The Craft Blog

Last-minute Valentine's Day ideas

Austen Gilliland — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 16:00:44 GMT

Valentine's Day is just around the corner, but I, of course, haven't done anything other than eat my fair share of Hershey's kisses and red jelly beans – thanks, Lisa!

Here are a few ideas for you, just in case you're a Last-Minute Lucy like me.

Valentine's Day surprise crackers (as in prize-filled poppers, not Saltines) from Not Martha.
Sweet little memo holders from Omiyage.
Rainbow heart banner from Say Yes to Hoboken.

And next week's issue of "Get Crafty," my e-newsletter, will be chock-full of Valentine's Day ideas. It comes out on Monday, so you still have time to sign up.

(PS Don't forget, you can enter to win a copy of The Crafter's Guide to Taking Great Photos until Sunday night!)

Happy sweater day!

Austen Gilliland — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 14:28:11 GMT

Today is National Sweater Day – do you know where your cardigan is?

Image from WWF; photography, Stephen Welstead

On Sweater Day, the WWF encourages to turn down the heat and pop on a sweater. If each of us did this every day, we'd save an incredible amount of energy across Canada. Frankly, I think every day should be Sweater Day.

Speaking of sweaters, I've got just an inch left on the collar of my current project – so close!

I was hoping to wear it today, but alas, sleep trumps knitting every time. Maybe I'll celebrate belatedly, and wear it tomorrow.

Are you marking Sweater Day by turning down your heat and wearing your favourite handknit?

PS See behind-the-scenes photos from the Sweater Day poster photo shoot (via KnittyBlog).

National Sweater Day

Make it: Valentine's Day tea towel

Lisa Fielding — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 18:31:51 GMT

I'm not one to do up my house for every holiday and event (though I admire the people who have the creativity to come up with decorations for Groundhog Day), but a little colour in the middle of a grey February is always welcome. So here's a quick craft to warm up your kitchen: a hearty tea towel.

This project involves simple freezer paper stencilling made even simpler: Instead of drawing and cutting out my own design, I used two different sizes of heart-shaped paper punches to make a stencil. Just iron on, paint, let dry, iron again, and you're done! I reused the stencil in an attempt to make a matching pair, but the wax didn't stick as well the second time and the paint bled. (Lesson learned.) I did this project with a group of friends, who were all way more adventurous and made their own designs.

Mary's lovely monogram

Jenna's crazy hearts

With just a bit of freezer paper, some paint and super cheap Ikea tea towels, you could easily make a whole year's worth of simple holiday decor. Guess I'd better start looking for four-leaf clover paper punches!

How to make beeswax candles

Austen Gilliland — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 16:32:53 GMT

This weekend, inspired by my friend Sherrie, I tried something new – making candles. It's something I've wanted to try for a long time, and I'm so happy I finally did.

Materials: recycled jam jars, bamboo skewers, candle wicking and the metal tabs you use to anchor the wick, and a giant block of beeswax. I got mine at the farmer's market, but you can actually get it at the health food or art supply store, too. I got the wicking and the tabs at the art supply store, for about $5.

I melted the wax in a stainless steel bowl (thank you, Value Village!) over simmering water. It took some time.

Meanwhile, I set up the jars. It's pretty straightforward. I used melted wax from another candle to anchor the wicks in the bottom of the jars, and wrapped the wicks around the bamboo skewers to keep them straight.

Checking in on the beeswax...

Ready to pour! I covered my work surface with parchment paper just to keep things clean. I used a 1/2 cup ladle that I had lying around (where do these things come from?) to pour the wax because I thought it might keep things a bit tidier.

Here goes...

The wax started to cool almost immediately. It took another six hours or so for them to harden completely.

Ta-da! That giant block of beeswax yielded three candles – and made my house smell amazing for the rest of the day. I can't wait to try them out.

I think these would make a great gift, and provided you're doing all the work with the hot wax, it would be a fun project to do with your kids, too. They could help cut and tie the wicks, supervise the pouring, and create special labels for the candles. Maybe as a Valentine's Day present for someone special?

(If this has piqued your interest, here's lots more info on making candles.)

