December Crochet Photo

The December crochet group was a bit thin for attendance.  In fact, Minnie and I were the only two there.  I did bring my camera.  This is the hooded scarf that Minnie Pfaffenberger was finishing up for a Christmas present - I'd best not say for whom.  lol

I'll try to remember the camera again for the next Knit Night.  We need a little more knitting in this blog.

Merry Christmas to all and Happy New Year.

Kathi

Speed Hook S-35 Triangle Shawl

Speed Hook S-35 Triangle Shawl

This shawl (pattern by Lion Brand Yarn http://www.lionbrand.com/patterns/60516.html?noImages=)
may be the very thing for watching TV or reading on the cool night we have coming up.  Or you might think of making one ahead of time for spring.

This pattern couldn't be any easier.  You use an S hook and bulky yarn or two medium weight yarns held together. 

You start with 4 chains.  Single crochet in the second chain from the hook and in the last two chains.  This gives you three single crochet.  Chain one and turn.  In each following row, crochet two single crochets in the first stitch and the last stitch with one single in each single across.  This increases each row by two.  Keep working until you have 105 stitches across or you like the length of the shawl.

Hope you have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

Kathi

New Book

For those of you who are interested in knitting or crocheting prayer shawls, the library has its own copy of The Prayer Shawl Ministry: Reaching Those in Need by Lion Brand Yarn. 

The book has 8 patterns, a page on the meaning of colors, the colors that go with each month, prayers ranging from a Jewish blessing to babies, graduates, and newlyweds, and more.  The shawls can be great gifts for any life-changing event. 

Stop by and check it out for a great way to while away the winter hours.

Kathi Linz

Large Hooks

I seem to be perfectly capable of crocheting myself into carpal tunnel/tennis elbow symptoms.  Where I used to be able to crochet for eight hours straight, now I can't.  (Funny how the mind still thinks in terms of a young, strong body until the pain starts.)

One thing that helps me when I know I'm going into a marathon session like crocheting shawls for hospice, is to get out my bigger hooks.  The wider grip seems to prevent the damage and the bigger stitches make the project go faster.  I can still see fast results without the consequences.

V-stitch is one of the really good patterns for a large hook.  It opens up like a Solomon's knot.  I use a Q hook and two strands of yarn.

Happy crafting,

Kathi

Two More Shawls

I finished two shawls in the last five days.  One is a simple V stitch which worked up very quickly. 

The other is partly granny square and partly granny stripe.  I discovered that granny stripe spreads out more than the squares do, so rows are wider than the squares.  I evened it out a little by adding a row of single crochet to the edge of the squares.

I hope to get pictures of the knitters in a couple of weeks and the crocheters after that, so we can post their projects as well.

Happy crafting,

Kathi





Another Crochet Project

I'm still working on shawls for hospice.  (Several more to come - I'm sure.)

This is the most recent work.  It's a soft ripple pattern done on an N hook made with a single strand of yarn.  That makes the work a bit lacier.

Happy crafting,

Kathi Linz

New Books

Looking for new ideas?  Here are a few new yarn art books that have come in recently:

Teeny-Tiny MochiMochi: More than 40 Itty-Bitty Minis to Knit, Wear, and Give by Anna Hracjovec
Crochet Master Class: Lessons and Projects from Today's Top Crocheters by Jean Leinhauser and Rita Weiss  (Beautiful, but not easy)
Crochet Compendium: The Ultimate Collection of Crochet Techniques by Connie Ellison
Go Crochet: Afghan Design Workbook by Ellen Gormley  (Some very cool motifs and combinations)

And a couple for the KNOTTERS in the group:

Macrame Today: Contemporary Knotting Projects by Darlyn Susan Yee
The Weekend Crafter: Macrame: 19 Great Weekend Projects by Jim Gentry

Happy crafting,

Kathi

Honorable Mention

I started an afghan a number of years ago and tucked it away half done.  It is about to become my niece's Christmas present. Shhh, don't tell her.

As it is neither crocheted nor knitted, I'm adding this picture as an honorable mention.  The kind of mesh that is used for laundry bags, when cut in a good-sized piece and laid flat, can be woven in different patterns to make a light weight afghan.  It's very simple, requiring only a long yarn needle and strands of yarn. 

This is the simplest pattern.  The difficulty of the weave design progresses upwards from here, but none of it is terribly hard.

As usual, I have to fix the fringe before mailing it away, but you can see the general drift of the project.

If anyone is interested in finding some of the mesh, I'll be happy to point you in the right direction.  I'd love to see this craft experience a revival like spool/loom knitting and card weaving have.

Happy crafting,

Kathi

P.S. If this craft is calling your name, I have recently begun a new blog just for mesh weaving. Please see http://meshweaver7.blogspot.com/.  Thanks.

And One for the Knitters

I'm finishing up projects that were almost - but not quite - done.  6 inches left on one, one and a half squares left on another.  It's a mystery why I didn't just finish them to begin with, but you know how seasons change and the knitting needles suddenly turn into a garden.

Anyway, here is a pinwheel pattern that I made into a shawl.  If Iwere to make a few more squares, I could have a comfy afghan.  It is done with diagonal garter stitch. Very simple and very versatile.

