All posts tagged: yarn

tiny hearts.

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Valentine’s Day is my favorite crating holiday. Here’s a super simple DIY to adorn your home, your love day tree (that should be a thing!), or a gift. Materials: Create tassels to your desired length and thickness (See tassel tutorial for detailed instructions.) Use a non stretchy cord for the hanging string. To attach to the heart, thread the two ends of the hanging string through the heart’s bottom point, front to back. Bring the two strands around to the front and tie a double knot. Use a craft needle to sew the loose hanging string ends into the top of the tassel. Trim excess hanging string. Alternatively, you can simply trim the hanging string, or leave the hanging string as is and allow the strands to blend in with the rest of the tassel. For the top string, cut a 12” piece of non-stretchy cord (can be the same cord you used for the tassel or a more decorative cord like Baker’s twine). Fold the cord in half and loop it onto the top …

charmed.

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As promised, here is another wrapped craft: charm bracelets! File this craft under handmade gift ideas for your besties (hint hint: Christmas is coming!)! It’s super simple and super cute. All you need: Bangles (I used bangles from Target) Embroidery floss Jump rings Charms (I found a great selection from Paper Dog Supply Co) Scissors 2 pairs of pliers Cut 6 feet of embroidery floss. Tie onto the inside of a bangle with a double knot, leaving a short tail. Leave the tail exposed. Wrap the floss along the bangle, making sure the wraps lie next to each other. Do not leave any gaps. Once you loop around the bangle, tie the two loose ends together in a double knot on the inside of the bangle. Trim loose ends. You can add some jewelry glue on the knot if you wish. Use pliers to attach jump rings directly onto the bangle, and to attach charms onto the jump rings. Mix and match your charms of choice. Add blank jump rings, too. Make a few bracelets …

door tasselry.

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I saw this on Pinterest and had to try it, especially since I had all the materials already. Door knob tassels! Materials and tools: 4mm cotton string – alternatively, you can use something thicker Embroidery floss in all the colors Scissors Tapestry needle Comb Ruler or tape measure Painters tape (optional) How to: Cut 8 strands of the 4mm string into 2-foot pieces. If you are using a thicker string/rope you may not need as many strands. Line up the strands and fold in half. If it helps, use painters tape to hold the strands together and mark off where you will stop wrapping with embroidery floss. I marked off 6 inches from the string midpoint. Take your first embroidery floss color and tie a double knot on the strings opposite the painters tape marker. Begin wrapping, keeping the wraps directly next to each other. Leave the loose tail to the side – we’ll use that later to finish our tassel. Tension should be just enough to keep the string strands snug. When you are …

giant pompom.

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I had so much yarn (there’s still a lot!) so I made a giant pompom! Materials: All the yarn – scraps work great for this project 2 cake circles – go big! (You can also start with a big piece of cardboard and cut out your circle size of choice.) Rope, 3 feet in length Pencil Scissors (for cutting cardboard and for cutting yarn) Draw and cut a slit and a ~5 inch circle in both cake circles. You can use the hole from the first cake circle as a stencil for the second. Line up the two cake circles and begin wrapping with yarn. Continue to wrap until you can no longer pass yarn through the center. This took me 4+ hours. Cut open the yarn wraps along the cake circle circumference to expose the cake circles. Place the rope in between the two cake circle layers. Tie a tight double knot. Carefully remove the cake circles one at a time. It’s ok if you bend or even rip apart the circles to remove. …

i like ’em chunky.

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Comment below if you know the movie reference! 🙂 I’m all about chunky yarn always, but it’s especially appropriate for Fall. It’s so cozy looking. I saw these giant yarn balls in the sale section at Michaels and had to resist buying the whole shelf. (They were $10 versus $30 each!) I decided to practice some hand crochet and found a project online for a cat bed. I don’t have a cat, but it’s such a cute project. I used two pounds of chunky yarn, a pair of scissors, and a clip to mark my stitches. Here’s the tutorial I used by Be Cozi. I’m in no way a crocheter, but this tutorial is super easy to follow. Note: Since I used less yarn than in the video my cat bed ended up with less height. How to: Create slip knot. Make a chain stitch of three stitches. Crochet the first ‘row’ of the base: Create six single crochet stitches into the first chain stitch. Mark the sixth stitch with a clip. Crochet the second …

yarn wrap.

