Stitch & Unwind Website

Here's a very good website for your crocheting and knitting......

Mistakes Every Crocheter Makes – Part 1

There is a list of other people's "crocheting woes".

From the site:

"Stitch and Unwind is the official blog for AllFreeKnitting.com, AllFreeCrochet.com, andAllFreeCrochetAfghanPatterns.com. You’ll see post from all three being contributed regularly. Once in a while you might see a post from our friends at FaveCrafts.com as well!"

I didn't realize AllFree website had another blog.  There's knitting help, patterns and giveaways.  If you haven't seen it, please do take a minute to check it out.

Next week:

Look for Part 2 next week! What mistakes have you made?

Hope you enjoy it.

Kathy

2 Color Brioche Knit Pattern Stitch

Have you ever tried or seen the beautiful 2 color Brioche knit stitch?  Here's a website that is awesome and helpful and beautiful and everything you ever wanted in a website.

The Purl Bee by Pearl Soho  If you scroll down, you'll find the pattern and instructions on how to do the 2 color brioche knit stitch.  Please, leave a comment and let her know you found her here. Just click on all her links.  You'll find tons of helpful information and patterns.  Thank you Purl Bee!!

Nostepinnes Center Pull Yarn Ball

Look what I found!  A tutorial on winding your yarn with a center pull!!  Now I'm not sure what a nostepinnes is but from the pictures, it looks like you could find something else that would work as well.  

The website is +Curiosities808  and here is the link for the tuturial you see below.  Part of it, as I didn't want to step on any toes.  You need to go to her website to see the tute.

Please leave a comment so she knows you've been there and appreciate her help.


She's an awesome beautiful young lady living in Hawaii.  She loves creating and is very curious about painting, embroidery, crocheting.  She loves wool, knitting and yarn!

See the rest of the tutorial HERE

Knit and Crochet Websites You Need to SEE

Here's a wonderful website showing you her pompoms........she loves them!

POM-POMS      

She shows you how to make them in 9 easy steps.  She's on Facebook as Craft Share.

Please go HERE and read the beautiful story about the bird nest.  Also, check out all her wonderful photos and crochet patterns and projects.

It's such a wonderful thing to see.

Oh my, check out the rose and the lace scarf.  Many links take you to another site but it's worth doing.  I'd post some pics but I don't want to infringe on their copyrights.


Another great site to visit

Look HERE, too, to see how to make a hairpin lace tool.  Why didn't I think of that?



Now that I"m done here, I'mb going to check out more links on I Love Pom-Poms blog!

More later.

Mochimochi Patterns

  Adorable Knitting Site with Mochimochi Patterns

I found this great website for you.  You can buy her patterns and her website explains how and where you can find them.  Don't miss out!  Look at her blog, too.  She has "helps" to make her little tiny patterns.

Have you ever heard of mochimochi?  I'm not sure what it means but it sure is cute!
I spent quite a bit of time on her website just giggling and truly enjoying her creations.  She's quite talented.   You'll giggle when you see the pigs with wigs and a tiny little umbrella!  Make sure you see the toilet paper!

She has some free patterns:
Captain Capacitor
Toilet Paper Roll
Tiny Perching Pigeons


The yarns she uses the most are fingering yarns. 

Along the right are her free patterns ~ you must go check them out.  You'll find pigs with wigs and a tiny little umbrella!

Please check out all my blogs:

Knit and Crochet Pattern Chat
Arts and Crafts dot COM

If you're interested in our motorhome travels, you'll find me at:


Fulltime RV Travel Fun

AND if you're interested in reading my RV park reviews:


RV Park Reviews

Red Heart Garter Stitch Baby Hat

Here's my next choice of knitting hat patterns from Red Heart.  I want to use up the blue from the other hat, pix coming.........

Garter Stitch Baby Hat

ADORABLE  right!?

Red Heart Faux Brioche Beret

I've made this hat pattern and found what I think is a mistake and have talked to them about it.  They agree but I don't know how long the correction will be made.  Correction is in red.


The pattern states:



Rounds 14-47: Repeat Rounds 12 and 13 seventeen (17) more times
Rounds 48-53: * K1, p1; repeat from * around.