Happy crafting,

Kathi

Ripples

  Thanks to Lion Brand Yarn for use of their photos.
This is called the Shaded Ripple Afghan.

I've been casting about looking for another easy but nice-looking project.  What about ripples?  They can be used for anything flat - scarves, lap robes, shawls, afghans - and several things that aren't flat.

I ran across a tutorial for an "easy wave" ripple.  It has peaks and valleys but isn't as pointy as a standard ripple.  If you check this out, please remember that it is written with English instructions.  Please use double crochet where the pattern says treble.
http://attic24.typepad.com/weblog/neat-ripple-pattern.html

Red Heart yarn has a berry zigzag ripple at this address: http://www.redheart.com/free-patterns/berry-zigzag-throw

www.crochetpatterncentral.com has at least 12 ripple patterns. 

www.ravelry.com has 37 pages under crochet ripple and 58 pages for knit ripple.

Lion Brand Yarn Berry Bright Ripple Throw


 Domestic Bliss Afghan by Lion Brand Yarn

And one for the knitters



Sumptuous Ripple Afghan by Lion Brand Yarn (It's chenille! Cozy!)

Happy crafting,

Kathi

Woven Crochet

This shawl worked up very quickly in nothing but dc and ch stitches.  (I fixed the fringe after I took the picture.)

Make the chain as long as you want it.  The turning chain will always be three or four chains, depending on how relaxed you want the end space to be.  After that, the pattern is a simple mesh of dc, ch.  You will end up dc in each dc below and ch above each ch below so that the result is a bunch of open squares lined up like skyscraper windows.

When the piece is as long as you want it, cut yarn strands about a foot longer than the piece.  You will weave 2 strands up each column of spaces.   You might want to punch up the fringe by adding more at each end.  You might want to either tie the woven ends to secure them or include them in the extra fringe clusters.

You can do it all one color, the background one color and the strands another, or any pattern of plaid that you like.  For plaid ideas, go to Google or other search engine images and put in "plaid" or "Tartan plaid". 

This is a good masculine pattern in case you need an idea for the holidays for that difficult-to-shop-for man on your list.

Happy crafting,

Kathi

Waffle Stitch Scarf

This is a waffle stitch scarf.  It is done completely in double crochet with three chains at the end of each row for turning.

The pattern goes like this:

Chain a multiple of 3, add 3 ch for turning

Row 1: Dc in 3rd chain from hook and each ch across.  You should have a multiple of three plus the turning ch you started with.  Ch 3 and turn. The turning ch always acts as the first stitch in the row.

Row 2: Front post dc twice. Dc in next st. Repeat to the end.  Dc in top of turning ch in previous row. Ch 3, turn.

Row 3: Dc in next two stitches. Front post in next stitch. Repeat to end. Front post around turning ch of previous row.

(You will be doing regular dc in each front post stitch of the row below and front post stitch in each regular dc of the row below.)

Repeat rows 2 and 3 until the piece is as long as you want it to be.

Plan on using more yarn than you would for a flat, untextured piece of the same size.

Happy crafting.

Photos as Promised

I've made a good start on the flower garden crochet that I mentioned in the last blog and have almost finished a step lapghan. 

Here are a couple of pictures to show you what they look like.

Happy crafting.

Kathi

Yo-Yo Crochet

For those of you with a fair-sized stash of left-over yarn, here is a fun and pretty stashbuster.
http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/yo-yo-lapghan  In this case, you make the complete circle, put an edge around it and join as you go. 

Also, although I don't have permission to copy the picture into this blog, here is an afghan made of a sc center and one round of flower petals.  Join as you go.  The picture can be found at http://www.flickr.com/photos/41748413@N05/4348739893/
If you scroll down a bit, someone asks, "Where can we find the pattern?" and the owner of the picture tells the pattern.  It is fast, easy and quite pretty.  I'll post a picture when I get a little farther into the one I'm working on.

Happy crafting.

Kathi Linz

Cold Floors

The weather is about to turn and all the degrees will go south for the winter along with the birds.  I'm thinking of crocheting a rug, maybe with cloth strips so I can put my bare feet on something insulating first thing in the morning.

http://www.crochetpatterncentral.com/directory/rugs.php

Here's the link for crocheting rugs from Crochet Pattern Central.

http://www.knittingpatterncentral.com/directory/rugs.php

And here's the one for knitters.

Ravelry.com has 272 free rug patterns between knitting and crocheting.  http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/search#query=rugs&view=captioned_thumbs&sort=best

If you haven't signed in to Ravelry yet, you might need to sign up and make a password for yourself.  This website is well worth exploring.




Lion Brand Yarn has 21 patterns.  This grassy one comes in both knit and crochet.



Lion Brand Yarn bathmat



And Lion Brand Yarn spiral rug made with scrap yarn.

Say yes to warm feet!

Happy crafting,

Kathi Linz

crochet books

Kathi has reviewed some books that may interest you at http://myjclibraryrgb.blogspot.com. There is also one on selling your crafts!

