flower Gurl crafts

Double Knitting Hat Pattern Review

2013-05-11T21:32:00.001-04:00

So I am in the midst of the knitting the Eco Highland Duo Hat pattern from cascade yarns and I will say that my first experience with double knitting is not for the faint of heart. I am well into the seventh row of the pattern and the pattern is completely different on each side, so I need to continually change focus as to where I am in each pattern and whether I am knitting or purling. Fortunately, since the purl stitches are striped, after the first row you are simply purling the same color into each stitch.

The fair isle side is a bit more complicated because while you are purling the stripes, you are also knitting the fair isle between the purl stitches. But at the same time, it is quite fun and exciting to see two patterns working up all at once.

I have to confess that the first few rows I had to take out several times because I miss counted stitches somewhere in each of the patterns but now that I can see more of the patterns, it is coming along faster. I recommend the pattern if you want a challenging double knitting pattern but definitely plan on using a lot of patience and focus for this pattern!

Free pattern: http://cascadeyarns.com/patternsFree/W454_EcoHighlandDuoHat.pdf

BasketWeave Scarf Pattern

2013-04-16T20:54:00.000-04:00

I created this basket-weave scarf last winter while on Christmas vacation at my parent's house looking at the winter wonderland that is their backyard.

I wanted to create a scarf that was warm, durable, and fashionable for many winters to come and that could transition from outdoor trekking to an evening out with friends and family.

This scarf is made of wool-acrylic blend, bulky-weight yarn and measures 70 inches long by 9.5 inches wide and is machine washable in cold water.

For more info, please visit: https://www.etsy.com/listing/129603900/basketweave-scarf-pattern?ref=shop_home_active

Double Knitting

2013-03-27T20:31:00.001-04:00

Well, spring is upon us and I am still knitting winter hats! Right now I am trying to complete my first double knitting project. It is this lovely little hat from cascade yarns.
http://cascadeyarns.com/patternsFree/W454_EcoHighlandDuoHat.pdf
I am only on the 6th row, but I am excited to see how it works up. It is a little bit of a challenge because there is a different pattern on each side.

When I am finished I will post images :)

Thanksgiving

2012-11-18T18:26:00.000-05:00

Well, Thanksgiving is soon upon us. For me, it means my parents visiting me in New Jersey and eating in a restaurant but it is Thanksgiving all the same.

After Thanksgiving, I will be completing the Yarn Craft Council's certified instructors program at FIT which I am so excited about! I am hoping it will give me more inspiration to create my own patterns and make me a better teacher for my middle school knitters.

Alas, the cold season is upon us, which means I need to think of more warm knits to keep me and everyone else warm!

Felt Autumn Garland

2012-11-05T20:50:00.000-05:00

While I was home in Ohio during the NYC hurricane, I used some of my time to create this festive felt garland. It is super inexpensive to make, all you need are stencils to cut out the shapes and embroidery thread to sew the details. It does take several hours to complete, especially with all the cutting and sewing. (I think is took me around 15 hours, no joke!) But it is worth it in the end, especially if you need a fun and inexpensive way to decorate your apartment that expresses your creativity!

Power Outages

2012-11-01T14:35:00.000-04:00

Well, it seems as though things are moving along in the New York/New Jersey area but it is still a challenge. I am still in Ohio but my roommates in New Jersey were still without power and gas as of yesterday. According to PSE&G, part of the substation was underwater and they need to dry it out before they can re-establish power.

I am grateful that I was out of the state when all this happened but I realized that I need to think about what I would do if this happened again. I am going to start putting together a food rations kit with nonperishable food and water when I return to New Jersey. I am a bit nervous about returning but hopefully things will be more in order at the beginning of next week.

Hurricane Sandy

2012-10-30T16:17:00.001-04:00

Well, the rain has not let up since yesterday and it is putting me in a mood. I suppose that I am lucky that I currently am not in New York City and that I am in Ohio. My train travel has been delayed for a day and I am wondering what the situation will be like when I return.

After speaking with a few friends in or near the city, it sounds like things are okay except for some power outages and flooding in some of the subways. They are trying to re-establish bus transportation tomorrow. My recommendation to anyone watching the news is not to believe any of it. Yahoo is the worst one I've seen, saying the damage is devastating. As far as I know, businesses are planning to re-open on Thursday and some of the drug stores are already open. When did journalism get so bad? I'm so tired of the negative press all the time. These companies should be ashamed of themselves,

Free Dress Patterns

2012-08-24T21:50:00.000-04:00

Free dress patterns that are totally worth checking out!
http://www.crafthabit.com/2012/08/23/25-free-womens-dress-patterns/

Knitting Lessons NYC

2012-08-16T20:08:00.000-04:00

Hi Everyone!
I am offering knitting lessons in New York City.
http://newyork.ebayclassifieds.com/v/14603026
Click below to check out my link :)

Haven't posted enough...

2012-06-17T20:41:00.002-04:00

Ack, I am so sorry to anyone following this blog that I have taken sooooooo long since my last post. It is always the challenge of posting when your schedule changes. For awhile I was literally teaching for 8 hours a day and on top of that lesson planning which made my life crazy bonkers. Luckily I have more time right now to knit my own projects so I will try to post more stuff soon. Hope everyone's creative life is well and hope everyone is having a great summer. :)

Unfinished Work

2012-03-21T09:20:00.000-04:00

Alas, I did not have time to photograph the fair isle cowl that I have been working on. It is going to be an interesting piece because the diameter is only about 14 inches while the lenght is going to be around 24 inches. The fair isle is quite beautiful but when I wear it, you won't be able to see all of the pattern because it will be bunched up.

