1/25/2016

DIY - Yarncrafts, Pom Poms

1/25/2016
DIY - Yarncrafts, Pom poms
All images above | Pinterest
Pom poms, to me, are a colorful and playful embellishment. Even neutral colors take on a more light-hearted vibrancy with pom poms in the same tone. Traditional fabrics and styles become free-spirited with the addition of colorful pom poms and tassels. Happy is a word that comes to mind and instantly you have a big smile on your face just looking at them. They can be big, fluffy and bright to top a hat or tiny in an explosion of colors circling around a scarf. Accessories can be the safest way to show off this trim, but instead of making one pompom for a hat, why not three in different sizes. Restyle a purchased sweater or a fabulous thrift find and take the garment to a whole new level by making tiny pompoms for polka dots. Striking black pom poms on a cream or white sweater....dramatic!. Have fun and think about ways you can update or brighten what you have in you closet. Be sure to also read all the past posts further down for more creative ideas, tutorials and helpful videos on creating some very imaginative pompoms.

1/16/2016

Needlecrafts - Knit, Crochet - Rectangle Ponchos

1/16/2016
Needlecrafts - Knit,Crochet - Rectangle Ponchos
Garter fringe knit poncho| free pattern available here
Crochet stripe poncho| free pattern available here
At this time of year I feel like cocooning and binging on T.V.programmes I missed or sporadically watched. Case in point, "Mad Men" and now "Downton Abby". It's great to watch each season as one big movie. What a treat! Of course that doesn't interfere with my knitting or crochet but it's always better to have extremely easy projects. As you get involved, patterns get mixed and before you know it you are ripping back a few rows. The featured pattern in this post is perfect - 2 rectangles to knit and/or crochet, a good way to even practise new stitch patterns. There's not much pattern here to think about, thankfully. So get out all the odds and ends or take advantage of the great sales on yarn and start creating!

1/05/2016

Needlecrafts - Knit, Basic Techniques - The I-Cord

1/05/2016
Needlecrafts - Knit, basic techniques - I-Cords
All inspirational images | Phildar
Happy New Year to all! This past year has definitely been busy, productive and creative. Let's start the year off with a simple knitting technique, quick to accomplish and best of all, easily applied to an accessory that can be very chic. An i-cord can be used in so many ways. Make them in different weights and textures of yarn, attached at one end and twisted loosely for a one of a kind scarf. Use strips as contrats edging for slippers, hem, hat or sleeve edges. Braid several strands together for a cosy cowl. The ideas for using i-cords are endless especially if you try knitting all the different types, whether textured or spiraled. Be sure to read about the different methods of making i-cords such as the french spool method (we called it corking), something I loved doing as a kid. There is a kid's version of an i-cord maker, something that every child will enjoy doing. Be sure to read further for helpful tutorials, ideas and video to get you started.