Weekly giveaway: The Crafter's Guide to Taking Great Photos

Austen Gilliland — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 16:34:33 GMT

Today I'm excited to be participating in the blog tour for a fabulous new release from Interweave Press: The Crafter's Guide to Taking Great Photos by Heidi Adnum. Giveaway details are below, but I'd love to tell you a bit about this book first...

This book is TERRIFIC. I took it home with me this weekend and almost as soon as I started to read it, I was wishing that I qualified for my own giveaways. I've struggled to take interesting photos of my just-cast-off socks, but with this book, I think the struggles will be over!

Whether you take photos of your handmade items to sell on Etsy, to show off on your blog or to feature in your portfolio, you're sure to find this book comes in handy. It starts with the basics – how to use light, what those mysterious terms like "aperture" and "exposure" mean, and how to choose a camera. I've read about this stuff again and again, but with this book it finally clicked!

From there, you'll learn about how to tell a story with a photograph, and then read tips and techniques broken down by product or craft (accessories, knitting, etc.) The chapters cover planning and set-up, composition and common problems – everything you need to know to help you set up a successful craft photo shoot. At the end, you'll read all about post-production, photo editing, and business advice.

There's also a practitioner spotlight for each craft– an interview with a photographer who is a superstar at taking great shots of his or her crafts. I loved these and noticed many of my favourite crafters and crafts were featured. Paging through this book was like reading a Who's Who of craft photography.

Of course, the photographs are fantastic, and the book is as gorgeous as it is informative. (Click through to take a peek inside the book.)

For your chance to win, leave ONE comment telling us your greatest challenge when it comes to taking great photos of your Finished Objects. The contest is open to Canadian residents only. Contest will run until 11:59 p.m. on Sunday, February 12, 2012; I'll post a winner here on Monday, February 13. Good luck!

(Want to read more about the book? Visit some of the other stops on the blog tour, below. You'll find other giveaways, as well as posts by featured crafters and photographers.)

24 January - papernstitch

25 January - Mark Lipinski’s Creative Mojo Podcast

26 January - Rena Tom

27 January - CraftBuds

28 January - SweatShopofLove

30 January - Artist Success with Lesley Riley
31 January - Wiksten **giveaway**

1 February - Jenny N Design **giveaway**

2 February - Rifle Paper Co.

3 February - See How We Sew **giveaway**

4 February - Imagination Kids Toys

6 February - Canadian Living Craft Blog **giveaway**

And in the UK:

7 February - Feeling Stitchy

8 February - UK Handmade
9 February - The Academy

And in Australia:

9 February - WhipUp.net

Giveaway winner: Beyond Knit & Purl

Austen Gilliland — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 15:50:55 GMT

Thanks so much to everyone who entered for a chance to win the copy of Kate Atherley's new book, Beyond Knit & Purl.

It's great to see such a response and always inspiring to see the ways you want to challenge yourselves (and your knitting!). The winner is:

Congratulations, Michele, I'll be in touch shortly! And stay tuned, because there's another giveaway coming right up.

Make a valentine or two this weekend

Austen Gilliland — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 21:27:00 GMT

This weekend I've got all sorts of things to do, but I'm hoping that I'll have time for a bit of crafting. After all, Valentine's Day is just around the corner, and it's a great excuse to get out my red, pink and white craft supplies and get crafty.

After last week's Valentine's Day roundup, I found three more fabulous Valentine's Day crafts that I thought you might be interested in:

Fabric Heart Valentines from Sally Shim. A great way to use up scraps.
Polka dots + ombré + heart = a perfect tote bag for your Valentine.
DIY felted heart-shape elbow patches. To help you wear your heart on your sleeve(s).

I'm looking forward to sitting down with a cup of tea to read (and pore over the photos in) this edition of What's in Your Toolbox with Lotta Jansdotter. And I'm adding this lovely shawl to my (endless, I'm afraid) to-knit list. How will you spend your crafty time this weekend?

PS Don't forget – you can enter for a chance to win Kate Atherley's book until 11:59 p.m. on Sunday night!

What's in your bag: craft edition

Tina Anson Mine — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 14:30:45 GMT

This week, I've been spending a lot of time waiting. In ERs, in sickrooms, on the road, in parking lots, on trains and on streetcars. Helping loved ones get better involves driving hundreds of kilometres, drinking many pots of tea and spending lots of quiet hours watching them sleep away their maladies.

