Knitting daily has a great how-to make these chinese knot closures for your knitting.

Dawn sent in this link for cooking these adorable halloween themed sausage rolls.

HANNAH PANG: dreams from loom and needle

RMIT Gallery, 344 Swanston Street Melbourne from October 29 – November 22

Hannah Pang is a fashion designer who creates beautiful fabrics working with artisans in traditional techniques such as Kesi, an ancient weaving craft that creates a silk tapestry with cut designs that resemble carved art work. This exhibition showcases special Chinese handcrafted fashion fabric from the traditional to contemporary.

Image: Hannah Pang, Yuan Dynasty design for a coat (detail)

Next time you receive a package, don’t throw the box and padding material away. Instead, turn them into a gorgeous hardbound journal, you can carry in your pocket.

Avital Gertner-Samet has authored an e-book: “unleashing The Creative Child Within You” - also check out the blog which offers creativity boosters, including: inspiration, journaling and creativity prompts.

I LOVE this little online program, generates 9-patch patchwork blocks for you.

classic elite yarns is offering this free pattern (through their web letter) for these adorable mini socks - perfect for decorating.

Lion brand requires membership - its free but you need to register and sign in.

jack-o-lantern bag

spider web basket (easy project for kids)

crochet candy (not sure the kiddies would appreciate this but I like them anyway)

skull bag is pretty cool

amigurumi candy corn
- fun

felted bat

the wigs are fantastic (easy kids project)

from orange juicy knits

Invasion of the Plush Monsters!: Wickedly Weird Creatures You Just Gotta Sew
by Veronica Alice Gunter, published by Lark Books (May 6, 2008)

This book is strange, but in the best possible way. Packed full of weird and odd plushy monsters, Invasion of the plush monsters! is great to look at, not only for the monsters themselves, but for the headlines that introduce each individual project. When you see a page titled “Nauseators Overwhelm Air Traffic Controllers” or “Terrifying Totebaggers Stage Full-Moon Foray”, how can you help but want to bust out the fur fabric and fleece, and make a monster?

The patterns in this book include lots of plush monsters for cuddling or decorating your space, as well as some bags, slippers and hats. This book is marketed at children and in the marketing blurb states so simple to sew that kids can do it—as long as they have this book, the only one of its kind created just for children.

My 8 year old monster child and I attempted to sew the ‘Big Belly monster’, and while the instructions were for the most part fairly straightforward, there were a few assumptions made, and between us we couldn’t figure out a few of the steps. In the end we created a passable monster (and my 8 year old monster loves it!), but between the instructions and the difficulty of manipulating and sewing with fur fabric, I would really recommend a pair of big hands to work with any little hands that are keen to create any of the monsters in this book.

Even if you don’t feel like sewing any of these monsters, they are worth checking out!

About the author: Kate is a busy mother of four and has far too many craft projects on the go at any one time. These could include, but are not limited to, crochet, sewing, dyeing, paper making, spinning, felting and bookbinding. Kate has challenges in the areas of finishing things, saying no and craft supplies storage. She also has a very very patient and tolerant husband.

free online patterns from badbird

tipnut embroidery section - lots of freebies

feeling stitchy - for all things stitchy - attached to the flickr group (image from pimp stitch)

sublime stitching - not your grammas embroidery (image from black apple designs)

meggiecat has links to super cute vintage downloads

wee wonderfuls- freebies as well as stitchettes in her store

no image for this one but needle’nThread is a fabulous resource

lion brand has these two patterns available to crochet your favourite (or not so favourite) candidate in the up coming elections. You need to register at lion brand to view free patterns - its definitely worth it.

I don’t usually deal with non handmade goods on this site - but recently I was sent an omni chair from sumo lounge to review. I received an email that went like this … 2 years not having any money for advertising I bought a list of the top 100,000 websites & went through every one & emailed anyone who could possibly review a bean bag chair & since then we have received over 500 reviews … The omni is good - its an oversized square beanbag - comfy, versatile and sturdy, just like the description. It is nice and roomy, big enough but not too big, made from heavy duty material, great design … in short the whole family like it and we might even get another one after our renovations are complete.

