Knitty gritty: Knits: 25 fun & fabulous projects, from the DIY network, by Vickie Howell, host of Knitty Gritty.

Vickie Howell is such a dynamo, with verve and energy and excitement for the craft of knitting. She sure has played a big part in making knitting cool for the young crowd. This book is a spin off of her television program ‘knitty gritty’ from the DIY Network (have you all seen this? - if not you can check out videos online here). The book really follows a similar pattern to the show. Introduces the project and teaches the techniques needed to make it.

As on the show the techniques and stitches are really clear and simple. Using larger needles and thicker yarn in order to clearly see the stitches, with close ups of the stitches and materials and tools required. All the projects in the book are simple and suitable either for beginners or those with a little knowledge. However there are challenges, but with such good instructions that they make more difficult techniques look easy. Like the wild hats with cylinders coming out at all angles and the freeform knitted shoes.

The great thing about this book is that is making learning knitting fun and interesting. In each pattern there is a new technique or stitch to learn. Learn to make i-cord with knitting needles in order to make a necklace, learn about knitted pockets by making a cute garter, there are also ankle socks, earflap hats, armbands, and even a computer cosy. Each project is a lesson with full instructions and good directions.

My only beef with this book is how they have modeled many of the wearable projects - they use headless model dummies which often make the creations look baggy and shapeless. Otherwise great book - recommend it for beginner knitters.

Renaissance Revival by Mariya Waters: Best in Show

At The Quilters Guild of NSW Inc annual Quilt Show held at the end of June 2007, Mariya Waters’ quilt, Renaissance Revival, won Best in Show. Read the quiltmaker’s statement and see detailed photos of front and back here. A gallery of the winning quilts can be found here and the Guild’s blog, Template Free, is here.

A view of part of the show, which is held in conjuction with the Craft and Quilt Fair. In addition to the exhibition of members’ quilts, there was an exhibition of Guild challenge quilts from Going to Pieces and the 2008 calendar challenge, a demonstration area with community quilts and Kidskills, an Art to Wear exhibition, Best in Show quilts from other Australian states and territories, Texstyle (major works by final-year secondary students) and Peac-ed with Love (quilts by Vietnam veterans’ partners and friends).

Quilt photograph courtesy of The Quilters’ Guild of NSW Inc.

Felt Club, one of Los Angeles’s biggest and baddest craft fairs, is happening this weekend!! Over 70 of the coolest vendors from all over the US (such as HannahMade, Queen Puff Puff and Eeny Meanie) will be selling their handmade wares. There will be swag bags for the first 250 people through the door and awesome door prizes given out through the day. Charles Phoenix will be the emcee and DJs will be spinning to entertain while you shop! Maybe the best part of the whole event are the craft classes taught by vendors at the show. The classes are free, you have only to buy materials. Check here for more info!

American Craft Council will be hosting the second part of a three part lecture series, which features speakers like: the Reverend Callie Janoff from The Church of Craft, Cal Patch from Hodge Podge, Amy Shaw from Greenjeans, and Rena Tom from Rare Device. Their discussions are not only going to be super interesting, but they’re also free!

Thursday, July 26 6 pm, reception to follow

Marketplace Intervention: The Do-It-Yourself Renaissance. Join Reverend Callie Janoff of NYC Church of Craft and Hodge Podge clothing designer Cal Patch for a discussion on how they’re converting, inspiring, educating and creating the next wave of craft lovers.

RSVP required: education@craftcouncil.org or 212-274-0630 x.234.

The American Craft Council Library 72 Spring Street, 6th Floor (between Crosby & Lafayette)

Thank you for sharing my yo-yo maker tutorial with your readers. I’ve received some very nice emails from your readers letting me know they appreciated finding the resource. My very best to you,
Joan Hawley
Lazy Girl Designs

Kledilton Pinto wrote: Hello from Brazil!

