BLOG: FreshStitches

Tutorial: How to Frame Fabric (quick art!)

September 7, 2013

Happy Saturday!

Today I’m going to show you how to make a quick art-piece by framing fabric!

My favorite fabric

I took a trip to Finland in 2008, and I bought a yard of some amazing fabric from Marimekko.

Although I loved the fabric… it gave me anxiety: what should I do with it? What if I sewed something that didn’t fit?

I finally came up with the perfect solution… frame it!

How to Frame Fabric

You’ll need:

A frame (a lot of tutorials call for a canvas stretching frame… but I just grabbed an old wooden one from the curb!)
Enough fabric to cover your frame (plus a few inches on all sides)
A stapler

Step 1: Wash & iron your fabric

You can skip the ironing if your fabric comes out of the dryer nice and crisp!

Step 2: Place foundation staples

Lay your fabric face down, and place the frame on top.

Now, pull the fabric up and over the sides of the frame and place a staple at the center of each side. Be sure to tug so that the fabric is taut.

Do this for each side.

Step 3: Finish Stapling, and do those corners!

Work your way around the frame, placing staples every couple inches or so.

Do the corners last, and when you get to them, take a little time to tuck the corners and staple them neatly.

Step 4: Enjoy!

That’s it! You now have beautiful fabric art!

Take pride in the beautiful art you made and display your favorite fabric in your home!

Which way should my knitting go?

September 3, 2013

You put down your knitting in the middle of a row, and then… how can you tell which way you were going? Has this ever happened to you?

No worries! I’m here to help. I’ll show you how to pick up your knitting and keep going without confusion!

For today’s blog post, I’m assuming you knit right-to-left (the way most right-handed and some left-handed knitters knit). If you knit the other way… then reverse the right/left instructions!

Check your yarn (left/right)

When you pick up your work, look at where the piece is attached to the yarn.

You want the yarn to be attached to the right needle:

See how the yarn is coming out of the last stitch on the right needle? That’s what you want!

If the yarn coming out of a stitch on the left needle… just turn your work around!

Putting your yarn in its place (front/back)

You know that your yarn should be in the back for knitting and the front for purling… but what were you doing?

Have a look at the last stitch on the right needle. You want there to just be one piece of yarn in that stitch:

Here, I was knitting, and holding the yarn in the back is the right way to go.

Does it look like you have two yarns in your stitch? Check this out:

This means that you are holding the yarn on the wrong side of the needles. Just move it to the other side!

August Photo Contest Winner

The winner of August’s photo contest is Chloe, with her awesome back-to-school squid!

Congrats, Chloe!

How to Embroider with Yarn

August 20, 2013

Today, I’m going to show you how I embroider features on my stuffed animals. It’s a little different than regular embroidery… because you stuff the inside of an animal, there’s no need to worry about tying knots!

There’s a video at the end of this post too – for those who want to see every step in action.

My technique makes a slip-proof knot and creates a double-thickness of yarn, so your embroidery will stand out!

Step 1: thread the tapestry needle with a length of yarn (about a foot or two). Tie the two ends of the yarn together with a knot, as pictured in (a).

Step 2: pull the needle through to the the front of the work, leaving about an inch between the knot and the back of the work, and then poke the needle from front to back, and through the loop created (between the knot and back of work) by the two pieces of yarn, as shown in (b). Tug, and this anchors your work!

Step 3: to do a stitch, put the needle (from back to front) where you’d like the stitch to go (c), about 1/4 inch (5mm) from where your previous stitch (or knot) is anchored.

Step 4: to finish the stitch, push the needle from front to back, connecting the stitch to your previous work (d). Continue stitching (following steps 3 and 4) according to the desired pattern.

Step 5: to finish, cut your yarn-loop in half, and use the two ends of yarn to tie a knot!

Easy, huh?

See the embroidery that makes this sloth’s mouth? Cute!

Now here’s the video.

Give it a try!

Here are handy links to all the posts about faces and details. . .

Return to the main table of contents for Let’s Learn to Crochet Amigurumi.

Move on to the lessons about eyes.

Happy stitching!

My Derecho!

August 16, 2013

Remember how I frogged my Color Affection and then started Derecho? And kept working on it?

Now it’s done… and I couldn’t be happier! It’s beautiful!

The lime green yarn from Candy Skein really makes the whole project pop, don’t you think?

I had such a blast knitting this… and the best part is that it’s totally wearable. You can even still see the design when I’m wearing it! Love that.

This one’s a keeper!

Thanks for stopping by and reading!

If you want to see more great finished items… make sure to visit Tami’s Amis blog, the organizer of this great FO Friday theme!

