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Homemade Emergency Chick Feed from Kitchen Staples🥚 If you have been following along, you already…
Continental Knitting Explained 🧵 If you’ve ever seen someone knit so quickly it looks like magic (or…
Because sometimes the best gear is already in your laundry pile. 👕 Cleaning the chicken coop is not…
How to Set Realistic Goals for Your Homestead (and Actually Reach Them) 💪 Homesteading is full of…
A Free Knitting Pattern by Liz Chandler @PurlsAndPixels 🥾 Looking for a beginner-friendly knitting…
From Almost Tossed to Tiny Miracles: My First Hatch 🐣 This was not the plan. It was not even a plan…
Learn to Knit, Skip the Overwhelm (and the Urge to Throw Your Yarn) 🧶 Does knitting feel confusing…
How to Sell Your Knits, Crochet, and Handmade Items Online or at Craft Fairs (Without Losing Your…
Pollinator-Friendly Gardening in the High Desert of Southwest Colorado 🌱 Gardening in the high…
Trendy Styles to Knit & Crochet Now 🕺 The early 2000s are calling, and they want their knitwear…
From Woolly Winters to Cotton and Palm Trees 🌴 Spring break: the season of college kids flocking to…
A Lunar Eclipse You Should Stay Up For 🌒 Let me tell you how much I love the stars. There is…
Knitting is supposed to be fun, right? But thanks to a few lingering knitting myths, some people…
Easy Tips for Fresh Herbs All Year from Liz Chandler @PurlsAndPixels🪴 It’s cold and icky today, and…
A Free Knitting Pattern by Liz Chandler @PurlsAndPixels ☕ There’s nothing quite like wrapping…
Why Upgrade Your Yarn? 🧶 If you’re anything like me, you probably started out with…
Mountain Moment: Wild Turkeys Fly Over Colorado Homestead 🦃 Living on a homestead means you get to…
Quick, Romantic Gift Ideas for Your Holiday from Liz Chandler 💞 Valentine’s Day is the perfect…
Why and How I Keep Chickens 🐔 Keeping backyard chickens started a simple idea: just a few hens for…
Knit with Liz Chandler @PurlsAndPixels 🧶 Who doesn’t love a warm, cozy scarf? 🧣 And guess what? Even…
A Free Knitting Pattern by Liz Chandler @PurlsAndPixels🧣 There’s something timeless about creating…
Make Your Own Moth Repellent Using Cedar Chips and Cotton Cloth 🦋🌳 Living in an overgrown cedar…
A Colorado Homesteader’s Guide to Wildlife Coexistence 🏔️ 🦁 When you choose to homestead in…
Start Here! 🌱 Are you ready to start your gardening journey but feeling unsure about where to begin?…
A Quick & Practical Knit for Your Sustainable Kitchen ✨ Free Knitting Pattern by Liz Chandler…
Knit with Liz Chandler @PurlsAndPixels 🧶 I think it’s about time to put all of our knitting…
A Real-Life Guide from a Knitting Mom 🧶 Caring for hand knits can feel overwhelming, but after a…
A Guide to Cozy Cabin Decor 2025 🌿🪵 Feeling the winter blues creeping in? Same here! This time of…
Transform a frozen salmon fillet into a delicious, nourishing meal in just 35 minutes with this…
Plan Your Most Creative Year Yet 🧶 A new year brings a world of possibilities for knitters. Whether…
Knit Your Moments of Thankfulness into a Cozy Blanket 🌟 A Free Knitting Pattern by Liz Chandler…
Modern Ways to Create Comfort in the New Year 🌿 As we embrace the New Year, the art of cozy living…
Holiday Cut-Out Shape Cookie Recipe (Perfect for Hippos, Too) Every year, my son and I pull out the…
A Free Knitting Pattern by Liz Chandler @PurlsAndPixels. Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays…
Beginner’s Guide to Knitting: Learn Essential Stitches & Projects Step by Step Hi there!…
Dishcloths and Washcloths Designed by Liz Chandler From simple basics to intricate color designs, my…
If you’re looking for unique, handmade gifts this season, you’re in the right place! At…
Thanksgiving has come and gone, and I wanted to tell you about my new pie recipe that I tried out…
Let’s talk about the ultimate homesteading accessory. Nope, it’s not a chicken coop or a shiny new…
If you’re in the mood to add some cozy, handmade touches to your living space, these knitting…
Cozy, Crafty & Homestead-Ready Gifts to Make Them Smile 🎁 ‘Tis the season to get cozy, knit some…
Extra Gooey and Perfect for Cozy Mornings These soft, gooey cinnamon rolls have a delicious twist: a…
A Guide to Transitioning Chicken Pullets from the Brooder Raising baby chicks has been one of the…
by Liz Chandler @PurlsandPixels Use this Ribbed Chunky Hat Free Knitting Pattern to make warm hats…