We are very glad We’ve found Whip Up! We are a virtual store where you can find handmade crafts from the Amazon Region of Brazil, i.e. Paintings, Indigenous Basketry, Bio-Jewellery, etc. Besides, everyone can learn more about the Amazon Region, send e-card or even save wallpapers available in our site. Please, pay us a visit and hope you may enjoy your stay! :) Thanks and best wishes

SouleMama’s book is available for pre-order - its called The Creative Family: How to Encourage Imagination and Nurture Family Connections This is what its about - Between work and school, music lessons, and sports practice, there is less and less time to connect as a family. Those few moments together are often spent making meals, doing homework, or watching TV. In this inspiring book, Amanda Soule, a young mother of three, presents simple ways to use arts and crafts and other forms of creativity to deepen family connections. For parents of all backgrounds, The Creative Family offers unique creative activities for the whole family. The range of projects includes: imaginative play such as dress up, home theater and parlor games; arts and crafts such as family drawing time and knitting with children; nature explorations such as creating garden journals and making natural toys; and family celebrations that include making music and displaying children’s art. These fun and engaging alternatives to television, video games, and the computer are meant to captivate children´s imaginations, celebrate their achievements, and express love and gratitude as a family.

We’ve started a new show at Threadbanger called “How To Tuesdays”, which is a weekly DIY summer special. This week Rob and Corinne show you how to beat the heat by making an old t-shirt a little cooler (with only a pair of scissors)! Check out our latest episode here!

Readymade have some new crafty green products in their store - including sets of notecards with envelopes made from their supply of damaged back issues. We’re very excited about how cool they look, and pleased with how we’re able to reuse our magazines for something that’s both useful and green.

Stitch Dissolve Distort: with machine embroidery, by Valerie Campbell-Harding and Maggie Grey, published by Interweave Press.

If you are into machine embroidery, mixed media with fabric and thread and textile design then this book is for you. This book goes into incredible detail on how to use stitch, distort and dissolve methods to experiment with design and fabric. The book is broken into three main sections which look at each area in turn, of course stitch is the main thing that underpins the last two areas. In the first sections the basics of machine embroidery are covered and then other techniques are introduced, such as adding texture with paint stitching, looking at different weighted threads, using different types of sewing machines including sergers/overlockers.

Getting inspiration for free-style stitching is discussed and shown, such as using ink drawings and texture stamps to copy, and looking at ways to put more texture into your embroidered piece, with different stitches and experimenting with sewing machine tension. One aspect of this that really interested me was using different fabric to stitch onto, such as gauze and netting and muslin and then burning away sections, also adding silk paper and woven paper for a very textured layered finish.

The middle section - dissolve (washing away), looks at using water soluble materials to stitch upon and then when you wash them away it leaves the stitching behind. A totally new thing for me and very intriguing process. The materials and processes are explained very well, with some really wonderful results given as examples. This method can be used to create fringing and jewellery, to create motifs for attaching to another piece. Water soluble paper is also discussed and can be experimented with by partial dissolving, creating resists and then using these to ad to other projects.

In fact this combination of different mediums is really an interesting part of the book, with handmade paper being used in conjunction with soluble films, and chiffon fabric, paper napkins used with silk cord and paper beads to create delicate and wonderful pieces.

The last section deals with the distortion of the fabric or embroidered piece. Ways of attacking the fabric - melting, embossing, cutting or distressing the fabric either before or after stitching takes place. All of these methods are used to add texture and different elements to the finished piece. Pulling threads from woven fabrics and finished embroidered pieces to create gaps or holes. Attacking with a heat gun to melt fibres, using dry felting tools on chiffon creates interesting textures. There are so many fantastic ways of experimenting - it is dizzying to think of it.

There is much much more in this book than I can possibly say here. This is an incredible resource for those who are interested in fabric texture and freestyle embroidery design. I just recommend this book for its visual ideas and some would say extreme crafting methods but I think of it as pushing boundaries and crafting outside of the normal realm.

How wonderful are the colours and textures of Noro on these scarves.