Charities That Love Handicrafts

While wandering around some crochet patterns online, I discovered a great website by the Crochet Guild of America with a list of charities that want crocheted items.
http://www.crochet.org/cgi-bin/charitybyname.pl

There is also The Knitting Guild Association and the Craft Yarn Council (http://www.craftyarncouncil.com/networking.html). 

The Craft Yarn Council led me to this website with patterns for charity and places to send your work. http://www.craftyarncouncil.com/warmup.html

Perhaps you would like to warm your heart at the same time as you warm someone else.  You can make someone's life a little better. 

Happy crafting,

Kathi

Huggable Crochet: Cute and Cuddly Animals from Around the World by Christine Lucas

Huggable Crochet: Cute and Cuddly Animals from Around the World by Christine Lucas has 24 patterns for crocheted animals.  The animals are all of a good size, excellent for dragging around and hugging to sleep.  You'll find land and sea creatures.  I like several of them, but the Hippopotamus is my favorite.  I think the face is very interesting.

Come and find it in New Books for the time being.  Christmas is on the way.  Hint, hint.

Kathi

Crochet Compendium

The library has a new crochet book called Crochet Compendium: The Ultimate Collection of Crochet Techniques by Connie Ellison.  This book has a few pages describing each of 17 types of crochet from basic to fancy to "alternate" such as broomstick lace, tunisian, and double-ended crochet.  There's a bit on felting and crocheting socks.

For crocheting with a regular hook, you'll find out how to do slip-stich crochet which looks like weaving, intarsia and mosaic crochet, filet crochet, beading, doilies, waffle-weave, and wiggly crochet. 

There are lots of colorful pictures to go along with the descriptions so you can see how it's all done.

Be sure to look for it when you stop in.

Happy crafting,
Kathi

Just a Couple of Ideas

The summer is winding down and cooler weather approaches.  I'm not going to suggest Christmas presents - yet - even though television commercials seem to have no such hesitation.

I think I'll post just a few pictures to give you some ideas for the next project you pick up.
Thanks, Lion Brand Yarn, for letting us use your pictures.

 

Log Cabin afghan



Giant granny square blanket for baby



Patchwork bag



Buddy Bear

Happy crafting,

Kathi

No Knitting Needles

So, what if you want to fly somewhere and you aren't allowed to carry knitting needles onto the plane? Or you have to visit a courtroom for some reason - same thing - nothing pointy. Whatever will you do with your empty fingers?

Be smart and carry a couple of skeins of yarn in your tote bag. Finger knitting to the rescue!!

When I was young, I learned how to finger knit using a figure 8 wrap around the four fingers of my left hand. After two rounds, you lift the lower loop over the upper loop and over the fingertip. The strip of knitting flows down the back side of your hand.

Today when I was looking up information on finger knitting, I found at least two other ways to wrap the yarn. One is an e-wrap. You wind the yarn clockwise around each finger making sure the yarn going between the fingers is in back of the hand.

A third way is to do the figure 8 wrap for the first round. Then carry the yarn in front of the fingers above the lower loop. Without twisting it around the finger again, simply lift the lower loop over the yarn. The lifted loop will stretch the yarn to the sides of your fingers. Keep the yarn slack so you don't cut off circulation.

So what do you do with the lengths of loosely woven yarn? If you make one, you get a scarf, headband or belt. If you make several, you can twist them together, braid them or sew strips into almost any size. You can coil them into circles or ovals to make rugs, placemats, and hot pot mats. Your imagination is the limit.

If these instructions aren't as clear as you need, or if you want a visual example, put "finger knitting" into a search engine and you'll find a number of excellent helps.

Evergreen Indiana has two books on finger knitting by Katsuno Suzuki. You'll have to put them on hold, but they should arrive inside of a week or two.

Happy crafting,

Kathi

More Mosaic Crochet

Some time back, I wrote a post about mosaic crochet.  The informatio I had available to me came mostly from Lily Chin's book Mosaic Magic: Afghans Made Easy.  Lily Chin's book had a fairly simple technique to make a rick textured pattern by attaching long stitches to lower rows.  They could simply drop down for a more suare pattern or angle to the sides for another look.

After doing a little more research, I found another type of mosaic crochet.  It probably takes more concentration and a lot of counting.  You work with two colors of yarn at once.  When the pattern calls for one of the colors, that is the one on the hook.  You hold the unused yarn along the upper edge of the row below and work over it so it does not show.

When the pattern calls for the color to change, you switch the yarn you are hooking and lay the previous color on the row below, trading off as the pattern requires.  The patterns are beautiful and can be quite intricate.

To look at this type of crochet, look for patterns more like the ones Annie's Attic puts out.  There is a distinct difference.  To each her own.

Happy crafting,

Kathi

A Comment on Plarn

Sometime back, I was cutting plastic bags into loops and making things with the resulting yarn.  I crocheted a small rug, loom knit a purse, and made a few other things.  The biggest project I worked on and the one I still am adding to, is a plarn braid.  I'm braiding three strands together, making three braided strands, and braiding those three braids. 

I had thought to construct a clothes line out of plastic bags.  It makes sense.  Easy to keep clean, strong enough to carry a good load, and weatherproof.  I have about 30 yards of triple braid finished.  I had a plan to go up to 50 yards.

