Arts and Crafts is Knitting Again

Knitting again and I have so missed it.  It's been so long and I apologize.  So much has happened in the year since I wrote.

I still am not done with my home projects but I have gotten farther.  Now, we're talking about moving again.

I will post some pictures of what more I have done to this little place.  

We've been to Italy twice since I last wrote.  My ancestors are from Caraffa di Catanzaro Italy and it's been a long time dream to see where they were born and grew up.  Walk the streets they walked, etc.

So much to tell you but as far as arts and crafts goes, I am back to painting our little place, I hung more pictures and, like I said, there's talk again of moving.

This is a great little single wide and we love it but he would love to have a garage and I would love to have a better kitchen.  I would definitely miss this park and all my friends.  Do we want to not have a house payment and continue paying rent?  Or do we want to buy a house and apply that rent money to the house payment.  Everything will go up.  Taxes especially.

I will come back with pictures.

I have a small knitting project going and I couldn't be happier.  Again it's Red Heart Super Saver yarn; I love that yarn so much.  I have made a few things since I last wrote, too.  I'm excited to show you what I have done.  Some of them I can't as they were gifts and I no longer have the photos but we'll start fresh.

I'll show you some of my art work as well.  I've done watercolor florals and charcoal and pastel drawings.  

So more real soon..........Come back and see what I've been up to.

Big Knitting Needles or Small Knitting Needles? What Will it Be?

Here's the good ideas Tiff from Analog Buttons suggested! Thank you so much. Guess I was thinking Easter and spring instead of April showers. So now I will find a fitting pattern or design. Maybe something using a chunky yarn using large needles or maybe a knitted shawl or scarf using smaller needles and lighter weight yarn.

How about:

• April - Showers
• May - Flowers
• June -
• July -
• August -
• September -
• October -
• November -
• December -
  

Keep the ideas coming. I finally found my mismatched socks I knitted so will get a photo taken and get them posted so you can see them. The ones I posted a few days ago using the Red Heart & Sole yarn are so much prettier. The yarn I used was not supposed to automatically stripe which is pretty evident when you seen them. I still think they're ugly! Wait till you see!

Thank you for stopping by and checking out my blog. Don't forget to take my survey, join my followers and vote or me! Vote for my blog.........see the link along the right side.

Kathy

Sock it To Me! Red Heart & Sole Sock Pattern FREE

I know sometimes I'm just a little behind everyone but I must share with everyone what I found while searching on the Coats and Clark web site. I personally got on the band wagon when it came to the "knitting sock" thing awhile ago and paid $14 for a pair of socks that turned out really nice but even though I made sure the two skeins of yarn I purchased had the same dye lot, they sure don't look the same to me. A big disappointment when I paid so much and the only thing I could do was return the yarn BUT I had already spent so much time creating the first one and was halfway down the top when it was discovered. The pattern calls for 2 - 3 skeins depending on the size. Linda's prices are so reasonable, instead of $14 for a pair of socks, you can get the yarn for under $10!

Coats and Clark's Red Heart yarns has a wonderful yarn for socks. It's called Heart & Sole. So cute, huh? It's permeated with all the wonderful properties of aloe vera which helps the yarn glide smoothly on the needles and/or hook. This yarn can also be used for childrens wear, home decor and many accessories. The best thing EVER is that this yarn automatically stripes like the expensive yarns! How cool is that?!

Don't forget this yarn is available at Linda's Yarn Store at http://www.lindasyarnstore.com/ She has a big selection of Coats and Clark Heart & Sole yarns.

Here's the pattern link: http://www.coatsandclark.com/Crafts/Knitting/Projects/Accessories/LW1619+Self-Striping+Knit+Socks.htm

or Heart & Sole self-striping sock pattern

There's also a crocheted version and the pattern is link is here: http://www.knitandcrochettoday.com/episodes/pdf/KTV2005C.pdf

They look a little bulkier but sure are cute!

Please don't forget to become one of my followers, leave a comment or email me. I looking forward to chatting with everyone.
Kathy

My Favorite Red Heart Yarn Project

Here's one of my favorite Red Heart Yarn projects. If anyone is interested, I can locate the pattern for you but I can guarantee you it was a free one. That's my youngest grandson who is now going on 3 years old so this was knitted a couple Christmases ago. He makes a very good model, don't you think?

There's many many wonderful patterns out there that can make your inexpensive yarns look terrific if used in a different way. Sometimes you have to think outside of the box. Someone did here with the use of just knit and purl and the combination of the two stitches. The color combination was by my design.




My next post I'm going to list my top 10 favorite Red Heart Yarns.
Kathy

New Knitting Blog on the Block

Welcome to my blog! I feel it's more like "welcome home!" You have found a place you can come and share your ideas and tips with other creative people. Please, take time to ready my profile and check out my favorite blogs and web sites. And please, don't hesitate to make a comment or email me with more ideas on what you would like to see here. This is OUR blog!

It is my intention to show you that knitting with inexpensive acrylic yarns can be just as beautiful as knitting with the expensive natural fibers and mixed fiber yarns. We can create beautiful items we can be proud of. Stay tuned for my ideas on doing just that.