Brooklyn tweed - scarf made from Generic Garter Stitch Scarf (17 sts in width) in Noro ‘Iro’ in shade #47

and brooklyn tweed again with this Generic 1×1 Ribbed Striped Scarf (See details at the link) with Noro Silk Garden; 45 silk | 45 kid mohair | 10 lambswool

slichly made the edgar scarf from knitty in Noro Silk Garden Color 245

KarenP made Multi-directional scarf made with Silk Garden #84

koocheekoo made the Irish Hiking Scarf in Noro Kureyon Color #51

vacationtime made the multi directional scarf in Noro Silk Garden, color 8.

spinstah crocheted this scarf in Noro Kureyon using double crochet.

knit purr made the Lady eleanor entrelac scarf with Noro Silk Garden 84

cauchy made an entrelac scarf in five different colorways (92, 52, 157, 164, 90) of Noro Kureyon alternated at random

heylucy - made the lady eleanor in Noro Silk Garden in color 87

Amigurumi tutorial from Laura Diéz´s blog. First part and second part(in spanish)

Sencillo tutorial amigurumi  en el blog de Laura. Primera parte y segunda parte.

Jess Hutch is making giant knitted toys

Bower bird knits made Scottische Kilt Hose, from Folk Socks by Nancy Bush

Frick knits made Cari Luna’s Baby Yoda sweater, knit up in Manos Cotton Stria and Hello Yarn bonnet.

Knitterly things made these gorgeous socks with hand dyed and hand spun yarn.

mustaa villaa made these Black Walnut Socks with Toe up, 60 stitches, short-row toe and heel from Sensational Knitted Socks / Charlene Schurch, using Claudia Hand Painted Yarns Fingering Weight, in Black Walnut.

streets and yos made this golf driver cosy with her own pattern (see link for how it is done)

The knitter’s bible: knitted bags: 25 irresistible projects from frivolously fun to smart city chic by Claire Crompton, published by David and Charles

Knitted bags come in all shapes, colours, patterns, textures and sizes and many of them are in this book. There are knitted woven bags, bags knitted from crazy fur yarn, decorated with beads, felted and with frills. On the flipside there are some more sombre and stylish bags such as a black and white striped bag decorated with a red knitted flower, and bags that focus on knit technique rather than decoration, such as a fair isle purse with antique silver clasp and a shoulder purse with a bow stitch in a plain grey wool. The outstanding favourite for me though would have to be a clever little bag that is clipped onto a belt, it has a couple of pockets for phone and keys and a larger area for your purse. Lots of great designs in here, definitely something for everybody.

Purse Pizzazz by Marie Browning published by Sterling.

This book is about decorating and adorning purse ‘blanks’ or converting other objects, like boxes, into purses. Sewing skills not essential for this book. There is a lot of painting and glueing going on, with supplies needed like paper, trim, tassels and buttons, and tools like hammers and pliers and hot glue guns. There is plenty of room for fun in this book and I can see it would be easy to get carried away with overdoing it a bit at times. the book as good instructions with clear explanations of technical terms and methods. Projects include decoupaged wooden box, which has a purse handle screwed into the top. Converting commercially available blank tote bags and vintage cigar boxes into purses. Decorative techniques include faux beading, painting faux leopard print, stamping and block printing, as well as decoupage, image transfer, lacquer and applique. This is book is little bit crazy and wild but obviously lots of fun.

Vogue knitting: Crocheted Scarves Two

Huge range of crocheted scarves for all skill levels. Small size book is convenient to carry around, there is a pattern in here for all tastes, some crazy flower scarves and other simpler more stylish designs.

I admit that I can’t stand plastic shopping bags. I don’t like the sound of them, the feel of them, the effects they have on the environment, the way they get caught in trees or become bothersome to wildlife. I’m a cloth shopping bag girl from way back. They’re stashed in the car, on my bike, and even in my luggage when I travel. Even our 6-year-old daughter has her own cloth bags (shown above made with fabric designed by Jane Sassaman) for books, games and snacks.