How I think it should read is:


Rounds 14-53:  Repeat Rounds 12 and 13 twenty (20) more times


From there on use the pattern as written but continue to work into the rows below as long as the pattern allows, keeping in mind that the decreases will affect the numbers of stitches involved in the pattern.  You want to keep the raised rib as long as possible.


Hope this helps everyone.  I'm going to try a different on next.  I'll post some pix of this hat now and the next one later.

matching fingerless gloves

I'll take a pix after I"m all done.  Sorry for them being blurry........to much coffee, I guess.  I'll try to do better next time.

Red Heart Webby Top #2

Yup, Red Heart Webby top #2 coming.......we'll see how this one turns out.  Think I'll make it smaller than needed so when it grows, LOL, it'll be the right size.


Has anyone googled, sexy crochet patterns?  You must!  I found lots of tank tops, swim suits, which I'm not into, but could probably find a tank I could use for Zumba.


Come back often!!

Red Heart Yarn and 2012 Special Olympics

Red Heart is sponsoring the 2012 Winter Special Olympics and you are more than welcome to make scarves using the Red Heart Soft yarns or the Red Heart Super Saver yarns.


Check out this website for more information if you think this is something you'd like to do:


2012 Special Olympics Scarf Project


Also, WalMart is also sponsoring the Special Olympics and are making sure there's plenty of the Red Heart Soft and Super Saver in stock.


Please, check the link to make sure you are getting the correct colors.  The color names and numbers are on the website.  Check out the complete details and download the patterns.


Happy knitting and crocheting for this very wonderful cause.


Kathy

Killing that Yarn! Have a Heart, Red Heart that Is.

Killling your acrylic yarn isn't something bad or new.  You can Google it and find lots of information.


I decided to make something, see the pattern here .


(This pattern is available on the Red Heart yarn website and the designers are the Double Stitch Twins)  and thought I was using the correct yarn only to find out when I was all done, that I didn't use the corrrect yarn.  And if you've followed any of my blogs, you know how much I love Red Heart yarns.  I'm old school, I guess, because when I see or hear yarn in the materials list, I can only think of Super Saver or 4 ply worsted yarns we're all so familiar with.


Red Heart is not just Super Saver yarn anymore.  They have some amazing yarns that we really should give a try.  After all, they are at a very reasonable price for such great quality.


Anyway, the pattern really intrigued me.  I am a Zumba Fitness instructor and am always looking for unique fitness wear that I can make myself.  Since you can't wear sweater, vests or mittens to a fitness class, for obvious reasons, this pattern was right up my alley.


When I was all done,I couldn't figure out why it was this stiff sort of ugly "thing" and not at all like the picture.  Then I read the materials list closer.  I was supposed to use Red Heart Soft yarn.  There's quite a big difference between Red Heart Soft yarn and Red Heart Super Saver.  BUT, I remembered one time how I ruined a project when I tried to steam it and found out acrylic yarns don't take too well to steaming BUT I remembered how soft it became and it's great to know that it stays that way no matter how much you wash it.  Yeah!!


I love my memory sometimes!  Sometimes it's there for me when I need it.  I got out my ironing board and steam iron, a cotton dish cloth and a spray bottle of water.  Amazing!  It softened it nicely and now it's  wearable!  Pictures to come shortly.  So I didn't return all the Red Heart Super Saver yarn I bought to make a couple more of these luscious sexy tops to wear to Zumba Fitness classes and am now on my second project.


The one you'll find in the link above turned out a little large for me so I did design my own.  The original one was a large circular design and I made mine a rectangle because I didn't like a lot hanging under my arm to get in the way of the Latin arm movements.  You know what I mean?


Thanks for following my blog and I hope I've been helpful to many of you.

Cutting a Steek or Cabling Without a Cable Needle

Cutting a steek or cabling without a cable needle are just two of the amazing helps you can find on this wonderful blog.


You'll find the information along the right side in that column.  Check out her patterns, free ones, too, and make sure you take a peek at some of the blogs listed in her blog roll.

Knitting to Stay Sane

Let me know what you think.  I'm interested in know what you'd like to see.

This is part of her "About Me" bio.

About

Me

My sort of blogging Mission Statement.