Knitting in the round is a way of creating seamless tubes of fabric without having to sew anything…
Introducing Liz Chandler’s Knitting Journals, a collection of meticulously designed notebooks…
Running a homestead can feel like a never-ending list of things to do, especially when life’s other…
A Mystery Critter and a Happy Haul I offered to harvest carrots while Mom was out of town, figuring…
Fall is in full swing and there is nothing better than a warm and cozy bowl of chicken and rice…
Hello, friends! Halloween is right around the corner (this week!), and my son has just decided on…
There are downsides to free-ranging hens. Obviously, predators can be a huge risk to your chickens…
Rice Stitch Afghan A Free Knitting Pattern from Liz @PurlsAndPixels Make a cozy Rice Stitch Afghan…
If you’re moving into a new home or just itching to change up your outdoor space, building your…
The air’s getting crisp, the leaves are starting to change, and it’s the perfect time to cozy up…
Tarantulas Wandering in Southwest Colorado: A Unique Natural Phenomenon Every fall, a fascinating…
If you’re dreaming of a quiet, self-sufficient life surrounded by nature, starting a homestead…
Tips for Navigating Challenges with Animals, Land, and Nature when You’re the only Adult Being a…
Discover Your Cozy Lifestyle Type with a Fun Quiz! Are you curious about how cozy your lifestyle…
Even with a Busy Lifestyle, You Can Still Enjoy a Cozy Home Life gets hectic, but that doesn’t mean…
Made using only knit stitches, this easy and fast hat is the simplest of all my hat knitting…
Stopping at the farm store when baby chicks are in season means I’ll be unable to resist…
Your cozy lifestyle is about more than just comfort; it’s about creativity too. Check out…
When life feels hectic, there’s nothing like coming home to a cozy, welcoming space. Whether you…
Discover some amazing ways to enhance your cozy lifestyle. These ideas can help you make your family…
Pulling Weeds I spent yesterday rehabilitating my overgrown garden and my enemy number one?…
In southwest Colorado, gardening can sometimes feel like you’re trying to solve a tricky…
Are you a small-town newcomer? Welcome! Let’s get you started with a guide to walking and…
Essential Steps to Protect Your Flock in Bear Country Living in bear country means being the…
Plant Growth Spurts and Repotting Shenanigans Hope this update finds you in good spirits! Hold onto…
How Country Living Wove Its Way into My Practical Knitting Adventures Life in the countryside isn’t…
Snowstorm Prep in Southwest Colorado by Liz Chandler Ah, the weather in Colorado – as changeable as…
Where Knitting Meets Critters and Gardens Host Gossip Sessions So, picture this: Southwest Colorado…
My New Year’s Day tradition? Starting seedlings. Yes, I know it seems early, but the timing is…
Welcoming Gardening into my Knitting Haven Dear fellow knitting enthusiasts, welcome to an exciting…
As the calendar flips to a new year, many of us scribble down resolutions like “go to the…
Exploring My Favorite Knitting Supplies Where do I get my knitting supplies? Why do I choose the…
Knitting Patterns with only Knit and Purl Stitches Once you master knits and purls, you’ll be…
Minimalist knitting patterns are simple to knit and you can make them over and over again. But your…
Ribbed Hat To make this ribbed hat, you will work in a simple knit, purl pattern. This will create a…
Basic Pillow Covers This pattern will show you how to make simple pillow covers by knitting in the…
Ribbed Scarf With this pattern, you can create a cozy ribbed scarf. Alternate knits and purls to…
After picking out your yarn and knitting needles, you will have one last task: choosing knitting…
Once you have chosen your yarn, you will have another big decision to make before you can start…
When you start gathering your materials, choosing yarn for knitting will be one of your first and…
When decreases make the top of a hat too small to work on your circular needles, you will need to…
When knitting a hat from the bottom, up, you will add decreases at the top. These decreases make…
If you begin a knitting project in the Magic Loop, you can switch to working on Double Point Needles…
You can switch between knitting methods while working on a project that you’ve been knitting…