We had a garage sale and I decided to use my clothes line for hanging up shirts.  I stretched the braid between three of the posts on our porch and hung up the shirts.  For the next day and a half, almost every time I went out, I needed to tighten that line.  It stretched more than I would have thought.

So here's my conclusion.  I may not need to do any more braiding.  It will get to fifty feet without any more help from me.  Also, plarn may not be the best material for a clothes line after all.  I will figure out something useful to do with it, and eventually it will hit its maximum stretch.  Then we'll see how good a clothes line it makes.

Happy crafting.

Kathi

8th Annual 60 Scarves in 60 Days Challenge

I looked for the official rules for the "60 Scarves in 60 Days" 2011 challenge, but could not find it on the web.  Someone somewhere knows the official timing of this event, but I can only go by what has gone before.

Usually, the 60 days in question cover September and October.  You can knit or crochet using any pattern or color you wish.  The point of this great heap of scarves is to donate it to a local charity - or two or three.  Maybe you do work so beautiful that the local hospital can sell them from its gift shop. Or a homeless shelter/community clothing closet/soup kitchen/mission would certainly be happy to hand them out. If your local schools have children who haven't enough warm clothes for winter, perhaps someone there could be found to distribute the scarves judiciously. 

If you want to foot the bill for postage, http://www.bevscountrycottage.com/charity-links.html has a list of possible choices in various parts of the world.  If you can scroll down to "Scarves" past all the other places that need knitted and crocheted items, you're a stronger person than I am.  I might be tempted to sew a few of those scarves together and send out a blanket to Pine Ridge Reservation or Afghans for Afghans.

If you enjoy working with the color red, you might want to contribute to the Red Scarf Project which gives scarves to foster children going to college.  Once they are eighteen and leave their foster home, they no longer have an official family.  The Red Scarf Project reminds them that someone cares about them and their future. Here's a good link for that project: http://fc2success.org/what-we-do/programs/red-scarf-project/

There are only 8 days left to scrape up some soft yarn and a couple of fast patterns.  Big hooks, everyone.  On your mark, get set......

Happy crafting,

Kathi

A Couple of My Projects

A spool knit baby blanket for my nephew's second baby

A crocheted cell phone for a toddler

I thought I would post a couple of my own projects for chuckles or inspiration. 

If the ladies in our local knit or crochet groups would like to have pictures of their work posted on the blog, please feel free to submit a picture or we can take photos on Knit Night or Crochet Clatch night.

Happy crafting,

Kathi



Pictures This Thursday

To our ladies who won ribbons at the County Fair:

Please bring your prize winners with you to the Thursday evening Knit Night meeting.  We want to put your picture in the Browse. 

Thanks,

Kathi

Granny Stripes

Lately, I have noticed that granny squares are changing their shape.  I'm finding granny circles, granny triangles, granny circles inside a square, and straight-line grannies.  I found two examples of elongated granny triangles made into shawls.

The premise is pretty much the same - use your stash yarn, if you wish, or organize your colors into a set pattern. 

You can find patterns for these designs at the usual places ( Ravelry, crochetpatterncentral, etc.), but I've also found that, if I put "granny stripes" into Google images, I can click on a picture I like and find the pattern on someone's blog.  Many times, the patterns at www.Ravelry.com or www.crochetpatterncentral.com are linked to those same blogs.

What I like about granny patterns is that you can use any sized hook and any kind of yarn you want.  Once you establish a set pattern, the work falls off of the hook without hardly a thought.  You can do them anywhere, anytime.

Maybe one of these new styles will catch your fancy.  I have a couple of projects in mind now that the end of summer is in sight.

Happy crafting,

Kathi

Wrap for Upcoming Fall Weather

Becky found an interesting knitted wrap that is made using two different sized needles at once.  It looks like short rows are included every few rows to give a scalloped look to the lower edge.

If you'd like to try it or even just to see what happens when using different needles, check out the pattern at http://www.knitty.com/ISSUEff10/PATTcoquille.php

Happy crafting,

Kathi

New Book in the Library

Hot off the presses, the library received a copy of Crocheted Afghans: 25 Throws, Wraps, and Blankets to Crochet by Melody Griffiths. 

Many of the blankets shown can be made of odd balls of yarn.  However, almost any of them can be made with your chosen color scheme, so these would be great ideas for gifts, home, sale, or charity. 

I found several patterns that I would like to try -  once the heat breaks.  One of my favorites was a yo-yo afghan pattern.  It's called Puffs Baby Blanket in the table of contents. 

Some other eye-catching patterns were  -  well, they all were eye-catching!  You'll have to pick up this book and see which ones suit your tastes.

Happy crafting,

Kathi

Mochimochi

As amigurumi is to crochet, so mochimochi is to knitting.  I put "mochimochi" in the search bar to see what it was exactly and all these pictures of tiny, tiny knitted things came up.  I found tiny knitted skyscrapers, bunnies, candy corn, and a couch.  All of them have eyes which give the little knitted things the look of awareness.

You have to use small knitting needles and a fine-ish yarn.  There are several free patterns on a few websites.  I couldn't find a picture that I believed was free to use, so you'll have to do your own search.