All this waiting means my travelling craft bag is getting a workout. When I head out, I make sure it's packed with portable projects and supplies. And since I love those What's in Her Bag behind-the-scenes things, here's a peek at what's inside:

My current project. This week, it's my cross-stitch seed packet and a Simple Things shawlette.
Stork scissors. These are the perfect little snippers for embroidery and yarn ends.
Knitting markers and notions. These little guys are always handy – and you can never have too many.
Needle holders and stoppers. I hate when stitches drop off the knitting needles in my bag. These little springs keep your needles together, even on the go, and these sticky point protectors are great for keeping rogue stitches where they belong.
Stitch holders and waste yarn. These are great for holding on to stitches you're going to work later.
Tape measure. Sometimes a retractable ruler is just a wee bit more accurate than your eyeball at measuring, isn't it?
Crochet hook. This is essential for picking up dropped stitches and fixing runs in your knitting.
Tapestry needles. I always seem to be on the move when I'm sewing in ends on knitted projects. These big blunt needles are a must-have.
Cable needle. I love my compact curved cable needle because it stays in my knitting a little better than the longer ones with the bump in the middle.
Highlighter. For marking up stitching charts, there is nothing that saves your sanity better than a fine-tip highlighter.

What do you carry in your travelling craft bag? Is there something I should be adding to mine?

Share in the comments below!

How to make a pop-up Groundhog Day card

Austen Gilliland — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 20:41:32 GMT

I'm so excited for tomorrow: I love Groundhog Day. (I've even met Shubenacadie Sam!) This holiday has everything – a bit of family history, a bit of folklore, cute animals...

Image, groundhog.org.

Actually, make that almost everything. Because unlike that other February holiday, Groundhog Day is drastically under-served in the greeting card department.

So today I set out to create a quick and easy Groundhog Day card. Using basic craft supplies, it's not hard at all to create this pop-up card.

You'll need construction paper, scissors, a pen and a glue stick. Halve the construction paper so the pieces are approx 6 x 8 inches, and fold the blue sheet and the white sheet in half.

Using a pencil and ruler and starting at the folded edge of the blue construction paper, draw three pairs of lines as shown. These will form the supports for the pop-up parts of the card. With the scissors, snip along the lines.

Open up the sheet of construction paper and poke the strips through (as shown above). It's a bit fiddly but not too difficult. Glue the white construction paper to the blue to form the outside of the card.

Next, it's time for a bit of drawing and cut-and-paste. I cut out a sun, a couple of shrubberies, and two groundhogs – one full size, and one that just shows from the shoulders up. (I did a quick image search online and there were lots of groundhog models to choose from!)

Glue the sun to the back of the card, and glue the groundhog and the shrubberies to the uprights. Use a black pencil crayon to draw a "hole" around the groundhog. Glue the groundhog head to the outside of the card. Write your message inside the card.

Ta-da! And you're done. Now you've got a card to give to your favourite person tomorrow. I hope that you have a very happy Groundhog Day!

How to make a cabled coffee cup cozy

Austen Gilliland — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 16:00:04 GMT

This week we're giving away a copy of Beyond Knit and Purl, a new book by Kate Atherley. Today, we're featuring one of the projects from her book as a little treat for all our readers.

Kate points out that this is a great way to practice your cable skills before starting a more complicated project – and that one of these would make a sweet little Valentine's Day gift.

Cables Mini Project: Coffee Cup Cozy
Choose a color that matches how you take your coffee so spills don’t show.

Finished Measurements:
3.25 inches/8 cm wide, 9 inches/23 cm around unstretched; will stretch easily to fit the largest take-out coffee cup.

Materials:

1 ball Sirdar Eco Wool DK (100% undyed virgin wool, 100m/50gm ball; color 201—grey)
- Designer’s Tip: If you can’t find this yarn, any worsted weight wool like Cascade 220, or Paton’s Classic Merino will work nicely!
4mm (US #6) straight needles—wood, bamboo or plastic needles are easiest
Cable needle
Yarn needle

Gauge:
22 stitches and 28 rows across 4 inches/10cm in stockinette stitch on 4mm needles.

