White Watch Cap tutorial

Westport, CT

Here is Michael modeling the snug little White Watch Cap knit with 1 ball Gedifra "Marokko." There is barely any yarn left, so you might want to buy 2 skeins of yarn to be safe.

Directions:

Using size 6 dpns, cast on 92 stitches. (Or if you prefer, use 2 sets of size 6 circular needles to knit in the round).

Knit in a K2P2 ribbing pattern in the round for 5 1/2 inches. This cap will NOT have a folded cuff. If you want one, be sure to purchase 2 skeins of yarn and add about 2 inches.

Pink Stash Buster Scarf tutorial

Westport, CT

MATERIALS

US size 15 circular needles (24 inches or longer)
Crochet hook for fringe

Use a variety of pink yarns in various weights, textures and shade of your chosen color. The concept here is to clean up your stash. I'm guilty of going out to purchase new yarn to make these "pseudo-stash buster scarves". In fact I bought the following yarns for these scarves.

YARN A - 1 skein Plymouth Yarn Galway Chunky (100 g) - pink
YARN B - 1 skein of ggh SOFT-KID (25 g) – light pink
YARN C - 1 skein (168 g) of cotton candy “Delight” a unique designer yarn by Debra Ann Miller – PO Box 464 – Westbrook, CT 06498 http://pages.cthome.net/DebbieMillerDesigns/yarnkits.html
YARN D - 1 skein (50 g) Berroco Quest - pink
YARN E - 1 skein of Filatura di Crosa Baby Zarella - pink

DIRECTIONS

This is a free form scarf. Alternate the rows as you see fit. Cut off the ends and leave about 6-8 inches. These will be knotted with the adjacent yarn to form some of the fringe. The above scarves were made as follows with the rows changing according to whim.

• Using the Knitting Cast-On Method, LOOSELY cast on 140 stitches in Yarn A. Knit in garter stitch (knit each row) for 2 rows.

FREE Newborn Baby Hat Pattern - Rolled Brim

I used Bernat's CottonTots yarn from my stash.  This one happens to be 91713 Koolade.  With US size 7 Turbo Addi's I cast on 56 sts and knit using the Magic Loop method until I had 6 inches.  Then I started the decreases for the crown.  This one is so easy, it practically knits itself.

Making fabirc flowers p2

some simple ideas to use those new flowers.

1.  Flower Headband

Grab a plain plastic headband that's just lying around you bathroom.

Cut out a small heart from an old t-shirt.

I think hearts are easier to cut.  My circles never come out round.

Making fabric flower p1

Supplies:

A few stems of flowers

Hot glue gun

Scrap-booking brads

Feathers, buttons and tulle

1.  Reconstruct the flower.

  

Pull a couple of flowers off the stem.

Take off the plastic on the bottom, and remove the center to the flowers.

Making fabric flowers

 Easy fabric flowers for making

Tutorial: Making Valentine flowers

 

 Tutorial: Making Valentine flowers

Supplies

Tools

• Scissors
• Glue gun
• Pencil
• Glass vials

Materials

• Wooden sticks
• Red felt
• Madder-red roses
• Foliage
• Raffia ribbon
• Wall hook
• Scratch paper
• Copper wire

Tutorial: Patching a Knee

I have been thinking of writing a series of posts on mending for a while.  Last year, I wrote about how to mend jeans with a rip in the rear… that really rolls off the tongue…. which was practical, but not at all stylish.
For those mending projects I don’t have a clue on- such as darning a sock or mending a sweater, I want to find an expert who will show me (and you) how.  If you think a series like this would be useful to you, let me know what mending jobs trouble you…
For the first in my series of Make Do and Mend, I was inspired by a friend:
Last spring, Amy of Diary of a Quilter shared a tutorial on how to mend a torn out knee.  I asked Amy if I could show her technique, which is cute as well as practical.  Amy told me that her daughter’s mended jeans are still going strong, the patch is perfectly in place, and they are one of her favorite pair.

How to make a bow

How to make a bow

How to make Package Gift

When I bought something at a store recently, the clerk handed me my purchase in a bag made from a newspaper. I liked it very much and had to make some more—thus today's DIY recycled newspaper project: gift bags made from the Wall Street Journal. You can vary the dimensions, of course, but here's what I used to create a bag that's 5" tall, 4.5" wide, and 3" deep.

