How to make a recycled book page coffin Halloween garland

I find reading about other crafters so inspiring and that is just what the pages of are filled with Craft Activism: People , Ideas, and Projects from the New Community of Handmade and How You Can Join In. The photos and stories drove me to....cut....and this being Halloween season.....I thought my plain white string of lights needed something from under my knife.

 That something turned out to be little paper coffins cut from the pages of an old book and stamped with all sorts of Halloween themed images.

 I simply attached them to the string of lights with tiny clothes pins. I plan on leaving these lights up and will most assuredly be adding something Christmasy to them! I scanned in one of the coffins and if you want to make some too feel free to download to use as a template.

More about the super inspiring and packed full of great ideas and patterns book from Potter Craft:

 Craft Activism: People , Ideas, and Projects from the New Community of Handmade and How You Can Join In

by
Joan Tapper, Gale Zucker and Faythe Levine

"Join the Handmade Movement!

We make to give. We make to share. We make to connect with others. Crafters all over the world are using their hands and hearts to make a statement, change the world, and build community.

Craft Activism is an inspiring celebration of this growing movement. Inside, dozens of superstars of this grassroots phenomenon share their experiences, tips, and advice on living, teaching, and promoting a more meaningful DIY lifestyle. Learn to craft for your cause, connect with other crafters, think green, organize a fair, host an online exchange, create yarn graffiti, and more. The book also includes 17 creative projects from designers who challenge you to reimagine how your craft skills can be used to make a difference. Whether you knit, sew, crochet, or collage—and even if you’re not sure where to begin—this book is your guide to the incredible power of handmade."

How to make a leather and recycled plastic Steampunk style cuff

 Today's latest creation is another in my recycled leather cuff series. I didn't realize it was going to be a series but here is the third one I've made. Go figure. OK so here is how I did this one.

 I scored a party platter at...wait for it...a party of all places. A huge piece of smooth black plastic perfect for die cutting. I trimmed off the groove part around the edge and sent it through the Sizzix die cutter using the Tim Holtz Alterations Gadget Gears Die.







I should also back up a bit and say the inspiration for this whole project came from flipping though the book Hot Connections Jewelry:The Complete Sourcebook of Soldering Techniques and seeing this cool gear necklace but since I'm on a cuff kick that's what I was going to make.


Once the plastic was cut I thought it looked a bit shiny so scuffed it up with a piece of sandpaper.

 Then I sewed the gear on with a JHB Steampunk gear button on the topside of the leather (after cutting a tiny hole for the shank to go through) and a flat button on the back so the shank button wouldn't wobble around too much.
I thin stitched a pair of "D" rings I had cut off an old pair of sneakers to secure the sides of the gear and have them wrap around my wrist.

The cuff's closure is just a bit of Velcro i sewed onto each end.

If you like to make (or be inspired by) modern style jewelry I bet you will love:

Hot Connections Jewelry:The Complete Sourcebook of Soldering Techniques
by
Jennifer Chin

More about the book from the publisher Potter Craft:

"The art of soldering—permanently joining metal components with a torch and solder—can open up a new world of creative possibilities for jewelry makers.

In Hot Connections Jewelry, award-winning jewelry designer Jennifer Chin guides you through every step, from choosing a torch to basic techniques like sawing, filing, and riveting, as well as more advanced techniques like creating surface textures, setting stones, and using inlay.

With 23 in-depth lessons and 15 stunning projects, as well as inspiring examples from contributing artists, Hot Connections Jewelry is your essential guide to unleashing your creativity and confidence in jewelry making."

How to cut a pair of socks and make them lace up the back

I love to cut things up, no surprise there. And I have cut my fair share of socks but always horizontally, but today I have my first vertical cut (also known as "steeking" in the sweater/knitting world). I was inspired by this page in the wonderful knitting book Wendy Knits Lace: Essential Techniques and Patterns for Irresistible Everyday Lace.

This page features a pair of socks that have a line of lacework up the back center that is so beautiful. I thought I could steek a pair of socks and add some lace trim to make them lace up the back.
How I made my lace-up the back socks:
I tried the socks on and marked the spot I wanted to cut down to and I also measured the socks while they were on me from the bottom to the top edge. I did this because I knew the socks were stretching a bit and the lace trim I was using did not stretch. It ended up being about an inch and a half longer than when the socks were off.

