announcing the theme for week 1.
Go to the whip up whiplash comp page for more info on entering, prizes, sponsors, buttons and to upload your entry link.

Week 1. This weeks challenge theme is everyday creativity

You have 4 days to complete the challenge - post it on your blog and upload the link - entries will close on Monday 7am GMT. Please make sure you understand how to post your link and that you are posting the permalink to the static post page and not the link to the main blog page - this is the page where the comments for that post can be viewed. Please also read tips on photographing your challenge - good photos make viewing your challenge easier and will give you a headstart in the points. And make sure you have the whiplash button in your post - this is a double check for us that we are viewing the correct post and of course spreads the word.

‘Add this link’ will be open for adding your link at 7am GMT time 13 April (use this time zone converter to find out what the time is in your part of the world) (12am PDT, 5pm AEST).

Entries will be judged on 3 main criteria - skill, humour and originality - you must illustrate the strengths of your project using only 3 images - a close up image is good to show the skill involved and an in use image might be good to illustrate the humour of the project.

Jeffrey Yamaguchi has donated 4 copies of his book ‘52 Projects‘, ‘random acts of everyday creativity’, to be given away.

Come back tomorrow where I will be discussing this book.

Sponsored by … check out these fantastic supporters of whip up.

It is not often that a serious mathematics journal contains a crochet pattern, Dr Osinga and Prof Krauskopf have provided the pattern in the journal Mathematical Intelligencer. (link to the pdf document of the paper and the pattern is here.) They are challenging anyone to make their own crochet chaos model (theres a bottle of champers in it for you). info frombbc news

Extract from the paper:

The Lorenz attractor is the best known image of a chaotic or strange attractor. We are concerned here with its close cousin, the two-dimensional stable manifold of the origin of the Lorenz system, which we call the Lorenz manifold for short. This surface organizes the dynamics in the three-dimensional phase space of the Lorenz system. … We have been working for quite a while on the development of algorithms to compute global manifolds in vector fields and have computed the Lorenz manifold up to considerable size. Its geometry is very intriguing and we explored different ways of visualizing it on the computer. However, a real model of this surface was still lacking. … We start from a small disc in the stable eigenspace of the origin and add at each step a band of a fixed width. In other words, at any time of the calculation the computed part of the Lorenz manifold is a topological disc whose outer rim is (approximately) a level set of the geodesic distance from the origin. What we realized then and there is that the mesh generated by our algorithm can directly be interpreted as chrochet instructions!

About the authors:
Hinke Osinga learnt crocheting, and other handcraft techniques, from her mother around the age of seven. A bit later she got a Ph.D. in Mathematics … The Lorenz manifold is her first project that combines handcraft with mathematics.
Bernd Krauskopf works in the general area of dynamical systems theory, the basic idea of how to grow a global manifold emerged over a bagel with Hinke at a bagel store on Nicolette Mall.

This is not the only combination of craft and maths out there. In 1997 Cornell University mathematician Daina Taimina finally worked out how to make a physical model of hyperbolic space that allows us to feel the tactile properties of this unique geometry. The method she used was crochet. Read more about why crochet works so well here, gallery of the various models here, interview with Daina Taimina here.

resources:
interweave
new york times
bbc news
chaotic crochet at plus maths
university of bristol
crochet fantasy
instructions on crocheting the hyperbolic plane
mathematical knitting

Want to know how to get that super cool self striping sock yarn out of your own dye pot? Look no further than this great tutorial created by Scout. And today she outdid herself, posting a how-to on making your own warping board. Now where did I put my hacksaw?

Okay, so I’m into bonnets. I’ll admit it.

Tied under the chin (which defines them as bonnets), they’re just such a perfect embodiment of babyhood, innocence, round chubbiness, and nostalgia. They look oh so cute tied under a chunky little face. And they can be made in so many different ways, using techniques from tatting, crocheting, or knitting to sewing with vintage tea towels. They’re also incredibly finish-able. A nice antidote to the year-long-plus quilt or afghan you may have going if you’re anything like me.

Sweet georgia’s knitted bonnet circa 2005 is buttery and luscious, this site has a bonnet for a knotlet and one for a doggie, and of course knitty provides the free miss dashwood pattern (for those not afraid of the picot cast-on). If you’re looking for a bonnet you can, ahem, whip up for this weekend, there are mods for a knitted lace bonnet on my site, which include a link to the basic free pattern. You can use this pattern to insert any lace pattern you want, and it takes me about 5 hours to knit one (I’m an average speed knitter, not unusually fast but not a beginner).

