knitting? you can do it, too. (and a winner!)

Hello again! It's Jen from HeyJenRenee, wishing you a happy Friday. I was thrilled to see all of your comments on my guest post from Monday – thanks so much for all of your kind words!

Since there were several people who said "I want to learn how to knit!", I thought I'd throw out a few easy ways that you can get started. (Because, trust me – if I learned how, you can too.)

1. Visit your local yarn shop. I can almost promise that they offer beginner classes that can get you off to a solid start. Often, if you purchase yarn at a locally-owned shop, they'll offer free assistance should you run into trouble with your knitting.

2. See if your city has a knitting group. Meetup.com is a great resource to find local groups of women (and men too!) who schedule small gatherings at coffee shops and local hot spots to knit. If you're lucky enough to find a group like this, you'll surely make some great new friends and meet lots of knitters who will be more than willing to help you out if you get stuck with a new stitch or need a little help getting through your pattern. (They'll also hear you out should you need to vent about your day.)

3. Join Ravelry. This should be a requirement for everyone who knits or crochets. Ravelry offers thousands of free patterns and an online community where you can find anything and everything you could ever imagine to keep you inspired. It's also the perfect place to keep track of all the fun things you knit. Take a photo of your finished projects – especially of the things you end up giving away. It's all part of your knitting history.

4. YouTube. Rachel would agree – you can find awesome video tutorials for almost any knitting/crochet technique or stitch on YouTube. And you can replay them again and again until you get it, in the comfort of your own home.

5. Hit up that friend or family member. Do you know someone who is really great at knitting or crochet? Call them up and ask them if they'd be willing to give you a beginners' lesson. Meet them on a cold winter day and maybe offer to buy them a cup of coffee in exchange for their wisdom.

It may or may not be a bit chilly where you live, but around here it's starting to get downright cold. I'm obsessed with chunky knits, and I know I'm not the only one because they're everywhere. I'm addicted to knitting enormously long chunky scarves. (I'm not even going to tell you how many skeins go into one of these!) Here are a few other knits that have caught my eye...

Deena and Ozzy blanket scarf.

Flocks Urchin Pouf. (I am obsessed with these!)

Super-easy leg warmers, pattern from Last Minute Knitted Gifts.

Adorable nautical-themed crocheted ornaments.

This fantastically cushy colossal cables throw from Anthro? Yes please.

If you knit, you can totally make something similar for yourself using chunky yarn. Try this free pattern – Sutter's Mill Throw – by Lion Brand Yarn, photo above.

And now, for the winner of the chunky red cowl giveaway ... (courtesy of random.org)


EMILY!

You are the winner! Email me your shipping address (jgeigley[!at]gmail.com) and I'll send the red cowl your way. Thanks so much to everyone who entered. Stop by and visit me at HeyJenRenee any time. And a huge thank you to Rachel for this fun chance to be a guest blogger. I had such a blast!

old quilt...new life {part2}

Hey all...Ashley from Under the Sycamore here. I am back to share a few more ideas on giving new life to an old (beyond repair) quilt. After I made the first cut the rest weren't so hard. I quickly noticed that though most of the quilt was falling apart there were a handful of squares that could be saved. Since the quilt was old much of the fabric was too thin to survive being washed - which is highly important in a home with 4 kids. So as I cut away, I stashed away a beautiful pile of good condition squares:

I plan to make a quilt out of those squares and added ones, but can't decide if I should use a new, modern fabric or use some of my vintage sheets. What do you think?
After cutting the squares to save, I removed the batting and backing...which left me with a good size pile of backing. I wanted to find ways to use even scraps of the fabric, so here are so VERY simple ideas:

1. Old Window Dry Erase Board
I made a 'dry erase' board out of an old window. Since I was using it for a message board I opted for burlap (not to distract from the writing) and then added a small cut-out from one of the quilt fabrics. You can find directions on making a board like this from Orange Poppy via Design*Sponge. My window was bought for $5.00 and had concrete on the back holding in the glass. I chipped out all the concrete to be able to remove the glass and repair the fit (it was a little loose). I also added hooks to the bottom of mine.

2. Quilt covered Coasters
I made simple little pockets with a ribbon tie, then slipped square coasters inside. The batting in my quilt was so old it was just flat enough not to cause an issue with balance, but thick enough to help with condensation from cold glasses. Again...the tie cover was to allow for quick and easy cleaning in the event of a spilled drink.

3. Fabric Ornaments
Here I used some of the backing fabric, tore it into strips, twisted the strips and hot glued them to a glass ornament. I also spray painted the top for added color. I will say while taking a photo of it, I dropped the ornament on a hardwood floor...the fabric gave it added protection and it didn't break. Another plus with kids in the house!