So all I did was cut from the top edge down to the back of the ankle.
Then pinned on the lace trim to each side stretching the sock evenly to be as long as the trim.
I sewed the trim on using a stretch stitch and slightly pulling the sock as I sewed.
I did take great care to make sure both sides of the trim matched up.
I then used 1/4 inch organza ribbon to lace the two sides back up.

Whether you like to knit your lace or you are like me and are a Sweater (knit) Surgeon I bet you will love and be inspired by the too pretty book from Potter Craft:
Wendy Knits Lace: Essential Techniques and Patterns for Irresistible Everyday Lace
by
Wendy D. Johnson

"With 20 original patterns for gorgeous lace shawls, sweaters, hats, gloves and of course socks, popular blogger and author Wendy D. Johnson provides thorough instruction on the best lace techniques for aspiring, experienced and advanced knitters. Many knitters are intimidated by lace, but with a little guidance anyone can create beautiful pieces. As she did for the toe-up sock technique, Wendy demystifies lace knitting by thoroughly explaining the basics and offering the best techniques to create the most intricate-looking patterns. She shares a wealth of tips that will help new lace knitters avoid any frustration. Twenty projects for beginners through to advanced knitters include scarves, shawls, afghans, accessories and sweaters. Ranging from a lightweight seashell camisole for summer to a thick cowl for winter, Wendy presents projects that are surprisingly easy and fun to create and great to wear year-round."

How to make recycled sweater pansy flowers

As I write this it is coming down in torrents outside my window. So it is only apropos that I be making bloomin' good flowers inspired by the equally bloomin' good book Noni Flowers: 40 Exquisite Knitted Flowers to cheer me up. I bet they will make you smile too!
I might have mention that I am on a big crazy shoe kick (pun intended) right now. One of my favorite quotes I spotted at the Glendale Quilt Show was "Cinderella is proof that shoes can change your life" Well, I took it a step (another bad pun intended). I changed the crazy shoes by embellishing them with recycled sweater pansy flowers I made inspired by knitted ones featured in Noni Flowers: 40 Exquisite Knitted Flowers.
I went to the recycled sweater stash and for this project I went to the tiny scrap bag (yup I don't throw any bit away!)
I cut out the shapes of the petals like the ones in the picture. Then I followed the directions in
Noni Flowers: 40 Exquisite Knitted Flowers on top stitching the petals together with the purple, red and white yarn.

I will surely try knitting some of these beautiful flowers as well as cut up some more sweater scraps into other flowers. There are 40 to try! If you like making flowers too I bet you will find this book as inspiring as I did!

More about the book from the publisher Potter Craft:
Noni Flowers: 40 Exquisite Knitted Flowers
by
Nora Bellows

"Designer Nora J. Bellows’s extraordinary Noni® bag and flower patterns have earned her acclaim and endeared her to a loyal following of knitters all over the world. Now, in her first book, she offers lifelike knitted flowers that rival the beauty of true botanicals. This is a collection of luscious designs and essential techniques that knitters will turn to again and again. Inside, you’ll find:


• 40 exceptional knitted and felted flowers, from Angel’s Tears Ddaffodils to ylang ylang
• 6 beautiful yet practical garment, accessory, and home projects perfect for floral embellishment
• Clear instructions for knitting, felting, wiring, and finishing your work"

How to make a scrap fabric and recycled tank dress

Maybe it's the time change or the super fun and inspiring book The BurdaStyle Sewing Handbook but I just had to make some new(ish) clothes for the upcoming summer weather.
Here is my first dress. The dress section in The BurdaStyle Sewing Handbook was where I took my inspiration for this upcycled outfit. Included in the book are "design wall" sections and pages of inspiration that other designers created. The design wall included swatches of eyelet and lace and the dress page included a lot of layered hems.
How I made my recycled tank top dress.

First I put the tank top on and then simply start holding up the scraps of fabric I pulled from the stash. I then start trimming them and pinning them (with little safety pins as I will need to take the top off and on a lot).

I should note here the scrap of eyelet in the bottom right of the photo didn't "make the cut" as it was stiffer than the other fabrics and I wanted this hem to have a soft drapey feel. I really did like the fabric but it will have to go into another project.

Then I simply stitched the scraps onto the bottom edge of the tank top.

There was a small imperfection on the tank so I cut a diamond shape out of one of the lace fabrics and top stitched it onto the tank aligning it with one of the points of the bottom added fabrics.

