Give Yarn

 If you read my blog, I think it is a pretty safe bet that you or someone you know is into fiber. And I don't mean the dietary stuff. You like yarn. You like it a lot! You like to use it, you like to buy it. But even better: you like to get it as a gift. Or maybe you don't! Maybe you stumbled upon this post in search of tips on how to give yarn to a crafty friend. Regardless of the details, if you are looking to do some yarn-gifting/receiving this year, you are in the right place.

For all of you lovelies looking to give nice gifts of yarn this year (and we crafty folk thank you in advance for trying to do something better than stop at Walmart for some Red Heart), read on for some fun tips. For all you sneaky-snakes who want to receive some nice yarn this year, just leave this post opened on your browser until your significant other/mom/cousin/dog/whoever sees it and takes the hint. Or, the less passive aggressive route, just straight up tell your friends and family you want some yarn and send them here for a few tips.

Let's get rolling! Feel free to add your yarn-gifting tips in the comments section! I love hearing creative ideas. Gifting is my love-language, so I am all about gifting tips.

First up: Jimmy Beans

Jimmy Beans is the self-proclaimed "local yarn store online" for all yarn folks. I am personally a HUGE fan of their amazing gifting options. They have all sorts of gift sets at all sorts of different price ranges. A lot of their sets come with patterns or correspond to very popular free patterns. Check out their gift ideas page to see all the options. Here are two of my favorites:

1. Blue Sky Alpaca Gift Boxes

I am kind of an alpaca junkie, so this is naturally something that would attract me. With these gift boxes, you get to choose from a variety of color themes and prices. Most of them are $110, which would certainly make the casual buyer (aka me) balk. There are some (like the one pictured above) that are $75. Keep in mind, you are purchasing a luxury yarn. There is enough yarn in each box to complete a lovely shawl that is available on the website as a free download.

2. Yarn Bouquets

These are MUCH more affordably priced and still oh-so-cute. The yarn bouquets on Jimmy Beans' site come in a wide range of colors. Most of them come with a pattern as well. They range from $40-225 (Yikes! I know). In all honesty, this is a yarn-gifting idea that you could take into your own hands if you are slightly intrepid and have a working knowledge of what the recipient would like in terms of fiber content. These yarn bouquets would be easy enough to make up yourself for that special someone. I won't tell if you get the yarn on sale and make your own arrangement!! Plus, I think they'd be kind of fun to make.

Next: Knit Picks

 Another big-name in the online yarn world, Knit Picks has quite a few giving options that just might suit the lucky yarner in your life. They have tons of patterns on their site, and always offer yarn suggestions to help you pick out the perfect amount for the project at hand. Plus, they have tons of great tools. Here are my top pick from KP:

1. Woodland Winter Mittens Kit

This pattern is actually six patterns in one. You can use their on-site kit builder to customize the type and colors of yarn that come in the kit. How cool?? A lot of their patterns have the option to build your own kit. If you can't find a kit building option for the pattern you want to buy, they have great customer support to help you choose a suitable yarn. Aren't these mitts too cute??

2. Rainbow Crochet Hook Set

This set is actually going bye bye from Knit Pick soon, which makes me really sad. Whether you knit or crochet, you have to admit these rainbow-wood hooks are stunning. They also sell knitting needles of the same wood. A luxurious set is a wonderful gift. You can never have too many hooks or needles! Right? Right. That's what I keep telling myself.

And Finally: DIY ideas

I can't stand just posting pricey options for gifts. The Do-it-yourself spirit in me will not allow it!! So I've come up with some fun ideas on how to give yarn that are a little more DIY friendly.

1. Yarn Bouquet

You saw the picture above of how Jimmy Beans does it, so why not adapt it to be your own? All you need are some nice skeins of yarn, some skewers or knitting needles, a vase, and pretty ribbons. You could even scour Ravelry for some nice free patterns to go with the yarn you chose and print them out on pretty cardstock. Fancy!

2. Gift Card Snowglobe

Some people think gift cards are a cop-out. I disagree! If buying nice yarn for a friend makes you nervous (Will they like it? Will it be the right color?), go for a gift card and make it cute by presenting it in a snowglobe. There's a great tutorial here by The Creative Mama on how to make one.