I hope you have an awesome and craft-filled weekend!

My mom and step-father are visiting this weekend, so I’m going to be getting into some semi-crafty house updating projects!

Online Tools to Help with Your Colorwork

August 12, 2013

You probably already know that you can add stripes to almost any knit/crochet pattern… and it’s a great way to use up leftover yarn! Another fabulous way to use up leftover yarn is to make an afghan using medallions (like a granny square) will all of your extras.

But if you’re like me, the hardest part about colorwork isn’t the actual knitting/crocheting… it’s putting the colors together in an aesthetically pleasing way!

Today I’ll share two amazing online tools that will help you plan your colorwork. Thanks so much to the folks in my Ravelry Group for pointing me to these great sites!

First, pick your colors

For a successful colorwork project, you’ll want to group colors that go well together.

Color Theory

We all have our favorite colors, so chances are that a lot of your stash already coordinates! If you want a little more help, read this post on color theory.

Random Stripe Generator

Okay, let’s say you want to throw stripes into your project. Getting random-looking stripes can be tricky (since us humans are pattern-seekers and tend to go into a pattern even if we don’t want to). That’s why I love the Random Stripe Generator over at Biscuits and Jam!

The website allows you to input the colors you’re using and maximum stripe thickness. Then… presto!

Here are the stripes it generated for me! Isn’t that neat?

The page also provides a text pattern in addition to the image.

Granny Square Generator

Selecting colors for granny squares poses a similar problem: you don’t want like colors touching, but you still want a look of randomness to it.

Fortunately, Granny-Square-Colors.com has you covered!

Input the colors of yarn you have available and you get back a chart:

Follow the image for each square, and assemble as shown. Nifty!

The number of colors per square is a parameter in the generator, meaning that you can use this same generator for any number of medallion patterns, not just granny squares!

Aren’t these fun?

Give them a try and tell me what you think!

Schaefer Yarns Outlet: Interlaken, NY

August 1, 2013

Last month, I was driving up Route 96 in the Finger Lakes region of NY. And guess what I saw by the side of the road?

I had heard that Schaefer Yarns had been in the area, but I didn’t know that the owner opened an outlet after shutting closing her dyeing business.

So… I turned off the road (with my fabulously agreeable husband) to check it out.

Here is the outlet:

And here are the hours:

I suppose luck wasn’t on my side, because the shop wasn’t open. But, I did take a peek inside:

According to this news article I found, the outlet is leftover inventory, and it’s unclear if new stock is being added.

I can’t vouch for the yarn (or prices) of what’s inside… but what I can offer is directions! (since the address/directions are missing from the outlet’s webpage…)

From Ithaca, NY: drive north on 96 for about 20 minutes and turn left on Kelly’s Corner Road. Go a minute or two, and you’ll see a sign outside.

From I-90, drive south on 96 and turn right on Kelly’s Corner Road. Go a minute or two, and you’ll see a sign outside.

If you’re in the area during some lucky hours… then stop by for a visit!

What a difference stuffing makes!

July 16, 2013

I’ve crocheted two monsters using the same pattern (Roy the Rainbow Monster) and similar yarn… but they look a little bit different. Do you know why?

It’s the stuffing!

Notice that the monster on the left has a fuller body, and less stuffed arms. This results in almost no space between the legs, a round head and arms that lay flat.

The monster on the right has a less stuffed body, and plump arms. In contrast to the other monster, this guy has a gap between his legs, a flatter head and arms that stick out from the body.

There’s no right way! The only thing that matters is how you want your animal to look!

So, don’t think of stuffing as that last pesky thing to do before finishing your animal… think of it as the final step that gives your animal its shape! And shape your animal with stuffing!

Here are handy links to all the posts about stuffing amigurumi. . .

Return to the main table of contents for Let’s Learn to Crochet Amigurumi.

Move on to the lessons for closing up the opening.

Happy stitching!

Tips for Selecting Locker Hooking Materials

July 13, 2013

It’s Saturday! That means it’s time for me to share what I’m crafting… and some tips!

Today I’ll tell you about locker hooking, and give you some tips for picking your materials.

Locker Hooking

Right now, I’m working on locker hooking a bathroom rug.

You might be asking… what is locker hooking?

Locker hooking uses a crochet hook (or a special ‘locker hook‘, which is a crochet hook with an eye on the end), yarn, fabric strips and rug canvas to make fabric loops that are locked onto the backing with the yarn. It looks like this:

It’s fun! And it’s easy… especially for us crocheters who have the hang of using a hook!