But really its the email sales technique that had me intrigued and that is what I thought my whipup readers might really be interested in. It obviously works - they send products out to review to blogs - gets everyone talking - it certainly is worth some thought for all you indie designers and makers out there…

below are pics taken from other sites that have reviewed the omni (I didn’t get around to taking any myself) images from swissmiss, better living through design, and 4color rebellion. (ps about the images - the kids love it so that pic of the kids joyous face is real, the cat loves it too, and no our new renovation does not look like that…)

orange juicy blog has a neat refashioning arm warmer tutorial. [ta kate].

love some of these vintage patterns that are available for download from free vintage patterns.

soaker pants :: huck finn cardigan :: little miss jump up dress :: crochet snuggle cap

“American Artist” Launches New Online Community for Artists - a user-driven website that allows artists to show the depth of their creativity and engage with other artists in exciting new ways.

Meat After Meat Joy, curated by Heide Hatry - 16 October - 15 November
DANEYAL MAHMOOD GALLERY 511 WEST 25 ST, 3FL NEW YORK CITY 10001

If the flesh disturbs you, then the reality behind the issue would disturb you far more if we opened our eyes long enough to see it. We live in a culture disconnected from what it is doing to itself and others, we choose to ignore rather than deal with the reality we have created for ourselves. - Adam Brandejs

Meat After Meat Joy brings together the work of contemporary artists who use meat in their work (raw meat, the concept of meat, its symbolism and viscera) in order to investigate the paradoxical relationship meat has to the body.

Image: Adam Brandejs, Animatronic Flesh Shoe, Latex, Steel, Gear motors, Printed circuit, Rio MP3 Player, Batteries, Staples, Roommates Hair.

Saartje’s Bootees (link to PDF in sidebar) :: mary jane booties :: ruths perfect booties :: little button loafers (paid pattern at etsy) :: knitty gritty suede booties :: stay-on booties :: baby socks at interweave :: magic slippers :: saartjes bootie the bockstark way :: mary jane skimmers (on etsy) :: simple baby shoe (ravelry download) :: quick bootie :: pirate booties (download at ravelry) :: knee high booties at vintage knitting :: surisuri baby booties (at ravelry) ::

School of Everything, a site that’s been described as ‘MySpace for teachers’ and eBay for knowledge’. Teachers in any subject can create a free profile to tell potential students about their skills and classes, while everyone can browse the site and contact interesting teachers to arrange lessons. They launched September 2008 and already have profiles for teachers and classes in thousands of subjects.

check out crafts category

School of Everything connects people who want to learn with passionate teachers in their local area. The award-wining site is free to join for both people who want to learn and people who want to teach.

Teachers register online and create a personal page giving information on their lessons, the qualifications offered and the format in which they teach - for example workshops or one-to-one sessions. Potential pupils find a tutor who’s right for them simply searching by subject, learning category and location. They can then send them a message, arrange to meet and begin learning their new subject.

15 October-1 November Entanglement exhibition at Manningam Gallery (Doncaster, Victoria)

Entanglement is a word that implies an interweaving of ideas, objects or possessions that cannot be easily separated. In partnership with Monash University Art & Design, the Manningham Gallery has invited several prominent weavers and glass artists, including Brook Morgan, Sara Lindsay, Jennifer King, Ilka White, Ruth McCallum-Howell, Des Fankhauser, and Yhonnie Scarce to participate in this thought provoking show.

This group of artists explore the notion of entanglement from individual and collaborative perspectives. What they share is an understanding of the interconnectedness of all things, whether it is from the point of view of science and mathematics or psychology. The concept of dualism is abandoned and replaced with endless, simultaneous creative possibilities.

Image caption: Rodney Love, I Am Because We Are, Socks, cotton, polyester ribbon, on wooden frame

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by Kirsty at kootoyoo