Oh I should note the straps of this tank were a bit long and they weren't adjustable so I detached them at the back , crossed them and then restitched them back on. Easy alteration!

And if I do say so myself looks pretty darn cute on. The dress form did it's best to model it ;)

So whether you like making spiffy new cloths with patterns (included with this book) or going it on your own with lots of inspiration I bet you will love:
The BurdaStyle Sewing Handbook

More about the book from the publisher Potter Craft:
" If you’ve ever made your own clothes, you know how empowering it can be. That awesome skirt in a fabric you adore. The blouse that fits perfectly. The one-of-a-kind dress you just knew would look cuter with a few extra details at the neck and hem. All made by you. Creating fashionable, custom-fitted clothing is often much easier than you think, and in their first book, BurdaStyle—the largest community of aspiring fashion designers and style-savvy sewers—will show you how. Packed with easy-to-follow tutorials, five adaptable sewing patterns for a skirt, blouse, dress, coat, and bag, and fifteen step-by-step sewing projects, this book gives you the basic building blocks to begin sewing and the tools you need to move beyond the basics to designing and customizing your own wardrobe. If you’ve never threaded a needle before, you’ll find essential information on setting up a studio, using your sewing machine and other tools, working with patterns, and getting the perfect fit. For experienced sewers, the book offer tips and tricks for mastering techniques, as well as tons of design inspiration from seventy-eight BurdaStyle members from all over the world. With its unique blend of fashion, creativity, and expert know-how, The BurdaStyle Sewing Handbook is the ultimate guide to sewing with style."

How to make a recycled wool sweater Peep garland

Peep-tastic!
Generally when you think of wool sweaters you think of winter and Christmas crafts well not me. I was flipping through Felt Me a Smile: Heart-made Projects to Make and Give and boy was I smiling with page after page of pure cuteness! Specifically this bunny just called to me and reminded me that Easter is just around the corner.
One of my all time favorite bunnies is the bunny Peep and I thought that was just the bunny to make.
I found an outline online (that was fun to type :) of the Peep. I simply pinned the pattern to a bit of yellow recycled wool felted sweater and cut it out, and then cut more out, until I had all the Peeps I could make from my sweater scrap!
To make the eyes and nose I used a bit of black Tulip dimensional paint.

After the cute little faces were dry I ran a bit of thread through the bunny Peep ears. The recycled wool felted sweater is thick enough to hold the thread.

If you too like to make cute little felted things then I bet you will love:
Felt Me a Smile: Heart-made Projects to Make and Give
by
Toyoko Sugiwaka

More about the book from the publisher Potter Craft:

" Cute, quirky, huggable, & lovable animal-inspired projects for crafters of every skill level!

These 16 simple, useful, and wonderfully whimsical animal-inspired projects are guaranteed to elicit smiles all around. They use felting, embroidery, crochet, and fabric-painting techniques and are suitable for crafters of all levels and interests thanks to the step-by-step photographs, templates, and stitch-by-stitch instructions. Fans of today's popular Japanese crafts as well as animal-lovers everywhere, will find these ideas totally irresistible—from the twinkle-toed poodle baby booties to the adorable pair of hugging bears."

How to crochet a Christmas tree skirt

My Halloween decorations aren't even all packed up yet and back in the rafters of the garage and I am already pulling down the Christmas trees! Oy! That's just the way it goes when you get inspired to make something. Today it's a crocheted Christmas tree skirt. I was savoring the pages of the new book Stashbuster Knits: Tips, Tricks, and 21 Beautiful Projects for Using Your Favorite Leftover Yarn and the page you see above has this cool jacket with a circular back and as the book title states it's made from the almighty stash (of which this fiber fanatic has in abundance!)

And the part of my stash I've been savoring and has been calling to me the loudest to work with is Vickie Howell's Sheepish yarn.
How to crochet this Striped Christmas tree skirt:
Gather your yarn and hook (I used a Boye "H" as the yarn indicated)

Note: I made it this way because I might use it with different little Christmas trees I have and some of them don't have removable legs so I wanted to be able to open it up as far as I needed to.
(This photo is of single crochet thought the back loop)
I did this because I think the stripes looked smoother this way.

-Chain 10 (or as many as you need to fit around the base of the tree you think you plan to use it with).

