It's tempting to just start mixing different weights of yarns in a project, and often you can get great results this way if it's a project in which gauge and size aren't important, like a scarf or a blanket, where a freeform style can work. But, when you're trying to make an item where the size consistency of your stitches is important, like a sweater or hat, you'll want to be sure to use the same weights of yarn.
For example, I'm working on a baby hat right now for which I found Lionbrand's cashmere blend yarn in a beautiful red color for the background, but I want to do a pattern in white, and, of course, the yarn doesn't come in white. So, what to do? The cashmere blend is considered a medium worsted weight, a "number 4" on the standard yarn weight system, so I need to find a white yarn that is also a number 4. The weight of the yarn, in many ways, is more important than the fiber content of the yarn because it is the weight, along with hook size, that most directly affects the size of your stitches. But, pay attention to the fiber content as well because that can affect the washing instructions of your finished item and how it holds up over time.
Tuesday, November 3, 2009
Monday, November 2, 2009
NaBloPoMo
Apparently, it is National Blog Posting Month! One must post at least once a day for the entire month of November. I don't know if I'll make it, but what the heck, probably worth a try.
So, I guess I should try to come up with some plan for November to make it worth your while to check back to see what I am blogging about each day. I wish I could commit to creating a project a day for the whole month, but I'm not sure that's realistic. I think I'll try to come up with a crochet tip a day -- that way, you all will get a jump on tips that I will ultimately post on the Lifetips website.
Ok, so today's tip: When starting a hat, leave a long tail on the slip knot that you use to start your first round so that you can use it to sew up the hole at the top of the hat if you so desire.
See you back here again tomorrow!
So, I guess I should try to come up with some plan for November to make it worth your while to check back to see what I am blogging about each day. I wish I could commit to creating a project a day for the whole month, but I'm not sure that's realistic. I think I'll try to come up with a crochet tip a day -- that way, you all will get a jump on tips that I will ultimately post on the Lifetips website.
Ok, so today's tip: When starting a hat, leave a long tail on the slip knot that you use to start your first round so that you can use it to sew up the hole at the top of the hat if you so desire.
See you back here again tomorrow!
Sunday, November 1, 2009
Tie-Dying Part 2!
Yippeeeee! It worked. I went into the kitchen this morning to undo the wrapped items. The instructions tell you to unwrap, cut off the rubber bands and then wash the items in hot water with a little bit of laundry soap. Since I didn't think that my neighbors would appreciate my using our communal washing machine for this purpose, I just prepared a dishpan in the sink with hot water and soap and dunked each item separately in there after unwrapping. I then rinsed each out and hung them up to dry. I put on my thicker rubber kitchen gloves for this stage because I didn't think that the gloves included in the kit would protect my hands sufficiently when I was washing the items in hot water, and it was no problem.
So, I think everything turned out pretty cute :-). In fact, the following two items will be available on my Etsy shop for purchase or custom order. Here are the pink yoga pants that I did circles on.
Today's Thought: http://www.favecrafts.com/ really is an amazing, FREE website for all things crafty. They are constantly coming up with new ideas and new contributors, so it's so worth checking back often!
So, I think everything turned out pretty cute :-). In fact, the following two items will be available on my Etsy shop for purchase or custom order. Here are the pink yoga pants that I did circles on.
And the baby onesie that I did with circles in orange, pink and purple.
And the t-shirt that I think I'm going to keep for myself!
Mmmm, now I think I want to try a series of items in a yellow, green, blue palette. Ooooo, a whole new world has opened up to me -- thanks Tulip! Oh, and if you decide to give it a try yourself, go to http://www.ilovetocreate.com/ to order your kit and enter the code “fave1009” for free shipping at checkout (which expires 11/30/09). Happy Tie-Dying!!
Today's Thought: http://www.favecrafts.com/ really is an amazing, FREE website for all things crafty. They are constantly coming up with new ideas and new contributors, so it's so worth checking back often!
