Arts n Crafts

Muna wa Wanjiru asked:




Knitting is the art of turning threads into piece of cloth. Knitting is done by looping those threads, into each other by stitching. Knitting may be hand made or machine made. By hand there are many styles and ways. There are so many different fibers and needles that are used to make those different varieties of cloth pieces such as table cloths, handkerchiefs and etc.

There are different knitting patterns, such as lace knitting, loop knitting, loom knitting, we will briefly discuss lace knitting, lace knitting is not that strange, Anybody can do lace knitting, they are able to form threads, by using the help from the charts or any other link, you can create beautiful patterns of cloths. It does not require any special or inborn talent to start knitting.

It will just take a time, to learn and get experience. Knitting becomes interesting automatically. Knitting is an art from ancient times. There are many designs that your mind can create such as natural scenery, flowers, birds, or aquarium beauty, anything is suitable, in your convenience. These ideas come for each person different, depending on there nature, but all these designs will surely turn into memorable creation.

Lace knitting is the relatively a new, hardly two hundred years old. This became a new profession for people who lived in villages, or rural areas. There are number of traditions of it like Orenburg and Unst which came from Russia. Laces are provided from Iceland and Estonia. In fact the oldest patterns of lace knitting were made by the fisherman, and they are very strong can not be ripped. These patterns were graceful, compared to its economy, originality and terminology. They were like made by true artistic vision and intellect.

Types of Lace

Lace may be illustrated briefly with two characteristics:

1. which kind of ground it is worked, if

- it is garter stitch that is every row is knitted.

- Or stockinet stitch that the knit and purl rows alternated-

2. frequency of patterned rows, if

- it is every row

- or only every right side row

Garter stitch lace look symmetrical, both ends are similar, but stockinet lace, has a specific right and wrong side. As we know by lace knitting we can interlace Shawls. Since most of the lace knitting is utilized into shawl, stoles scarves. Stoles look beautiful when you wear them on traditional “kurties” and western jeans. They give you a stylish plus modern and unique look.

Scarves and stoles all are available in rectangular shapes, while in shawls you will get variety such as circular, triangular.

The majorities of shawls are composed of main center piece and surrounded bye borders of many different patterns and then there is a final piping around it. There are many variations here if its scarves or stole. Lace knitting needs extensive stretching, to look at its best, inflexible cast on bound off edges should be avoided as possible. Knitting may move several directions within one piece.

Sherry Frewerd asked:




Knitting, it’s said, is a very relaxing and satisfying craft. Knitting is a hobby that you can learn and then do while enjoying other past-times like watching television and at the same time create wonderful knitted items for yourself and others.

Multi-taskers will find that knitting works well for them. Throughout time, groups of women have been known to sit and knit while chatting with friends and family. You can watch your kids and knit at the same time as well, making knitting a great hobby for busy moms and dads.

Many people find the idea of learning to knit to be daunting. When you’re just starting out the needles feel foreign in your hands, making the process awkward and frustrating at times. Keep in mind though, that the initial awkwardness goes away and you’re left with a great sense of satisfaction and accomplishment. Creating something with your own hands is one of the best feelings to have. Knitting can leave you with this feeling. Having the patience and correct supplies will help you achieve your goal of learning to knit.

If you’re ready to learn the simple basics of knitting, the following easy steps can help you get going.

Getting the Right Knitting Supplies

Although it may seem complicated, all that you need to start knitting are a pair of knitting needles and some yarn. Some folks start out with a pattern, so if that’s your plan you’ll need an easy knitting pattern to follow too.

Your Knitting Needles

There are many different types of knitting needles to choose from, and not all are created equal. Most knitters will agree that the easiest needles to start out with are wooden needles. The yarn seems to stay on wooden needles better, allowing you to knit easier. Plastic or metal knitting needles cause the yarn to slip off easily if you’re not advanced and know how to handle them properly. So, newbie knitters should stick with wooden knitting needles.

Start out with large wooden needles so that you can easily see your mistakes and complete your project quicker. If you drop a stitch you want to be able to see it quickly and fix the mistake easily.

Getting Your Yarn

Beginner knitters should start their first project using natural yarn such as cotton or wool. Natural fiber yarn will stay on the knitting needles better than a synthetic yarn will. Do not be lured by the fancy yarn you see in the stores. You will find working with them to be far too challenging and cause frustration at first. Start out with simple natural yarns and then go from there.

