Summer project ideas, Knitting Article....

CrochetandKnitting Newsletter
Monday, April 7, 2008

Hello Everyone,

I have been busy doing spring cleaning. I never like
the thought of having to do it, but once I get started
I don't want to stop. Everything is so fresh and clean
and smells wonderful along with the fresh spring
air coming in my windows.

I have been having thoughts about summer and what
patterns would be nice to make for the upcoming
season. I was doing some searching and looking
over patterns when I found this Beach Cover-up
Isn't that beautiful!

I have been making so much for others, so I thought it's
about time I made something for myself... :) I don't swim
or go to a beach, but I think the cover-up would also look
great over a tank top or t-shirt. It is light, lacy and airy.

Lion Brand has a pretty Beach Cover-up Cardigan.
and a Beach Cover-up Pullover

So then I got thinking about a nice lacy vest to wear
over a tank top or t-shrit and started searching for
vests.

I found this one.
Empire Jacket Vest
Very pretty! And the empire waist is very much in style now.
You get the empire waist effect with the drawsting tie which
is run through the spaces two rows below the armhole. But
the pattern uses a bulky yarn. I would think a bulky yarn
would be rather heavy for summer!

So I think I will just try the medium or large size with a
lighter yarn, either worsted or sportweight and try to adjust
it. There is no gauge or measurement sizes given on the
pattern either, so this will be a challenge. If I can alter
it for a lighter yarn, I will let you all know and post the
pattern for you.

I also found this vest.
Very pretty. It's a very long vest but could be shortened
up for summer.

Here is a midi length vest. Pretty too and could be shortened
for summer.

For knitting I found this Light Summer Vest.

All these vests would great over a dress or skirt and
blouse to be worn at a wedding or any special occasion.


I recently found this site where you can save on over
50,000 brand name craft supplies - CreateForLess.
I was very amazed by the low prices, especially on
all my favourite yarns. However, they only ship
within the U.S, which is great for our U.S. crafter
friends. Click here and have a look.


I really like this article by Alice Seidel, "The Tao Of
Knitting". I thought it was very beautifully written.

The Tao Of Knitting
By Alice Seidel

As Winter is slowly giving way to Spring, it is easy to
look around at all the new beginnings. Slowly, little
plants are beginning to poke their heads out of the
ground, and trees are blossoming into pretty shades
of new pink, white, and lavender.

Spring is a wonderful time of the year to think about
knitting. What it means to be knitting. Why I knit, and
why I love it so much. What about knitting, is so
fulfilling to me.

I think anyone who knits and loves to knit, will tell
you they love to knit for a variety of reasons. At their
core, those reasons all hold the same essence. Passion.
Another word for it would be fulfillment. There is something
beyond money, beyond fame, beyond ego, that has us
knitting.

That something I like to call "the tao of knitting."

Like the Bible, the Tao Te Ching is a spiritual guide;
one that has been around for centuries. It inspires,
teaches, assists with the rigors of daily life, and provides
examples of how best to find peace within ourselves,
for each other, and for the world in which we live.

Whether we be learning from the Tao Te Ching or
learning how to knit, purl, and yarn-over, the lessons
are very much the same. A few examples would be:

-- building self-esteem and self-acceptance. Knitting
is a great way to formulate self-esteem. In today's harried,
rushed world in which we all live, finding substance in the
things we do is often a difficult endeavor. Too often we
are left wondering if our talents are needed, and even if
we have talents at all! By learning to knit, there is no
doubt that when finished with our projects, that we
always have something to show for our efforts; the
trappings of our "yarn life" are always useful.

-- bringing greater joy and creativity to daily life. Why,
when you knit, it is practically a given, that those simple
rhythms, those quiet needle clicks, and back-and-forth
cadences of creating row upon row of our patterns, help
to create endorphins in our brains; those key receptors
which produce a calming effect in our lives. This is
documented behavior. But, we knitters could have told
you that.

-- understand life as a series of changes and challenges.
For life is transformation. It is always evolving into something
else, something more, not less; yet, we have to see that for
ourselves. Not a day goes by where we can say, joy is
mixed with sadness, serenity is suffused with conflict, ease
blends with difficulty. When we knit, oftentimes there are
challenges to patterns, stitch work which may be initially
foreign to anything which we've tried before, even words
and phrases new to us, which make the going slow, indeed.
Perserverance prevails, and when we stick to our resolve,
we come away with knitted creations that are sublime;
just this side of heaven, and truly our masterpieces.