-Cut the end of the yarn and pull through the last loop.
-Tie a bow with the tail from the end and the tail from the beginning.
-Pick your next color yarn and starting at the beginning again 2 single crochets in the back of the first loop.
-Work single crochets around the chain doing 2 stitches in one stitch every few stitches to increase. (Note I don't count I just go with it to keep it flat by eye)
-Do 2 single crochets in the last loop, cut the yarn and pull through the last loop to secure. Tie a bow with the tails.
-That's pretty much it my crochet peeps! Just keep going until you have the size you want.

If you know what tree you are using and it has removable legs you don't have to tie each row together like I did to keep it able to be opened and adjustable.

Another thing I should note here, yes, this book is a knitting book but it is so pretty and inspirational I just happen to prefer when I am working in the round doing it in crochet.

More about the book from Potter Craft:
Stashbuster Knits: Tips, Tricks, and 21 Beautiful Projects for Using Your Favorite Leftover Yarn
by
Melissa Leapman

"This is the latest title from popular knitting teacher, designer and author Melissa Leapman. It includes 21 creative projects and ideas to utilise every last piece of yarn in the stash. It features basic techniques, special tips, alternate colour suggestions and guidance on storing your yarn collection. Popular knitting teacher, designer and author Melissa Leapman offers quick, easy and imaginative new projects designed to make use of all the yarn odds and ends every knitter has. From a tiny baby sweater to a lovely striped wrap, "Stashbuster Knits" provides 21 creative projects and ideas to utilise every last piece of yarn in your stash. Projects are organised by yarn weight and use a variety of techniques including lace, cables, colour-blocking, stripes and fair-isle to make items for men, women, children and the home. The book also includes basic knitting techniques, special tips, alternate colour suggestions and guidance on storing and organising your yarn collection."

How to crochet tiny ghosts for Halloween

Tiny ghosts are just a little spooky, well really they are just darn cute.
I was inspired to crochet these tiny ghosts after seeing these great knit ones featured in the book Teen-Tiny Mochimochi: More Than 40 Itty-Bitty Minis to Knit, Wear, And Give.

When making dimensional projects out of yarn I prefer to crochet, but that's just me. If you like to knit little adorable things than grab yourself a copy of Teen-Tiny Mochimochi: More Than 40 Itty-Bitty Minis to Knit, Wear, And Give and you'll be in cute heaven!

If you like to crochet and want to make some tiny ghosts like mine here is how I did it:

Crochet Ghost Pattern:

I used Lion Wool-Ease White Multi 301 (it has a strand of sparkle in it)
and for a hook I went down a from the suggested size of J to an I

As far as the pattern it's more like a suggestion as each ghost can be a little different and free form as ghosts tend to be, I know this!

Chain 2
Single crochet 8 into the first loop
Slip stitch to join
Single crochet around increasing approximately every 2nd or 3rd stitch until you have a nice dome shape and there are at about 14 stitches.
Then I did about 4 rows with no increasing or decreasing.

For the final row to get an irregular edge I alternated 2 treble crochets in one stitch and then a slip stitch around the base.

For the eyes I grabbed some black yarn and knotted it twice to make each little eye and stitched each one on.

Repeat to make a set, because you know one is not enough!

My crocheted eyeballs look on in admiration :)

More about the book from Potter Craft:

Teen-Tiny Mochimochi: More Than 40 Itty-Bitty Minis to Knit, Wear, And Give

by
Anna Hrachovec

"This title is suitable for advanced beginner to intermediate-level knitters who want fun, witty, irresistibly tiny patterns to make as gifts for friends, cute accessories and decorative items. In "Teeny-Tiny Mochimochi", toy knits designer Anna Hrachovec presents more than 30 super-cute, humorous patterns for miniature toys, plus techniques for tiny knitting; ideas for using the tiny knits as wearables, decorations and gifts; and instructions on how to convert a pattern for a tiny project into a bigger toy.

Anna Hrachovec launched Mochimochi Land (mochimochiland.com), a website and brand of knitted toy patterns, in early 2007. To design her toys, Anna draws inspiration from Japanese kawaii (cute) culture and children's illustrators such as Dr. Seuss. Her original knitted creations have been featured on The Martha Stewart Show and have been exhibited in galleries in New York, Seattle, San Francisco and Tokyo. In addition to her website, Anna maintains a blog (mochimochiland.com/weblog) and a Ravelry group for her fans (Mochimochi Land Lovers). Anna's first book of knitted toy patterns, Knitting Mochimochi, was published in 2010."