Learning Knitting Jargon

Just like almost any craft, knitting too has its own language or jargon. When you’re starting out, you’ll need to learn the jargon that goes along with knitting. Yes, at first it can seem overwhelming, but you’ll get the hang of the lingo quickly. Crafting books, knitting dictionaries and online sources will help you learn what you need to know to get started. Here are a few basics to help you out.

K = Knit, KB = Knit-in-Back, BO = Bind-Off, P = Purl, EOR = knit every other row

Knitting - Get Going!

With anything that’s worth doing, the first step is to just do it. Get your supplies, patterns, instruction books and start learning to knit. Don’t go overboard with buying supplies, because you may find that once you’ve given it a go, knitting may not be your cup of tea after all.

You’ll find once you’ve learned to knit that you may start seeking out others who share your passion and enthusiasm for the craft. You’ll be able to make new friends as well as wonderful pieces of art and family heirlooms from your knitting skills. As a beginning knitter, you’ll soon become advanced if you take care to buy the right supplies for your skill level and look for proper knitting instruction. These basic tips will help you reach your goal of learning to knit with ease. Have fun and happy knittin’!

avi asked:




Learning to start making your own garments in a pleasurable way is one of the best things that you can do in your entire life. And the best thing about that is you can feel proud every time you see your friends or relatives wear your masterpiece.

In the same way, crocheting is more than just stitches and yarns. It is, basically, a wonderful activity that almost everybody would love to engage in. Who would not? With all those “calming effect” and sense of fulfillment, learning crochet lessons is the ultimate way to hone your skill.

Contrary to most popular beliefs, learning crochet lessons is not that hard. In fact, in order to get you going, all you need is a good crochet hook, yarns, measuring tape, yarn needle, and some even pins.

The Yarn

Once the equipments are complete, the next thing you have to do is to learn how to hold the yarn.

For people who are absolutely newbie when it comes to sewing in general, holding a yarn could be tricky. Even if it only takes some time of getting used to, it is still important to know the proper way to hold it.

Here is how:

1. Hold the yarn in such a way that you will let it pass through your fingers. The sequence would be: little finger—beneath the ring finger—above the forefingers and the middle fingers.

2. You can also hold the yarn by looping the yarn in the region of the little finger, and allow it to cross the forefinger.

3. In holding the hook, it would be better to hold it the way you hold a spoon or a pencil. In this way, it would be easier for you to heave the yarn from your fingers down to your “loop in the hook.”

These are just the basics. Hence, one should always keep in mind that holding the yarn is actually a matter of partiality. So it would be better to always try your preferred position until you feel comfortable doing it.

Identifying the Size of Hook and Yarns

One of the most important crochet lessons that you must learn is on how to identify the right yarn and hook sizes.

Keep in mind that the sizes, whether it is for the hook or the yarn, pertains to the breadth and depth of the item. For instance, the dimension of the hook is specified using different letters. It can also be some numbers, while there are cases wherein hook’s size may use both the numbers and the letters.

In order for you to be able to identify which hook size is appropriate to use, always keep in mind that in crocheting, the higher the letter or number, it simply means that the hook size is getting thicker.

On the other hand, identifying the heaviness of the yarn is also the same as the thickness of the yarn. But unlike the hook size, the yarn size is indicated by a name.

Decreasing and Increasing

In learning crochet lessons, it is also important to learn how to decrease and increase the breadth and depth of the project or pattern.

If you want to decrease the width a project, deduct some stitches. This can be done by skipping a stitch in a row, and then stitch into the next. On the other hand, in order to increase the thickness, all you have to do is to insert more stitches in a row. This can be done by joining two stitches of the same row together in order to come up with a solo stitch on the next row prior to it.

Pattern Reading

It is extremely important for a crochet maker to learn how to read the abbreviations in the pattern. This involves a little time because you have to memorize all of the terms and abbreviations in the pattern.

Knowing them would simply facilitate your process and would make your work faster. It can be very time consuming if you keep on looking back at your guidelines just to know the meaning of a certain abbreviation.

The bottom line is that crochet lessons are significant things that every crochet maker should do. Incorporating them into your work would absolutely make your life making different crochets a lot better.

Jennifer Stevens asked:




beautiful miniature book with the word EUROPE in big bold letters on the front is aching to be picked up.  You’ve been hearing about the trip for weeks now, but have yet to see a picture.  What a great way to explore the European countryside by seeing all the sights laid out in a book.