Method:
Cast on 20 sts.
Row 1 [RS]: K4, p2, k8, p2, k4.
Rows 2, 4, 6, 8 [WS]: K6, p8, k6.
Row 3 [RS]: K4, p2, k8, p2, k4.
Row 5 [RS]: K4, p2, C8R*, p2, k4.
Row 7 [RS]: K4, p2, k8, p2, k4.

*C8R: Slip next 4 sts to cable needle and hold in back; k4, then k4 from cable needle.

Repeat the last 8 rows until piece measures 9 inches long, ending after a Row 1.

Bind off, leaving a 12 inch tail to use for seaming.

Finishing:
Wash the piece.
With RS facing, seam using the invisible horizontal seaming method as given below, using the tail left over from the cast-off.

How To Work the Invisible Horizontal Seam
If you look closely at your knitting, you’ll see that at the bottom of each knit stitch – each V – you’ll see a point. You’ll use these for seaming.

Fold the coffee cozy in half along the short side, with right sides facing you, and line up the cast-on and bind off edges. The cast-off tail should be on your right if you’re right-handed; on your left if you’re left-handed. Thread your darning needle with your cast-off tail.

Starting with the cast-on edge (that is, the edge that doesn’t have the tail attached to it), run the darning needle under the point of the V of the first stitch, right at the edge.

Next, run under the corresponding V on the other side, right up by the cast-off edge. And then back across the other side, going in where you came out, and under the next V....

And so forth. When seaming purl stitches, the v is still there, it’s just hiding a little bit. Stretch the fabric out to see the V's.

Pull snug as you work. When you get to the end, weave in your ends.

Don't forget that you've got a chance to win a copy of Kate's book, Beyond Knit and Purl. Just leave a comment on the giveaway post for your chance to win.

Giveaway: Kate Atherley's "Beyond Knit and Purl"

Austen Gilliland — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 20:23:53 GMT

This week we're giving away a copy of Beyond Knit and Purl, a new book by Kate Atherley. You might recognize her as the designer of the Crest of the Wave scarf from our November issue, or maybe you've been lucky enough to take a class from her. I asked her to tell us a bit about the book...take it away, Kate!

Beyond Knit and Purl is the book that takes you from being confident about knitting to being a confident knitter.

I've been teaching knitting for 10 years, and I’ve found that there's a hole in the knitting literature. We teach you how to hold your yarn and needles, we show you how to knit and purl, and then we send you into a yarn shop and expect you to be able to choose a pattern and yarn and successfully knit it.

My book helps you cross this gap: you'll learn how to choose a pattern and read it, with tips on making sure the pattern will be appropriate to your skill level. I talk about how to find an appropriate yarn, how and why to swatch (and when not to). I demystify the language used in patterns, and charts. I clearly explain what skills are needed for different types of projects and what the appropriate next steps are for newer knitters.

You'll also find lessons on specific techniques, such as increasing and decreasing, working in the round, socks, cables, lace and colourwork. These lessons explain key facts with lots of helpful photos and diagrams, and provide projects so you can practice.

(Great news: Kate offered to share one of these projects with us. I'll be posting her directions for a cabled cup cosy tomorrow!)

For your chance to win, leave ONE comment telling us which knitting technique you'd love to master. The contest is open to Canadian residents only. Contest will run until 11:59 p.m. on Sunday, February 5, 2012; I'll post a winner here on Monday, February 6. Good luck!

Bernat giveaway winner

Austen Gilliland — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 16:51:11 GMT

Thank you to everyone who entered the Bernat giveaway last week! I loved reading through all your colour combinations and imagining the beautiful afghans you'd create as part of the Mystery KAL and CAL.

The random integer generator chose one lucky winner:

Congratulations to Oshanny1976!

There's another giveaway coming up shortly, so stay tuned....

Eye-catching Valentine's Day crafts to start now

Austen Gilliland — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 15:54:10 GMT

I go back and forth on Valentine's Day. Sometimes it gets me down, but other times I'm just happy to have an excuse to inject a bit of colour and fun into the dreariest part of the year.

Photography, Ryan Brook

It's been grey and soggy here all week, so to cheer myself up I've been eating Hershey's kisses and checking out Valentine's Day crafts.

