Totasaurus Rex

Rawr! We've got a new pattern for you today - Totasaurus Rex!

Totasaurus Rex is the perfect felted tote for newer knitters. It’s what we teach in the Beginners Felted Tote class at Knitters Mercantile! In that class we teach how to knit in the round, pick up stitches and I-cord bind off.

The pattern calls for 4 balls total of Kraemer Mauch Chunky. Two balls are needed of a main color, and one ball each of two different contrasting colors are needed.

You will also need US #11 32” circular needle, stitch markers, matching sewing thread, and a sewing needle. Optional notions include 4 bag feet, plastic canvas for the bottom of the bag, and fabric to cover it.

The gauge listed on the pattern (12 sts to 4”) is the gauge in stockinette stitch before felting. The bag will obviously shrink because that's what happens with felting. :)

So head on over to Ravelry and get your copy of the Totasaurus Rex pattern!

Free pattern - Footies!

Are you thinking what I'm thinking? Oh, wait, you have no idea what I'm thinking? Ok then, I'll tell you.

I want cozy feet and I want them now.

It's November. Here in Ohio it's nippy out there. And in my opinion nothing says happy quite like toasty warm feet. That is the thinking behind Quirky Bird's newest pattern.

Footies!

Yes, Footies. Happy and snug slippers for your feet.

Footies are a quick little project. They also are a one skein project (just one skein of Madelinetosh Tosh Vintage was used). This makes them a perfect for a gift for yourself or for another.

The best part? Footies is a free pattern!

Click here for the free Footies pattern.

So go on over and get your copy of the pattern. Knit 'em up and enjoy your toasty feet!

Quirky Bird Goes to the Fair

One day last week, Quirky Bird decided that it would be great fun to visit the Ohio State Fair.

They happily ate their fried corn fritters and cheese on a stick and drank their lemon shake ups. They toured a Civil War encampment.

They saw some crazy cakes. One cake was a sink filled with dirty dishes and another a dirty litter box.

They toured another area and saw some Brillo Pad art.

They even saw the butter cow! There was also a butter cake to celebrate the 200th anniversary of Columbus.

But what Quirky Bird was most excited about was seeing all the sheep and wool at the State Fair. Quirky Bird has a great weakness for sheep and wool.

They saw many, many sheep.

There were sheep with horns.

There were sheep with colorings that Quirky Bird had never seen before.

There were sheep with their jackets on.

There were sheep that tried to stick their tongue out at Quirky Bird.

There were lots freshly shorn sheep.

On their way through the sheep barn, they walked through an area that contained many beautiful fleeces.

There were even prize winning fleeces!

 Quirky Bird saw a lady spinning wool too. They sure liked her Schacht Ladybug spinning wheel!

Quirky Bird had a great time at the fair. See you next year Ohio State Fair!

Lady Chadwick Cap

The Lady Chadwick Cap is now available for download on Ravelry.

This pattern is one of my favorites. I shall give you 3 reasons why this is so.

Reason #1: I love knits that are feminine but not fussy. This hat features a simple cable, textured slip stitch pattern, and a Floral Relief metal JUL button. Total non fussy feminine territory.

Reason #2: This yarn is scrumptious. Juniper Moon Chadwick is a 60/40 blend of Merino and alpaca. It's a single ply that is a treat for your fingers. Wearing an item made with this yarn is like wrapping yourself in the most snugly blanket in the entire universe on a freezing cold day in February.

Reason #3: It can be a one skein project. Of course, if you choose to make the band a different color than the body of the hat you will need two skeins. But you can make the whole hat the same color and that rocks.

Pop on over to Ravelry and check out the Lady Chadwick Cap.

Patterns on Ravelry

Hey guess what? We have our first two patterns up for purchase on Ravelry!

Our newest pattern is the Felted Festival Bag.

This is a cross body triangular messenger bag perfect to wear when attending festivals and fairs while keeping your hands free to browse or hold someone else’s hand.

Bag comes in 2 sizes, a larger one to wear at the fair or a smaller one perfect for a special event when you need to carry a phone, wallet and lipstick but still need your hands free.

Check out the Felted Festival Bag on Ravelry.

Oh, and you know A Lady's Mantle? It's up for sale on Ravelry now too! Check it out here.

Hoo boy. We are just getting started. Stay tuned for another new pattern tomorrow!

Quirky Bird at Knitters Connection

As for our day jobs, Andrea and I are employees extraordinaire at Knitters Mercantile.

Knitters Mercantile puts on the annual Knitters Connection. It's a fabulous show that features many great instructors teaching a wide variety of classes. Knitting, crochet, spinning, felting - it's all there! There is also a Knitters Market with loads of great vendors from around the country. The Knitters Market is where Andrea and I will be this weekend. We will be working the Knitters Mercantile booth. And that booth is, where we are SUPER excited to tell you, is where the very first Quirky Bird Knits pattern will be for sale!

Here is our first pattern - A Lady's Mantle.

This wrap features an elegant, open stitch pattern. It is worked in a worsted weight yarn at a loose gauge with large needles so the resulting fabric drapes beautifully.

Also beautiful is the yarn we chose - Yarn Hollow Brocade. This 60/40 blend of Merino and silk has sheen and drape that help create the elegant and luxurious feeling of this wrap.

To top it all off, we chose a dramatic JUL closure. The Spiral Bridge Closure is a metal fixture that contains two JUL pedestal buttons. No buttonholes required!

A Lady's Mantle will only be available at Knitters Connection this weekend. Stop on by the Knitters Mercantile booth in the Knitters Market and pick up a copy of the pattern, the JUL fixture, a skein of this gorgeous yarn for your very own A Lady's Mantle. Be sure to say hi to Andrea and Kathryn!

Psst - a special thanks to Melissa for modeling for us!

Hello world!

Hello and welcome to the Quirky Bird Knits blog!

Quirky Bird Knits is the dynamic duo of Andrea Panzica and Kathryn Maynard. We are a pair of quirky birds who are working together to design and write original knitting patterns.

We are a brand new venture and we're so excited to share our ideas with you! Stay tuned!