Inspirations for April 10, 2012

Loom Knitting

• Denise Layman of the blog Knitting Without Needles shows how to make a knitting loom from household items

Handmade Knitting Loom @knitchat.com

• Learn how to adapt a traditional knitting pattern for use on a loom in this straight forward and easy to follow eHow tutorial written by Jessica Freytag.
• Fellow loom knitter Bethany A. Dailey, the blogger behind Gettin’ It Pegged, has written the book Loom Knitting for Little People .

Loom Knitting for Little People by Bethany A. Dailey @amazon.com

Crocheting

•  This tutorial/pattern at PurlBee.com explains how to make granny squares (my latest crochet obsession).
  

  Classic Crocheted Granny Square @PurlBee.com

• Lucy at Attic24 always shares amazing, colorful projects. I immediately fell in love with her ripple afghan and I think this will be my next project.

Neat Ripple Afghan Pattern from Attic24.com

• Learn the vintage pineapple stitch. I know … I’d never heard of it either but the sample looks interesting …

Vintage Pineapple Stitch @Freevintagecrochet.com

Knitting

• I found this tutorial on Pinterest about finger knitting and think this technique would  for making a unique scarf  or maybe make a rug or blanket by stitching together several strips of knitting.

Finger Knitting Tutorial @Little Bird School of Stitchcraft

• Are you a picker or a thrower? Interweave’s Knitting Daily blog had a really great post explaining the differences between the two knitting styles along with a tutorial teaching picking to throwers and vice versa. This isn’t a new post but the information is especially relevant to newer knitters.
• Search for “speed knitting” on YouTube and you’ll be returned a lot of results. KnitPicks.com’s video “Learn to Speed Knit!” is full of great tips for increasing your speed and efficiency.

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Make a Magic Ball of Yarn

I was surfing the web today looking for some knitting, crocheting, and looming inspiration when I stumbled on to a forum post on Ravelry about ways to use up all those scraps of yarn that we yarny people seem to accumulate. Seriously, people, where do they come from? I have enough yarn scraps to reach the moon and back!

But I digress …

The thread mentioned something I have never heard of before: a magic yarn ball. A magic yarn ball, for those of you like myself who were not in the know, is a yarn ball that is a ball of yarn wound from scraps of yarn. You take lengths of yarn that are between three to eight yards long and start winding. When you reach then end of one piece of yarn, you join a new piece of yarn by either tying a knot or using a Russian join.

Intrigued?

I had to find out more so I did some Googling and some YouTubing (are those real words?) and about 5 minutes later I was watching the following video clip from Jimmy Beans Wool:

I have tons of scrap yarn sitting around on shelves, in drawers, and in bags … ugh, I have yarn scraps everywhere!

This is a real inspiration.It’s a great way to be green too since all that yarn will be saved from going to a landfill.

I’m envisioning an afghan to cuddle up with on the sofa.

Daily Inspirations

Nutmegan Creative Exploration’s Crochet Earflap Hat

Dainty Loop’s Pink Snood Cowl

DIY Shoe Accessories by Craft Snob

Elizabeth Carl’s Color Block Felted Mitten Patterns

Brown Blended Green Chunky Boots-Slippers by The Happy Feet

Cozy Season’s Rich Deep Blue Ruffle Mohair Scarf

http://www.elizabethcarls.com/elizabeth-carls/2011/02/just-published-color-block-felted-mittens-pattern.htmlBrown Blended

Inspirations

Here are a few things I’ve been viewing lately. These aren’t all yarn-related but they’ve been fueling my creativity and I thought they were cool enough to share.

Lasunka’s Crochet Brown Hat

Kacey Kendrick Wagner’s Candlestick Topiary

Crochet Hearts by The Late Afternoon

Foodie Family’s Nana’s Spanish Style Hot Chocolate

Dressed Up Loom Knit Hats by In Words and Pictures

Zoom Yummy’s Crocodile Stitch Purse