Valentine's Friendship Bracelets from The Purl Bee. The hearts and arrows are cute, though I don't know if I'd be able to resist playing Cupid...
Freja Mittens from Knitty. Red and white and (g)loved all over.
Heart-shaped candy boxes from our February issue. They were created by Jeromina Juan – remember her peek-a-boo heart vases from last year?
Love socks! I love the intarsia hearts on the heels...like a secret message.

Other things that have caught my eye this week:

This sweater, with its stripes and shawl collar, would be perfect for Saturday brunch, don't you think?
These business cards, filled with confetti, made me laugh. I'd love to have something similar...but filled with googly eyes!
Twitter. I've succumbed. If you want to read random crafty tweets (and the occasional bit of silliness), you can follow me @AustenGilliland.

Don't forget that the Bernat giveaway is still on. You can enter until 11:59 p.m. on Sunday. Good luck!

Have a great weekend, friends.

Counted cross stitch renaissance

Tina Anson Mine — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 15:00:26 GMT

Counted cross stitching has been part of my crafting repertoire since I was a kid. When I was 10 or so, my parents signed me up for a 4-H club, where I learned how to do a bunch of different crafts, including cross stitching.

Like Girl Guides and other after-school groups, 4-H was a place to learn the practical skills they didn't teach you in school. Since we were in a rural area, this meant lots of milking cows, cooking, spinning wool and sewing of all descriptions. All things I kind-of hated as a kid, but would love to do now. The irony, eh?

I didn't do a whole lot of cross stitching in high school, but I did pick it up again in university. And once I was out on my own, my bag full of Aida cloth, embroidery floss and patterns was a constant companion.

In recent years, I've been preoccupied with my new loves: quilting and knitting. I fell in love with bright patterns, delicious textures and 3-D art I could wear. Cross stitching seemed so primitive and easy – and, let's face it, not very useful – that I nearly forgot about it.

Until this week. I was digging around in some storage baskets looking for something when I discovered a long-forgotten cross-stitched picture I was working on. It's a reproduction of a vintage seed packet, and the pattern is incredibly tedious. There are dozens of colours and lots of fiddly switching back and forth between them – the perfect recipe for an after-work headache.

But something about this sad, abandoned pattern sparked my interest. "Give me another try," it whispered. "Please."

I thought of the recent posts I'd seen on the blogs of two of my crafting heroes: Anna Maria Horner and Alicia Paulson. Both have rediscovered a love of hand-stitching (Alicia has even created a handy cross-stitch tutorial if you're new to the art).

They're both working on beautiful patterns to share, and I thought of how precious flashes of creativity like this can be. For New Year's, I promised I'd be more open to inspiration like this, so I grabbed a highlighter, threaded my needle and started cross stitching again.

I'm finding it so relaxing now (especially since I've been highlighting my "done" stitches – they're much easier to keep track of). After a crazy week, it's something measured and calm to come home to. And that's something we could all use, isn't it?

Happy stitching!

Super DIY: Draft your own clothing patterns

Lisa Fielding — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 15:48:08 GMT

I am often too impatient for the fussiness of finding and using a pattern to sew clothing for myself (and I often find myself deciding at 10 p.m. that I Absolutely Need Something New to Wear Tomorrow!), so I made my own basic shirt pattern.

Homemade shirt pattern pieces.... Don't think I'll be working for Simplicity anytime soon.

I didn't use any technical procedure (in fact, I didn't know there was an actual science to it until just now). I took a simple top that fit me well, and traced the basic components onto tissue paper, keeping in mind the places where they would connect and ensuring they matched up. I ended up with front and back pieces (cut one each, on the fold), and a long sleeve (cut two, on the fold) as well as a short-sleeve option (I just traced the long sleeve and made it shorter).

For extra stability, I laid pieces of clear packing tape over the tissue paper; the only drawback is that the pins tend to get sticky from the tape. (Next time I would use a heavier paper and skip that step.) The resulting pattern pieces are not pretty, but they've held up through quite a few uses – and I can whip up a new top anytime I fancy.

Next I'd like to create a basic bodice block (and the companion sleeve). It's a custom-made template that you can simply alter, by adding darts and changing the neckline, for example, to create any number of shirts, jackets and dresses. Drafting your own patterns requires a lot of trial and error, but it's so rewarding to be able to say, "Yes, I made the shirt I'm wearing (so please don't look too closely at the hem)." Have you had any luck creating your own designs?