Even faster would be a sewn bonnet. I’m a very amateur sewist, so I won’t pretend to be able to cover the sewn bonnet in all its loveliness. But I will point out that angry chicken’s latest mail order package included a sewing pattern for a simple, lovely Laura Ingall’s style bonnet. Several people have been making these, with a few examples from soulemama, mama k, and buzzville.
One of the most fun parts of bonnet-making is choosing a ribbon. There are many great places online, including The Ribbon Jar and Trim & Fabric. Laura Foster Nicholson designs enticing art ribbons, and Contemporary Cloth is having a sale on her ribbon until April 15. And this weekend, I experienced both ends of the ribbon spectrum, picking up yards and yards of discarded thrift ribbon at knittn kitten, and a single yard of precious hand-stamped alphabet cotton tape created by abby.
To sum up any bonnet post, there’s the classic Elizabeth Zimmerman knitted version, which can be found in The Opinionated Knitter (page 108). This one takes a bit longer but is very worth the effort.

I made one of these EZ bonnets that I was totally in love with. I LOST it yesterday at the Crafty Wonderland fair in Portland. (So, if you were there and you found Binx’s bonnet, will you let me know? It seems my boy is going to have to go bonnet-less this Easter, and I’ll just have to enjoy all these pretty and inspiring links.)

Yep! How excellent is this! Bottlecap pincushion tutorial by Very Big Jen over at flickr. Seems she has a bit of a thing for pincushions. Sticking pins into this eye version makes my toes go a bit squidgy.

Also our own booga is also suggesting a monthly pincushion challenge. Bring it!

Flickr pool.

whipup whiplash competition…
A daring venture into organised making across the world - a weekly theme, a short time frame, a prize (or two).

Starting this Thursday …

On the sidebar you will see a new link called whipup competition - click on that for the low down on what this comp is all about, our fab sponsors and prizes, how to enter, and don’t forget to grab a couple of cool buttons to paste into your blog.

This competition is sponsored by the following wonderful supporters of whipup
Pixelgirl shop - a place to give artists who make unique high-quality items a central hub to sell their creations;
MAKE Magazine & The Maker Faire - bringing the do-it-yourself mindset to all the technology in your life;
Denyse Schmidt - Denyse and her quilts have appeared in hundreds of distinguished national magazines and newspapers, as well as some very cool books;
and Helloindie - an email zine that enhances this community of independent artists by providing a platform for promoting their wares and increasing consumer awareness of alternative products and online shopping.

To Enter:
1. Read the weekly challenge theme - posted on thursday
2. Make something over the weekend - using your medium of choice but in the spirit of the theme
3. Take a couple of good photos of your work - one close up photo, and one broader view photo and maybe a photo of it in use. Some hints to take good images - use natural light not flash, put your item near the window in filtered light not in harsh sunlight which create dark patches of shadow. Take a couple of images and make sure it is in focus. - You don’t need to be a good photographer but you do need to use images that show off your item to its best.
4. Post your entry on your own blog - or to flickr, or to your friends site - it must be online somewhere with a stable link.
5. Grab the code for one of the whiplash buttons below (kindly designed by Jan at poppy) and paste into your post with your whiplash entry
6. Are you signed into whipup? if not login or sign up and get a password then login. - You will not be able to upload your link if you are not logged in.
7. Once you are signed up and logged in to whipup - you can upload your link - you must have the permanent link to your post - to get to the permanent link of your post you may need to click on the date or the header or the #, or the permalink button and it should be in this format http://yourwebsitename.com/pagetitle/date/orsomething
8. You can only enter once per week.
9. Entries will be judged by a panel on three criteria - skill, humour and originality.

Look out on thursday to see the first theme

Having received the newest copy of Vogue Knitting in my mailbox, I’m happy to report that there is much bi-processing of yarn to be had within its sumptuous pages. What is bi-processing of yarn inquiring minds want to know? Well, this would be the act of being able to wield sticks or hook interchangeably. Vogue Knitting and their mag geared to a younger yarn bi-processor, Knit1, have filled their latest issues with a plethora of both knitting and crochet patterns as well as patterns that combine both techniques. And I for one LOVE THIS as I’ve been a bi-processor of yarn for close to three decades!