Saturday, October 31, 2009
Tie-Dying Part 1
Ok, so the kit arrived, and I was faced with going through with this! It's from Tulip, and it's called the SuperBig One-Step Tie-Dye Kit.
I thought about dying some yarn and then crocheting something with it, and Tulip also provides an eBook through the FaveCrafts site (http://www.favecrafts.com/Wearable-Crafts/Fun-with-Fabric-Dyes-eBook-from-Tulip) with a lot of projects in it (frankly, that's where I got the yarn dying idea, but chickened out!). But, ultimately, I decided that I would do some traditional tie-dye projects. I ordered some t-shirts, baby onesies, and yoga pants from http://www.jiffyshirts.com/ and they got here in one day!
So, while ghouls and goblins were roaming the streets tonight, I was creating some scariness of my own. Actually, my biggest fear was making a mess in my white and light grey kitchen, but what good would the kit be if that wasn't anticipated?! I have to say, the kit is pretty well stocked with a plastic tarp, multiple pairs of plastic gloves (which are a little bit thin and big, but they do allow you to have the needed dexterity, so they ended up being fine), 8 plastic bottles and I'm not sure how many dye packs, but there were plenty of colors in there. I decided to go with orange, pink, and purple. I made the orange by mixing some of the yellow powder with the pink powder. I put about a teaspoon of dye powder into the plastic bottle and filled with water to the top and closed the top and shook to really mix it up. The instructions say that you've got about 45 minutes in which to use the dye; after that, it starts to lose its effectiveness.
The instructions tell you to wash the items that you are going to dye first (and a friend told me to stick with all cotton), so I handwashed the all-cotton items that I decided to do in these color combinations (1 t-shirt, 1 onesie, and the pink yoga pants; I decided to keep the other items in case this works and I want to try other color combinations). Then, while the items were still damp, I wrapped rubber bands (which are also included in the kit) around parts of the items to create the sections where you are supposed to apply the dye. Then, you lay out the items on paper towels on top of the tarp and start dying. Now, here's where it gets tricky -- it's very easy to drip the dye in areas you don't want while you're squeezing the bottle to saturate the areas you want to cover. But, overall, I think I managed to not get dye all over the place or on myself. Clean-up was pretty easy also, I just kept putting everything in the sink after using, then I rinsed everything thoroughly and set aside to air dry. As long as you rinse and wipe down stuff quickly, the dyes seem to wash away.
Ok, well, now I have to keep you in suspense (and myself) and ask you to return tomorrow to see how it all turned out because, after dying the items, you have to wrap them in plastic and let them sit for at least 4 to 6 hours according to the eBook (the instructions in the box say 6 to 8 hours).
Today's Thought: Take it easy on the Halloween candy, happy Trick or Treating everyone!
I thought about dying some yarn and then crocheting something with it, and Tulip also provides an eBook through the FaveCrafts site (http://www.favecrafts.com/Wearable-Crafts/Fun-with-Fabric-Dyes-eBook-from-Tulip) with a lot of projects in it (frankly, that's where I got the yarn dying idea, but chickened out!). But, ultimately, I decided that I would do some traditional tie-dye projects. I ordered some t-shirts, baby onesies, and yoga pants from http://www.jiffyshirts.com/ and they got here in one day!
So, while ghouls and goblins were roaming the streets tonight, I was creating some scariness of my own. Actually, my biggest fear was making a mess in my white and light grey kitchen, but what good would the kit be if that wasn't anticipated?! I have to say, the kit is pretty well stocked with a plastic tarp, multiple pairs of plastic gloves (which are a little bit thin and big, but they do allow you to have the needed dexterity, so they ended up being fine), 8 plastic bottles and I'm not sure how many dye packs, but there were plenty of colors in there. I decided to go with orange, pink, and purple. I made the orange by mixing some of the yellow powder with the pink powder. I put about a teaspoon of dye powder into the plastic bottle and filled with water to the top and closed the top and shook to really mix it up. The instructions say that you've got about 45 minutes in which to use the dye; after that, it starts to lose its effectiveness.
