Learning a new way to read a crochet pattern today!
Showing posts with label crocheting. Show all posts
Showing posts with label crocheting. Show all posts
Monday, April 9, 2012
Tuesday, March 27, 2012
Tea for Tuesday - Flower Mug Mat Tutorial
Good morning, all! So nice to see all your bright, happy faces today! As promised, today we've got a tutorial for part of the Anthro-inspired quilt. We'll be crocheting, so grab a hook and some yarn - here we go!
Monday, March 26, 2012
Friday, March 23, 2012
Anthro Inspired Upcycled Denim Skirt Preview
This is what I entered in Creative Bloggers Got Talent, and I thought you'd like to see it...
Saturday, February 25, 2012
Craftivism Challenge Link-Up
Here we are already at the end of Feburary! Time to show and share about your beautiful HeartScarves. Remember, mail them to:
WomenHeart HeartScarves Program
c/o Big Show Fulfillment
1525 Gin Road
Gold Hill, NC 28071
Thanks again for all your efforts!
Sunday, February 5, 2012
February Craftivism Challenge - Crochet Heart Scarf Pattern and Tutorial
I am soooooo sorry this has taken sooooooo long to get posted! Did you ever have a week where everything takes 3 times longer than usual, no matter what you do? That's been the last 4 days of my life. Hopefully, whatever's up with this time-warp issue has finally been resolved and is on its way OUT THE DOOR!
Thursday, January 12, 2012
Tea for Tuesday (Well, Thursday) - and a Tutorial Two-fer
Wow, that's a tongue twister! Two great tutorials today - grab a crochet hook and some yarn and let's go!
Friday, January 6, 2012
Opportunity to Save $$ on Craft and Sewing Supplies
If you are a teacher or homeschooler, this weekend is a great chance to save some extra $$$ on sewing and crafting supplies. JoAnn Fabrics is having their Teacher Appreciation Days on Saturday and Sunday. Sign up for your card, and save 20% off your entire purchase.
Remember your new mantra: On Sale and With a Coupon. Here's a guaranteed coupon every time you visit. Just show your card and get 15% off your entire purchase every single day. Save even more on Teacher Appreciation Days.
Oh, and the real bonus - Michael's also accepts your teacher discount card. Save 15% there, too.
Use this for purchasing supplies for our Craftivism Challenge coming up tomorrow!
Remember your new mantra: On Sale and With a Coupon. Here's a guaranteed coupon every time you visit. Just show your card and get 15% off your entire purchase every single day. Save even more on Teacher Appreciation Days.
Oh, and the real bonus - Michael's also accepts your teacher discount card. Save 15% there, too.
Use this for purchasing supplies for our Craftivism Challenge coming up tomorrow!
Monday, November 21, 2011
A Handful of Dishcloths
Here is the stack of dishcloths I've finished today for the Puppy Rescue Mission Auction. Three are knitted, 3 are crocheted. The top one is a cute (but very efficient) little scrubby. I love having bright colors on my dishcloths - it just seems to make doing dishes just a little bit more bearable and fun!
There are lots of us out there doing amazing fun things - you can check them out at Made by You Monday on Skip to My Lou!
Wednesday, November 16, 2011
T-Shirt Yarn Tutorial
My favorite online forum is Mary Jane's Farmgirl Connection. It's for gals like me who do "farmwife" stuff, whether we live on a farm or just dream about living on a farm.
One of the posts today was about repurposing clothing, with a specific question about t-shirt yarn. So, I thought I'd share the process with all of you. This is a fantastic way to reuse shirts that may not be suitable for charity donation because of stains, holes, stretching - you know the ones I'm talking about. By cutting them into strips, you can eliminate the holey or stained sections and still use what is good.
Materials:
T-shirt(s)
Cutting mat, quilt ruler and rotary cutter OR
Yardstick, 1-foot ruler, marking utensil (tailor's chalk, pencil) and scissors
Hubs generously donated this t-shirt for the tutorial. Kind of appropriate, doncha think?
Start by folding your t-shirt in half, and laying it flat and smooth. Be sure to smoothe out as many wrinkles as you possibly can.