For years I knitted with Red Heart yarns (Please visit Lindasyarnstore.com for a full range of Red Heart Yarns) and loved everything I created. The durability and vast assortment of colors and types of yarns is wonderful and with todays economy they allow us to continue our beloved hobbies: knitting and crocheting. It's ok if anyone wants to discuss other forms of creating. I know there's weaving and loom knitting along with some of the old and new gadgets there are to use like hairpin lace and those daisy makers. Let's all get together and keep our love of creating going dispite the economy.

Tell all your friends about this new blog you've found and invite them to join us.

Thank you for stopping by and hope you come back often.

Kathy

Knitters find themselves to be considered savers and experienced savers at that. If you’re like me, you check out every sale and every store scouting out the best prices and the newest colors and yarns available. We’ll make our purchase, leave that particular check-out and go back through just to be able to use two coupons at the same store! Have you seen some of the new yarns today? Have you felt them? The textures are to die for!

Ok, you find all those wonderful fibers at wonderful prices. The typical knitter buys their stash and then takes it home and stores it someplace. It’s a game we all play but shouldn’t. We should dig that stash out and use it! What are we saving it for? Ok, maybe you’ve stashed it away so good, you can’t find it. Hey, and then when you DO find it, is a wonderful surprise!

Ok, you found your stash. Now what? Feel it, squeeze it, smell it. Dream about what you can create with it. What would that particular yarn be best used for? Wait, did you buy enough? That’s a problem sometimes, too, so take that into consideration. Don’t think too hard about it or you’ll be putting that yarn right back where you found it…..unused! Just think, if you’d use it, you can go buy more!


Have you ever taken that skein of yarn and after squeezing it and smelling it, decided what you want to make with it, finding out you don’t have quite enough; don’t dispare! Many yarns can be combined with other yarns of the same thickness or need the same type of care. Don’t forget that yarns you use need the same care when combined with other yarns to keep your garment or project easy to clean and care for. Let your imagination fly. Different yarns can create stripes or maybe contrasting cuffs or bands.

Don’t hang on to your yarns too long. They can deteriorate and even get moldy if not properly stored. And some yarns do get outdated in they’r look. Remember trendy yarns come and go.

We don’t know what yarns are coming up in the next season so use that yarn and enjoy your project now. It’s most certain that newer yarns and textures will come along and that their place so get it out and use it.

Another thing that dates a yarn, is it’s color or color combination. If you ever get to see a manufacturers sample card take a close look at the colors that are featured first or as their “new” colors and their combinations. What colors are placed together? They have already figured it out for you as to what colors go well together. I always like to use colors that are opposite each other on the color wheel. Check that out.

There are some classic yarns and yarn types that’ll always be “in style” for common projects like afghans but remember home décor changes, too. But don’t forget that older yarns don’t make a great fashion statement. Use that yarn before you find yourself sitting for that yarn and/or color to make a comeback. Then was that such a good bargain?

Fiber Arts

These are two silk ties I made when I was doing silk painting.
The next photo is silk painted photo frame. I used a technique which I demonstrated on Aileen's Creative Living back in about 1998 or so. I used one of her glues as my gutta, which creates a fence so when you paint the silk, the paint doesn't flow outside the glue line. When I demonstrated this on TV, I used wood but this technique works well on most anything. I used very thinned out acrylic paint as I didn't need to keep the soft flow of the silk. Make sure you enlarge these photos by clicking on them to see a better view.


This one is called tapestry crochet which can be found and/or seen on www.tapestrycrochet.com
I used wool ease but it turned out quite soft and won't hold it's shape very well. I would recommend a smaller hook than a F, which is what I used. Wool Ease has wonderful color choices but if you check the web site, she also recommends size 3 crochet thread. You can find some nice colors in that thread, too, but all I could find were pastels. Then I believe you use a steel hook size 1. If you love felting, this technique is wonderful for felting also. Check the web site. I plan to create some of my own designs and will post them when I do.

I have anoter basket I crocheted but it's not quite ready for a photo yet.


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My Quilting Days

Don't forget to click on the photos to enlarge them!

These are the quilts I decided to make when I was in the quilting mood. My sister is a wonderful creative quilter and has been encouraging me for years to try it. My first attempt was this borgello quilt! That's me! Try the hardest thing first! This one has no handquilting. Sorry about the fuzzy photo. I'll try another one and change it later.

This quilt is the next one I made. It was a gift to my Mother for her birthday several years ago now. She just loved it. There's photos of us three kids and one of the house she grew up in and one of her and her mother. I always use large pieces and fabric with checks or stripes so I can

follow them easily when doing the hand quilting. There's no need to draw lines. All in all, my quilting experience was fun.

I have two twin size quilts I made using the crazy quilt technique......so easy. Not pictured here.

This is my latest quilt. I love birds so I used large blocks of the bird print and handquilted around the leaves and birds. It's framed with a red and black check and so is the back. Another very very easy fabric to handquilt since you can follow the lines!

One-of-a-Kind Purse/Tote Gallery

Click on each photo for more info

All my designs are copyrighted and not for reproduction without my consent. You may use my idea for your own use but not for resale. copyright 2008