The library just ordered a book about these little creatures called Teeny-tiny Mochimochi: More Than 40 Itty-bitty Minis to Knit, Wear, and Give by Anna Hrachovec.  I can't tell you what day it will arrive, but please keep your eyes open for it.

Happy crafting,

Kathi Linz

Amazing Old Crochet Book

http://www.gutenberg.org/files/20776/20776-h/chapter_8.html  (Knitting)

http://www.gutenberg.org/files/20776/20776-h/chapter_9.html  (Crocheting)

This is the link to a book on Project Gutenberg called Encyclopedia of Needlework by THÉRÈSE DE DILLMONT.  I left her name in capitals to preserve the French marks. 

You might wish to check out the illustrations that accompany some of the clearest instructions I have ever read.  When you get to the laces and larger pieces of work, she may have used a camera.  However, under the explanation of the basic stitches, every illustration is done in pen-and-ink and you can note every stitch plainly.

Should your needlework interests lie outside of knitting or crochet, you will find chapters on sewing, darning, and how to set whalebone stays in your corset.

"Fixing whale-bones (fig. 38).—Before slipping the whale-bone into its case or fold of stuff, pierce holes in it, top and bottom, with a red hot stiletto. Through these holes, make your stitches, diverging like rays or crossing each other as shown in fig. 38."

Fig. 38. Fixing whale-bones.

Happy crafting,

Kathi

New Crochet Book

The library recently received a new book called Around the Corner: Crochet Borders by Edie Eckman.  It shows 150 crochet patterns to attach to either a knit or crochet piece.  There is also a brief section that explains how to attach a crocheted edge to woven cloth. 

The patterns show how to adjust for straight places, corners and curves.  The author also suggest how to make color choices to make the whole piece magnificent.

With patterns that range from simple to extreme, you can make a plain piece as fancy as you wish.

This book is worth exploring.

Happy crafting,

Kathi

Baby Blanket

Courtesy of Lion Brand Yarn

Lately, I've worked on three baby blankets with one to go.  This one is an easy pattern for knitting and just as easy for crochet.  You start with one stitch and increase one stitch each row until you get to the diagonal width you want.  It's pretty easy to measure in crochet.  You might have to multiply your stitches per inch in your head if you're a knitter.  If you have the needles and yarn to work four stitches per inch, then multiply four times the number of inches you want for the DIAGONAL measurement. 

I worked on larger needles with two strands of yarn.  As I worked I would measure the edge, not the length I was working across.  When I had almost four feet from my hook to the point where I'd started, then I knew it was big enough, and I could start decreasing one stitch per row.




Courtesy of Lion Brand Yarn

Happy crafting,

Kathi

Knitted and Crocheted Foods

After seeing the yarn bombing images yesterday, I tried another fun idea and looked up "Knitted Food" followed by "Crocheted Food".  Please go to Google Images, www.ravelry.com, www.knitpatterncentral.com , or www.crochetpatterncentral.com and see what I found.

There are free patterns for such knit and crocheted foods as peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, cheeseburgers with lettuce and tomato, corn on the cob, or fried eggs with bacon slices and toast.

For dessert, you can whip up  a slice of cherry pie, cookies, an ice cream sandwich, cupcakes or doughnuts.

Maybe the one that most impressed me was a pattern for knitted popcorn.  Each little white kernel was about the size of a penny complete with the bumps and irregularities that popcorn has.  I can't even imagine...

Happy crafting.

Kathi

Yarn Bombing

We just missed International Yarn Bombing Day.  It was on June 11th.  Darn!!!

Also called guerrilla knitting, yarnstorming and graffitti knitting, it's quite an eye-catching art form.
Yarn artists knit or crochet covers for almost anything in public places.  The Wall Street bull statue has been covered.  Buses, trees, bike racks, park benches, parking meters, and lamp posts have all been transformed in colorful displays of yarn art.  I found pictures of lacework on a chain link fence, leg warmers on a statue in Paris, and stone angels wearing pink and green crocheted dresses. 

If you go to Google images and put "Yarn bombing" in the search bar, you will find a spectacle of worldwide guerrilla knitting.

This is just for fun, but if you want to mark your calendar for next year, I'll keep an eye out for your work.

Happy crafting,

Kathi

Summer Knitting

  

I did a quick search for a summer wrap and found this quick pattern on Lion Brand Yarn.  It's called "Knit Sweetheart Shawl".   It looks to be just about right for a cooler evening, or if you should want a little something to cover your shoulders.  The back comes to a point approximately at the waistline. 
http://cache.lionbrand.com/cgi-bin/patternFinder.fcgi?language=&store=%2Fstores%2Flionbrand&search=1&searchText=knit+sweetheart+shawl

There are some really pretty summer tops and wraps in http://www.knitpatterncentral.com/, http://www.crochetpatterncentral.com/, and http://www.ravelry.com/. Or maybe you have a favorite yarn-craft website.

Come and share your knitting or crocheting with our Thursday evening groups.  Knitters meet at 6:30 on the second and fourth Thursdays of each month.  Crochets meet on the third Thursday.  The groups are very friendly and welcoming.  If you don't know how to knit or crochet, there are seasoned veterans who can help you get started.

Happy crafting.