And It’s nice to see that I’m not alone. In fact, there seem to be many yarn bi-processors out and about the web. And let me tell you, there is no shortage of inspiration to be had when surfing around their blogs and sites! Check out fellow whip up contributor, Drew, or designer, educator author, Annie Modesitt to partake in some excellent yarn bi-processing. And don’t forget these bi-processing superstars…Lily Chin, the divas over at Stitch Diva Studios and one of my faves, Teva Durham. How about lesser-known but nonethelesser bi-processing yarn afficionados such as Stuffed, who not only bi-processes yarn, but makes wonderful dolls. Or take a trip over to L.A. Is My Beat where Ellen will dazzle you with myriad bi-processed yarn projects including this incredible bag! And while your surfing about be sure to drop in on another whip up contributor, Lemony Lemondade or Ewe Devil, What’s Cluttering My Couch and the tri-process queen and proprietor of Luxe, Natasha, because remember when it comes to process, more is definitely MORE!

Artist and maker Wendy Crabb from green girl art makes soft robots amongst other things.

She says of her work “Inspiration came from necessity“. She signed up for plush rush with no idea of what she was going to make or how to make it. Without a sewing machine she needed to use materials that would not fray. So she used some wool felt quarters that she found at weeks dye works.

“I kept circling around what I was going to do and then I drew a really tiny sketch – a funny robot. … From there it just clicked. I had the beginnings of an idea. I drew these wonky patterns on some brown paper and I just started cutting fabric and sewing the pieces together. My first guy was really big about 20 inches tall sitting – but I never actually measured him. … I actually found this little scrap of paper the other day I had written about two years ago “I want to create soft toys”. My brain works in a round about way.”

Lately Wendy has been making soft sea creatures from recycled painted fabric, which has been washed and washed until soft and colour fast. This fabric comes from cut down backdrops which sometimes leaves some amazing scraps. “I’ll make as many creatures as possible and then once the fabric is gone…well then I’ll try and scavange more from the next beautiful backdrop we make.”

‘use what you have’ - is producing some fabulous results - shirt by crochetmachine, and softie by sooz who also has a shop where she sells hand crafted toys made from natural fibres.

Check out this
ideas board - at cheaky beaks.

Wow - back tack3 looks crazy wonderful - with a black and white softie theme.

Gorgeous crochet belt by dina ladina

mecozy colour theme - seeing everyones interpretation is wonderful. And Yarnstorm has something to say about colour too.

Zhinka dinka doo has a crochet flower tutorial and fabric mache basket tutorial - think I might be doing something with these on the weekend ahead.

sign up for the helloindi e-zine

lots of great things from MAKE
plastic bag tote :: recycled magazine bowls :: how to turn jeans into a skirt

swap bot looks interesting - facilitates internet swaps. It removes the hassle of collecting swap participants and assigning swap partners.

In the spirit of Use What You Have, consider the activity bag as a quick, fun, family project. We first saw the idea of activity bags at a church. There were a few dozen colorful bags hanging in the back of the church that children could borrow for the duration of the service. Inside each were different toys that don’t make obnoxious sounds, picture books for various age levels, plush animals and drawing supplies.

Now we’re making some for the children at our church and our lives. We used only fabric we had on hand, everything ranging from 1930s reproduction fabrics to our own lines from FreeSpirit. We thought it would be way more fun if each bag were totally different inside and out. In each bag are new and gently used toys and books that reflect the wonderful cultural and racial diversity of our church. Also essential are washable crayons and a small pad of paper. Each bag is about 12”x15”x2” and has handles that are 12” long made from left over quilt binding strips. The bags are unlined (I use the pinking blade on the rotary cutter to prevent fraying) and can be made in less than half an hour unless you have a “helper” in which case allow an hour or so.

I also think this is a great idea for visiting children or for a toddler’s birthday gift. It would also be a nice gift for expectant grandparents who may not have anymore a houseful of toys to entertain visiting children.

A recent post here by Heather got me thinking about a few organizations that work with individuals that have been through tough times express their myriad emotions in a creative (and sometimes therapeutic and/or meditative) way.

Fundacion Solaridad is one such organization in Chile. Founded decades ago in a tumultuous political situation, it began with the mission “to increase the earnings, market insertion and social participation of those people, families and groups who, by their own efforts, seek to overcome poverty and improve their quality of life by producing handicrafts and non-industrial objects in autonomous workshops and microbusinesses.”

While the above image speaks towards a positive future, some of the images are more grim, depicting the scores of missing individuals and what happened to them during the reign of Pinochet.