Photo (c) thecreativemama.com

Where to get a gift card from besides Michael's and Hob-Lob? How about:
-Ravelry (for patterns!)
-Etsy (for hand-dyed options!)
-A Local Yarn Store (for supporting your local economy!)
-KnitPicks (for stuff and things!)
-Their Fave Yarn Company (for yarn!)
-Amazon (for books!)
(Some of these retailers might not have the "card" gift cards required to make the snowglobe)

3. Soap Gift

I know I'm on a soap kick, but why not give your fave yarn-lover a nice, handmade soap like the ones from Besem Natural Scents on Etsy along with a luscious cotton yarn and a cute washcloth pattern? A small, fun, clean gift.

Photo (c) Besem Natural Scents

Some free washcloth patterns from Ravelry (don't forget to print it on colorful cardstock to make it supah fahahahancy):

Washcloth Quartet (knitting)

Washcloth that Holds Soap (knitting)

Shell Stitch Washcloth (crochet)

4. Mug of Yarn

Got a coffee or tea lover? How about scoring a cute mug from the thrift store and popping a ball of wool in it along with some instant coffee/hot cocoa/tea bags? For mega cute points, include a decorative spoon and a pattern for a mug-cozy from Ravelry.

Mug Cozy by Bubble Girl Knit & Crochet (crochet)

Mug Cosy by threebeansinapod (crochet)

Fancy Mug Cozy by Kristen Hipsky (knitting)

5. Baby Yarn

I have a lot of friends who are expecting in the spring. If you know a crafty lady who has a bun in the oven, why not give her something crafty and practical? Pick out some nice baby cotton (or anything soft and washable!) and put it in a sweet little basket. Include Babies R Us giftcards, some little baby toys, and a pattern for an easy baby blanket. Maybe whip up some washcloths from the patterns above and tuck them in there too. I go through washcloths like crazy here.

These patterns are easy, but cute. Great for whiling away the last trimester. Or even working on during early labor! I totally knitted in the delivery room when we first got there.

Rainbow Ripple Baby Blanket (crochet)

Chevron Baby Blanket (knitting)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Good Clean Fun: Lemon Verbena Soap

Since the success of my Coffee Soap endeavors, I have been itching to try out some more soap additives. Because I have an abundance of herbs, the obvious next step was to figure out how to incorporate them into my easy peasey melt-and-pour soap. Good news! It's simple! Just as simple as using coffee grounds.

Select a good, aromatic herb. Preferably one with some delightful medicinal qualities. I chose Lemon Verbena.  It's cleansing, bright, and is known to help boost the immune system. I don't know if you can get that big of a boost from soap, but hey. This stuff smells nice. If you want to know about other good herbs to use in melt and pour soap, this website has an amazing list. The possibilities are endless!!

Crush your herb while you are melting your soap according to the directions on the package. Once the soap is all nicely melted, give it a good stir to remove air bubbles. Mix your herb into the soap and pour into molds. I was loaned these cute molds from a friend. Love how they say "natural" and "homemade"!!

To get a more in-depth discussion of how to do a simple melt-and-pour soap, read my Coffee Soap tutorial. But seriously, I promise, making this soap really is as easy as melting, mixing, pouring, and waiting. Waiting is the hardest part!!

I was really impressed by the great suspension I got from the lemon verbena. I've read that many people have issues getting herbs and other light weight additives to mix evenly through out the soap. Guess I was lucky!!

I did add one tiny drop of lemon bergamont oil to enhance the lemony scent.  I really didn't need to! Lemon verbena has such a strong scent on its own. Perfect for soap making!!

I'll be passing these bars along as gifts. I'm having too much fun with this soap-ification not to share!! Have you made soap before?

Happy Tuesday!
-Carolyn

How I Write Crochet Patterns

 I'm working on a new crochet pattern right now, and it's really striking me that I have a very specific (read: obsessive compulsive) method for pattern writing. It's always amazing to me the way the mind works in regards to creative projects, so I thought other people might find the inside of my brain interesting. So I'm going to share!

I learned how to draft sewing patterns once, and the process was mind boggling. Perhaps because I am more used to working directly into a 3D form, as opposed to working first on a flat form (the paper) for sewing patterns making. Or perhaps it was just because I have been working with crochet patterns longer than with sewing pattern. Whatever the reason, I am much more comfortable designing my own crochet projects.

It has gotten to the point, in fact, that I can't handle reading other people's patterns. I love designing patterns so much, that even when I'm using someone else's pattern, I'm writing my own notes and alterations. It's a problem. I can't help it.

If you are a designer and have your own process, I'd love to hear about it. Like I said, I am very intrigued by the creative process, ya know? So, without further ado, here's how I hammer out my crochet patterns:

Step 1: Inspiration & Sketching

Pretty much just like the title says: I get inspired and do some sketches. I plan out how the item will

be constructed, right down to the location of the starting round for each component. I will sometime do an image search to find real-life references for costumes, shapes, and anatomy. This usually takes about 20 minutes, but I've spent as long as 7 hours on this step.

