Here’s a great post on reverse engineering an Estonian lace pattern.

I really love this Mesh Work.

Heute habe ich eine neues Blog gefunden. Es heisst Nähsucht, und es hat so viele schoene Sachen drin. Hier ist eine Blumentasche, ein paar Radiergummis, und eine schoene Tasche.

Yay for practising German and having no idea whether my grammar is correct!

I’ve found a great blog called Nähsucht. There are so many pretty things on it! There’s a flowery purse, a few eraser stamps, and another pretty bag.

Lion Brand has 50 Great Yarn Tips (at least). Some of my favourites:

Double-pointed and circular needles are often not marked for size and they almost always get separated from their original packages. I mark them with a fine-point permanent marker (two dots for size 2). The larger needles usually have enough space to mark the actual number. It works for all needles (wood, metal, and plastic.) I never have to search for my needle size gauge. Also, I keep a complete list of the needles I own in my purse, so I know at a glance whether I have to buy needles for a new project.

Keep your pattern and the copy of your pattern that you marked up and notated in a plastic sleeve in a 3 ring notebook. Slip in your swatch and a picture of the finished project as well. This way, when looking to make another of that pattern, you’ll have all your notes right there, suggestions for what you’d like to change for the next time, and how it turned out the first time. All your notes, etc…are all in one organized place.

Free yarn bras: Ask your florist to save you the plastic webbing that protects Fuji mums and other large-headed flowers during shipping. This webbing is a lightweight version of the material used for yarn bras, and florists throw it out. A little cleaning with soapy water will remove flower residue and voila! Yarn bras for all those 50 g./1.75 oz. yarn balls! A larger, more sturdy version for larger skeins can be found at some wine or liquor stores. This larger webbing is used to keep bottles from clanking together in consumer’s shopping bags.

You can also use the wrappers around asian pears.

Found via TipNut.com.

Unclutterer has a feature on how to store your fabric stash. This could be a good resource for knitters as well as sewers. There are some things with which I agree, and some that I don’t. For example:

If you cannot carry the whole of your stash, then it is too big. You would never be able to save it in an emergency if you couldn’t carry it, so why have more than you could reasonably save?

My aunt is a master quilter, and she has an entire room full of scrap fabric. If you want to quilt dragons, you can’t just have one colour on hand and you can’t just pull out that green fabric that you usually use for trees but “they’ll do.” You need scales, you need smoke, you need fire. You need maybe 20 fabrics in each colour if you want to make nice quilts. When my aunt first showed me how to alter a pair of pants with some fabric I’d brought with me, she asked if she could keep the rest and of course I gave her all I had. A few years later she gave me a quilt for Christmas and I was so happy to see that same fabric tucked into one of the pictures. It was so nice to see not only that she’d kept it, but also that she used it. That wouldn’t have happened if she had uncluttered her sewing room. Then again, not everyone will be painting with fabric.

Read the rest »

I have stockinette cabin fever! I have been knitting the same thing for months and months about once a week when I can squeeze in the time, and it is growing by about an inch per week. I have to knit something new. There are only so many months you can knit stockinette and remain sane. And so, I’m going to start something over which I’ve been drooling for a few months: The Bubble Pullover. I went on Ravelry to take a look at a few and figure out which yarn I liked best for it; here are my favourites.

First there’s BirgitteStrikker’s Bubble Pullover and JenniH’s Bubble Pullover.

knitress also has a beautiful one.

Of the ones I’ve really liked, one of four yarns was involved: Jaeger Extra Fine Merino Aran, Jaeger Matchmaker Merino DK, Plymouth Suri Merino, and Araucania Nature Wool. I really want to try the Araucania, but I thought you folks would be a good resource to help me decide which one to use. My main requirements are that the yarn does not pill, and… well, that’s it. I would love for it to be as soft as Malabrigo (*drool*) but I can’t expect it to be fairly sturdy and non-pilling if it is. I’d also like it to be fairly drapey because otherwise it looks like a box and I can always knit at a tighter gauge if I want to give it a bit of structure.

What do you guys think?

(BTW, I totally copped out on the no commenting thing, I am such a comment hog.)

Howdy! I missed the last two Saturdays because of giant piles of work and having just done the anniversary post, but I’m back now. Well, back for a few seconds before having to dash off to the cottage! (I know, I know, it’s so hard to be me.) Here are my favourite patterns from the last few weeks! There aren’t as many captions as usual, but the patterns are all great.

If you are knitting or have already knit a pattern that I’m talking about, leave me a comment and I’ll update my post with a link to your version. If you’ve written up a pattern and you want me to link to it, send me an email or leave me a comment and I’ll post it! It makes the list longer and my job easier.

• Nell
• SkaMama’s Picot Flower and 5-Petal Flower
• Clover Socks
• Small Bunny! I’m knitting this! It’s fun! You’ll see it stuffed soon
• Magic Mirror socks (PDF here).
• The Grasshopper Scarf
• The Charming Shawl-Collared Cardigan is the latest free pattern at Sweaterbabe.
• International Cat Hat from Turkey, The Fez!
• Panache Shawl
• Spring Forward Socks
• Cap Sleeve Cardigan, example here.
• Rudyard
• Baby Mittens!
• A Pixie Hat
• …Not to be confused with The Piksi Hat
• Mary Jane Slippers from Purl Bee
• Basketweave Scarf, example here
• Animal Dishcloths
• Juvenile Sea Nettle

[kml_flashembed movie="http://www.youtube.com/v/hgYwTELj-fs" height="344" width="425" /]

Via BB-Blog.

I don’t know if they’re pigs or not, but these pink buttons are the living end. The person who makes these makes them in a bunch of colours. Pick your favourite and put them on everything!

If you need to make a box for a gift (Mother’s & Father’s Day are past but I’m sure there’s something coming up), try this Simply Scrappin’ Kit Card Box Tutorial. I love the little flowers for the ribbons!