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Another group that I greatly admire is Fine Cell Work, who teaches needlepoint to inmates allowing them to acquire a skill as well as keeping them busy during downtime.

I get asked a lot why I think craft is political. To me the answer lies in the old adage that “the personal is political.” By expressing our inner discontent with the state of the outside world via creative paths, we rechannel those negative emotions into more positive ones. By choosing to make something with our own hands vs. buying something pre-made, we are creating our own tiny revolutions. (Yes, someone does make the wool -in most cases, because you can make your own!-, but if we choose to buy wool that’s produced ethically then we are helping handmade and ensuring the livelihoods of those like us) By walking into a store and saying “I can make that” and then recreating something similar, then we are becoming our own designers. By choosing to purchase something handmade by a person, we are raising a tiny fist to the big giant corporate world saying “creativity makes a difference.”

It makes a difference not only in our own lives in our own comfortable homes, but also in the lives of those who are not as lucky.

Jimbo is a semi-retired patent agent in Spokane Washington who whittles. His blog chronicles his effort to fulfill his dream of rebuilding the family home:

My dream in life since 1953 when my dad died was to own our property again on Deadman Creek (we say “crick”) and in October of 2000 we were able to buy 30 acres of the place back. Now I’m doing what I can to build a cabin to replace our house which is no longer there. One thing I’m doing to support the building project is hand carving wood crochet hooks from branch wood I collect from the ranch.

Crochet hooks

Hand carved buttons

Wall hanging

Find out more about Jimbo and his whittling adventures by visiting his blog:

Jimbo’s Front Porch

When I started this post on recycled clothing, my plan was to include a few pieces from a few different blogs. It seems that many people feel inspired to reduce, reuse, and recycle when it comes to old clothing, which fits right in with Simple Sparrow’s very popular Use What You Have Month (flickr pool over here).

But as I said, I was planning on including pieces from a variety of blogs, until I started touring the archives over at sweet and there was so much to look at that I couldn’t choose just one of her pieces! Those pictures above are of a handbag Angharad made from a thrifted denim skirt, check it out over here to see her clever solution for the classy handles.

And like I said I just got stuck as I perused her amazing recyclables, from the needle holder shown above which can be found over here (scroll down to see an amazing fabric stash), to the two felted sweater purses you see there which are posted here and here (scroll down for some very helpful tips on frogging sweaters for recycled yarn).

But finally, I did tear myself away and found many more beautiful recycled clothing on other blogs which I will be posting about soon, but if you are looking for a lovely piece of recycled clothing to buy (or just another kick of inspiration) I would reccomend checking out the black label site, a designer collection made from recycled clothing, which I came upon while touring the new blog Fashion Plate.

Anything in particular you’d like to read about in regards to recycled clothing? Please e-mail or comment with suggestions!

It’s getting to be that time of year again, at least in my hemisphere. Craft fair season! I’ll never turn down a traditional craft fair, but I’m loving the trend of fairs geared to a younger, more modern crowd. It’s also great fun to get to meet the crafters you love and admire on the web. Their wares are always even more impressive in person. And, even if you can’t go, you can still trawl the fair websites for great crafters and shops.

And neither here nor there, but the sites often have great design, like this Darger-esque illo on the Felt Club site, and the seamripper ones on Renegade Craft Fair (she’s a cofounder).

Here’s a list of what I’ve got bookmarked lately, some already over, some coming up sooner or later this year. Feel free to add others you know of in the comments.

Felt Club (Hollywood)
Renegade Craft Fair (Brooklyn and Chicago)
Bazaar Bizarre (Boston, LA, Cleveland, San Francisco)
Mutation (Savannah)
Art vs. Craft (Milwaukee)
Craftin’ Outlaws (Columbus)
I Heart Rummage (Seattle)
Art Star Craft Bazaar (Philadelphia)
Urban Craft Uprising (Seattle)
No Coast Craft-O-Rama (Minneapolis)
Handmade Market (Chicago)
Maker Faire (San Mateo)
Tranzac (Toronto)
Craftalicious (Santa Cruz)
Stitch (Austin)
Crafty Bastards (Washington DC)
Handmade Arcade (Pittsburgh)
ANT (Central Massachusetts)
Bust Holiday Craftacular (New York City)
Urban Craft Fair (Detroit)
One Night Stand(s) (Chicago)

It’s interesting, a nontrivial number of these are sponsored by Bust.