So many of life's little lessons are learned along the way,
when we knit. Patience, self-awareness, growing in harmony
with ourselves and other knitters we meet along the way,
welcoming challenges as good things, allowing even the
mistakes to have a place in our lives.

Follow your heart to all things knitted. It is the road which
leads you to life.

About the Author:
Alice Seidel works as a freelance writer. She is the author
of dozens of articles, a full-length book on knitting, and is
the Author and Publisher of "Knit Stitch & Whimsy", a
monthly knitting newsletter. For details, visit
http://www.theknitstitch.com


That is all for today. Happy Crafting!


Sincerely,

Sue Norrad
CrochetandKnitting.com - Free Patterns, Craft Supplies
and much more.
Craft Discussions and Pattern Search Forum

Free Online Knit and Crochet Book

CrochetandKnitting Newsletter
Thursday, March 20, 2008

Hello Everyone,

I hope you all have a Happy Easter and enjoy your
long holiday weekend. To all those who don't celebrate
it, I wish you all a great weekend too!

Happy Spring as well! It sure doesn't look much like
spring here today. We are getting ice pellets and snow.
I thought it was all over with this afternoon, but it has
started up again. I am so looking forward to spring and
gardening!

Here is a very beautiful book about Knitting and
Crocheting that you can view online.
http://www.maran.com/eknitting.html

Robert Maran of Maran Illustrated
http://www.maran.com/
emailed me to let me know that the "Illustrated Knitting
and Crocheting" book is now available online.

I have had the physical copy for over a year now and I am
so amazed by the photography in this book! Even the online
version shows much detail. I wish I could take photos like
that! That's a skill I'll have to work on.

The interface at the top of the online book is very neat.
There are navigation buttons that will turn the pages
forward and back for you.

The diagonal arrows will enlarge the book to full screen
view. Press the "Esc" button on your keyboard or the
"X" at the top of the screen to return to normal screen.
The 4 squares in the box at the top will bring up screen
shots of other pages of the book that you can click on.
http://www.maran.com/eknitting.html

At the very top of the screen you will see the covers of
other books that Robert has created that you can click
on and view online. Or you can click here to access
them: http://www.maran.com/maranlibrary/
They include Dog Training, Bartending, Cooking,
Guitar, Yoga, Weight Training, Wine and many
others.

The work his company does is amazing! I wasn't sure if
you can get physical copies of these books or not. So I
did some searching around the site and found out that they
are available at all bookstores.


I have completed the alternations for the Men's version
on my latest slipper pattern, Crocheted Seed Stitch
Slippers. You can find that here:
http://crochetandknitting.com/sdstsl2.htm
My husband got me to make these a snug fit. He said he
finds that the slippers will stretch over time and become
loose on his feet. I also noticed that after wearing my own
slippers for awhile. So I did make them a little tighter than
normal.

That is all for today. Happy Crafting!


Sincerely,

Sue Norrad
CrochetandKnitting.com - Free Patterns, Craft Supplies
and much more.
Craft Discussions and Pattern Search Forum

New Slipper Pattern

CrochetandKnitting Newsletter
Thursday, March 13, 2008

Hello Everyone,

I just finished designing a new crocheted slipper pattern,
"Seed Stitch Slippers" and you can get it on my site now.

Beginners might even like this pattern as I found it very
easy to make. Size is for women, but I feel that they can
easily be adjusted by adding or subtracting stitches and
rows in multiplies of 2. I will be working on one for
men later. They would look so cute for children too,
so I will have to work on a size for my 8 year old
grandson and 9 year old grandniece. I was thinking
they would be so cute for babies too! So many ideas
and not enough time... :)

Here is the link to my new pattern:
http://crochetandknitting.com/seedstsl.htm

The seed stitch gives them a nice bumpy or popcorn look.
Actually they sort of look like those knitted striped slippers
done in the phentex yarn where you knit stitches of one
color, then stitches of the second color, etc so you get the
bumped up rows effect, although my crocheted slippers
are all in one color. Here's the link to those knitted slippers
http://www.knitting-crochet.com/crochet/strsli.html

Some new articles have been added to the Article Directory:
"How to Make Money with Crafts" "Five Mistakes Beginning
Quilters Make", "Rainy Day Crafts: Get Creative With The Kids",
"Learn How to Knit: Mastering The Technique", "Getting Started
with Knitting", "How To Crochet A Simple Afghan", and more.
http://crochetandknitting.com/articles

That is all for today. Happy Crafting!


Sincerely,

Sue Norrad
CrochetandKnitting.com - Free Patterns, Craft Supplies
and much more.
Craft Discussions and Pattern Search Forum