So I was really excited to read about morsbags‘ efforts to organize groups of people, known as “pods,” to make cloth shopping bags from any kind of fabric available and hand them out at grocery stores around the world. Morsbags has a nice animated tutorial for making simple bags. In future posts I’ll include tutorials for various types of bags that I’ve found useful including shoe bags for travel, a child’s tote bag and a large heavy-duty tote bag for hauling books to and from the library. A friend and I have allocated one canvas bag for trading magazines back and forth between our houses before they get recycled. Show me your bags. I’d love to see ‘em.

Pretty in punk: 25 punk, rock and goth knitting projects, by Alyce Benevides and Jaqueline Milles, photographs by Rob Benevides, published by Chronicle Books.

First up I really want to congratulate the photographer and stylist on how this book is put together. It is hot! The images are fun and gorgeous and the reason I am mentioning this is because I am drooling over these things and want to make them NOW! Well yesterday in fact. I have made the pink ear-flap felted hat with eye-cord, I have made it felted and not felted, and with and without the mohawk. Felted it is so very warm and snug, and un-felted not so warm but bigger and covers more head space. Either way it is very cool and I love wearing them (its winter down here in Aus).

I have not as yet got going on any other projects, but my daughter has put a few orders in. The instructions were pretty easy to follow, obviously the first hat took me a little longer to work out, but by the second hat I had it down (not exactly churning them out however). Yarn is given in non-branded yarn terms which I much prefer, and gauge measurements are provided for the various sizes - this means that you can experiment with whatever needles and yarn you have on hand to get to the correct swatch sizing for the size hat you are making. Instructions are detailed with long explanations of each section and especially good - the ‘why’ you are doing it as well as the ‘how’.

For example in the explanation about felting the finished hat the author says “We’re not experts at felting, and we don’t really do it for the felted effect. Rather, we discovered that taking a chance and throwing a knitted piece into the washing machine sometimes improves the overall texture and feel of the fabric. This is especially true when there is an intarsia design; the slight bit of felting smoothes out some of the edges of colour changes. It also creates a sturdier-feeling fabric, with is great for bags and hats.”

The projects, even though the styling of these projects is rock, punk, goth, if made in different yarn they can be whatever you want them to be. I have made the red baron aviator cap (same earflap cap, except it ties and buttons under the neck and does not have a mohawk) for my husband in a plain blue wool and it not only looks fab he loves it too. The projects themselves have good basic design principals underlying them. A knitted tie, a vampish neck choker, a cute loose knit camisole, are all projects that be made into whatever you want them to be, or as they are they are fab.

Projects in the book range from hats, and other accessories like armbands and scarves and ties to tops and skirts and dresses. There is a bulky knit fitted long sweater/dress with removable sleeves, a knitted corset, a bum pocket patch to add onto your jeans and mini skirt. My favourites are the hats and I will be making more of these, but I am also into the armbands and some of those sweaters. These projects are definitely not boring or plain - so get knitting some punk, goth and rock knits.

Choosing colour combinations for craft, such as quilting, can be a challenge. You can find yourself slipping into palettes that are influenced by factors such as what colours suit you to wear, which can confine your choices unnecessarily (eg. mustard: hard to wear, wonderful in quilts).

Bog standard paint chip displays with graduated colours can be a source of chips to mix and consider, but also look for examples where the paint company has done the work, such as the display below which I saw in a hardware store recently. Rather nice colour combinations, I thought.

Paint chip palettes

Here’s an online tool that generates paint palettes and which you could also play with for crafting purposes. There are also a bunch of palettes to inspire you here.

Men who knit and the dogs who love them: 30 great-looking designs for man & his best friend, by Drew Emborsky and Annie Modesitt

This is a book with a sense of humour. Drew and Annie are both passionate about their craft with a terrific, if unusual, sense of design. Me and my kids both loved looking at the matching dog and grown man outfits, very cute (dogs and men). But seriously there are some great patterns in here, good advice, and an excuse to do some interesting experimentation with different yarns and techniques. There are also some great stories of men who knit, with Drew’s personal touch coming through. I hope this book encourages other men to knit and I am sure will be a fabulous gift for the men in your life who do knit.

