Quick Projects for Father's Day

If you're anything like me, about a week out is when you start really thinking (panicking?) about getting together a handmade gift.

Thankfully, there are lots and lots of free or inexpensive patterns you can whip up quickly and easily and that will be sure to make your dad proud.

Moogly has several lists of free patterns for Dad-day you can find on the blog. I'm partial to this one from last year: Father's Day Crochet 2014. That snazzy vest! The too-darn-cute instagram-inspired phone cover! TWO kinds of neck tie! And other than the vest and the throw, they should all work up fairly quickly.

If your dad's a golfing kinda guy, take a look at this year's list, which includes 3 different patterns for golfers: Father's Day Crochet 2015





Lion Brand offers a classic looking set of Golf Club Covers. I like how the simple color changes make them look different, but they're clearly still a matching set. And those numbers are both nice looking and useful!

If your dad is a bit too goofy for that, try this Tee Bag pattern by Priscilla Hewitt. It's adorable, unique, and comes with its own pun!

 And for the Caddyshack fanatic, Red Heart has a pattern for Gopher Golf Club Covers. Too funny!
   

For the tech lover, try this simple, Stash Buster Tablet Case from Habitual Homebody. While great as a stash buster, you could also alter the colors to match your dad's favorite sports team. I'm sure the sizing would be fairly simple to adjust as well.

For a super duper easy gift, try the Absolutely Easy Glasses Case by Rachel Choi. Choosing a variegated yarn will give this simple pattern some interest, but it would look good in any color, and it's one of the more practical gifts you could give.

 Aaand, for the shameless self-promotion portion of this episode, my very own Power Tie Coffee Cozy pattern can be found in the May issue of Happily Hooked Magazine. (There are many other patterns in there too, of course.)

I may be biased, but I think it's pretty cute. You can try the magazine out for just 99 cents, but subscribers do get some special perks like a free coupons for patterns by designers included in the issue, including my very own Mod Bob.  

That one might not be suitable for dad...unless you're dad is SUPER fun. Then go for it!

Feminist Mother's Day Gifts

April has found me working on several projects at once, and the blog has ended up taking a back burner to finishing pieces and writing patterns as I work my way through a couple fun projects (secret for now...shhh!) for Mother's and Father's Day, as well as finishing up some winter projects that haven't made it out of the WIP file just yet.

I don't know about you, but I find that Mother's Day gift ideas are, on the whole, not terribly empowering. It's disturbing how much of what Amazon thinks your mother will love has to do with house cleaning. Please don't get your mother a vacuum for Mother's Day. Just don't.

Since I have Mother's Day on the brain and haven't quite completed my own pattern to share, I've put together this list of feminist crochet and knitting patterns to celebrate the wonder woman in your life.


First up are the knits, and first on the list is (unsurprisingly) a Wonder Woman pullover by Natalie Bursztyn. I absolutely love this. The detail is amazing, and it's a FREE pattern on Ravelry! Can't get much better than that.





How about this Feminist Killjoy hat by Glitz Knits Boutique? I love the two-color pom pom and cheery colors. Be loud and proud, you feminist killjoys!




If you have the time for some small gauge colorwork, try these amazing FeminInos-mittens by Hedvig Egerö. The designer adjusted a cross stitch pattern to work in a knitted format. Genius! The detail is great in these.

Or how about a very warm and cozy looking Huntress Cowl by Karla Repperger. Inspired by The Hunger Games and the perfect accessory for smashing the patriarchy.

And now....onto the crochet!

First up, a crochet version of that Hunger Games inspired cowl, the Hooded Huntress Vest by Mamma DIY. The hood really adds to the coziness factor, and I love how this designer went wild with the colors. She looks like a girl on fire, doesn't she?



Because crocheters needs a little Wonder Woman in their lives too, here's a pattern for her snazzy headband. This Wonder Woman headband looks like a fun gift that would be quick to stitch up for any awesome lady.







This one might be a bit of a stretch, but I get a kick out of this Foxy eReader Cover from Creeks End Crochet on Etsy. Information is power, after all, and we all deserve a little foxiness in our lives.



And finally, a pattern to remind you to break the chains of patriarchy, a Chain Link Necklace. Shara Lambeth offers a free tutorial for this one-of-a-kind accessory.




This Mother's Day, I hope I've inspired you to make something to remind your mom just how awesome and powerful she really is. Get crafting!