How to make a digital camo quilt block inspired by the book Dare to be Square Quilting

Dare to be Square Quilting is so awesome! I love everything in it. Right now I currently have one unfinished quilt that I must finish before I start a new one but I just had to make something after savoring every page of Dare to be Square Quilting. So I got my creative wheels spinning and what popped into my mind was my favorite print based on a square is digital camo. I have a small stash of scraps left over from the Fallen Soldier tote bags and the quilt I am currently using is a simple white one so I thought I would add a very special square onto it.
I cut a square of the digital camo uniform scrap and placed it in the center of one of the blocks.
All I did was satin stitch around the camo uniform square twice. It is so amazing that 3 square inches of a very special fabric can transform an ordinary quilt into one with so much meaning and feeling that I will cherish now.

If you like making quilts based on squares I bet you will love:
Dare to be Square Quilting: A Block-by-block Guide to Making Patchwork and Quilts
by
Boo Davis

“Boo Davis is a rock star! Dare to be Square Quilting is the perfect patchwork primer for beginners and a refreshing review for experienced quilters. A must-have book for any quilt or craft library.” --Denyse Schmidt (author of Denyse Schmidt Quilts)


. . . My approach to quilting is an approach for true beginners. I don’t like triangles, circles, hexagons, diamonds, rhombuses, or any shape that makes measuring a chore. (Can we stop right here and ponder the word rhombus? Man, that word is hilarious.) In this book, every project is designed using only squares and rectangles. Why just squares and rectangles? Because straight seams are easy to stitch!

Craft a modern quilt with independent quilt-maker Boo Davis, whose fun, slightly quirky designs take quilts into new graphic territory. Using only simple shapes like rectangles and squares you’ll see robots, skulls, alarm clocks, and owls come to life as fabulous, full-size quilts. With 10 charming quilt patterns, and 15 eye-popping patchwork projects perfect for afternoon or weekend crafting, Dare to be Square Quilting reinterprets quilt traditions such as basket weave, rail fence, and housetop designs in a bold new way. With advice on color and fabric selection, and an extensive how-to section on quilting, Davis teaches the fastest, simplest, and most reliable methods modern quilting has to offer.

Dare to make a quilt that’s funny, fabulous, and from the heart . . . Dare to be square!

BOO DAVIS is a designer, illustrator, and the founder of Quiltsrÿche quilt studio. Her quilts have appeared in The New York Times, Revolver, BUST, HOW, and British Vogue as well as on Boing Boing, UrbanOutfitters.com, and Thrillist. As a graphic artist she has received recognition from Print magazine, Society for Publication Designers, and Society of Professional Journalists, among others.

One final tid-bit, this is not the first time one of Boo's fab quilt designs inspired me, I did a skull quilt based on the one shown above. You can see the tutorial on how I made my skull quilt inspired by her's at Craftside.

How to make a mini dress decoration inspired by the book DIY Art at Home by Lola Gavarry

Today's subtitle is "No scrap left behind" because that is what the primary ingredient is-the tiny little scraps of fabric I save.
Pretty cute little dress, hu?
This page from DIY Art at Home: 28 Simple Projects for Chic Decor on the Cheep with big wall dress decorations was my inspiration. Maybe some day I can make some big wall art like this but for now tiny it is.

How I made my tiny dress scrap fabric wall art:

I sketched a little dress silhouette on the back side of sticky back paper and then cut it out.
Then all I did was cut strips of fabric in varying widths and lay them onto the sticky side of the paper touching edge to edge.
This is what it looked like with all the strips of fabric on from the back side. All that was left to do was trim off the excess fabric.
On the right you can see my first mini dress. It was a bit small for my wire hanger so I mad a slightly bigger mini dress. I do have to say it makes me want to make a full size dress just using horizontal strips of scrap fabric!

More about the book from Watson-Guptill Publications:

DIY Art at Home: 28 Simple Projects for Chic Decor on the Cheep
By
Lola Gavarry

DIY Art at Home shows how easy it is to create modern masterpieces by using a few simple art supplies and the full-size templates that are also included. The book begins with The Practical Studio, which outlines the materials and tips that you'll need to get started. The five chapters that follow--Living Room Spirit, Kitchen Inspirations, Bedroom Influences, Office Décor, and Sweet Expressions--offer 28 fresh, beautiful, step-by-step projects for every room, all with a clean, modern aesthetic that will complement virtually every style of decorating.

Lola Gavarry is a designer who creates artwork for residential clients throughout France. Hiroko Mori is a commercial photographer based in Paris.