Step 2: Making the First Version

This is by far the most time consuming step. I cannot write down part of a pattern without actually stitching it out as I write. I know there are some people out there who can actually draft a pattern without actually crocheting as they go. I enjoy crocheting it as I write. It gives me a chance to experience what the readers of my pattern will experience, and a chance to see if any section is ridiculous or annoying or hard.

As I am crocheting, I make charts for each part of the project: head, legs, body etc. Each chart has three columns in this order: Round or Row Number (rnd), Number of Stitches (sts), and Notes. The notes section is where I jot a short hand version of the stitch sequence for that round. As you can see in the picture below, it usually looks something like, * inc, sc 4 *. That little blurb translates as, *inc, sc in next 4 sts* around. Handy, huh?

Though I write down each row as I am crocheting it, there is still a bit of going back and revising. In fact, in this last pattern, I got entirely done with the head and neck (making them one continuous piece by some tricky shaping methods) and decided it was not at all the look I wanted. I ripped back ten or fifteen rounds and started again from about the eight round of the head. I crossed that omitted section out lightly so I could still read it if I wanted to. That's the nice thing about writing as you go, you can always know exactly the patterning you tried last time but disliked. It's fun to see the pattern evolve on paper!!

Step 3: Cleaning Up & Typing

This is the step I am currently at with my newest pattern. I finish off the project, assemble it, and take some nice pictures of it. I edit the pictures and prep a word document for the pattern. I have a template saved that I use as the bare bones for all my patterns, but I need to go in and add specific material lists, stitch glossaries, and "about this pattern" sections for each new pattern I write. Once all that is done, I set to work translating my chicken scratch on paper into lovely typed words.

  Step 4: Read Through & PDF

After the pattern is typed, I do a read through. I go line by line to make absolutely sure everything adds up, is spelled right, and makes sense. Then I save the .doc as a .pdf and get ready to put it up on Etsy.

Step 5: Testing

I will admit, I do not always send my patterns away for testing. If it's a small plush or something simple, I just upload the edited PDF and call it a day. So far, nobody has contacted me about one of my untested patterns containing an error, so that's a good sign. If the project is very intricate or gi-huge-ic, I send it off for testing. I use two testers, and give them a few weeks. Once I've heard back from them and made and changes, it's off to Etsy the pattern goes!!

 So, there you have it. My writing and editing process for crochet patterns. What's your pattern-writing style? Are you able to write it all up first and THEN crochet it to test it? I'd love to hear your process.

Happy Tuesday!!   

New Twitter Account & How To Make: Coffee Soap

Have you ever come across an idea for a project that will not get out of your head? It just gets in your brain, takes root, and keeps itching away until you actually give in and embark on the project. It used to happen to me a lot. Read: daily. But lately, as I have been distracted by a certain little babu, my brain hasn't had too much free space for craft obsessions.

But since thing have settled in to a sweet little rhythm, my brain has been able to latch on to something: soap making. I saw an article on PopSugar about how to make soap using up old coffee grounds.

And I thought, "Well, I like coffee."

It's really super duper easy to make some fast soap. You can do it in an afternoon! To some, the melt-and-pour method of soap making is cheating because it involves using a premade soap base. In my mind, it's the safest method for me to make soap in an apartment. No lye, no fumes. Safe for baby and me! Are you sold on this? Let's get to it!!

Supplies:

Meltable clear glycerin soap (got mine from Michael's)

Old coffee grounds

Vanilla scent (optional)

Microwavable glass bowl

Spoons

Mold (I used candy making molds: $2 at Michael's) 

  

Step 1: Cube your wax

Most clear glycerin comes with pre-scored lines to cut 1 oz sections. For my mold I needed about 5 oz, but I cubed up 6 just to be safe.

Step 2: Melt wax

Follow the directions on your wax package for microwave melting. Mine said to start with 30 seconds, then melt and stir at 10 second intervals. 

Step 3: Add scent and coffee grounds

Just like the title says, yo. Mix in the scent and how ever much of the grounds you want. I did about 2 tbs of grounds, and 5 ish drops of the scent. 

Step 4: Pour into molds

While doing this, stir the glycerin a bit between pours to keep it from solidifying. Just make sure you don't drop your spoon into the mixture. Because it is annoying when that happens. Not that I know from experience or anything.