I’m a bit sentimental about my children’s outgrown clothing. And while I do pass a lot of it on to friends and for donation, I’ve kept a (growing) bag of ‘favorites’–clothes that I feel some attachment to, or even those that might be a tiny bit stained, but some of the fabric is still useable. My plan has been to make something for my children out of their old clothing at some point. What, you might ask? Well, I’ve been looking…

This baby quilt is from the archives of Wee Wonderfuls. She used her son’s outgrown baby clothes to make him a quilt. I really like the application of this idea into the modern design she created.

Recently I spotted this fabulous creation by Lori Joy Smith, who uses her daughter’s outgrown clothing to make truly unique art quilts with a combination of embroidery and sewing.

What crafty plans do you have for your children’s outgrown ‘favorite’ clothing? Or yours, for that matter! A softie? A quilt? Art?

hello out there, mav {maria} here. i have posted a few times on inspiration and wanted to continue and pick up a bit on Camilla’s great idea in my post today. her posts really clicked with me as i often find inspiration in the most everyday places.

if you are feeling like you need a fresh view on the work and craft that sits in front of you i highly encourage you to just get outside. grab a sketchbook or a camera and try and document what you see. it can bring about a new perspective!

where do you find inspiration? have fun! mav

If you’ve made the decision to start selling your handmade things, you have a few venues for doing that. You might try doing trunk shows, craft fairs, and holiday bazaars to get started. You might build a web site or consider selling things through an on-line marketplace like Etsy. If you are ready to increase your production and deal with the demands of the retail market, selling your work to boutiques may appeal. When people ask me questions about how I got started selling things, I find that they are most interested in unraveling the mysteries of how to sell their work to stores. In my next few posts I’ll be reviewing some parts and pieces of the wholesale/retail relationship to help you decide if it is one worth entering.

There are good reasons, even in the global/web-site-lush world of commerce, to sell your products to shops. The most obvious of these is the increased sales you’ll experience and the exposure your work will gain as customers (and media-related types — yes, they shop, too!) have a chance to see your things in person, every day, all over the city/state/country/world. When you first start thinking about what it means to sell your . . . knitted baby bibs . . . to stores, it’s helpful to familiarize yourself with the basic wholesale/retail structure that most product buyers will expect you to understand. To that end, a little vocabulary:

Product: What you’ve made, and what you will sell
Product line: The entire range of things offered by a designer or manufacturer
Manufacturer: Not a romantic term, but let’s face it: If you’re going to sell things to stores, this is what you’ll be called. There is very little about this relationship that is romantic, anyway, I promise.
Buyer: The person at a shop who makes the decision about what to purchase for its shelves
Wholesale price: This is the price that you will sell your handknitted baby bibs to shops for. Generally, it’s 50% of the retail price.
Retail price: This is the price that the customer who ultimately buys your bib from a shop will pay, sometimes also called the “price point.” It is generally double the wholesale price that the buyer has paid, and can be marked up to include shipping costs, neighborhood cache (i.e. high rent), etc.
Consignment: The practice of “giving” your bibs to a buyer without getting any money for them up front. The shop will sell them for you, and pay you a percentage of the retail price regularly when/if they sell.
Wholesale price: This is the price that you will sell your handknitted baby bibs to shops for. Generally, it’s 50% of the retail price.

I had to repeat that last one because if I had a nickel for every time someone has said “Wha-wha-wha-what??? FIFTY PERCENT???” to me when I define “wholesale price” for them, I tell you I wouldn’t have to sell another handmade handbag as long as I live. I’d be lying on the beach at Lake Como reading mysteries all day. That’s how many people.

So, more later, when you’ve had a bit of time to recover. Fifty percent is not . . . small. But, there’s hope. We’ll talk.

After listening to episode 16 of Cast-on ini the car, guest hosted by crotcheter Sage Tyrtle, I was all about getting home and finding out more about Sage’s miniature crochet. There’s not a lot out there in webland about Sage. She does have a podcast by the name of Quirky Nomads and is just as engaging here as at Cast-on. If you haven’t listened to episode 16 of Cast-on yet, I highly recommend it. Sage is a beautiful story teller and had me completely entranced and she chose an excellent song by Jim’s Big Ego “Stress”, had me laughing in the car.

So I emailed Sage and she has been kind enough to share these pictures with us. Amazing work.