My name is Glenna, and I live near Toronto, Ontario. Having learned to knit as a child, I would say that I became a true “Knitter” more than six years ago while studying for my PhD, as a form of stress relief and distraction. I finished the PhD and kept on knitting anyway. I have since added knitting design and teaching to my repertoire, have been producing knitting patterns for self-publication and for independent yarn dyers for several years, have a yarn stash with a life of its own, and I am never without a project no matter where I am. In fact, I once cut a steek while riding a bus, and lived to tell the tale. I believe in challenging myself and knitting without fear. My patterns have been featured in Canadian Living Magazine, Knitty, Magknits, and online through Ravelry and Patternfish. I have designed for Tanis Fiber Arts, Indigodragonfly Yarns, The Sweet Sheep, and others.........

Tom Hanks Pulls a Knitting Prank on Julia Roberts !

Tom Hanks pulls a knitting prank on Julia Roberts!!!


Really, you must check this out!  It's hilarious and so fun to watch!


I'll be back soon with more fun sites to check out.

Pretty Pin Cushions made by Julie!  Knitted Patterns Available! One FREE Knitted Pattern, too!

I found this site and fell in love with it because I am madly in love with pincushions myself and really would love to be able to design them like Julie does.  Guess all I have to do is sit down and try but when I don't see it in my head, it doesn't come out of my fingers.

This lady has some great patterns and I think you should check them out.  She has one free pattern on her site.

Sorry the following link no longer works.  I can't find Julie's blog.
Julies Knitting Corner

Don't forget to check out my other blogs.

www.artsandcraftsdotcom.blogspot.com
www.creativeassist.blogspot.com

just for the fun of it:

www.fulltimervtravel.blogspot.com

What's with the little white photobucket box that keeps following me around the blog?  I better work on getting rid of that.  Some how.

Spring Baby Headband Free Pattern. The most adorable share

You must see this baby is adorable as well as the headband Mommy made for her.  This is a beautiful blog and I want to share it with you.

I'd Rather Be Knitting 

I can't believe how long it's been since I last posted.  I guess I'm getting lazy these days now that summer has finally, well, almost finally, hit the NW area.

I've also been doing a lot of walking, around 5 miles a day, and going to Zumba class twice a week.  Blogging sometimes gets forgotten.

Anyway, we all get that feeling of just needing a little break but I should be back really soon.  I'm finishing the socks I started awhile ago.  I can get a pair done in a week if I stick with it but this pair has taken a month and I'm not done yet.

Do you get to the point sometimes where you just don't know what to knit or crochet?  You sure don't need another afghan, and the family has plenty of them, too, so what do you make?  If you're like me, it has to be useful.  What I really should do is work on different stitch swatches and learn some new ones.  Hey, that's a good idea.  Maybe I'll do that.

My auctions have closed and a lucky lady bought some of my homespun yarn and I'm going to send her as much as I can put in the flat rate box.  So she's getting more than she paid for.  Have you seen the cost of shipping these days.  Yikes!

I hit the motherlode the other day!  I stopped by the GoodWill and there were bags and bags of beautiful bagged up yarns.  Expensive stuff that someone must have donated, of course, but must not have wanted.  Of course, it was all at really good prices.  I picked out the 100% wool bags but now wish I had taken some of the other yarns, too.  I didn't want to be a pig, though, and felt I should leave some for someone else to enjoy.  What a find.

That's it from me this time.  I'll get some photos taken of my socks and oh, I'm making pincushions.  So I'll try to get more photos of them, too.  Give me a few days as this week will be a busy one for me.

SeeYa

Red Heart Yarn Heart and Sole Key Chain Mini Purse Pattern

What would we do without Red Heart or Coats and Clark yarn? Did you know I was their Ambassador last August, 2009? See the column on the right for my story.

Hey, finally got one done. I just have to improvise sometimes, told that story already, so used some leftover sock yarn that I had in my stash. These little purses take so little yarn, I'm going to be able to get several if not lots of them. I'm working on purse #2 right now.

What I think I'll do, since I'm in into making pincushions right now, is stuff them and use them as a mini pincushion and maybe make some with longer handles. The next one, #2, has a different type of strap and one even is a drawstring!

Let me know what you think. I am not much of a photographer so forgive the bag photo. So much to do and so little time!