Once you are all done pouring your soaps, you can let the excess soap harden and save it for another pour. That's the beauty of melt and pour: you can reuse it as many times as you want! I didn't save mine because it was kind of a grounds-y mess. 

 Step 5: Wait for the soap to harden, then pop them out!

It takes about 40ish minutes, depending on the depth of your mold. You can pop them in the freezer to speed the process, but I saw no need to do that. 

Look how beautiful they look!! The pictures doesn't really do the prettiness justice. It's so deep and transparently and yummy. The soap is so great to use. It's got a great lather, and the coffee grounds are delightfully exfoliating. And the smell? Heavennnnnn.

You can spray rubbing alcohol on the bottom of your soap while it's wet to get rid of the ugly bubbles, but I didn't. These were just my practice ones. And plus the bubble side will be down when it's on the soap dish. Nobody is going to be critical. 

I can't wait to make more soap! I have so many plans for fun herb mix-ins. Have you ever tried to make soap? Cold Process? Melt and Pour?

In other news, I made a Twitter account today! Follow me! I'll follow you back. @LastinLineShop

DIY: Make Your Own Buttons with Sculpey or Shrinky Dinks!

You can make your own buttons??  You heard me right! Trust me, I was just as excited as you are when I made the realization that yes, indeed, you can make your own buttons to adorn whatever project you choose. Think of the possibilities!! You just need a few simple supplies and an oven. Easy peasey. You'll be a button-makin' machine before you can say "whose got the button"!

Buttonbuttonbutton. Don't think I've said 'button' enough yet. Button.

Two weeks ago, my dear friend Becca from Halfway to Hipster came over to hang with me. We had a smashing crafternoon, and I thought I'd share with you all the efforts of our activities! And give you a few instructions so you can jump on the button wagon with us.

You'll need:
-An oven
-Some Sculpey (or other oven-bake clay) in any color you desire (I did white so I can paint them later)
-Some Shrinky Dink plastic
-Sharpies, watercolors, colored pencils, or other art-devices to color on your Shrinky Dinks
-Scissors
-Hole punch
-A toothpick or skewer

Becca got clever and stuck some buttons to a newspaper to lift the ink and get a cool wordy effect

 For Scupley Buttons:
 Pinch off a little nubbin of clay. Work in in your fingers until it gets soft. Form it carefully into a ball, then flatten it onto some wax paper with your thumb. Rub out as many thumbprints as you can (or leave them for a very rustic look) and poke as many holes as you want into your button with a toothpick. Flip the button over and make the holes clean on the other side as well. Follow the direction on the clay package to bake your button, let it cool and admire your work!

You can get really crazy with the size, shape, texture, and hole placement on these buttons. Be wild!

Becca made some cat buttons!!!!

 For Shrinky Dink Buttons:

Trace a circle approximately 2" in diameter. Cut it out , and go nuts with decorating the button. When you are done, punch some holes with your hole puncher (standard size hole punch results in perfect button holes). Bake your Shrinky Dinks according to the directions on your package. I love to act like a small child and sit on the floor of the kitchen to watch them shrink. MAGIC YO.

All my Shrinky Dink buttons I did with watercolors. They turned out so spiffy! I prefer the way they look from the "wrong" (aka, shiny) side of the button once shrunk. So vibrant!

The blue one looks super cool in person, but crappy on my camera

 A quick disclaimer, I have no idea how these buttons stand up in the washing machine. My bet is you should PROBABLY handwash any project you use these on.

Nekkid buttons! Can't wait to paint them.

Are you going to make some buttons??

The Narwhal Hat Pattern is LIVE!

It is finally available!! Now you can be the envy of all your friends with your very own Narwhal Hat that you made yourself!! Joy of joys!!

The pattern is available for instant download via Last in Line Shop on Etsy.
(Also, look! I'm a big kid now with a Ravelry Designer page!!)

I was very hesitant to jump in and finally offer patterns for one of my most popular hats, but I am incredibly excited now that it is finally up! It's especially invigorating since I've been working on updating my Ravelry page, and now I'm a bonafied designer! With a pattern available!

In other news, I'm working on another pattern. It is a LOT more intricate than my beloved Narwhal Hat, which makes me even more excited to offer it for sale. Soon. Ish. Once I get it all typed up and edited and pretty.

That's all. Just wanted to let you guys know that I feel pretty spiffy with this pattern up for sale.
Hope your day is warmer than mine! After a weekend of 50+ degree weather, it's snowing today.

SNOWING.
IN APRIL.