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A cozy yarn craft for Fall! Materials: Wood ornament wreath – You can also wrap letter ornaments. Assorted yarn – Try a variety of colors and textures. Scissors Craft needle I removed the hanging string so I could wrap the entire ornament. Begin by tying a double knot. Trim the tail to less than an inch. Begin wrapping, keeping the wraps close together. I wrapped over the yarn tail to hide it. Overlap yarn to completely cover the ornament. Once you’re ready to switch colors, tie the first and second yarn ends to each other with an overhand knot. Continue wrapping, again wrapping over the yarn tails. You can “go back” and overlap the wraps to cover any gaps. Shortcut/style choice: double up the yarn and wrap two strands at the same time. Once you’ve wrapped the entire ornament (you can also partially wrap the ornament – it’s up to you!) use a craft needle to assist with tying a double knot. Then sew in the loose tail into a few of the yarn wraps …

summer weavings.

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I’ve been trying to weave more, but like watercolor, it’s something I find challenging to do at home because home priorities and other craft distractions. So I’m trying this thing where I bring crafts on the go. Plus I’ve got this super cute bag from Rennie that I’ve deemed my weaving project bag. I’ve been going to many tennis events this summer (yay Hubby!), so I’ve been bringing my weavings on the road and all of these weavings are named after the tennis match. Last Regular Season Match. The last regular season match was held at Alameda City College. It was so cold and windy (#bayareasummer) so I had my blanket (also woven!) and my weaving in hand. This is a nice place to watch tennis because they actually have spectator seating not blocked by a fence. I use this as a sample for my Weaving Basics class because it demonstrates all the things I teach in the workshop: tabby stitch, rya (tassels), interlocking weave, and tips for adding texture. This piece measures 5.25 inches …

avfkw.

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OMG, OMG. I finally visited A Verb for Keeping Warm. I stumbled in on a whim while I was on my way to grab some snacks next door. Such a good stumble – look at this place! A wall of yarn, a wall of fabric, and everything in between. They carry in-house dyed yarn – that’s like super local. There’s also yarn and fabric from all over the nation and world. They produce their own line of DIY kits and sewing patterns. I want them all. Plus, there was inspiration everywhere. I liked that they had clothing samples for all their sewing patterns. You can even try the clothes on to see which fit is best before you commit to making it. Ooh, there was dried indigo hanging all around, too. I’ve never seen a real indigo plant before! There is space for workshops, and I had little peeks into one of the dye studios (there are two studios!) and their natural dye garden. Dreamy… My bounty! I bought my first sewing pattern, fabric for …

knits & knots.

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Here’s the yarn store I mentioned in my last post! Knits and Knots is filled with all the things! I’m not a knitter or crocheter, but I do love me some locally dyed yarns for special tassels and weaving work. When I stumble upon a yarn shop while on vacation I always ask where to find the special yarn. Shops usually carry one or two local brands. Here, they carry Storyteller yarn. I’m always inspired by the projects on display. Sometimes I wish I had this kind of craft patience. The shop also carries giftable items ~ cards, DIY kits…. PS And they are located behind Wildwood so you can get a double dose of shopping small! Do pretty yarns make you swoon, too? Share yarn tales below!

shop feature: apricot.

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On my last work trip we stopped at a cafe en route to the airport and I stumbled upon a yarn store across the way. 🙌🏼 What a fun stumble! Apricot Yarn & Supply is tucked away in Loma Portal at Liberty Station. They carry lots of colorful yarns in different weights and textures, a handful of reference books, and knitting and crochet accessories. Look, so pretty! I found some Loome goodies, too! I chose three hanks of yarn to take home – I loved the textures and colors. The multicolored one is a locally hand-dyed yarn. Yay! These are going to be so perfect for some weavings I have planned. We didn’t get to see other parts of Liberty Station since we had to head to the airport, but I did get to snack on a cinnamon bun from Con Pane Rustic Breads & Cafe before heading out. Mmm. Looking forward to coming back to the area some time to explore more! Yarn update: I totes tangled two of the three hanks while trying …