Basic Cup Cozy Free Knitting Pattern You can make your own basic cup cozy with this free knitting…
At the base of your mitten thumb, you will probably have a yarn tail to weave in. When you use a…
After knitting a mitten and taking it off your needles, you will be left with loose ends at the tips…
After you finish knitting a mitten, you will need to smooth out the jog left by your long-tail cast…
After knitting mittens, you will have four loose ends to weave in, just as you had with fingerless…
If you used a stitch holder to separate and add your glove thumb, you will have a yarn tail and a…
A standard bind off in the round will leave a yarn tail and a small jog where your knitted row ends…
At the beginning of your knit rounds, there will likely be a small jog near your slipknot. When you…
After knitting fingerless gloves, you will have four loose ends to weave in. Using a darning needle…
After separating the sections of your glove with your stitch holder, you will knit the hand portion…
After you have separated your glove thumb and hand with a stitch holder, you’ll knit the hand…
You can also use the Standard Bind Off to take the stitches off your needles when you have been…
If you need to use a stitch holder, but do not have one available, you can substitute a strand of…
When you are knitting gloves or other shaped knitwear, you may need to separate groups of live…
The “make one right” increase allows you to add stitches to knitted rows that are in…
As its name suggests, the “make one left” increase is a left-leaning stitch. Use this…
Increases add live stitches to your knitted rows. This is useful in shaping knitwear. Gloves and…
At the beginning of your knit rounds, there will likely be a small jog near your slipknot. When you…
Once you have taken your last stitches off the knitting needles, you can weave in your loose end to…
When a pattern instructs you to “draw yarn through the remaining stitches,” it is asking…
After knitting a hat in the round, you will want to take it off the needles, then weave in your…
For the slip, slip knit decrease (ssk), you will first slip two stitches as if to knit. Insert left…
To knit two together (k2tog), you will work into the front leg of two live stitches at the same…
To help shape your knitwear, you will need to know how to decrease. In knitting, decreases are a way…
When you want to change the size of your stitches between sections of a project, you can switch…
The “Magic Loop” is a knitting method that allows you to knit small tubes in the round…
To finish a knitted tube, such as an ear warmer or headband, you can bind off in the round on…
As you knit in the round on circular needles, you may be asked to switch needle sizes. This is often…
Just as with DPNs, you can also knit a seamless tube on circular needles. Like a double point…
To bind off in the round on DPNs (double point needles), you can use the same “Standard Bind Off”…
Sometimes you will need to switch needle sizes while working with double point needles (DPNs). This…
You can create a tube of knit fabric with double point needles (DPNs). This is done by casting your…
You will occasionally find a knitting pattern that asks you to switch needle sizes when you already…
As you knit, you will often find yourself coming to the end of a ball of yarn without your project…
The Slipped Stitches Scarf Free Knitting Pattern I don’t usually share my knitting patterns…
In an earlier lesson you learned how to slip stitches purlwise at the edges of your work. Recall…
Occasionally, patterns will ask you to “knit through the back loop” (ktbl) or “purl through the back…
Slipping a stitch means moving a live stitch from the right needle to the left needle without…
Before you can fix slipped knit stitches, you will need to know what they are and how to spot them…
Dropping a stitch simply means a stitch has fallen off your needles at some point. This is one of…
To fix a twisted knit stitch, it helps to know how twisted stitches happen. A stitch will become…
After making a pattern of knits and purls, you will want to take your stitches off the needles in a…
Did you make a knit stitch or a purl stitch? Learning to tell the difference between knits and purls…
After weaving in my loose end for a few stitches, I always tie my yarn tail onto one of my knit…