Kathi

Getting Ahead of the Game

This fall (I don't have the exact dates) will be the eighth annual "60 Scarves in 60 Days" challenge. Last year (2010) it started in September. The point of the challenge is to knit or crochet 60 scarves and donate them to the local charity of your choice. No postage or distance hauling required. Any color, any pattern will do.

Now maybe this is cheating, but maybe we can save some people from getting carpal tunnel or crocheter's elbow. Summer is a good time to work on smaller projects. Scarves make easy carry-along items. And you could be working toward a worthwhile goal. Maybe we could call this version "60 Scarves by November".

Are you inclined to send your work out of town? Here are some ideas:
Knits from the Heart by Kristin Spurkland includes a list of charities that accept donations.
http://bevscountrycottager.com/charity-links.html has links to charities on more than one continent. Another way to locate a charity after your own heart is to put your favorite charity into a search engine and see what comes up. It would be wise to find out if that charity still needs donations, if it is still in operation, or if there are complaints against it.

Happy crafting,

Kathi

Crochet in Warmer Weather

Lion Brand Yarn gave us permission to copy their pictures into our blog.  I'm thankful because pictures add so much. 

It's warming up nicely (finally), so I'm looking for crochet ideas that won't make me sweat as I'm working on them.  One possibilty is to make a few baby items.  Well - maybe the fact that I have a couple of pregnant friends might have something to do with it.

Anyway, these pictures put me in mind of some very young people who would enjoy them.  I hope they trigger your imagination too.

Happy crafting

Kathi

  

Knit and Crocheted Rugs

It's May and I was under the impression that it should be warming up some.  Instead, when my feet hit the floor this morning, they got chilly quickly.  So I'm think about rugs of some sort.  Just a little something to keep my tootsies warm. 

I checked out http://www.crochetpatterncentral.com/directory/rugs.php  and found 89 crocheted rug patterns.

The sister site http://www.knittingpatterncentral.com/directory/rugs.php had 25 knitted rug patterns.

Ravelry.com is another huge website for several kinds of crafts. You have to sign up to get a screen name and password, but then have access to patterns, ideas, community chat, etc.  When I went to http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/  and put "rugs" into the search bar, I found 20 pages of patterns.  I loved some of the crocheted "quilt rugs".  The piecework was beautiful.

The Lion Brand yarn website has 9 knit patterns and 7 for crocheted rugs including this spiral one which rather intrigues me.  If I were to make this rug, I might extend the last taper a little more to smooth out the edge.  If you wish to look at this pattern, it is called "Shaker-Inspired Rug".


Happy crafting,

Kathi

New Knitting Book

Hot off the presses, we just received "A Knitting Wrapsody" by Kristin Omdahl. There are patterns for lacy scarves and shawls and an openwork tunic to drape over an evening dress. There are skirts and shrugs with cables, lace and ruffles.  A CD is included to explain the stitches.

If you are reasonably good at knitting, please treat yourself to the goodies you'll find in this book.

A book like this makes me a little sad that I'm not a better knitter. (I crochet, but - shh - don't tell the knitters.)

Happy crafting, Kathi

Lion Brand Yarn has gone Spring with their patterns. The tote seems to be the right size for multiple tasks and could be carried anywhere.

The shawls look comfortable for slowly warming weather or to toss over your shoulders on a cool-ish evening.

Need to work up something quick before Easter? You might want to start at http://www.lionbrand.com/.

I also took a quick tour of http://www.crochetpatterncentral.com/. I typed "Easter" in the search bar and got 87 patterns. You can crochet Easter baskets and Easter eggs, Easter bunnies and Easter chicks. The same search at www.ravelry.com gave me eight pages of patterns with 36 patterns per page. You've got one week to go, if you let it sneak up on you like I did.

Happy crafting,

Kathi



Weaving Books through Evergreen Indiana

Along with the last post, I'll give you a list of books that show fingerweaving and small loom weaving.

Fingerweaving Basics by Gerald L. Findley (Excellent book!),
Using Yarn, Fabric and Thread by Betty Leitch,
A Beginner's Book of Off-Loom Weaving by Xenia Ley Parker ( Many forms of weaving),
The Basic Book of Fingerweaving by Esther Warner Dendel,
Small Loom And Freeform Weaving: Five Ways to Weave by Barbara Matthiessen,
Kids Weaving by Sarah Swett

Happy crafting,
Kathi

More Yarn Art

At the library today, we are having Civil War Days in honor of the 150th anniversary of the firing on Fort Sumter. My part in the festivities is to give a demonstration of small loom weaving.

My original plan was to weave a rug out of old bed sheet strips. I am going to use two card table legs for the loom. (Set the card table on its side and warp the two top legs.) Well, the more I looked into various weaving techniques, the larger the demonstration grew. I already had an inkle loom which was strung and partially woven. All I had to do was bring it in.

 I found a website in which someone was using a hula hoop to weave a round rug. As I looked more into that, I discovered that round weaving used to be worked on wheel hoops (the kind you see children rolling with a stick in some old paintings).