Giveaway: Win yarn for a beautiful afghan, courtesy of Bernat!

Austen Gilliland — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 17:08:16 GMT

Thank you for entering. This giveaway is now closed. Find out who won.

Big things are happening at Bernat!

The company just launched a brand-new online community forum, where knitters and crocheters can get together to talk about all things knitting and crochet.

In addition, Bernat is hosting a Mystery Knit-along (KAL) and Crochet-along (CAL), revealing a beautiful new afghan design one clue at a time. Both knitters and crocheters will be able to join in and watch as the mystery pattern is revealed. The fun will begin February 15, 2012.

The afghans will be made using Waverly for Bernat, the new worsted-weight hand knitting and crochet yarn inspired by the most popular Waverly fabrics. It's the yarn pictured here – aren't the colours gorgeous?

To celebrate the event, Bernat’s online shop is offering 25% off the price of Waverly for Bernat yarns with the promo code WAVERLY. And that's not all...

As a special treat for readers of The Craft Blog, Bernat is offering the chance to win all the yarn you need to make either the knitted or the crocheted Mystery Afghan (retail value, $60)! In addition, the winner will be able to submit a photo of the room where you'd like to use your afghan to the Bernat designers, so that they may provide their expertise on colour suggestions.

(For an example of the colour suggestions, and the quantities of yarn needed, check out these hints and tips for choosing a colour palette for your afghan.)

For your chance to win, visit the Waverly for Bernat color scheme builder (it's so cool!) then come back here and leave ONE comment telling me which yarn combination you'd use, and what room you'd put your afghan in. The contest is open to Canadian residents only. Contest will run until 11:59 p.m. on Sunday, January 29, 2012; I'll post a winner here on Monday, January 30. Good luck!

A crafty moment

Austen Gilliland — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 17:29:35 GMT

I'm at home today with a serious case of the sniffles, so I'm taking my inspiration from SouleMama's "this moment" series and sharing a quiet crafty moment from my week. If you captured a crafty moment this week, I'd love to see it – please, share a link to your photo in the comments.

Colour therapy for the January blahs

Tina Anson Mine — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 14:00:10 GMT

There comes a moment in early January when you realize you're in for the long haul. Grey skies, rain/snow/sleet/slush and long, dark nights lie ahead for the foreseeable future.

It's time to hiberknit. Or make and consume large quantities of stew. Or nap whenever the chance is offered up. (At least when you're not at work.)

I prefer to fight the darkness with a little colour. That's why I treated myself to one of the New Year's Lucky Bags at Omiyage.ca. It's a handmade Japanese paper envelope containing a surprise assortment of pretty things offered in the shop.

Exciting! What could there be inside?

Lots of pretty little things!

It was so worth it. There were rolls of thick and thin washi tape, a calendar and a lovely roll of pink gingham fabric tape (delish!). There were handmade sewing-themed stickers, washi tape stickers and manila tags to decorate. I found nine adorable foam stamps, ready for inking and card making. And, of course, a pack of beautiful foil origami paper that's perfect for glitzy folding projects.

Washi tape, stickers and paper, oh my!

It turns out my origami chops aren't exactly what they used to be. But I made a quick four-pointed star and sealed the centre with a yellow sticker dot. I think I'll need to spend time with some tutorials before I try anything bigger.

A simple 4-pointed star plus sticker

So now what do I make with this bounty? I'm open to any and all suggestions. Post a comment and help me decide!

Sewing for boys

Lisa Fielding — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 20:28:49 GMT

Now that I have a reason to look at them, I've noticed that books of sewing projects for kids skew heavily in favour of dresses and skirts. And the few token patterns for boys are often basic and uninspiring.

Image, Wiley

So, determined to find things I can sew for my son, I've discovered some fantastic websites devoted to sewing for boys. One of my favourites is Boy, Oh, Boy, where blogger Stacey posts projects she's made for her three boys. I've been inspired by her year-long sew-along, for which she's committed to sewing one item a month from the (newish) book Sewing for Boys: 24 Projects to Create a Handmade Wardrobe. Stacey also recently featured a series of guest posts that show "pumped-up" interpretations of the patterns.

