I received an email in the week that made me smile, 12 Warm Wishes Hottie Covers laid out, getting their embellishments added by Mlleigh on Ravelry. This is one very organised gift knitter!
She has been working on a collaboration with her mother-in-law with her MIL in charge of the applique motifs and she did the knitting. The theme was “under the weather”.
What I enjoyed the most about this picture is all the individual ways in which the hotties have been embellished with different motifs and materials to make them really personal- the planet is particularly cute! When I designed the pattern I included three templates for motifs to cut out and sew on to the cover. Looking through Ravelry, I found some other personalised hotties that were really thoughtfully embellished. Knowing how best to finish your gifts can be a stumbling block for a few people so sharing some inspiration while we’re all crafting away for the holidays seemed like a good idea.
KnittinCari’s stylish version is simple and effective. Plain, bold colours worked from the template included in the pattern. For maximum impact, remember to check your colour options are contrasting enough. Colour theory was my topic of choice for a recent podcast that you might find useful when selecting those little details that can make a big impact.
For some crafty crossover, there’s plenty of crochet inspiration to embellish too. Redjeep‘s snowflake is so seasonal and festive! What’s particularly charming about this version is the contrasting thread and simple stitching used to add the crochet snowflake; it really adds to the overall charm.
The other way to make this project a little more interesting and snuggly is to think about the yarn you use instead. Knit in aran weight, this is a fast project so something textured would be easy to add as a variation and keep things fun. This version by Maukelien is perfectly seasonal and simple- a little extra fluff is very fitting this time of year!
Now these hottie covers by Hark are really stylishly embellished. The little sausage dog motif is included in the Warm Wishes Hottie pattern (along with the heart and star shapes) and was designed to go the whole way around the bottle and has been stitched to add little details.
All these unique projects got me thinking about how to recreate templates and here’s a few good tutorials and links to help you make those finishing touches extra special.
Tutorials:
Felted Heart tutorial via HonestlyWTF
Iron on Patch tutorial via WhimsyLove (don’t forget to test before you had heat to your knitting!)
Beautiful patches from sketches of Moths via Ninimakes
Inspiring Pinterest Boards:
Sewing, Stitching and Embroidery by Mollie Makes. Don’t forget to look at Christmas boards like this one too as there’s often felt ornament templates that would work really well for this kind of project.
Embroidery by Curious Handmade
Embroidery and Applique by Craft Candy
Home by Folksy– sometimes a little eye candy inspiration for what to aspire to can be very useful!
Quilts and Patches by Curious Handmade
Cute and Crafty by Curious Handmade
I’m curious to know what your favourite way of embellishing your projects? Leave a comment!