This book has good instructions, clear and with big illustrations, and pattern and sizing charts. Sizing here is important and mens and dogs sizes are explained. I also like that even though sometimes a particular type of yarn is discussed, like soy yarn, there are no brands specified, just Aran weight in variegated blue or machine washable chunky wool yarn, or alpaca light worsted weight yarn.

I love the projects in this book, my favourites are the dog and man matching sweaters and I particularly liked the raglan sweater in basketweave stitch using soy yarn. The matching man and dog socks are adorable, there are also smaller projects like dog toys, mats, rugs, and a thick felted sofa bed. I thought the singlet/muscle shirt an interesting idea but wonder how comfortable this is for a dog to wear. The doggie saddle bags are very cute and quite probably practical too, they could carry the doggie poop bags when taking him for a walk!

Congrats Drew and Annie, great book.

Hi whipup team,

I am starting up an internet campaign to raise awareness of mental illness, particularly Depression. Titled “Knit and Fight the Black Dog” I am hoping that people will come forward and share their experiences with similar conditions, and if their craft has helped them in anyway. More information, including details of my personal battle, are available on my blog.
Regards,
Meg

Hello there to all the wonderful people at Whip-up….Love your site..!

I am a new crafting blogger and I have made my first tutorial. It is a tutorial for children to make their own fabric collage which is then mounted onto a canvas. My 6 year old had a ball doing it and it kept her attention for an hour or so on a rainy Sunday afternoon…

Forget me not: Photography and remembrance by Geoffrey Batchen, published by Princeton Architectural Press.

A fascinating look into how photography and memory are intricately woven together. How photography both captures memory but can also hide the truth. A critical discussion on the role of photographs in family and history how photos have the power to alter and even block memories. How photographs have been embellished over the years and have become hybrid objects with magic and power in them. If you are interested in knowing more about the history of photography, mainly portraiture and family photography then this is a wonderful journey and excellent resource.

Speck: a curious collection of uncommon things by Peter Buchanan-Smith, published by Princeton Architectural Press

This book provides a different way to see your environment, through the eyes of objects, left over detritus from every day life. This book is a series of quirky art experiments, that encourage the viewer and help the artist to think and look deeper at ordinary things that might otherwise pass them by. One artist in the book, Amy, loves to poke around in trash cans looking for objects that resemble the alphabet, another contributer collects samples of dirt and smog and water from his travels. There are ticket collections, scribble collections and cat whisker collections, photos of used lipsticks, and discarded newspapers. One experiment involved leaving slices of bread in various locations around the city and then documenting what happened to them. I keep coming back to this book for a second, third and fourth viewing, it is addictive and each time I find something different to focus on. My kids also love this book too, they are as fascinated by it as I am.

Whiptips craft advice column for readers to ask questions or offer advice by leaving comments. Whiptips archive here. Questions to whiptips@gmail.com.

Martha wrote:
I love looking through the website. Stumbled on it by chance. I’m looking for some inspiration–remember those yardstick holders from the 70s. I think they were usually made of burlap, decorated with yarn embroidery. Anyone remember them? Or have some guidelines for recreating?

Hi Kath -
Am a loyal subscriber to your blog and can’t tell you how much I love it!! Wanted to let you and your readers know I’m posting on my blog the progress of my new quilt studio being built [wow its huge - lucky you - ed] and running a contest for suggestions for the studio. I’ll draw for an Amazon gift certificate from the entries: deadline July 20th. I saw Weeks’ quilt at Quilt National and it was one of my favorites: a simple idea but masterfully design and executed.

Joan from Lazy girl designs sent in a link to a tutorial for making Yo-yo’s using a yo-yo tool! who knew. Also check out our own yo-yo tutorial at whipup if you missed it. And amazing original way to use these yo-yo’s - a barnacle wool throw rug (see image below).