The standard bind off will also leave a tail. This tail can be used to fix odd corner stitches at…
A long-tail cast on, like most other cast ons, will always leave a tail. Learn how I weave in then…
After you bind off a piece of knitting, you will almost always have one or more yarn tails to weave…
Before you start learning the knit stitch, you’ll need to know how to hold your yarn. Getting…
After you have cast on all your stitches (or finished a row) in a flat knitting project, your…
Beginner Face Scrubby To learn the knit stitch, start with this simple Beginner Face Scrubby…
The slipknot is frequently used in many types of fiber art, including knitting, crochet, and…
A Free Knitting Pattern from Liz Chandler @PurlsandPixels I’d like to give you all a little…
A knitting pattern by Liz @PurlsAndPixels,Written for Darn Good Yarn I am so excited to announce…
Holiday DIY Craft Roundup: Knitting, Crochet, and Craft Patterns from Liz Chandler @PurlsAndPixels…
Toilet Contour Rug & Bath Mat A Free Knitting Pattern from Liz @PurlsAndPixels This free…
A Free Knitting Pattern from Liz @PurlsAndPixels A great project for using up leftover yarn…
Cherry Candy Cane Potholder An Easy Free Knitting Pattern from Liz @PurlsAndPixels Knit a festive…
How to knit two at once in the round Knitting one item at a time can be problematic when your gauge…
Little Frog Knitting Pattern A Free Knitting Pattern from Liz @PurlsAndPixels Knit this little frog…
Lucky Clover Cozy A Free Knitting Pattern from Liz @PurlsAndPixels Knit an adorable sweater for your…
Transforming the Colors of the Wild into Cozy Creations 🏔️ Life out here in the Rocky Mountains is…
Whether you have unraveled a project or just have some leftover yarn, by now you probably have some…
Rice Stitch Baby Blanket A Free Knitting Pattern from Liz @PurlsAndPixels This rice stitch baby…
Calculate How Much Yarn is Leftover Trying to find out how much yarn you need for a project can…
How to ship cookies for gifts and care packages This year the holiday budget was a little tight, so…
Printable “From Santa” Gift Tags for Christmas A Free DIY project from Liz…
Knitwear Size Guide Unsure of which hat or mitten size to choose? Here are my standard sizing…
World of Warcraft Horde Symbol Knit Hat A Free Knitting Chart from Liz @PurlsAndPixels Yesterday I…
Mickey’s Birthday Cake A Do-It-Yourself Guide from Liz @PurlsAndPixels When my little one…
Do-It-Yourself Knitting Gift Set from Liz @ PurlsAndPixels Do you have a friend who always says…
A Free Knitting Pattern from Liz Chandler @PurlsAndPixels This easy and quick seed stitch washcloth…
Patterns often provide a “gauge” and ask you to “check your gauge” before you start. But…
There are a number of ways to keep your place in a knitting pattern as you work. When…
Much like recipes in baking, knitting patterns try to break down a project into simple steps to help…
Blocking Knits A Free Knitting Lesson from Liz @PurlsAndPixels You’ve done it!…
How tie up loose yarn ends on your knitting A tutorial from Liz @PurlsAndPixels After you…
Once you have finished knitting a project, you will want to know how get your…
Sometimes, you will notice a stitch in your knitting that looks just a bit strange. As you begin to…
Beechnut Baby Food Jars The new baby food jars from Beechnut are my absolute favorite. The canning…
So, I held my very first yard sale today! Well, actually it was a garage sale, since it was inside…
Now that you understand the knit stitch, you are ready to move on to your next knitting challenge:…
Frozen Snowflake Mittens: A Free Knitting Pattern by Liz Chandler Are your hands a little chilly?…
Maintaining yarn tension in your knitting is essential to keeping your stitches even. If you do not…
An Easy Holiday Crochet Project for Beginners A Crochet Pattern Tutorial by Liz @PurlsAndPixels…
Once you have cast on your first stitches, you will be ready to begin your first knit stitch row…
An Easy Free Knitting Pattern from Liz @PurlsAndPixels My Beginner Knit Scarf Free Easy Knitting…
When you begin to knit, you’ll need to learn to put your initial stitches on your needles. In…
Gather Your Knitting Materials Before you can start knitting, you will need to collect a few things…
Learn to Knit Online with Free Knitting Lessons from Liz Chandler @PurlsAndPixels So you are ready…