The instructions tell you to wash the items that you are going to dye first (and a friend told me to stick with all cotton), so I handwashed the all-cotton items that I decided to do in these color combinations (1 t-shirt, 1 onesie, and the pink yoga pants; I decided to keep the other items in case this works and I want to try other color combinations). Then, while the items were still damp, I wrapped rubber bands (which are also included in the kit) around parts of the items to create the sections where you are supposed to apply the dye. Then, you lay out the items on paper towels on top of the tarp and start dying. Now, here's where it gets tricky -- it's very easy to drip the dye in areas you don't want while you're squeezing the bottle to saturate the areas you want to cover. But, overall, I think I managed to not get dye all over the place or on myself. Clean-up was pretty easy also, I just kept putting everything in the sink after using, then I rinsed everything thoroughly and set aside to air dry. As long as you rinse and wipe down stuff quickly, the dyes seem to wash away.
Ok, well, now I have to keep you in suspense (and myself) and ask you to return tomorrow to see how it all turned out because, after dying the items, you have to wrap them in plastic and let them sit for at least 4 to 6 hours according to the eBook (the instructions in the box say 6 to 8 hours).
Today's Thought: Take it easy on the Halloween candy, happy Trick or Treating everyone!
Sunday, October 25, 2009
Tie Dye!
How long has it been since you've thought about tie-dye?! I think it's making a comeback, and I'm excited about giving it a try. The FaveCraft folks contacted me to see if I'd be willing to try out a tie-dye kit from one of their partners. It should be coming in the mail any day now, and I'm trying to think about what to make. If anyone's got suggestions, please let me know, and keep checking back here to see my progress!
Otherwise, I'm getting ready to post a new pattern for a boy's baseball cap and am finishing up the resizing of the little girl's sweater dress for 5 to 7 year olds.
Yikes, Halloween is a week away! Not sure what's going on this year in terms of costumes, parties, etc., but if there's anything worth reporting, I'll let you know ;-)
Ok, I'm off to pay bills and take care of those mundane but necessary tasks that always crop up on a Sunday night.
Today's Thought: Just got a Filtrene Air Purifier! Not sure if it's just psychological at this point, but I'd swear that the air does seem lighter somehow. Got a great price and fast shipping from http://www.discountfilterstore.com/. This brand of air purifiers and filters is made by 3M and has gotten great reviews, so if you're in need, check them out!
Otherwise, I'm getting ready to post a new pattern for a boy's baseball cap and am finishing up the resizing of the little girl's sweater dress for 5 to 7 year olds.
Yikes, Halloween is a week away! Not sure what's going on this year in terms of costumes, parties, etc., but if there's anything worth reporting, I'll let you know ;-)
Ok, I'm off to pay bills and take care of those mundane but necessary tasks that always crop up on a Sunday night.
Today's Thought: Just got a Filtrene Air Purifier! Not sure if it's just psychological at this point, but I'd swear that the air does seem lighter somehow. Got a great price and fast shipping from http://www.discountfilterstore.com/. This brand of air purifiers and filters is made by 3M and has gotten great reviews, so if you're in need, check them out!
Monday, October 19, 2009
30 Hours a Day
That's how many I think I need in order to actually do everything I need and want to do! But, if there were 30 hours in each day, could we still get away with sleeping only during 8 of them?! Well, why bother even contemplating because, unless the earth goes spinning off its axis, my dream of more time per day is not happening.
I need the time because I have so many project ideas going through my head and want to work on them all but the mundane things in life keep infringing on my creativity ;-) I guess my beef with time is no different than everyone else's, but I just had to get it off my chest.
So, I am making the best use of my time by concentrating on my Ravelry account and trying to post more and more crochet tips on http://www.crochet.lifetips.com/. I've added a new section on Books and Magazines, hoping to be able to share my views on the various resources out there. I did notice today that the Crafts section in the Barnes & Noble in downtown DC seems to have expanded, and there was a better-than-usual selection and variety of crochet books. I had to stop myself from picking up any new ones, considering I have a shelf-full at home that I still need to access.
