1. Kumara Arm Warmers by Laura Zukaite
2. Elf clobber by schnuddel Kerstin (Variation)
3. Mitaines Rainbow by Elise Dupont
4. Gillean Wrist Warmers by Karina Westermann
5. Catching butterflies by Tiny Owl Knits
6. Reversible Fingerless Gloves by Kyoko Nakayoshi
1. Unicorn Hat by Brittany Tyler
2. Witchy Hands by Lion Brand Yarn
3. Incognito by Mercedes Tarasovich-Clark
4. Ahoy Hat by Elizabeth Mautz-Redmann
5. Little Red by Erika Flory
6. Wear the wild things are HAT by tiny owl knits
7. Elven Hero by Audry Nicklin (I’m thinking Link from Zelda!)
8. Knitted Mask by Jennifer Hansenclose
9. Knit Angry Birds Halloween Bag by Crafts by Starlight
1. Aemelia Book Cover by Franklin Habit
2. French Press Felted Slippers by Melynda Bernardi
3. George Sand by Katie Rose Pryal
4. Stadium Blanket by Allyson Dykhuizen
5. Sea Anemone Messenger Bag by Mel Clark
6. Lots of coffee beans by shika
7. Winter Ear Warmer by Elisa McLaughlin
8. Pencil Case by Doodlenoodle
9. Boutique Laptop Sleeve by Rachael Oglesby
Happy August to you.
We’re going camping this weekend & I can’t wait! See you back here next week.
1. Playin’ Hooky Disc by Liz McQueen
2. Burr by Veronik Avery
3. Camp & Trail Socks by Lydia Gluck
4. Rugged Camper Cookset by Marie Greene
5. Ledge Trail Vest by Elizabeth Smith
6. Twisted Ankles by Lee Meredith
7. 2-tier Picnic Organizer by Uma Padu
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While spending summer days in 50 degree weather up north, I was thinking about the much warmer days I would enjoy when returning home, and dreaming of the beach days that were sure to come!
1. Rue Mouffetard Bag by Pam Allen
2. Montauk Beach Bag by Suzy Allen
3. Missing Piece Hobo Bag by Norah Gaughan
4. Not a Sandy Bottom by Dorothy Dean
Which is your favorite?
World Wide Knit in Public Day is the largest knitter organized event in the world!
This year the event has been extended to a week in order to allow people all over the world to participate. It starts this weekend!
You can register for free on their website. Once you have, you will gain access to a directory of groups knitting in public. Look for one in your area and join the fun.
Throughout the summer months, we try to spend as much time as we can outdoors. Our families LOVES going to the beach, camping, having backyard fires, canoeing, and biking to name just a few things on our list of activities to do this summer. As summer vacation has been approaching, I’ve been working on a plan for keeping the kids entertained. It’s clear to me that we will be spending a lot of time going from one adventure to another. This means that my knitting will also be going from one adventure to another. In order to keep my yarn untangled and clean, I made a yarn container to use while on the go.
These containers are great. They are easy to make, don’t require any fancy supplies. They can be made while on the go or in a pinch. I consider them essential, to the summer survival of any knitter.
Here is how I made it.
You will need 1 plastic bottle, a pocket knife (or scissors), and some duct tape.
Directions
1. Clean out the inside of your plastic bottle, and take the label off. Goo Gone can be helpful for getting any remaining glue off the outside of the bottle.
2. Cut the top portion of the bottle off. You want to look for a place where the bottle is at it’s widest so it can easily slip over the bottom portion.
3. Cut off the bottom portion of the bottle. Here you want to find a place that is narrower than the top portion. Make your cut so that there is a 1/2″ section that easily slips inside the lid so that the 2 portions of the bottle over lap.
4. The cut edges can be fairly sharp. It is a good idea to cover them with duct tape so you don’t accidentally hurt yourself. The duct tape also can add a little bulk to the overlapping edges, making the lid fit snugly on top of the bottom portion.
I needed to add some bulk to the cut edges of mine, so I tore a strip of duct tape that was 1/3 of the full width of tape. I wrapped this 1/3 section around the outside of the cut edge. Then, I took the remaining 2/3 piece of tape, and wrapped it around the outside too (on top of the 1/3 section). There should be a portion of the duct tape sticking up beyond the plastic bottle. Cut slits around the top portion of the tape that sticks up, and fold the tape over the cut edge.
5. Do this again for the lid.
I read a blog post today from Knitish that shared with readers the reasons why this one sweater has become a most prize possession. It reminded me of how textiles can hold such strong memories for us. The feel of the fibers, the smells that are stored there as time keepers, the comfort that is felt. It is stories like these that make me love knitting so much. Hand knit items are not just things that we use or are pretty to look at. Knitting absorbs life like no other medium, and holds the memories there in it’s fibers to be cherished for years to come.
When it comes to yarn, I admit that I am the biggest snob around.
I avoid synthetic fibers like the plague. I appreciate wool, but only for certain types of projects. Cotton, also has it’s place, but I prefer to use linen. I find fibers such as banana silk, nettle and flax, intriguing to work with. These fibers can add a lot of texture in a fiber art piece. I enjoy working with silk. It has great strength, is soft, and I like how it looks. It has a nice drape, and is comfortable to wear in warmer weather. Yarns like angora, and cashmere are extremely soft, but I find them to be lacking in strength and durability.
For most of my projects, I reach for my hand spun yak down. I still think it is the best yarn around ( but, I may have a biased opinion).
However, another yarn that I have enjoyed using a lot is this Blackstone Tweed by Berroco. It is made of 65% wool, 25% mohair 10% angora, so it is quite soft, and durable.
I knit my daughter a ballet sweater with matching leg warmers when she was 4. It was fabulous.
I also worked for years on a sweater that I called my anniversary sweater. I had only worked on it while my husband and I were away celebrating our anniversary. It was the only time I could relax and concentrate enough to follow the color charts without interruption from my little ones. Once, I got the sweater to a place where I could try it on, I discovered that I had made it WAY to large. Over those years I had been knitting the sweater, I also lost a lot of weight. I should rip it apart and start again, now that my children have grown more and I can easily follow a color chart at home.
Do you have a “go-to” yarn that you reach for time and time again? What is it?
My mind has been racing with projects. I’ve been waking up early, eager to start. My days have been spent trying to make my hands keep up with my ideas. I love these times in my life when my inspiration seems to be a bottomless well to draw from. Everything else is abandoned as my mind is distracted with art. I can’t help it.
I had the following conversation with my husband:
ME: You know, if I didn’t have to eat, or sleep, I think I could work on these projects for DAYS without stopping.
HIM: (stopping to look at me in my eyes) Is this like crack to you?
ME: YES! Yes it is, and I am addicted
note: The yarn above is one that I made by unraveling a woven fabric that I had from Tibet. I plied 3 strands together to give it strength. It has been a long time since I sat behind my spinning wheel. It felt so good – like having tea with an old friend.
artbycarriejoy.com 