I have yet to pick up the book, but I thought I'd get a jump on January and make a simple pair of pyjama pants. I used flannel from my fabric stash and traced a pair of pants to make the pattern (here's a tutorial that's similar to how I did it). I even employed flat-felled seams, which I'd never done before.

February's challenge is to make the matching top (before Archie grows out of the pants). The year is looking to be a crafty one!

Learn something new in 2012: workshops and retreats

Austen Gilliland — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 22:06:30 GMT

One of my favourite things to daydream about when I'm hiberknitting is flinging my craft supplies into a suitcase and taking off on a crafty adventure. It's the perfect opportunity to meet new people and try new things (and in my imagination, all these adventures are located somewhere tropical!)

Today I put down my needles and did a bit of internet-searching, and as it turns out, there are all sorts of options for people who are interested in craft retreats, workshops and classes. Here are some of the ones that caught my eye.

Squam Art Workshops – I've been twice and had lots of fun both times. The spring workshop is already full (!) but I think there are still spaces left in the others. I recommend it highly.
Shetland Wool Week – Wouldn't it be great to take a trip to Scotland and soak up some knitting knowledge?
Alabama Chanin Studio Weekend – Imagine a weekend of handstitching in Florence, Alabama. Road trip, anyone?
Surface Printing with Lotta Jansdotter – A primer on printmaking. It sounds a little messy and a lot fun.
Sewing Workshops with Heather Ross – I'll admit my eye was caught by the Palm Springs workshops (too late, sadly). Then again, NYC might be fun...

If you could go anywhere and learn anything, where would you go and what would you learn?

Cosy knits for cold nights

Austen Gilliland — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 21:33:46 GMT

It finally feels like winter here, with snow on the ground and a weekend-long cold snap that had me piling on the woolen layers and planning to stir up a big pot of chili. I've been waiting for this weather for a long time.

Like many knitters, I respond to cold weather by casting on. I think knitting is a perfect cold-weather pursuit, because it's something you can do when you're hunkered down inside (afghan + hot cocoa + Downton Abbey + knitting = my dream weekend) and the end product is going to keep you warmer too. It's a win-win situation that I like to call "hiber-knitting."

Of course, sometimes my enthusiasm for keeping warm can turn into a raging case of startitis. This is a photo of my desk from Saturday afternoon, when things were messy, but still basically under control; since then I've added three new projects to the mix. Yikes!

Here are 4 more projects I want to start – but in the interest of self-preservation, I'm sharing them with you, here, instead.

The big herringbone cowl from The Purl Bee.
A hot water bottle cosy (downloadable PDF).
Fingerless mitts from Mary Jane Mucklestone (pattern is free until midnight tonight!)
These cheerful socks from Tanis Fiber Arts (I cannot get enough of TFA yarns right now, it seems)

What are you hiber-knitting?

Ordinary magic: why I love crafting

Austen Gilliland — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 22:47:27 GMT

Every so often I find myself wondering about why I place such a high value on making things by hand. It could be because of an article I read, or a snippet of conversation I overhear. Occasionally someone comes right out and asks me, "What's the big deal about crafts? Why do you bother?" Sometimes I ask myself the same question – especially on days when I make a mistake and have to rip out half a sweater, or spend hours sewing a dress only to put a hole in it as I snip the last buttonhole.

Whatever the reason (I haven't frogged any sweaters or ruined any dresses lately), this has been on my mind this week. I've been mulling it over as I ride the subway, as I shop for groceries and – of course – as I sit with my knitting at the end of the day.

There are probably as many different reasons to love crafting as there are crafters, multiplied by minutes in the day – that is, each of us has our own reasons and they probably change over time. Sometimes I love crafting because it's better than cleaning the bathroom. Sometimes I love it because it's just plain fun (that would be anything that involves googly eyes, of course!). And sometimes I love it because it allows me to tell someone how much I love them...in ways that words just can't.

But the real reason I love crafting – the thing that never ceases to thrill me about my hobby of choice – is the feeling that when I'm making something, I'm tapping into some sort of magic. It's the idea that I can take raw materials – cloth, thread, yarn – and, with the perfect mix of time, effort and imagination, turn it into something special. The idea that a tiny, ordinary action, repeated ten-thousandfold, can produce a scarf, a sweater, a quilt; something that wraps you up, keeps you warm, makes you feel loved.