Two headed girl in a cage....yup you read right

Yes, this is what I crafted up today. Don't you want to be in my brain? All you really have to do is be in the two books Mixed-Media Paint Box: Weekly Projects for a Year of Creative Exploration and The Black Apple's Paper Doll Primer: Activities and Amusements for the Curious Paper Artist and then grab the camera. Really!
First I saw this page from Mixed-Media Paint Box featuring a design from artist Cory Moortgat that I just fell in love with. It is a photo of a girl behind a wire cage.
The next part of my two headed girl in a cage photo comes from the book The Black Apple's Paper Doll Primer which features wonderfully drawn paper dolls. I do have a fondness for two headed girls. See this post.

So I simply grabbed some wire and fashioned myself up a cage and printed the two head paper doll out about half size. Then I snapped some photos. They make me giggle. I think I am going to put them in a box and in my purse so that when I am out and about they might have some more interesting opportunities....will keep you posted on that!

More about Mixed-Media Paint Box: Weekly Projects for a Year of Creative Exploration
Play With Paint All Year Long!

Incorporating paint into your mixed-media art has never been easier or more fun. Open up your paint box and delve into a year of creative ideas from 45 of your favorite artists. Whether you’ve used paint for years or have been anxious to try a new medium, you’ll find great advice and ideas inside Mixed-Media Paint Box. Each week, you’ll be guided with step-by-step instructions through a different project or technique that will add instant depth and drama to your art!

Inside you’ll find:

+ 52 projects and techniques, one for every week of the year, to inspire a weekly dose of creativity.

+ Tips, hints and suggestions from some of your favorite authors, including Ruth Rae, Claudine Hellmuth, Chrissie Grace, Bernie Berlin and Margot Potter.

+ Step-by-step instructions for jewelry-making, assemblage, journaling, collage and a variety of painting techniques to incorporate into your own art.

Discover inspiration and new ways to express yourself every week inside Mixed-Media Paint Box!

and

The Black Apple's Paper Doll Primer: Activities and Amusements for the Curious Paper Artist

by

Emily Martin

Join the creator of The Black Apple, Emily Martin, on a trip through her magical world of paper dolls, imaginary places, and clever craft projects.

Inside this book you’ll find 21 sweet, mysterious characters with clothes and accessories all their own—from a busy beekeeper’s daughter to a bird-loving librarian. You’ll also find 16 dolls ready to be designed and brought to life by you! Emily will show you how to draw, paint, and personalize your way to a little paper replica of anyone you’d like.

With basic art supplies and the instructions in the book, you’ll also learn to:

• Make a custom wedding invitation or holiday card
• Color, cut, paste, and frame a unique family portrait
• Design your own paper clothes, shoes, glasses, and the like
• Cut and fold an armoire for doll-sized clothes
• Build a paper theater using one of the TK illustrated backdrops
• Direct a stop-motion film with jointed paper doll actors
• And so much more!

So sharpen your scissors and get ready for a unique and wonderful adventure.

Review: Knits That Fit from Potter Craft

Let me start by giving you a bit of back story. It was about the time that ponchos were all the rage that I was a producer on Knitty Gritty and I was living the knitting every minute of the day. I loved ponchos but alas I felt like I was wearing a sandwich board when I tried them on and I was not really interested in feeling like a walking billboard. Everyone else seemed to look great in them. Bummer for me. The second part of this back story was I also wanted instant knitwear. While I love knitting and do it more as a form of relaxation when I wanted a knit item I went to the land of cast off sweaters and sewed one into my new design, hence my book Sweater Surgery. And that's how it came to be.

Now to today's wonderful book I have to tell you about-Knits That Fit: Instructions, Patterns, and Tips for Getting the Right Fit. As stated in my back story big and floppy does not work on me, I like my sweater action snug and shapely. That is what Knits That Fit is all about. The whole first section is jam packed with great fitting info that is sure to make your sweater be just the way you want it. Then you get a whole bunch of the most lovely sweater patterns that you will love knitting and wearing. I haven't decided what I am going to make because so many of the sweaters have great details and shapes there is everything from hoodies to tanks to choose from! Hmmmm, off to the yarn stash to see what combo I come up with!