Following that trail, I ran across fingerweaving, also called Indian braiding, Osage braiding, Chickasaw knitting, or Cherokee fingerweaving. The only equipment that it requires is a stick! I used a pencil. You can take this project on a trip. It's lightweight, makes no noise, can be worked on a plastic straw if you are flying, and makes an interesting, pretty product.
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/FingerWeaving will take you to a the sharing place for photos and tutorials on fingerweaving. Check http://www.youtube.com/ under fingerweaving and look for sashweaver. There are other very good videos, but sashweaver shows the basic skills.

Happy crafting,
Kathi

Samplers for Each

Lion Brand Yarn posts many patterns on their website. Here are a couple that I fancied of the ones featured this week. One is for crocheters and one is for knitters.

These are good for on-the-go people. You can carry one color at a time and still get something beautiful accomplished.

Whatever project you have in mind, you might find a good pattern at their website.

Happy crafting, Kathi

Yarn Arts

The fingers are slowly aging and, although I have to split up my time with needles and hooks so as not to cause myself damage, I've found other ways to use some of my stash. Loom knitting is easier on the joints (all except the knuckles of the right pointer finger) and then I decided to try a little weaving.

 I found my old metal pot-holder loom and learned how to wind yarn up and down to make a warp. Then, without breaking off, you take a bent wire and weave it through the warp. The bent hook part of the wire then pulls a strand across the loom and suddenly you've got a woven square. You can finish the square like a potmat or crochet an edge for it (one single or double crochet per peg - I think about a J hook size).

You can also make a stack of squares and braid, crochet, or sew the edges together. I've found patterns for purses, animals, placemats, and afghans. Here's a great place to start looking if you want a break from your crochet hook and/or knitting needles. http://www.angelfire.com/super/weavies/wevelink.htm

Happy crafting,
Kathi

Superbowl Scarves

Now that Superbowl XLV is behind us, there is a team getting ready for the next one which will be held in Indianapolis. Besides the professionals who are putting the event together, there will be 8,000 volunteers who will greet guests and help visitors find their way around town.

What does this have to do with knitting or crocheting, you may ask. The host committee would like to give each volunteer a handmade scarf as part of their "uniform". So far, 2604 have been sent in. (Two of them are mine.)

If you want to contribute, the colors must be royal blue and white. The dimensions should be between 6-8 inches wide and 76-100 inches long. The color number for various brands of yarn is given on the website as well as pictures of some of the designs already turned in.

Here's the official website: www.indianapolissuperbowl.com/super-scarves It's exciting to know your work is included in such a huge event and that it is greatly appreciated.

Happy crafting.

Kathi

Yo-Yo Crochet

I was curious about yo-yo crochet after I ran across it on the internet. The library purchased a book on the subject called Learn to Do Yo-Yo Crochet by Wendy Harbaugh.

The process is a bit different than plain crochet. Let's say you want to make an afghan. Each row of yo-yos starts with a chain. Then you work half-circles along one side of the chain, turn and work the half-circles along the other side of the chain. As you work the second side, you attach the middle of each yo-yo to a matching yo-yo on the rest of the afghan that you've already completed. Since this is a join-as-you-go stitch, there is no sewing motifs together at the end of the project.

For pattern ideas, clearer instructions, and photos to go with them, please check out the book. For the time being, it's in the New Books section.

Happy crafting,

Kathi

Here's one you haven't tried

I just found a website called http://www.tipnut.com/. Wow, it has some great ideas! My two favorite sections are crafts and gardening, but there's lots more.

Here's a link to three patterns for crocheting vintage APRONS: www.tipnut.com/crochet-apron-patterns/

Happy crafting,

Kathi

End of the Season

'Tis the time of year when MY thoughts run to gardening. My seeds are ordered and yarn is beginning to take a lower priority.
But there are a couple of projects still in the works.

I'm working on a couple of spool knitting projects to show at the program we're giving this summer. If all goes according to plan, it will be given on June 25th. So far, I've spool knit and braided a scarf and a small baby doll. Next will be a pair of slippers and a shawl. I'm going to experiment with different stitches to see how they come out.

Loom knitting is a good break for your hands and arms if you have carpal tunnel or your joints are giving you fits from the weight of the yarn on your knitting needles or the motion of crocheting.

In the meantime, if spool or loom knitting appeals to you, you might check out:
Loom Knitting Pattern Book by Isela Phelps
Loom Knitting Primer by Isela Phelps
Learn to Knit Cables on Looms by Isela Phelps
Learn to Knit on Long Looms by Anne Bipes
Corking by Judy Ann Sadler

You might also try going to http://www.knittingpatterncentral.com/ and put "loom knitting" in the search box.

Happy crafting

Kathi Linz

Crochet Bouquet

Here's another excellent book of patterns! Crochet Bouquet by Suzann Thompson. These flower patterns are amazing! They look soft and, in many cases, very nearly real. Someone went to a lot of time and effort to make these patterns the best they can be. Give yourself a little leeway timewise, because you'll have to borrow this one through Evergreen Indiana, but it's worth the wait.

Happy crafting,
Kathi

Crochet Motifs

I borrowed 201 Crochet Motif, Blocks, Projects and Ideas by Melody Griffiths through Evergreen Indiana.

This book has some wonderful patterns for crocheted motifs in squares, circles, flower designs, triangles, diamonds, hexagons and octagons. Want to try something different? This may be the book.

