Knitting and Beyond

Wearing The Beautiful Crochet Hats

Sun, 28 Feb 2010 00:04:05 -0600

Getting something to wear in the head is nothing new. People who are young and old have used these for years to keep it protected from the heat of the sun or rain and even to cover a bald spot. The hat is made of different fabrics and designs. Given the wide selection that people can choose from, it is also possible to make a hat using crochet patterns. It is very common to find people using a hat in cold climates. Yarn that is commonly used keeps the head warm. The person can add some color into it which will not make it look dull. Those who are good with the hands can weave other designs that can make it truly stand out. There are stores and some on the internet that sell hats that have crochet patterns all throughout the year. If the person has some basic knowledge about cross stitching, it will easy to study how it was done and to copy it when the individual gets home. It sometimes takes a little inspiration from such manufacturers to push the person into making a few modificat...

Simple Crochet Lessons

Wed, 24 Feb 2010 01:09:28 -0600

Learning to start making your own garments in a pleasurable way is one of the best things that you can do in your entire life. And the best thing about that is you can feel proud every time you see your friends or relatives wear your masterpiece. In the same way, crocheting is more than just stitches and yarns. It is, basically, a wonderful activity that almost everybody would love to engage in. Who would not? With all those "calming effect" and sense of fulfillment, learning crochet lessons is the ultimate way to hone your skill. Contrary to most popular beliefs, learning crochet lessons is not that hard. In fact, in order to get you going, all you need is a good crochet hook, yarns, measuring tape, yarn needle, and some even pins. The Yarn Once the equipments are complete, the next thing you have to do is to learn how to hold the yarn. For people who are absolutely newbie when it comes to sewing in general, holding a yarn could be tricky. Even if it only takes some time of getting us...

Crochet Can Make Good Gifts

Mon, 22 Feb 2010 00:12:16 -0600

Crochet afghan cover patterns are one of the popular crochet projects enjoyed by both beginners and advanced crocheters. A crocheted afghan cover is a great giveaway for family and friends. It can serve as a wrap or shawl as well as a blanket during chilly nights. The term afghan was derived from the textiles that are produced in Afghanistan since they are comparable to the shawls and wraps used in the region. Crocheted afghan covers can be used in various ways. There are numerous crochet patterns for afghan blanket covers. An afghan blanket can be used as a mattress cover for the top of the bed or as a comforter and even as a bedspread. It is important to select the appropriate pattern that will fit the size of the intended project. Afghans also make great gifts during birthdays and holidays as different motifs can be incorporated into the design. A Christmas afghan can help warm cold winter nights while personalized baby afghan blankets can become family heirlooms. Complimentary Croc...

German Artist Jessica Stockholder at The Saatchi Gallery

Thu, 18 Feb 2010 00:33:59 -0600

Born in Seattle in , Stockholder grew up in Vancouver, British Columbia. She studied in the s with sculptor Mowry Baden, whose architectural constructions from that period suggest bridges or passageways and other spaces through which the spectator moves. Baden's commitment to physically involve the viewer in articulated arrangements of materials in space had a lasting influence on Stockholder. Originally a painter, she progressed from unstretched canvases to painted reliefs of cloth, wood and other materials before making her first large-scale installation in . She received an MFA from Yale University in and lived in Brooklyn from until . She is currently director of graduate studies in sculpture at Yale.Stockholder's works consistently encourage movement around them and entice the spectator to peer behind them. Such curiosity is particularly rewarded by a sculpture most studio works are identified only by the year of their creation rather than a title,...

Embroidery Designs By Hand

Tue, 16 Feb 2010 00:42:26 -0600

Embroidery is one of the most interesting crafts that you can do at home and it has been enjoyed for a long time. Instead of it becoming a form of old art, it is still very popular. There have been some major things that have happened with technology that have changed and improved embroidery as an art form. Instead of having to use your hands to slowly create easy designs, the use of digital machines for embroidery, save time and money with this craft. There are very few people that like the basic traditional way of creating embroidery designs by hand. Instead of using a machine to be the only way to create designs, they prefer to be creative with some of their own patterns. Hand embroidery gives them this option because when you are using a machine, you are depending on the digital machine and what it can do. This removes the user's creativity because many of the designs are already in the computer. Hand embroidery is harder to create and it takes up a large amount of time for compl...