More about Knits That Fit: Instructions, Patterns, and Tips for Getting the Right Fit from the publisher Potter Craft:

"Stop following, start knitting! When you lovingly make something stitch-by-stitch, it shouldn’t fit like it came from a department store. However, that’s exactly what happens when you knit to fit a general size instead of your actual measurements. In Knits that Fit, you will learn how to break free from following a pattern word-for-word and start making small changes to tailor your knitwear. It’s not hard, either! You’ll be walked through all the essential ins-and-outs of taking measurements and basic pattern alteration. Before you know it you will be able to tweak nearly any pattern to better fit your unique shape. The accompanying TK patterns in Knits that Fit include short-sleeved tops, pullovers, and cardigans from top knitwear designers like Lily Chin, Annie Modesitt, Berta Karapetyan, Sally Melville, and others. Of course, each of the patterns is ready to be customized by you for the perfect fit—information on shortening or lengthening has been built right in! Whether you’ve knit one sweater or ten, this is a book that will change the way you see patterns and the way you knit sweaters. "

How to crochet an Easter Egg

Got some scraps of yarn lurking around and in the mood to whip up a few Easter Eggs for decoration? They are super easy and quick! I was inspired to crochet these eggs after reading the new book Little Crochet: Modern Designs for Babies and Toddlers. I don't have babies or toddlers but I do have Aminekos and they just loved their eggs. If you like Roy's Easter Bunny ears and want to make a pair hop on over the Crocheted Easter Bunny Ears Pattern at Craftside.

This was the page that really inspired me. I loved the concentric circles in pretty colors on this blanket from Little Crochet and they reminded me of the stripes on Easter eggs and I thought how easy it would be to make some.
Here is the rough pattern on how to crochet Easter Eggs as it is quite flexible:

Yarn scraps
Hook to match yarn size.
marbles
stuffing
yarn needle

I pretty much used worsted weight yarn but some of my yarns were smaller so I double stranded.

Chain 3
7-8 single crochets into the first chain stitch
join with slip stitch
Single crochet around increasing about every other stitch until you get to about 15-17 stitches
At this point I started to change colors and make stripes.

Sometimes I did one round and then switched colors other times two rounds. If I planned to use the color again I left the yarn on and just picked it back up when I wanted to use it again. This saved a bit of end knotting etc.

After I did about 6 rows of stripes with no increases I started to decrease about every 3rd or 4th stitch to make the pointier end of the egg.

I should also note after the row of my last color change I trimmed the ends and knotted while the opening was wide.

After a few rounds with decreases I added 3 marbles and some stuffing.

Then when there was only about 3-4 stitches left I cut the yarn and stitched the egg closed.

Pretty easy, hu? Well, if you like crocheting little cute things you will love this book filled with these types of projects!
Little Crochet
Modern Designs for Babies and Toddlers
By
Linda Permann

More about the book from Potter Craft:

Linda Permann, author of Crochet Adorned, brings modern colors and fun-to-work stitch patterns to the pint-sized crowd with this cute collection of over 24 clever crochet patterns for kids.

The adorable designs in Little Crochet are worked in a range of washable fibers and vibrant hues that babies and toddlers are sure to love. Make tiny sweaters, dresses, pants, and accessories while exploring a range of construction techniques, including top-down cardigans, side-to-side sweater vests, motif-based yokes, and traditional seaming. Beautiful blankets, sweaters, soft toys, bibs, booties, and hats employ simple stitches that are sure to steal the show at baby showers. Whether you have a couple of hours or a couple of weeks till the baby's due date—you'll find the perfect project in this book.

And here's the best part: Little Crochet includes size ranging from 0–4+ years, so you can keep crocheting as the little ones in your life grow. Plus, Linda has included lots of wearable patterns for both boys and girls, with swatches showing alternate colorways sprinkled throughout. Each pattern is designed to spark your own creativity, complete with how-to instructions for adding your own crafty touches like sewing, embroidery, and appliqué. Work confidently from Linda's easy-to-follow instructions, clear stitch diagrams ,and schematics, and her illustrated guide to basic and advanced stitches and finishing techniques.

Whether you’re new to crochet or experienced with a hook, you'll find these little designs a joy to stitch and share.

LINDA PERMANN is the author of Crochet Adorned and has published over 50 crochet designs in magazines including Crochet Today, Interweave Crochet, CRAFT, Knit Simple, and Living Crafts. She designs and teaches crochet in San Antonio, Texas. When she's not crocheting, she also enjoys sewing, knitting, gardening and playing with her adorable nephew. Read more about her crafty adventures at www.lindamade.com.