Happy crafting,
Kathi

Beginning knitting

'Tis the season to do warm things by the fireplace or curled up with the cat/dog. If learning to knit was one of your New Year's resolutions, we can help you get started.

Knitting for the First Time by Vanessa-Ann. This one is laid out in question form. "How do I cast on?" "How do I do garter stitch?" Each question has a visual answer and a project for practice.

Kids Can Knit: Fun and Easy Projects for Your Small Knitter by Carolyn Clewer. This one has fun(ny) projects like knitting a fried egg and, later in the book, practicing various knit patterns by making sausages. Just another form of sampler, but one kids will love.

Teach Yourself Visually: Knitting by Sharon Turner (There's one of these for crocheting, too.)

Knitting for Dummies by Pam Allen

The Complete Idiot's Guide to Knitting and Crocheting Illustrated by Barbara Breiter

This is by no means an exhaustive list, and there are multitudes of choices if you request other titles through Evergreen Indiana.

We have an excellent knitting group that meets on the second and fourth Thursdays every month at 6:30. If hands-on learning is your thing, drop in with some yarn (not too fancy to start with) and size 7 or 8 knitting needles. They'll help you get going on whatever project you have in mind.

Happy crafting,
Kathi

Another Stash-Buster

The size 50 needle that is generally used for broomstick lace - you know - the one the size of a small horse's leg? If you have two of them, you can knit an afghan using four strands of yarn at a time! When used for knitting, they're called speed sticks. No kidding!!!

I saw a picture of a loaded needle. You can't fit more than 33-34 stitches on the needle at one time, and it seems like each stitch is about one inch. Your afghan will only be about a yard wide, but it will be quite warm. The pattern used a stockinette stitch, but I don't think it would matter if you have another favorite knitting pattern.

I did see one variation on the pattern in which someone had made two panels and sewed them together. So if you organize your colors, or if you don't mind the two sides being different, this looks like a quick way to prepare for the rest of this cold and snowy winter.

Happy crafting,
Kathi

A Little Yarn Philosophy

I borrowed these from the book Things I Learned from Knitting...Whether I Wanted To or Not by Stephanie Pearl-McPhee:

Beginning is easy, continuing is hard.
Everything is funny as long as it is happening to someone else.
Practice makes perfect. (Although as a teacher, I've discovered that practice makes permanent.)
You can fix almost anything.
If you are patient in one moment of anger, you will escape a hundred days of sorrow.

There's much more to this book, and it's worth reading. I thought that some of these sayings especially apply to these dreary days of January when pulling out our latest yarn project is (usually) such a comfort. Be gentle with yourself and your yarn, and the weather won't matter so much.

Happy crafting.

Kathi

S.A.B.L.E.

S.A.B.L.E. stands, I have been told, for "Stash above and beyond life expectancy". Anyone here fall into that category - other than me, of course?

Here are some books you can pick up at the library to bust that stash:
101 Designer One-Skein Wonders by Judith Durant
One Skein Wonders: 101 Yarn Shop Favorites by Judith Durant
One Skein Knitting: 30 Quick Projects to Knit and Crochet by Leigh Radford
101 Easy Scrap Projects by Laura Scott
Big Book of Scrap Projects by Vicki Blizzard
Year-Round Scraps Aplenty by Annie's Attic
Special Little Knits from Just One Skein by Cheryl Potter
Sock Yarn One-Skein Wonders by Judith Durant
1 2 3 Skein Crochet by Judy Crow
One Ball Knits: 20 Stylish Designs Made with a Single Ball, Skein, Hank, or Spool by Fatema Habibur-Rahman
One Ball Knits. Purses: 20 Stylish Handbags Made with a Single Ball, Skein, Hank, or Spool by Fatema Habibur-Rahman
Luxury Yarn One-Skein Wonders by Judith Durant

Happy crafting,

Kathi

From Needles to Hook

I recently checked out the book From Needles to Hook: Complete Guide to Converting Knit Patterns to Crochet put out by the Needlecraft Shop. As I've mentioned before, crochet does not, and probably cannot, feel and drape like knit. But this book shows crochet patterns that resemble some popular knit designs.

If you want a visual match, try these ideas. If you want the feel of knit, there is no substitution.

Happy crafting,
Kathi

Mosaic Crochet

'Tis the season to not only make a one-piece afghan, but something that will keep you toasty as you work.

Here's something just a little different that is warm and beautiful. Mosaic Magic by Lily Chin shows you how to make gorgeous, rich designs using nothing more fancy than single and double crochet - stretched out a bit. She shows you how to do a long single crochet stitch and a long double crochet which give your afghan a richly textured look.

If you don't catch the library's copy in, we'll put on hold one of several other copies available through Evergreen Indiana.

Happy crafting,

Kathi

Bavarian Crochet

Woohoo!! Time to try something new!

The library has - in the new book section - Learn to Do Bavarian Crochet by Jenny King. The finished projects appear to be made out of linked diamond shapes, but you don't have to sew anything together. Each project is worked in one piece.

You can organize your colors or turn the projects into stash busters. There are plenty of photos to help you understand the instructions.

Happy crafting,

Kathi