-sigh-

Regardless, happy day to you all!

Yarn to Dye For: How to KoolAid or Tea Dye Yarn

For a long time, I have wanted to play with dyeing yarn. Remember when I saw that dye lab in Minneapolis a million years ago? Yeah, well, that's what I want in my life. But this weekend I was finally pushed over the edge to give in and try dyeing by my dear friend Lizzy, and I have no such amazing laboratory for color science. Luckily, there are a lot of techniques you can do right in your own kitchen! Or, in my case, someone else's kitchen!!

What is cooler than adding another handmade, one-of-a-kind, feature to craft projects? It's like taking handmade to the next level when you color your own materials!! I know you are already just as excited as I am about this, so let's get down to the steps!!!

You will need:
-100% wool (or other animal fiber) yarn
-A sink
-A microwave
-Some tea bags
-KoolAid Packets (there are lots of possible color combos, so do some research and choose what you like!)
-Some big ol' measuring cups that you can put into the microwave
-Water
-Vinegar (which I didn't have so my tea dyed yarn looks like poo)

Start by prepping your yarn. You have to decide how you want your yarn to come out in the end. I decided on looonnng repeats of two colors of tea, and a gradient-effect with KoolAid for my two balls o' yarn.

To achieve long repeats of two colors, you need to wrap your yarn into a big long loop and gently tie it so it won't come undone while dyeing. Then you plunk one end of the loop in one color and the other end in the other color. Tada! Long repeats!

For a gradient effect, wrap your yarn loosely in a ball. The wool at the middle will not absorb as much dye as the stuff on the outside, resulting in a light-to-dark gradient. Just make sure you make enough dye to cover the whole ball!

Before dyeing, fill your sink with warm wahtah and pop your yarn in to soak for about 20 minutes. This allows the yarn to dye faster and more vibrantly. You may need to use some plates to hold the yarn underwater if you are doing long repeats: the loop floats.

Now, prep your dye!! Since I knew my tea dyed yarn was going to take a lot of liquid and messing around, I did it first. As I said before, I made the big mistake of not using vinegar to make the dye acidic. So, my tea-dyed yarn didn't soak as much of the color up. But let that be a lesson, not a discouragement. I promise it works super well if you use vinegar.

Onto the dye-making. I did black tea for one color and green herbal tea for the other. For the black tea I boiled about a quart and a half of water in the microwave. I boiled a little less than a quart for the green tea. I used five teabags of black tea and six of green. I wanted the green to be more intense. When you measure out your liquid, make sure to do a 3 to 1 ratio for water to vinegar. It's gonna be smelly, but it'll look so niiiiceee.

 Let the tea steep for 5-10 minutes, depending on your desired darkness. Don't let it cool off all the way before you put your yarn in it. You want it to be warm still! Just be careful to avoid felting. Haha.

To make the KoolAid dye, I went waaayyyy dark. You don't need vinegar for KoolAid dyeing, because the powder is super acidic already. I boiled about a quart of water for two packets of strawberry KoolAid, half a packet of Crystal Light Strawberry Lemonade, and a packet of Raspberry Iced Tea. I was really messy, so I couldn't get pictures of the dye bath, but lemme tell you, it was blood red.

Now that you have your dye ready, pop your yarn in it and send it for a spin in the microwave. You need to cook it for two minutes, then let it rest for two minutes. Keep doing that until it has cooked for a total of 8ish minutes. Pull it out, and let that baby cool!

Once it is room temp, pull the yarn out and rinse it in cool/warm water. Not too cold or you will shock the fibers. Rinse the yarn until no more dye comes out and the water runs off clear. If you do the gradient effect, you will need to carefully unwind the ball of yarn and wrap it loosely into a loop when rinsing so it can dry better. Some people suggest rinsing with soap at this point, but I didn't. It's up to you.

All that's left is letting your yarn hang to dry overnight, and loving it to bits!!

 My tea dyed wool is going to get a redo once I get some vinegar. The black tea part dyed a little, but not as much as I want. Still, it was fun.

 My KoolAid dyed yarn is soooo pretty. I cannot get over the richness of the colors!!! It is going to be fun to pick a project to use it on.

Roxy (my parent's dog) was very interested

There you have it!! I cannot wait to dye all the things. I already have plans to try some of the techniques Lizzy has played with, as well as the ones Cyprienne at Big Knitting Trouble has been doing. She made a rainbow!! Come on guys. You know you want to tryyyyy.

Happy Monday!!!
Linkin' up at these fine sites!