Scrapbooking monumental task for many. The effort it takes to make one page alone is downright overwhelming.  With the right ideas though and just a few supplies, you can easily make a scrapbook for every special occasion you want to remember.

When you are just beginning, remember that scrapbooking doesn’t have to be frilly or cluttered.  If you want more of a clean look, stick to basic colors and just one or two photos per page.  Make sure to have a coordinating caption that tells what was going on and when.  When you’re glancing through it 30 years later, you’ll be grateful for those captions!

Undoubtedly, you will probably run out of page ideas once in awhile.  This is easily remedied by going to scrapbook or crafting website and seeing the ample suggestions they have readily available.  Not only can you find the perfect page idea, but it will also list the materials you will need.

Pictures from weddings, a special birthday, a new baby, or even a fun trip tragically end up in a dusty filing cabinet or on a hard drive.  Being able to arrange those cherished photos in their own personal album will give you easy access for sharing and reminiscing.  Scrapbooks can serve as your own little storybook of the precious times you never want to forget.

Author Jennifer Stevens teaching here to make scrapbook for special occasion. She says that When you are just beginning, remember that scrapbooking doesn’t have to be frilly or cluttered. Scrapbooking is a great way to explore the European countryside by seeing all the sights laid out in a book. Also find more information about free crochet hat patterns, free knitting patterns at Favecrafts.com

ausjamie asked:




Wool Knitting Patterns can be used to make all sorts of woollen products and not only jumpers or a cardigan. With a good set of Wool Knitting Patterns you can learn to make things such as Dolls, baby blankets, scarves, ponchos, mittens and socks. You can literally make anything your heart desires.

When using your Wool Knitting Patterns to make your favourite garments don’t forget that you can also use different types of wool or yarn. Some people are actually allergic to some of the wool varieties particularly from sheeps wool, so when you are considering what wool to use to knit your creation you might want to consider fibre from the Angora Goat or maybe from an Alpaca.

Obviously once you have chosen which one of your Wool Knitting Patterns you are going to use and the type of yarn that you want to use, the next thing to consider is the colour or colours of your garment. If you are like me then I tend to stick to single colours as I am not that creative but some of my friends go crazy and make some really interesting colourful garments.

One of the beautiful things about knitting is the ability to custom make every single item. You can design yourself a complete wardrobe of accessories all in the same colour and material. You mittens can match your socks and your beanie and even your scarf or shawl. You can also make your garments in your team colours to show your team the support they deserve.

Once you have started to make a few items from your Wool Knitting Patterns and your skill levels increase why not consider selling a few things and make yourself a part time income. I have managed to sell a few things through some local shops on consignment and made myself a few dollars. I also sell a few items at the local markets and have even taken orders from people when I have run out of stock. One of my best sellers is actually a few of the dolls I make.

If you are interested in getting hold of some of these patterns then check out my Wool Knitting Patterns lens and follow the links to my favourite guide.

Rk Oberoi asked:




Incomparable tea pot set and tea cutlery with resplendent tea cozy covers can make your evening tea very memorable. The delight that comes with the beautiful tea cozy patterns are matchless to any other thing. So use the specific tea cozy patterns if your wanna enjoy tea. You can also give the tea cozies covers as a gift to your friends and family. Mostly the hand knitted tea cozy patterns and crochet patterns are admired. But you can also buy the machine made quited tea cozies and present these.

Tea Cozy Knitting Patterns

In the tea cozy patterns the knitting designs are numerous in which different knitting patterns and wool colors are used. Wool is also used to make crochet tea cozy patterns that looks very different from that of knitting patterns. Along with teapot cozy cover you will also find the mittens and gloves of similar pattern. From the tea cozy knitting patterns you can find flowers, animals and figures of fruits.

Quilted Tea Cozy Patterns

Quilted tea cozy patterns are now replacing the knitting patterns as these are made from the colorful and printed fabric. Quilted tea cozies look more stylish and contemporary than the knitted or crochet ones. Normally four to five layered lining of warm fabric, cotton or polywool is given to make quilted tea cozy pattermitn.

Quilted tea cozy patterns can acquire any shape from straight lines to floral prints and zig zags. These patterns on tea cosy covers are made with machine but can also be done by hand. On the quilted tea cozies you will also find embroidery that makes wonderful embroidered tea cozy.

Tea Cozy Crochet Patterns

Tea cozy crochet patterns are finer than the woolen patterns and looks good. You can use different colors of wool to make the tea cozy crochet patterns.