Start cutting from the hem end. Cut the hem off, and make the lower edge straight. From here on, for the cutting, if you are using the yardstick method, use the smaller ruler and mark lightly on both edges, every 1/2". Then carefully line up your yardstick to match each mark. Cut with scissors. Repeat the lining up and cutting.
My photos show how to do it with the rotary cutter.
Continue cutting all the way up to the base of the sleeves (aka the armpits - can you say that on a blog?). You will have a bunch of long loops. I got 29 out of a size medium shirt. If you don't mind some shorter segments in your finished product, you can repeat either process with the sleeves (without folding them in half first).
Now this is the part I could not explain in words only, so follow the photos if the directions seem confusing...
To make these loops into yarn, you are going to connect them with larkshead knots (thank you, Bubba - I knew there was a reason we have you in Boy Scouts!). Take 2 loops. Open one of them up. This will be Loop A. Insert Loop B as shown.
Now take the "tail" of Loop B and insert it THROUGH the front of itself, going over the end of Loop A.
Pull tight to make the knot.
Continue with all the loops until you have joined the last one. Be sure to attach at the ends of each loop - not in the middle or you will have "saggy" sections and tight sections (don't ask me how I know this - I will plead the 5th!) Wind carefully into a ball. This "yarn" has a lot of stretch to it, and you don't want to overstrectch it.
Make as little or as much as you want. Make lots of colors - when following a pattern, joining Color A to Color B is as simple as another larkshead knot. You can make a variegated (aka multi-color) using loops from different shirts, or mixing sleeve loops from one shirt with big loops from another. Make rugs, bags, baskets, scarves - anything that would take a bulky or rug weight yarn - whatever your imagination wants to try!
Give it a go the next time you have a pile of old t-shirts!
One of the posts today was about repurposing clothing, with a specific question about t-shirt yarn. So, I thought I'd share the process with all of you. This is a fantastic way to reuse shirts that may not be suitable for charity donation because of stains, holes, stretching - you know the ones I'm talking about. By cutting them into strips, you can eliminate the holey or stained sections and still use what is good.
Materials:
T-shirt(s)
Cutting mat, quilt ruler and rotary cutter OR
Yardstick, 1-foot ruler, marking utensil (tailor's chalk, pencil) and scissors
Hubs generously donated this t-shirt for the tutorial. Kind of appropriate, doncha think?
Start by folding your t-shirt in half, and laying it flat and smooth. Be sure to smoothe out as many wrinkles as you possibly can.
Start cutting from the hem end. Cut the hem off, and make the lower edge straight. From here on, for the cutting, if you are using the yardstick method, use the smaller ruler and mark lightly on both edges, every 1/2". Then carefully line up your yardstick to match each mark. Cut with scissors. Repeat the lining up and cutting.
My photos show how to do it with the rotary cutter.
Removing the hem
Continue cutting all the way up to the base of the sleeves (aka the armpits - can you say that on a blog?). You will have a bunch of long loops. I got 29 out of a size medium shirt. If you don't mind some shorter segments in your finished product, you can repeat either process with the sleeves (without folding them in half first).
Now this is the part I could not explain in words only, so follow the photos if the directions seem confusing...
To make these loops into yarn, you are going to connect them with larkshead knots (thank you, Bubba - I knew there was a reason we have you in Boy Scouts!). Take 2 loops. Open one of them up. This will be Loop A. Insert Loop B as shown.
Now take the "tail" of Loop B and insert it THROUGH the front of itself, going over the end of Loop A.
Pull tight to make the knot.
Continue with all the loops until you have joined the last one. Be sure to attach at the ends of each loop - not in the middle or you will have "saggy" sections and tight sections (don't ask me how I know this - I will plead the 5th!) Wind carefully into a ball. This "yarn" has a lot of stretch to it, and you don't want to overstrectch it.
Make as little or as much as you want. Make lots of colors - when following a pattern, joining Color A to Color B is as simple as another larkshead knot. You can make a variegated (aka multi-color) using loops from different shirts, or mixing sleeve loops from one shirt with big loops from another. Make rugs, bags, baskets, scarves - anything that would take a bulky or rug weight yarn - whatever your imagination wants to try!
Give it a go the next time you have a pile of old t-shirts!
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