarn over increases, decreases (SSK, K2tog, Central Double Decrease), both written pattern and chart reading, finding and fixing mistakes, binding off using a stretchy bind-off.

A double-knitted blanket square. This is the front of the square, featuring a styled golden 'Z' on a field of bright blue.
A double-knitted blanket square. This is the back of the square, featuring a styled blue reversed 'Z' on a field of gold.
Double-Knitted Blanket Square
Designed by myself based on a sigil from a video game, this reversible knitted blanket square is done in the double-knitting technique.
Skills used: Casting on, knit stitch, purl stitch, K2tog, pattern design, pattern charting, color work, double knitting, binding off.

A navy blue crescent shaped shawl with intricate lace and beads.
Soli Deo Gloria Lace Shawl
An amazing design by Anna Victoria. This shawl was the most difficult thing I have knitted. The design has numerous charts and minimal written instructions, and includes complex stitches.
Skills used: provisional cast-on, garter tab cast-on, knit stitch, purl stitch, increases (yarn over, double yarn over, 3-in one), decreases (SSK, K2tog, sl2-k1-psso, knit 2 out of 3, knit 3 out of 3 together), markers, beading, lifelines, finding and fixing mistakes, chart reading, drop down to lifeline and reknitting a partial section, binding off.

A knitted doll, front view. She is wearing a pleated brown tunic, knitted boots, and a knitted cape
A knitted doll, back view. You can clearly see the hooded cape she is wearing.
Warrior of Light in Wayfarer's Tunic doll
Completely designed and knitted myself. This doll features a variety of advanced, tricky techniques.
Skills used: Judy's Magic Cast-on, knit stitch, increases (lifted, make one using backwards loop, KFB), decreases (SSK, K2tog), raglan shoulder design, box pleats, heel turning, picking up stitches, Kitchener stitch, pattern design and writing.

Pin Loom Weaving

A red woven coaster, featuring gray outlined hearts and diamond motifs on it, front view
A red woven coaster, featuring gray outlined hearts and diamond motifs on it, back view
Hearts Overshot Square
Designed by Amber Virgil, this reversible coaster features a different heart-and-diamonds pattern on each side.
Skills Used: pin loom weaving, tabby weaving, overshot weaving, reading a weaving draft.

Crochet

Orchid Top: a purple crocheted top featuring two shell stitch patterns.
Orchid Top
This crocheted top features two shell stitch patterns divided by a band of double crochet stitches at an empire waist. This was the second garment I crocheted, and as written, the pattern did not work for me. I altered the pattern by using my knowledge gained from a previous crocheted sweater: I did raglan increases at the shoulders and a chain for the underarm gap. This worked extremely well and I ended up with a flattering top I love.
Skills used: single crochet, double crochet, chain stitches, increasing, raglan sweater design, buttonhole making, algebra and other math, pattern reading (both written and charts), pattern adjustment and re-design.

A small crocheted circular doily featuring the popular pineapple stitch.
Petite Pineapple Doily
I love making doilies! They are made from cotton crochet thread using tiny hooks. This is one of my favorite designs, by Priscilla Hewitt.
Skills used: single crochet, double crochet, chain stitches, increases, decreases, writting pattern reading.

A crocheted baby blanket made of hexagon motifs. The colors used form the head of a elephant.
Josefina Elephant Crib Blanket
A darling baby blanket featuring a cute elephant design! This blanket was designed by Ira Rott.Skills used: single crochet, double crochet, chain spaces, picots, join-as-you-go motifs, pattern reading (both written and charts), weaving in ends, finding and fixing mistakes.

A crocheted blanket in the interlocking method, featuring a peppermint swirl design.
Peppermint Swirl Crocheted Blanket
This amazing design by Bendy Carter long captured my interest, and I was joyous when I finally had the resources to make this incredible blanket.
Skills used: interlocking crochet, multiple colors, double crochet, chain stitches, joining motifs, pattern reading (both written and charts), weaving in ends.

A red crocheted lacy cropped cardigan with an open front and a tie closure at neck.
Soft Serve Crocheted Cardigan
This cute and flattering cardigan was designed by Doris Chan, and was lots of fun to crochet--and equally fun to wear!
Skills used: single crochet, double crochet, chain stitches, foundation single crochet, increases, written pattern reading, finding and fixing mistakes.