Don't forget to check out my other blog www.artsandcraftsdotcom.blogspot.com

Simply Knitting

Simply Knitting
 by: Jennifer Stevens

As I lifted a perfect loaf of bread out from the oven, I couldn’t help but be appalled by my potholders. On top of being worn through, I couldn’t even identify what food lined the crusty edges! At times like this, I’d usually remember to pick up a few during my weekly shopping trip….but fortunately, that habit has changed! Yearning to be more self-sufficient, I learned to knit my own potholders.

Grabbing some yarn from the hall, I sat down in front of my stone fireplace and got to work. Scared by the thought of “knitting,” I was shocked when I discovered the ease of it. A year ago, I had bravely purchased a knitting loom and a bundle of colored yarn from my local fabric store. Not having a friend who knits, I went online and found some great beginner tips (things only a true knitter could teach you). Potholders were my first project. Locating a free knitting pattern online that was easy to read and actually made sense, I went to work!

Within a few hours I had my first potholder! Ecstatic, I began to turn out potholders in no time. I became quicker at my new art, and started giving them out as gifts to everyone I knew. Christmas colored potholders are a favorite to give out with my famous oatmeal raisin cookies each December. That way, my loved ones are each getting something I put my time and love into. Not something I bought on a whim at the local super store.

Not only have I acquired a new skill, I have taught several of my friends how to knit as well! Using a free knitting pattern, it doesn’t take much money to make a homemade treasure. Getting back to the basics is something I have wanted for my family. As I sat in front of the fireplace with my yarn in hand, I was grateful for being brave enough to try something new!

About The Author

The author Jennifer Stevens shares her experience about different patterns of knitting. Potholders was her first project, She went online and found some great beginner tips from free knitting patterns. For more information on free crochet patterns, free crochet hat patterns, Christmas crafts visits http://www.favecrafts.com

Red Hearts Heart and Sole

Ok, here's the problem.  I live in our motorhome and where we are living right now, there is no Michaels, JoAnns, Hobby Lobby or anyplace that sells yarn.  So therefore, I am improvising.  It great when we can, don't you think?

I don't know how many are following my blog but I don't blame anyone for saying I'm just a flake!  She never does what she says she is going to do.  Well, I'm really not doing anything to make you think otherwise.  Sorry about that but there's so many things I really really want to accomplish but sometimes you just can't which frustrates me to no end.

Therefore, with no Red Heart Heart and Sole yarn anywhere to be found, I'm living on the Washington coast right now, I am improvising and using the sock yarn I have in my stash.  There's no labels anymore on these little balls of yarn so maybe one of them IS Heart and Sole.

I have gotten started on the adorable little purse key chains........  SEE HERE

It doesn't look like much but I'll tell you it has been fun to work or knit up such cute little pieces.  See I really am working on it..LOL

The next photo should look a lot more like something.

Red Heart Heart and Sole pattern I have chosen to start my challenge!

Here's a link to the pattern I have chosen to start my Red Heart yarn challenge. If you haven't followed along, I have challenged myself to use all Coats and Clark yarns in at least one pattern.

Here's the link:

Mini Key Ring

Aren't they cute?  

Now you might have to be patient until I can get out and buy the yarn. I sure sound like a procrastinator, don't I?  I might have some in my stash so could get started right away.

I will be back to show you my progress.

A New Knitted Afghan Pattern Coming Soon!

This is my newest knitted afghan design and the pattern will be available as soon as I complete the project.   The pattern is a simple slip stitch pattern that I found and decided to design something using this easy stitch.  I have been working on this for a about a week now and I plan to make the pattern available when I'm done.

I love the colors and I'm using Lion Brand Homespun yarn. More in a few days. I will also show you some other projects I'm working on, too. I want to sell those patterns, too. So much to do and so little time!



I have this pattern and a 4 leaf clover lucky penny charm available, too.

I don't know if you know, but we live on the road in our motorhome and this winter we went from CA to AZ and into TX. Right now we're in Brownsville, TX and spent the day at the gulf. We were on San Padre Island and had a glorious time. See, that keeps me away from my designing and my knitting/crocheting but I get it done little by little.

Beginner Lace Stitch Scarf

Here's a cute little easy lace for beginners. I know it looks a little messy but with lace, it needs some steaming and/or shaping. This is how it looks before all that.

I decided to use this stitch for this yarn. It makes an automatic scalloped edge which I think will do nicely for this scarf.

More photos later and I'll post the pattern then.