Anyway, just a quick post to rant and give you a preview of what I'm working on. More to come as always, stick with me :-)
Today's Thought: Speaking of time, using an egg timer periodically to time how long it takes you to do certain tasks is a great way to prepare yourself for those times where you're bemoaning the fact that you've got 10 minutes "to kill" and don't think you can get anything done in that time. It's amazing how much can be accomplished in 10 minutes -- time yourself and see!
I need the time because I have so many project ideas going through my head and want to work on them all but the mundane things in life keep infringing on my creativity ;-) I guess my beef with time is no different than everyone else's, but I just had to get it off my chest.
So, I am making the best use of my time by concentrating on my Ravelry account and trying to post more and more crochet tips on http://www.crochet.lifetips.com/. I've added a new section on Books and Magazines, hoping to be able to share my views on the various resources out there. I did notice today that the Crafts section in the Barnes & Noble in downtown DC seems to have expanded, and there was a better-than-usual selection and variety of crochet books. I had to stop myself from picking up any new ones, considering I have a shelf-full at home that I still need to access.
Anyway, just a quick post to rant and give you a preview of what I'm working on. More to come as always, stick with me :-)
Today's Thought: Speaking of time, using an egg timer periodically to time how long it takes you to do certain tasks is a great way to prepare yourself for those times where you're bemoaning the fact that you've got 10 minutes "to kill" and don't think you can get anything done in that time. It's amazing how much can be accomplished in 10 minutes -- time yourself and see!
Monday, October 12, 2009
Happy Columbus Day!
Ah, a day off... Can't say I did anything profoundly wonderful with it, but it was nice to have :-)
I've been posting patterns on Ravelry -- it's so much fun to see which ones people "heart"! I'm resizing the little girl's sweater dress to fit 5 to 7 year olds, so that's been keeping me busy, but I'm already trying to figure out what my next design will be. The survey vote ended up not having a conclusive category winner, so I guess it gives me leeway to go wherever my creative juices take me. I'm thinking I should come up with a project that men might like, either to receive or to make for themselves. It'll be a fun challenge.
I've also been thinking a lot about Twitter. I got a Twitter handbook that's supposed to outline how to best use it for business purposes, but I'm still not convinced it's something that will be productive. Though I am intrigued by the requirement to express one's thoughts, etc., in 140 words. It's so much harder to be succinct and to the point than to ramble on (as I'm sure I've demonstrated many times here before!)
Ok, time to go pay some bills and squeeze a little more out of my three-day weekend!
Today's Thought: Freshbooks is a great service if you need an easy and organized way of invoicing clients. It's easy and free to set up an account for up to 3 clients and can easily be upgraded for more services. The accessibility of personal service is impressive as well. Check them out here at http://www.freshbooks.com/
I've been posting patterns on Ravelry -- it's so much fun to see which ones people "heart"! I'm resizing the little girl's sweater dress to fit 5 to 7 year olds, so that's been keeping me busy, but I'm already trying to figure out what my next design will be. The survey vote ended up not having a conclusive category winner, so I guess it gives me leeway to go wherever my creative juices take me. I'm thinking I should come up with a project that men might like, either to receive or to make for themselves. It'll be a fun challenge.
I've also been thinking a lot about Twitter. I got a Twitter handbook that's supposed to outline how to best use it for business purposes, but I'm still not convinced it's something that will be productive. Though I am intrigued by the requirement to express one's thoughts, etc., in 140 words. It's so much harder to be succinct and to the point than to ramble on (as I'm sure I've demonstrated many times here before!)
Ok, time to go pay some bills and squeeze a little more out of my three-day weekend!
Today's Thought: Freshbooks is a great service if you need an easy and organized way of invoicing clients. It's easy and free to set up an account for up to 3 clients and can easily be upgraded for more services. The accessibility of personal service is impressive as well. Check them out here at http://www.freshbooks.com/
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