4. Sewn notecards
For this project I simply stitched small pieces of scrap fabric to notecards I had already embellished with paper and doilies (paper kind). The added texture and dimension just makes them a bit more fun.
5. Ruffles on clothing
Now I only share this idea...not so much how mine turned out. I attempted to add a little extra to a plain white tee, but mine isn't working so much. I know a lot of you are seasoned seamstresses so you can take this idea and run with it....

Rachel, thanks for the opportunity to guest blog...it was fun, but I sure am ready to read your posts again! You've been missed!

Hi friends! It's Mandi again.

Have you been noticing all of the gorgeous wreaths floating about in blogland these days?

And it's not just wreaths either, kids. Danielle Thompson created these really fun plush pumpkins that together with this wreath inspired me to create my own hybrid plush wreath. And I did it all with mostly reused and repurposed items.

S u p p l i e s :

- 1 knit sweater or Tshirt (I used a waffle knit striped T.)

- 1 wreath form (You can find junky old wreaths at the thrift store and strip them for your purposes.)

- A bunch of batting (I gutted an old ugly pillow I had.)

- Fabric flowers, buttons, or anything pretty you have laying around the house

T o o l s :

- Pinking sheers

- Thread

- Needle

- Sewing machine (not necessary, but convenient)

Time: approximately two hours.

Difficulty: easy (If you can do a basic stitch, you can do this!)

S t e p 1 :

Cut the arms and side off of the shirt so that you have two even strips of fabric. One from the front, and one from the back of the shirt. The width of your strips will depend on how fat you want your wreath to be in the end.

S t e p 2 :

Stitch your fabric together at the ends so that it is one long strip. I found that one shirt was long enough to wrap an entire wreath after the length was doubled by stitching the two lengths together. The nice thing about knit fabric is that it will stretch. This helps limit the lumpiness of the wreath in the end.

S t e p 3 :

Surround a small portion of your foam wreath form with batting. Then, begin stitching the fabric closed around the batting and the foam. This is a long and tedious process, but it's worth the effort!

As you continue along the wreath, add more stuffing to the areas that have been stitched. The more stuffing you add, the less lumpy your wreath will be.

S t e p 4 :

When you come to the end of the wreath, close the ends the same way you closed the entire length of the fabric. But be sure to leave an opening long enough to add the last bit of stuffing to even out the wreath. Then, when you're done stuffing it, stitch the opening completely closed.

If your hands are anything like mine, your fingers will be a bit soar by this point! But you still have work to do. Your wreath is probably very lumpy. But it's okay, because the next few minutes or so will be spent massaging the lumps out of the wreath. It helps to have knit fabric that will move about with your fingers so you can maneuver the batting more easily.

S t e p 5 :

Now delve into your collection of pretty things and stitch or glue them onto your finished plush wreath. I actually didn't stitch or glue my items. I used straight pins, so that I can easily remove them and repurpose everything after the season is over.

S t e p 6 :

Use leftover fabric or a piece of ribbon to hang your wreath. You can use any method to attach it to the back of your wreath: stitching, staples, pins… whatever holds it in place. Unless you're hanging the wreath on a glass door, nobody will see the back. Once it's hung, massage the last few lumps from the wreath, and step back to enjoy what you've created!

This is the first time I've ever made a plush wreath, and there are a few things I will do differently next time.

Next time I will cut the knit fabric a bit smaller than it needs to be. When it stretches out, I think it will help smooth out the lumps. The second thing I will do differently is before wrapping the batting and fabric around the wreath, I will sew a loose stitch along the length of the fabric. Then, after the wreath is wrapped, I will pull the threads of the loose stitch to gather the center of the wreath. I think this will accomplish a more even gathering of the stripes at the center, and a more tailored look to the entire wreath.

This wreath was definitely a learning experience for me, and I hope you've been inspired by the process! If you've made any holiday wreaths recently, be sure to link them up in the comments section so that all of us can see!

My Sponsors Are The Coolest

I've got a lovely group of small business owners sharing their goods with us this month. If you haven't already stopped by their shops, let me introduce you.

Arian Armstrong has a lovely selection of illustrations and prints in her Etsy shop. This print is one of my favorites!

Nellie Loves Vintage has a fun selection of handpicked vintage goods including this RAD set of owl canisters.

Katherine from Making Chicken Salad has some beautiful, handmade, fabric and leather totes in her handmade Etsy shop.

Pardon My French has listed vintage winter boots with rainbows on them so you know her shop is cool.

Miss James of Bleubird Vintage has a beautifully styled blog and sells pretty dresses.

You can find these fun Mary Jane Shoes and some fun accessories at Leroy Loves Mabel.

So excited about this screen printed kit from Elsie! Soon available at Red Velvet Art.

Kind of in love with this red suitcase from By The Tire Swing. Check out her blog for some crafty inspiration!