Seventies afghan - 3″ x 3 7/8″

Brown seventies afghan (mentioned in the Cast-on podcast) - 2 3/4″ x 3 1/4″

Afghan and rug - afghan: 3″ x 4″ and rug: 5.5″ diameter

Multicolored afghan - 2 3/4″ x 3 1/4″

Currently Sage can’t make miniature crochet so she now crochets hats and bags and gives them away. Here’s a current hat. Great detail and colour.

tie one on gallery ‘apron for a toy‘ is up - and looking oh so very cute. (next month its lemon cheese cake -I mean lemon and yellow theme).

Image shown is from meninos aos riscos

Kim has gone ahead and nearly finished her second quilt for the modern quilt along

Very old doll

beautiful baby at a newish blog - and bag

Little miss Meshell - the most adorable pincushions - could not resist the fabric or the photo

Babies are round.

Kay, of mason dixon knitting has said it before. I think Elizabeth Zimmerman has pointed it out on occasion as well.

And I think the most perfect baby knitting pattern I’ve come across is round, too. The pinwheel blankie. The pinwheel blankie is a delicious pizza of a baby blanket, knit from the center out, with any kind of yarn and any appropriately sized needles.

How do I love it? Let me count the ways:

1. It’s simple, but elegant.

The round format doesn’t rely on a lot of fancy knitting, but more on the sweet geometric curves that are part of babies, life, and growing.

2. It’s totally flexible.

Any yarn you love, any size you can physically and mentally stand decide to make. And any size needles will work. I’ve done a pinwheel with Danette Taylor sock yarn on size 4 needles, and one on the best kid yarn ever - kona superwash - on size 8 needles.

3. It allows for creativity within structure.

A target made of bold stripes? Eyelet rows every so often? Anything you want to add will fit into the neat spiral structure. In the end, even if you knit yours plain, you come to the point where you must decide on an edging. Personally, I crocheted over 100 tentacles on a blanket for my friend’s baby Truman. Others use seed stitch, create ruffles, or even knit gorgeous leaf shapes (like Ariane’s below). It’s the perfect opportunity to whip out a Nicky Epstein book and wow everybody.

4. It showcases gorgeous yarn.

So many of us hoard handpainted yarns, yet find that too many knitting patterns don’t showcase them well. Too much detail, such as lace or cabling, creates an instant tension with the colorplay of a gorgeous dye job. This blankie is the perfect format for colorways ranging from total variegation to self-stripes. It’s mostly stockinette, so the colors show up grandly. And it changes size on every other row, so the pools and flashes change too.

Yet, it’s just as delicious in solid cream, the way Cara from january one knit it.

5. It’s good for babies.

It’s a grab-able size, if you stop after about 2-3 feet in diameter like most people do. It fits well into a carseat or stroller. If you make it washable - in cotton or superwash wool - you are sure to be thanked silently a hundred times over by any parent you gift it to.

6. It’s also good for young and/or beginning knitters to make.

With the exception of the first 10 rows or so (see below), this pattern is pure easy knitting. A young knitter would only need to know how to do the knit stitch and a yarn over to go for hours and hours without additional help.

I am so in love with this pattern, I created a knitalong on my web site. Fifty blankies later - after a lot of downloading and resizing and getting behind on keeping up the gallery - I decided to move the whole shebang to flickr. Now you can join any time you like and put up pictures of your pinwheels in progress, or finished.

There are several ways to make a pinwheel. Mary Thomas has a few diagrams for making medallions and circular knitted pieces in her books, which can be had for about $10 each. There is a free pattern by Genia Planck, which uses yarn overs to create a beautiful spiral throughout the blankie. Or you could wing your own version.

All share one drawback. It’s darn hard to get started. The beginning is really fiddly, casting on just 5 stitches and trying to join them in a circle and manipulate them on several double pointed needles. I’ve discussed several ways to get started on my blog.
Today I’ll offer you another way to get started. But promise me you’ll start, and then come join the knitalong/flickr group!

1. Crochet a chain of 5 stitches, and join into a round.
2. Switch to double point knitting needles. You will have one stitch on the needles.
3. Place a safety pin in the front of that stitch to keep track of your start of each round.
4. Pick up and knit in the next chain stitch.
5. Now pick up and knit 2 into each of the remaining chain stitches, for a total of 10 stitches on the needles.
6. New round. Yarn Over, knit 1. Repeat around.
7. New round. Knit.

Carry on with the pattern until you can’t stand it anymore. And check how big your blankie is getting by using this little calculator I dreamed up. Enjoy.