The 2007 Annual Toilet Paper Wedding Dress Contest is officially underway. It runs from May 1 to July 31, 2007. Grab your friends, your toilet paper and a digital camera and get creative. You can use tape or glue as well. See the official rules for all of the details.

I am a regular visitor to your fantastic blog and it truly inspires me! I’m a few days behind but saw that you had a bunch of book recommendations. “Printmaking for Beginners” caught my eye (and is now on my Amazon wish list :) For my day job I work for a small family run production company in Oregon (we’re about an hour south of Portland). I spend all day editing art and craft (collage, silver clay jewelry, fabric collage, etc) videos and we have a new one on monotype printmaking with a mother/daughter team Julia and Gail Ayres. I thought I’d send you the link because it seems right up your alley! Thanks for all you do! Kelly Here is the youtube link to a preview of the video (looks good) and here is the link to the website.

a knitter in queens is knitting Tutu Tea Cozy from Knit 2 Together by Tracy Ullman and Mel Clark.

brooklyn tweed is knitting the Baby Surprise Jacket by Elizabeth Zimmermann

colours knits is knitting swatches of habu paper moire & cotton gima

Knit creations is knitting from Habu kits. If you can’t get the kit then you can try this method for this scarf - or textile with a cone of A-20(silk wrapped stainless steel) and a cone of A-33 (fine merino wool). And using one needle size (I used US6 instead of all 4 recommended various needle sizes) I knit a rectangle scarf, 60% of which using both yarns and 40% using silk wrapped stainless steel. Hand felt it in a sink and stretched it a bit, as it has shrunk. Because those fiber materials are so unique you can give it any shape you desire later, you can consider it as a play dough, experiment with it, make it a wearable piece of art!

And this gorgeous jacket using this Habu kit

and strikker is making cute little hats

Knit1 blog1 is an exhibition due to open at Craft ACT, in Canberra, 14 July - 26 August 2007 It is being curated by Barbara, director of Craft ACT: Craft and Design Centre and Bronwyn, a local artist and knitter. Bronwyn’s 2002 work, housecosy - a knitted covering for a house was made with the help of over 100 knitters, and her 2005 work, carcosy , was made with local primary school students helping.

Knit1 Blog1 is an exhibition exposing the social phenomena of knitting and blogging, as part of the 2007 Festival of Contemporary Art. Knit1 Blog1 delves into the wacky world of blogging, existing in cyberspace but having its virtual roots twined into knitting enthusiast’s daily lives. Visit the gallery and see objects created by knitting blogging enthusiasts; surf your way through blog sites at the terminals at Craft ACT; and get involved in numerous activities.
Read more at the knit1 blog1 blog

Knit1 Blog1 will coincide with Dimensions Variable 2007 a festival celebrating contemporary art and craft in Canberra. The festival will focus on the theme In Public and present a series of major exhibitions, temporary public art in the city area, public events, an education program, and other fun happenings.

Knit Ins: Fridays 20 and 27 July; Fridays 3, 10, 17 and 24 August - 12noon to 1:30pm FREE - Bring along your knitting project and relax in the gallery at Craft ACT with other knitting enthusiasts, with steaming cups of tea and coffee available.

Workshops: (read more about these here)

- Lost in Translation - from pattern to finished piece: Jacqui Kempton Saturday 21 July, 10am to 1pm
- Short Circuit Scarf: Denise Sutherland Sunday 22 July, 10am to 11:30am
- ON UR BLOG: Caren Florance Saturday 11 August, 10am to 11:30am
- Knitting First Aid: Penny Hadobas and Denise Sutherland Sunday 12 August, 10am to 1pm

In response to your recent article about the resurgence in knitting I thought you may be interested to see the animation I did using knitting. It combines the craft with new technology to create an epic adventure. I completed it as my final piece on my Sculpture Degree at Camberwell College of arts. You can see it here. I know it’s cheeky suggesting my own work, but I think you’ll really enjoy it! I am Ahab and Do the brane
Max xx

For more cute and more gruesome knitimations by Max check out her youtubes movies (see links above) and her website.