Veronica of Shabby Chic Crafts is offering a free holiday workshop on her blog from now until December 4th. Stop by to see her handmade gift tutorials and then swing over to Shabby Chic Crafts to see their selection of holiday tags.

Lisa Leonard creates beautiful, customized jewelry that has been worn by my mom and celebrities alike! View all of her designs here.

Stop by Rachie's Place for some eye candy and find out what kind of scrapbooking magic she's been working or what has recently been added to her vintage Etsy shop.

Thanks to all of our November sponsors for sharing their lovelies! If you're interested in sharing your goodies in December, check our Advertising Inquiries page and contact Leigh-Ann at FreckledNest@gmail.com to set things up.

xoxo,
Rachel

The winner to the Sammy Rose giveaway

Since I am a whole day late on announcing the winner to my Sammy Rose giveaway I decided to draw TWO winners instead. (for you who missed it, scroll down)

I was stunned over all of the fun comments I got on the post. Since I am such a big TV-lover I had so much fun reading them. Thank you all for participating!

The two winners are:
Illinivicki and jackiek

Congrats!

You two girls let me know what item from www.sammyrose.se you want and send your homeaddress to me at:
shop
@
sammmyrose
.se

/Jenny
thank you random.org for helping

Handmade Holidays: Baking and Cooking

Hi Vivianna here again from Polka Dot Robot.

click image for credit

I should start with this: " I don't know how to cook" but I can bake if I really wanted too.
This Christmas is going to be a very small one because most of the family well be in Panama or elsewhere. I was going to go to Panama with my best friend, but things have changed and I am going to AZ with my best friend to see my brother and his family.
ANYHOO...my point (if i have one) is that I need to start making (cooking, baking) things to see if I can really do it. I don't want Christmas to come and I said I can make something and not know if I can or not. That would suck!
I am working on a little baking project right now called the 12 Days of Cookie

Homemade Oreos

Blondies

Brownie Roll-Out Cookies

I have asked my blog friends to send me their favorite cookies recipes. I will be making each one of them and posting about it over on my blog. If you have a favorite cookie recipes that you would like to share with me, please email me at vivianna(AT)polkadotrobot(DOT)com

As for cooking--I am still looking for good recipes. Dinner worries me because I am not a big meat eater and I have no clue how to cook meat. The only thing that I have planned is breakfast

I want to leave you with the cutest little houses...

knit + purl

A big hi and hello! It's Jen from HeyJenRenee and I have just loved seeing all of the fun guesties pop up here from all over blogland the past few weeks. Like everyone who has posted here before me, I wanted to give all our best wishes and a huge congrats to the Denbow family on the arrival of little Ruby. She sure looks like such a sweet bundle of happiness and I know all of us internet pals were so excited to see those first photos of her adorable little face. Congrats!

I'm so very excited to be guest blogging this week (thanks so much, Rachel) and I have a couple of cool knitting projects to share. Over the past year or so, I became a knitter. A full-fledged knitter. It was an immediate addiction and luckily I have a few girlfriends who don't mind meeting up once in awhile for a little stitchery, so I'm in good company. I try to knit something every day. I'm pretty sure it would make my grandma proud.

My latest and greatest project is the Chorley Wrap from Rowan Magazine 46. I saw a knitted sample of this at a local yarn shop, and it was the first time my jaw dropped after looking at a knitting pattern. Oh my ... I just had to make one.

And in three and a half days (and ten skeins of yarn,) I did. Oh, how I love this thing! I used Rowan Big Wool in this awesome smokey gray color (called 'glum' - ha!)

Gorgeous cables and ties in the back (so it stays on, arms free.) It's super chunky and oh so warm.

Perfect for a person like me who is absolutely freezing all winter long. Wearing this is like getting away with wearing a blanket/throw out in public. A very stylish one. I can see myself snuggling up in this at all of my holiday gatherings next month.

And now, just a few things you should check out. One of my favorite knitter girls on Etsy is Yokoo (whose designs are being picked up by Urban Outfitters.)

And I'm a huge fan of these re-purposed/upcycled scarves by Kelley Deal (of the Breeders.) She also has a book out about knitted/crocheted bags.

This is my favorite knitting photo of all time. I would love to try something this huge. Giant knitting is just incredible. This is from a project Christien Meindertsma created for the exhibit Design for a Living World at Cooper Hewitt National Design Museum in New York.

Last but not least – in honor of Little Red, I'd love to give away this super chunky red hand-knit cowl, made by me. Super toasty warm and perfect for the winter months ahead!

Just leave a comment here and I'll pick a winner when I return on Friday with more hand-knit eye candy. See you then!

(e.t.a. – YES, I'm on Ravelry! I'm 'heyjenrenee' there, too.)