Glowing Christmas wreath

  

How to make Glowing Christmas wreath

Crochet Bracelet tutorial

Crochet Bracelet

Earmuff Headband Crochet Pattern

Materials
Bulky or Extra Bulky Weight Yarn (way less than one ball will do)
5.5 MM "I" or even "J" crochet hook  (Check your gauge hooks on preference)
Craft needle  

Notes: You can either work continually in rounds or Slip-stitch your final stitch to your first in the row and Chain 3 to count as first Double Crochet stepping up in your next row (my example steps up each row). Also, I used a fairly bulky acrylic which gave a finished size of about 4 inches or 10 cm diameter, they're one size fits most unless you'd like them bigger or smaller. 

Pom Pom Making

I am sharing a simple method of making pom pom...Just a 5 minute fun & you just love it...really...

So check it now

Now take it's tutorial...

Magazine Bow Tutorial

Seriously, this has got to be one of the cutest ways to recycle--ever!  I learned how to make these adorable paper bows at my MOPS meeting today.  I'm sure crafting goddesses have long known about this great little idea, but it was all new to me today. And it's brilliant!  I'm picturing cute little home-made bows atop many an upcoming Christmas gift!

Here's what you need:

Magazine ads (colorful with little text probably works best, but you could really use anything. Also, it's better if the cool design/pretty part is around the edges of the pages vs. the middle), scrapbooking paper, newspaper comics, or any other paper you think would make a cute bow! 

Ruler (if you want to be exact)

Double-stick tape (or some other sticky substance)

Stapler

Craft Tutorial: Decoupage Kid’s Art Beads and Dress-Up Necklaces

Like all kidful households, we’ve got a mountain of paper with crayon scribbles and I just can’t bring myself to throw it out. So I took a little bit of it to make decoupage kids’ art beads, from which I made a fun dress-up necklace for each of my girls plus two for myself!

Materials:

Kids artwork: They used washable crayons, on regular white paper from my husband’s work (from the end of the roll in their big printer that they would have recycled anyways).

My First Guest Post and Craft Tutorial

 Bridal hairpinsfor my tutorial.

 

 

 Materials:

• Hairpins: U-shaped hairpins are the easiest to work with and you can wear these in an updo. For those with finer hair (or short hair like me) you can use regular bobby pins. Combs, barrettes and tiara forms also work well.
• 26-gauge wire: I’m using sterling silver but you can also use silver-plated or other metals, plus less-expensive craft wire from your local craft chain store (great for practicing). 28-gauge can be used too (bigger number=thinner wire) but might break more easily. If you go too thick, it will be difficult to work with the wire.
• Beads: Depending on the look you want to achieve, you can use all the same bead or an assortment.
• Wire cutters and flat-nosed pliers: Nothing fancy needed.

Knitted Neck Scarf

Introduction 

When instructed to rib in the pattern below, knit 1, purl 1 alternately across the row. To wear the scarf, slip one end through either of the loops at front.
Finished Size: 4 by 26 inches

 

 

 

Step 1

Cast on 3 stitches.

Step 2

Row 1: Knit 2, slip last stitch purlwise.

Step 3

Row 2: With yarn in back, knit 1, increase 1, knit 1, and slip last stitch purlwise.

Classic Cherry Blossom Kid's Craft: Anticipating Spring!

Here's a great Spring/Tu B'Shevat cherry blossom craft project, even for those of you who can't quite imagine that Spring awaits! There's nothing like some pink blossoms to cheer things up a bit! In Israel, we call these almond blossoms, as they are also pink and are the first to bloom, right around the time of Tu B'Shevat! Always very exciting!
I have fond memories of doing these blossom pictures in kindergarten. Okay, my pictures didn't exactly look like these, but the techniques were the same. And I still find it amazing that blowing ink through a straw can produce works of art that not only look like Japanese brush paintings but really mimic a tree with branches.  This is a great project for all ages, and a bunch of them hung together  would certainly look wonderful. And you can leave them in their pure form as I did on the left, or add some tissue paper details for the ground and sky. In any case, have fun!

More Hanukkah Crafting With Buttons!

 
Hanukkah crafting with buttons is a great project for the whole family....okay in my family it was just mom in the wee hours of the morning, trying out an idea that had been kicking around since last year, but I kept imagining that my kids were doing it with me! (Does that count?) Using wire to weave the buttons together is quite simple and the wire is very forgiving— cut it here, cut it there, it still works wonderfully well. You can make little ornaments to hang where ever you please, to give as gifts, or to use a present toppers for that little added touch of handmade. And of course you don't have to go with the wire, you can also do button mosaics on cardboard silhouettes, which would be great for the very little ones.
Now I must admit I had dreams of some gorgeous etherial Chanukah photo which artfully presented these little button creations, but since that has yet to become reality, and time is of the essence right now, I present them to you as is. Do use your own imagination as to how wonderful they could be in your home!