This week is turning out to be a week about resourcefulness here on the blog, which makes sense as upcycling and recycling is certainly up my alley. So here goes......
Continue reading "Make A Scrappy Yarn Ball After You Finish Weaving In Those Pesky Ends!" »
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The recipient of this luscious yet very simple chunky knit baby blanket is about to arrive for a visit, so I at long last got around to weaving in the ends and taking some photos of it. And fortunately for me, the beautiful spring weather has suddenly become wet and cold, so the gift of a warm chunky knit baby blanket that I started in January (and blogged about here) doesn't seem strange at all. Phew!
Though crocheting is my first love, once in a while the desire to knit washes over me, and this time I satisfied that desire with a cuddly soft baby blanket. I love the results, and had planned on embroidering some designs on the blanket, using duplicate stitch embroidery, but when a test didn't go so well, see my post here, I decided to keep it simple and classic.
This blanket was knit using two strands of chunky yarn (100g = 1oom) and size 17 US/ 12 3/4 mm knittting needles, though of course you can opt to buy some extra chunky yarn and achieve the same look with just one strand.
Decide the size you'd like your blanket to be, either newborn/baby size or even toddler size, make a test swatch and then calculate the number of stitches you'll need to cast on to achieve the desired width.
It's generally a good idea to make a garter stitch border to avoid edges that curl, unless you happen to love that look. And also worth noting is that vertical rows and horizontal rows are not equal, so in my case, two rows of garter stitch at the top and bottom of the blanket are not the same width as the garter stitch border which is two stitches wide. Next time I'll make three horizontal rows which will visually match the width of the left and right border.
So do give chunky knits a try, either with multiple strands or specialized yarn, and a baby blanket is the perfect project to get you started, before for example you decide to knit a chunky bedspread! Enjoy!
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Yes, one can finger knit with loops made from up-cycled clothing, in this case tights! And I have to tell you, it's so much fun even I couldn't resist popping some loops on my fingers. We have used loops made from tights on our pot holder loom to make pot holders, and even a potholder cat, but finger knitting with loops was new to us.
The results are a very thick rope which could be used to make a rug, or maybe even a basket? I won't be getting around to trying that any time soon, but while I'm busy with the spring cleaning I am setting aside lots more tights to craft with. Come to think of it, cutting the loops from the tights is quite simple, so I may have them make some more ropes now while I'm busy scouring the house!
I'll be back again with photos of just how to finger knit with loops when some of my little models arrive home from school. In the mean time, collect your materials!
Oh, and by the way, you may want to save some old t-shirts to make t-shirt pot holder loops, or to make some fabulous woven t-shirt yarn placemats! So sorry if that reduces the pile of things you'll be tossing, but hey, gotta think of the little darlings first!
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Does making yarn from old sheets that you find in your linen closet qualify as Spring cleaning? It sure does in my book, ha ha! I opened my son's closet and the first thing I saw were a small pile of vintage comforter covers that sat in the attic for a good five years, and in one closet or another for another year or so. So at long last cutting them up into yarn is certainly a good thing to do, especially when there are much greater tasks to accomplish. But hey, those greater tasks can wait, those sheets were calling my name at long last!
Continue reading "Making Yarn From Sheets For Crocheting & Knitting!" »
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Love super chunky knits? Me too, only there's no super chunky yarn in site at my local yarn source, and if there were, it might be well beyond my budget. So, for those of us who don't have Jo Anne's and other Lion Brand suppliers at our convenience, or if you're looking to knit chunky on a budget, there is a solution! It's called knitting with multiple strands, which is so simple to do and produces a knit that's as chunky as you'd like!
I knit this project, (more about that in the future!) using two strands of chunky yarn (100g = 1oom) and size 17 US/ 12 3/4 mm knittting needles, and the results are perfect. I do have to say though, that when knitting chunky, it's much more difficult to produce a knit fabric that looks perfect, as any little differences in tension etc. are magnified, though of course, it's nice when something looks a little handmade, right?
About six years ago I knit a blanket using four strands of worsted weight yarn in different colors to match my couch, you can read about that here.
Have fun experimenting with multiple strands and large needles, it's so much fun, and or course you can whip up some scarves and neck warmers very quickly!
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Yippee, at long last a list of yarn stores in Israel, and the knowledge that there truly exists several stores that look like you'd find around the world.......stocked from head to toe in yarn and run by yarn lovers! Didn't know whether such a thing existed in Israel, and now I know that with some effort I don't have to settle for making things from the really cheapo polyester yarns available to me in my little town in the North.
This information came about thanks to two different readers who this week asked me about yarn stores in Israel. Don't know why I never thought to google it, didn't think there would be info in English, but I was wrong!
So here you are dear yarn lovers:
And after a brief perusal of the information, for starters, I found information about at least two of the stores that will satisfy most of our yarn needs! Not that either store is close to me, but on my next trip I'll know where to go!
If any of you know of yarn stores that are well stocked beyond the standard polyester yarns, and are more than just a corner in a sewing shop, or women's clothing store (which is what I have access to) please do let us know!
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You'll Need:
How To:
Decide how long a scarf you'd like to make, ours is 200cm, a good length for a scarf that would provide warmth. Make three finger knit ropes each the same length, and about 1 1/3 greater than your desired finished lenght. If you make a tight braid, so you may want to make the strands even 1 1/2 times longer. Not exactly sure, do a little test yourself, and do the calculations with your kids, a great way to show them how useful math can be for creative activities too!
Tie three finished strands together with a knot and braid. Tie another knot at the end of the braid, trim ends and proudly wear! Would love to see photos of any little artists who give this one a try! Happy winter crafting!
Whoops, almost forgot! While your kids are finger knitting you could make some fun hangers like the one in the photo by following my instructions for a crocheted wire hanger cover. Enjoy!
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It just so happens that knitting scarves from mesh yarn is all the rage with the girls in my daughter's school, so I gave her a ball of this special yarn for Hanukkah, and yesterday she knit herself a scarf. Well, it wasn't exactly what I'd call knitting, as she used her fingers more than the knitting needles, but she did a great job and is so very proud of her accomplishment. And of course, I'll be happy to buy her another ball of yarn, for the sake of encouraging crafting! (Now if I can just get her to learn how to actually knit, I'll be even happier!)
The mesh yarn isn't really yarn exactly, but rather more like trim, but it comes in a skein, and like many other speciality yarns on the market, allows one to create something with amazing texture and interest! And you only need one ball of yarn to make a scarf, so it's a great idea for gift making this winter too!
And there she goes, modeling her new creation which she did of course wear to school to join the club of other young knitters. Yippee!
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Making yarn from old sheets is a great way to up-cycle something you might otherwise toss, and it turns out that knitting and crocheting with sheets is really so satisfying. So I have to admit, I really need to be cleaning for Passover right now, but when I eyed that bag of sheets my neighbor had given me two years ago it seemed like such a good idea to make some balls from those sheets, so there you have it!
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Ever heard of ruffles yarn? Not to worry, I hadn't either until I came across this interesting skein in my local yarn store, and just couldn't resist! Knitting with "ruffles" takes a bit of practice but certainly could be a great detail for a cuff or collar. And a reader contributed a great idea on one craft schooling Sunday, which was to use this yarn to create crewel like effects by sewing down the middle of the yarn. Will try to find the link to that post shortly, and also should mention that I used some ruffles yarn for crocheting an outer layer of petals on a very large chunky flower. So, while I don't think I'll be knitting with ruffles yarn, I will definitely be using it in my crafting adventures!
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