finding your strength through feminine hand knits
The word feminine has often been used to describe something as soft, gentle, or even weak. But I argue that there is a hidden strength in your femininity. You can lean into it when you need a push forward through your day, to use it as a balm against a difficult day.
Every morning is a whirlwind. You wake up the kiddos and make sure they have something to eat before school drop-off. You collect homework and make sure the papers go into the right backpacks. You check your work inbox for any last-minute meeting requests from the day before and prep your grocery list so you can finish the shopping before school picks up.
To get ready for your day, you make a cup of coffee only to find yourself reheating it at least twice if you even remember to pull it out of the microwave. You look longingly at your knitting and wish you had a few moments to knit.
But let’s face it, you rarely have a moment of quiet in the morning rush to get those kiddos out the door. Then the work day begins, and quiet time goes out the window.
Some days you thrive in this chaos and you enjoy every bit of this wonderful, messy life. But other days you feel like you’re stuck on a hamster wheel and find yourself looking for a way to hop off. Just for a moment.
Even so, you manage it all with grace. But you deserve more than this.
When life gets hard, lean into the strength and grace of feminine handknits. Adding a delicate touch to your everyday wardrobe lets you find solace in the mundane repetition of everyday life.
Add a feminine hand-knit sweater to your everyday wardrobe to look and feel like the feminine warrior you are.
Because you deserve to feel graceful and beautiful, too.
Thanks to thoughtful details, feminine knits are right at home in your whirlwind day and add a touch of romance to inspire you through the practicality of your day. These knits will elevate the joy on your good days and lift you up on your hard days. Because we all have those days, whether we admit to them or not.
So whatever your day brings, add a feminine touch with intriguing lace stitches and power through anything.
Here are my favorite Spring-ready knitting patterns featuring feminine, yet practical, details:
Design Information
Myrtle is a long cardigan worked in an overall lace stitch. The fronts and back are worked from the top down, back & forth in rows, before being joined under the armhole. The body is worked back & forth in rows to the desired length. The top-down construction allows for easy customization of the cardigan’s length to suit your style preference (note: any change in length will change your yardage requirements). The sleeves are worked in the round from the upper arm to the cuff.
The sample is crocheted with O-Wool’s O-Wash Sport, a 100% machine washable organic merino wool, in Brook Trout. This is a great cardigan to use as a layering piece throughout the summer. The stitch pattern is a joy to crochet and the cardigan works up relatively quickly.
Please share your progress on Instagram by tagging me @kirstenjoel_designs and using the hashtag #myrtlecardigan. I love to see all of your works in progress and finished projects!
Design Information
The Sister Peplum draws inspiration from the supportive bonds of sisterhood and community, evoking the quiet resilience of women who navigate the demands of life, family, and society with grace. Each eyelet accent underscores the softness within, serving as a tangible reminder to pause, take a breath, and gradually return your body and mind to a state of calm amid the ebb and flow of daily tides.
Sister is a top-down, double v-neck tank featuring delicate eyelet accents at the neckline, armhole, waist, and hem. It's worked flat, back and forth in rows, from the shoulder cast-on to the armhole shaping, where stitches are joined for working in the round. Stitches are decreased for flattering shaping from the upper chest to the waist, and then increased from the waist to the high hip to create the peplum silhouette. Once the body is completed and blocked, stitches are picked up around the neckline and armholes to work the eyelet trim. With its delicate lace accents and comfortable fit, Sister will be a thoughtful addition to your everyday handmade wardrobe.
Measuring for a comfortable, modern fit across 12 sizes, it's designed for sport-weight yarn like Cascade Ultra Pima Fine, knit on US 3-5 needles for a smooth gauge that's quick to knit in 1-2 hour sessions.
Cascade Yarns Ultra Pima Fine is a 100% Pima cotton sport-weight yarn (136 yards/50g) that's special for its silky smoothness, excellent stitch definition, and breathable lightness—creating a fabric that's soft against the skin with a subtle sheen and durability that withstands washing without losing shape.
For the Sister Peplum, Ultra Pima Fine works exceptionally well: its fine gauge enhances the eyelet accents' delicacy and peplum's flare, providing a refined, non-itchy drape that's perfect for warm-weather wear, while blooming beautifully after blocking to create an elevated, everyday tank.
Please share your progress on Instagram by tagging me @kirstenjoel_designs and using the hashtag #sisterpeplum. I love to see all of your works in progress and finished projects!
For more tips on how to start and maintain a knitting practice, check out these posts:
What is a knitting practice and why you should start one
6 tips to prioritize your knitting practice and find more time for yourself & your knitting