Birdwatching in Summer

Sat, 13 Feb 2010 09:18:36 -0600

If you want your kids to be a part of the process it is very easy to make your birdhouse very simple. It is quite possible to use four or five pieces of wood and construct one with very little in the way of tools. Then if you are able to witness a head on flight profile of a bird there are differences here as well. A Bald Eagle will fly with its wings spread out straight across from each other or at a degree angle while a Northern Harrier will fly with its wings slightly elevated into a V-shape. Here is a feature that is often overlooked: bird-proof door locks. You should get a cage that your bird can't escape from. Just think about what would happen if your bird escaped & was free the entire day while you're out! Bird droppings can become very erosive, and the longer they sit on your cage, the more damage can occur. Even the best brand name cages will only last - years if not appropriately taken care of. With so many people hoping to see a bird theyve never see...

Easy To Make Cloth Gift Bags

Tue, 26 Jan 2010 00:52:41 -0600

I can remember my mother saving wrapping paper to reuse.However, I can also remember that when she went to reuse thepaper, it was wrinkled and torn. Recently a friend of ours gaveus a gift that she put in a cloth gift bag that she had made.The cloth gift bag is great; we can recycle it over and overagain. If it gets dirty or wrinkled, we can wash it, and it islike new again. After talking with my friend, I decided to makeone of these cloth bags. It was so simple, and easy to make. You can use any material that you have we found cottonmaterial works great. You can use scrap material, or recycledmaterial. Depending on the size of bag that you need, take yourmaterial and cut it in one long strip. Fold the material overonce, and that will be the size of your bag. If you want asmaller bag, then just reduce the amount of material. With the material folded, sew a seam about inch where thetop of the bag will be. This seam will be where you will useyarn, ribbon,...

How To Create Easy Crochet Picture Afghans

Sun, 24 Jan 2010 00:22:02 -0600

Creating picture afghans are made most of the time using aTunisian Simple stitch. You can find Tunisian crochet tutorialsat http:www.stitchdiva.comcustom.aspx?id With a publishedgraph or a few simple graph-making tools, yarn in a variety ofcolors, and easy Tunisian crochet hooks, you'll be on your wayto making gorgeous, colorful afghans with images of anythingyour heart desires! If you prefer to follow writteninstructions, graphs can easily be converted to text. To dothis, write down how many stitches of each color are needed foreach row. Many types of images and photos can be converted into graphs.Cross stitch graphs may be used as well as you own photos placedonto graph paper. There are software programs available forcross-stitch that are very helpful in creating designs for easyTunisian crochet. PC Stitch or Instant Stitch . are goodprograms to use and easy to learn. Easy graphs are best for the beginner you can use a spreadsheetprogram such as Excel to set ...

Recycle Holiday Cards

Thu, 21 Jan 2010 00:03:00 -0600

Every holiday season, families all over the country and all overthe world have a plague that fills their home - tons ofChristmas cards! But before you get ready to toss out that hugebox full of cards you've accumulated, there are many creativeways to use those cards and have fun with your kids!Make cinnamon stick ornaments for your tree! Wrap a small bundleof cinnamon sticks together with a ribbon tied in a bow leave aloop for hanging. Using a tiny bit of glue, attach a shape cutfrom a Christmas card with pinking shears to the center of thebow to accessorize. These are simple to make, look pretty, andmake your home smell incredible!Are your kids into puzzles? Make a Christmas jigsaw! Gettogether ten to twenty cards and cut each one into three or fourpieces in straight lines. Shuffle them and lay them out on aflat service such as a dining table on the floor - then put themback together again. If you're extremely crafty, cutting thecards into actual jigsaw puzzle piece ...

Add a Special Touch to Your Stamped Cards with Embellishments

Tue, 12 Jan 2010 00:14:40 -0600

Once you have the basic stamping techniques mastered, you willlikely want to move on to something more. By addingembellishments to your handcrafted cards, you will create cardsthat are more than just messages of greetings, but little piecesof art as well. When you think of embellishments, you mayimmediately think that you need to spend a lot of money to addbeautiful things to your cards. But this is not true; by using afew embellishments wisely, a strong statement can be made onyour creations. Some of the easiest embellishments can make themost difference to your finished look. Common additions includeeyelets, brads, buttons, charms, and fibers. EyeletsEyelets are very easy to add to your card if you have the righttools. All you need is an eyelet punch, an eyelet setter, asmall hammer and a mat or hard surface to protect your workingarea. Simply use the punch and the hammer to create the hole inyour paper, place the eyelet in the hole and use the eyeletsetter and hamme...