It's the most ordinary thing – but it's also the most magical. You might find it in crafting. You might find it in cooking. You might find it in writing, in taking care of your kids or your pet, or in your daily walk, a routine that involves a thousand steps, each one a tiny bit different than the one before. Wherever it is for you – I hope there's a bit of magic waiting for you this weekend.

Drawing up my craft bucket list

Tina Anson Mine — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 14:15:26 GMT

Thanks for your kind comments on my shamelessly repeated 2012 craft resolutions last week. It's so nice to know I'm not the only one who didn't quite hit the mark last year and would like to pretend 2011 never happened.

One comment in particular grabbed my attention.

Wanda mentioned tackling some items on her knitting bucket list. She's already finished one item – boom! done! – and is steadily working her way through the projects she's always wanted to tackle.

When I read that, I realized I don't have a craft bucket list. I think it's a great thing to have – it's an excellent way to set your sights on projects that are challenging and inspiring. These are the projects you'd try if you won the lottery and could do anything you pleased with your time. Not that I...um...think about that all the time or anything.

So, without further ado, here are the dream projects I need to get done in this lifetime.

1. Dear Jane quilt. This is the most enormous, involved quilting project I could imagine, besides #2 on my bucket list.

Photo, twiddletails @ Flickr

2. Baltimore album quilt. I love appliqué, so this is a natural on my list. I'm pretty sure I'd have to quit doing anything other than appliqué for years to get one done.

Photo, mm_berndt @ Flickr

3. Granny square afghan. I remember these afghans on my grandmother's and my aunt's couches back in the '70s. I'd make mine with dove grey backgrounds and vibrant centres.

Photo, MissMessie @ Flickr

4. Irish fisherman's cardigan. My mom had a beautiful one of these sweaters. It was made from the warmest, most bulletproof cream-coloured wool I've ever seen. I love the challenge of using all those different stitch patterns in one garment.

Photo, siobhanmc @ Flickr

So now that you've seen some of the things I'd like to make, what's on your list? Share your project links in the comments below!

One yard, one teeny-tiny top?

Lisa Fielding — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 18:47:55 GMT

As part of my New Year's resolution to craft more, last weekend I sorted my pile o' fabric. I found all kinds of gorgeous cotton prints (including some from Amy Butler's lovely Lark collection) that I'd stashed away to make tops with a simple, foolproof pattern I made years ago. I was excited by all the new wardrobe possibilities...that is, until I realized that I'd only bought one yard of each one.

I might have been able to eke out some sleeveless shirts from such small pieces, if they weren't all patterned fabrics that needed to be matched (or perhaps I've been doing it wrong?). So my dilemma is this: Buy more fabric or find tiny things to make. Since my other New Year's resolution is to save money, it's (sadly) the latter for me.

If I want to have coins to put in this purse, I'd better stop buying fabric....

One-Yard Wonders is a great book with lots of cute projects (it makes a nice gift, too, with a few yards to accompany it). Here are some online tutorials for other small wonders you can create with one measly yard of fabric. Some I've made before (such as this snap coin purse), and some I've yet to try. I'm certainly interested to hear your suggestions!

Every kitchen needs a bread buddy.
And everyone needs a retro duffel bag, right?
An apron with built-in hot pads: brilliant.
This jersey knit bracelet just requires scissors and fingers.

Giveaway winner, and thanks for sharing your crafty resolutions

Austen Gilliland — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 17:21:45 GMT

Thanks to everyone who dropped by to share their crafty New Year's resolutions with us. You've got some great ideas for stash reduction, finishing projects and crafty Christmases-to-come, and I'm excited to hear about how your plans evolve!

The winner of our prize, Firefly's Step-by-Step Encyclopedia of Needlecraft, is commenter #34, Chelsea, who, like many of us, is ready to embark on a stash-reduction mission in 2012.

Hopefully this new book will give you some ideas for great projects, Chelsea. I'll be in touch with details shortly.

Thanks again to everyone who commented, I love hearing what you're all up to. Have a wonderful day!