Some tips for selecting your materials

To locker hook, you’ll need yards of fabric, 1″ thick. Check out my post on making yarn from fabric strips for details.

Here is the fabric I gathered:

And here is my fabric ball… all those yarn strips cut and put together:

Getting your fabric ready is almost as time-consuming as doing the actual locker hooking! But if you get into the right mindset, it’s a relaxing process. And it’s a fabulous way to use up cotton fabric!

Here are some of my tips for getting the right locker hooking materials:

Use 100% cotton. Not only does it tear into strips nicely (a big time-saver), but it also means your mat will dry quickly if it gets wet.
Focus more on the colors of the fabric than the design. When you cut the yarn into 1″ strips, you won’t see much of the design.
Aim for a varied palette. This way, if you run out of fabric, you can purchase more and it’ll fit right in!
Make sure your canvas is a few inches (in each direction) larger than you want your finished piece to be, since you will use some up in the border.
Go ahead and spring for a locker hook. They’re pretty inexpensive and will save you a lot of time!

I’ve started the actual locker hooking part… I’ll keep you posted as I go!

How to Crochet a Donut Shape

July 2, 2013

Learning to crochet a donut shape is really handy! Unstuffed, I especially like using it for fish mouths.

You can see it here in this seahorse crochet pattern.

Ivo the Seahorse - easy crochet amigurumi pattern

And here on the lips of this fish pattern.

Willie the Fish - easy crochet softie pattern

If you add stuffing, you can make a swim ring for your stuffed animals, like Walter here.

Walter the Water Buffalo - easy crochet pattern

You can also – of course, make a donut!

It can be a little tricky the first time you try to crochet a donut shape from written instructions alone, so today I’ll show you a photo tutorial!

The piece usually begins with a tube. . .

To turn that tube into a donut shape, you’ll need to crochet two rounds together. First fold the piece so that the two (desired rounds) are touching:

In this (pretend) example, you’re folding the foundation chain to round 6, in preparation for “crochet through the round you just crocheted AND the foundation chain”.

You may want to pin the rounds together if that would help you:

using a locking stitch marker to secure fabric

Now it’s time to crochet! Insert your hook through the next stitch (on round 6) and the corresponding stitch on the foundation chain:

Wrap the yarn around your hook, and draw through the first two loops (treating these as one loop of a ‘normal’ single crochet):

Wrap the yarn around your hook and draw through both remaining loops.

Crocheting two layers of crochet together

Continue crocheting the two rounds together, stitch by stitch, until you’ve completed the round. If you’re stuffing the shape, it’s easiest to stuff a bit at a time as you go.

Ta da!

Isn’t that such a great shape?

Here are handy links to all the posts about crocheting more advanced shapes. . .

Return to the main table of contents for Let’s Learn to Crochet Amigurumi.

Move on to the posts about troubleshooting common problems.

Happy stitching!

Let’s talk about hair!

June 18, 2013

We’re in the final stretches of the doll-a-long… have you added hair to your doll yet?

I think the hair is one of the most exciting parts because there are so many options! For a general how-to for adding hair, check out this blog post.

Let’s chat hair options, shall we?

Curly Hair

The A Doll Like Me ebook contains instructions for making curly hair:

Here are a few more tips for working with curly hair for your doll:

Keep in mind that if hair is curly, it will appear shorter than if it were straight (due to the curl). You might want to cut longer strands of hair to compensate.
The curls are obtained by blocking the yarn into place. Yarns that don’t block well (like acrylic) may not end up as curly as wool yarn.
Since the curls are blocked, they will ‘come out’ if you wash/wet your doll’s hair. If you’re planning on machine-washing your doll, go with straight hair.

Straight Hair

Straight hair can be any length or style! Here are some fun suggestions/tips:

If you’d like to add bangs, simply cut some shorter strands and attach at the front of the head.
For highlights, cut yarn in a few coordinating colors of yarn.
For a bob hairstyle, attach the yarn, and then trim along the bottom so all of the hairs end at the same length.
Try putting hair in braids or pigtails!

Which style are you choosing?

The doll-a-long runs until Thursday… still plenty of time to finish yours! Tell me, which hairstyle does your doll have?

My favorite fabric

How to Frame Fabric

Step 1: Wash & iron your fabric

Step 2: Place foundation staples

Step 3: Finish Stapling, and do those corners!

Step 4: Enjoy!

Check your yarn (left/right)

Putting your yarn in its place (front/back)

August Photo Contest Winner

First, pick your colors

Random Stripe Generator

Granny Square Generator

Aren’t these fun?

Locker Hooking

Some tips for selecting your materials

Curly Hair

Straight Hair

Which style are you choosing?

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