Coming Up

Hello, folks! Life has been crazy busy, and isn't about to slow down anytime soon... but hopefully my day job will wind down in the next month or so, and I will have more time for my personal projects!

Some of those projects include you guys! I really want to get down some patterns that I've been working on, as well as a few more tutorials for YouTube - I can't wait to share them with you guys! I've also started using Periscope, and I really like it! Right now it's just WIP updates, but I also hope to provide help and tips, too, so keep and eye out!

In the meantime, I've been dreaming up a learn-to-knit series, using wash cloths to build skills. I will be doing washcloths because they are small, quick, and useful. Because they complete quickly, the new knitter will be able to move on to their own projects sooner than if they learned on a scarf or cowl. I would love to teach the series in person, but I will probably do it through YouTube, first, and see where it goes from there.

Tutorial Tuesday: Beanies for Breast Cancer

Hello! So sorry I missed last week - it was a pretty hectic week between midterms and apartment hunting...

Anyway, this week I am bringing you a link for a video tutorial, as well as a link to the written pattern. This is for a basic beanie done in the half-double crochet, and it can be adjusted to any size head and any yarn (or, "wool," as Clare calls it). Clare offers nice clear instruction that is easy to follow.

Photo from claresaddictedtoyarn.blogspot.com

Here is the link for the video.

And here is the link for the written instructions.

If you are concerned about having the right size, you can go here for a sizing chart.


Now, for the beanie pattern that I am working on: I have not started just yet... I need to get some double pointed needles in the right size. The last time I went to the craft store they didn't have the size I needed in stock, so I need to go back or find a yarn shop. But, since next week is the final Tuesday in October, I will do my best to have it for you!

Happy crafting!

Knitting (and crochet) for Your Health

I know that for me, knitting and crochet are really helpful in reducing stress and anxiety, and going through the motion is often more important to me than the finished product. I guess that is why I have never really branched out too much and learned special techniques and stitches - I just like repetition of a simple stitch. Starting this blog, and my desire to share this fun skill with others, has increased my desire to learn new stitches and techniques, and so I am really trying for more than my typical knit & purl routine.

As I have been branching out, I have realized that sometimes I am in the mood to do something a little complicated or new, and other times I just need some yarn, needles, and a garter stitch. Regardless of the mood that I am in when I start, I always feel better when I am done, and I can see that my time was not wasted because I have something physical to show for it. And I am not the only one who feels this way.

I decided to do a quick Google search on "knitting for health" and I found a lot of articles and videos. It turns out that knitting and crochet are not just great for reducing stress, but they are also great for prevention of depression, pain, and memory loss. I think this has a lot to do with the fact that when you knit or crochet you are very focused on what is happening with the yarn and the tool(s) you are working with, your brain is telling your fingers how to create a series of loops, the motions are repetitive, and there is a product that comes from the work that you are doing.

For me, I become lost in the stitches; they take over my brain and I am not thinking of anything else but what my fingers will do next, what is happening with the fabric I am producing, and how I will move forward - will I switch stitches or keep going with what I have? - all of this, plus the chance to be creative, to decide what I want to make and what I want it to look like, and also the ability to keep expanding and growing in the skill. It is all very rewarding, materially, mentally, and creatively.

So, I encourage you to pick up your needles and hooks, whether for the first time or the thousandth time, and make something. Big or small, simple or complex, the doing is all that matters.

Happy Stitching!

Tutorial Tuesday: Beanies for Breast Cancer

I am sorry to say I do not have my own pattern for you yet... It has been a hectic week and I still need to buy the right needles.

picture credit Lion Brand Yarn, lion brand.com

But I do have another slouchy pattern for you! This one is from Lion Brand Yarn and seems like a nice simple project, all in knit stitch. I love slouchy beanies - probably because I look terrible in the tight ones - and they are pretty popular right now, and this one just looks so cozy!

Hopefully I will be able to get those needles today and have the pattern up in a week or two.

Take care!