It definitely will be an elegant winter piece but since winter has left the New York City and the surrounding metropolitian area, I probably will not be able to wear it until next season. While the weather has been a balmy 70 degrees of and on and quite sunny, I hope that it is not ungodly hot this summer. Then I will have to rethink knitting patterns for warm weather!

http://www.lionbrand.com/patterns/90660AD.html?noImages=

The Fair Isle Story Continues...

2012-03-04T20:04:00.000-05:00

So I am about half finished with my fair isle cowl. The stitches are working up nicer since I stopped pulling the second color of yarn behind every front stitch of the first color. I realized after a while that this makes the stitches lumpy and uneven.

My next goal after I finish the fair isle is to knit this blissful blue top from the lion brand site. Only I will knit it in beige. I need a feminine top for work this coming spring and to improve my experience working with lace as well.

http://www.lionbrand.com/patterns/90033AD.html?utm_source=20120302_March02;utm_medium=Emails;utm_campaign=Weeklynewsletter;utm_content=P-BlissfulBlueTop

Aside from that, there is not much new right now. In fact, to be honest, I really don't even know what to write. I will try to post images of my cowl in the next few days and hopefully that will make up for my temporary lack of inspiration with the written word.

Knitting Fair Isle; Making Peace with the day

2012-02-20T21:19:00.000-05:00

My fair isle cowl was horribly neglected this past week. I was able to knit some on Friday at Starbucks, but that was the total amount of my knitting accomplished this week. Why is it so challenging to find time to sit and be still?

While talking to a friend on Sunday, I revealed that the only time I really felt calm was when I was a student on the islands in Greece. There was no media, no billboards, only the sound of Aegean Sea rolling in and out and the smell of gyros from the local kebab shop.

This week at school, the students had to read a fable called the Fisherman and the Businessman. It describes a Mexican fisherman and an American businessman, their meeting on an island, and a look at what each person finds important in life. http://john.onolan.org/fables-fortune-hunters/

I am trying to be like the fisherman, but it is an ongoing challenge in our ever complicated and media driven society to pull away and find the voice within. This week I will try harder to slow down, breathe and make peace with what each day brings.

Learning to Slow Down

2012-02-12T16:53:00.000-05:00

Well, it is quite cold here on the east coast. In some respects, I have to say that that is a bit of a comfort to me. All the warm weather has left me a bit disoriented and troubled, questioning what exactly is going on with the planet at this point in time.

I am still in the process of knitting my fair isle cowl. It is a stop and start process. Since sitting still and knitting seems like such a luxury for my over active mind, it often gets set aside while I think about cleaning my apartment, looking for ways to increase my income, and sewing buttons on coats and sweaters.

My goal for this week is to slow down. I always seem to be thinking that I should be further ahead, more successful, and getting more done, but when I get so hung up on these things, then nothing gets done. Or as Jean Valjean said in the musical version of Les Miserables, "Another day, another destiny."

Paying attention to the details

2012-02-05T21:39:00.000-05:00

This week I found myself doing knit repair work. And as I sat doing this, I fantasized that I was travel around Africa on a safari, or sailing across the ocean to Hong Kong, or traveling to Antarctica. I often find myself in this place, where I am restless for adventure in spite of my daily activities.

I often forget that these day to day activities are what eventually build the foundation of big adventures and dreams. While doing repairs may not directly lead to traveling to exotic places, the ability to be still and mend things helps to focus energy and see the steps needed to build goals and dreams.

So this week I am paying attention to the details and seeing what insights I come up with.

Taking small steps to reach your creative goals

2012-01-29T19:00:00.000-05:00

Last week I talked about thinking bigger in terms of our art and life. As such, this week lent me to thinking about giving ourselves praise for the small, everyday accomplishments that may often seem to go unnoticed. As artists our work needs an audience. However, very often we find ourselves at points in our career where we lack an audience or a community in which to share, nurture, and develop our creative work. We could call this a creative dry season, when we are wondering when our work will flower and be acknowledged by the larger community.

I have struggled during many creative dry seasons, searching for a community and friends to acknowledge my work and achievements. And the ironic thing is, the more desperate I am to find acknowledgement, the more I seem to alienate those that may take interest in what I am doing. It is during these dry periods that we need to congratulate ourselves for the small, daily steps we take to nurture our artistic life, whether it be a first draft, a first note, a first step, or for me, the first stitch.

My goal for this week is to do one small creative action that will take me closer to my creative goals (which include better developing this blog, creating my own knitting patterns, and getting certified by the craft yarn council.) Feel free to share with me any small victories of you own this week, and have a creatively abundant week!

Think Bigger

2012-01-21T19:14:00.001-05:00

In my never ending quest to find the people, places, and things that are going to help me grow artistically, I had this thought come to me out of the blue this week. This little idea popped into my head, saying "You're thinking too small." "Thinking too small?," I thought. "What does that mean?" For me that means that I am not setting my goals high enough. It means I need to stop limiting myself to opportunities that don't require much experience or many qualifications.

How often do we think too small in our day to day lives? How often do we choose what is safe and easy because it provides us with a predictable outcome? All of us are meant to set the bar higher and dream bigger. This means if you want to run a marathon, do it! If you want to write a book, do it! If you want to paint, sing, or dance, then just do it! It is easy to get caught in limiting ideas of what is possible. Often people will give what seems to be well meaning advice, such as that's only for the young, rich, healthy, etc. I beg to differ. I think if you can see it in you're mind's eye, you have the answer inside of you on how to achieve it. It might take some stumbling along the way, but anything is possible if you believe in yourself and your dreams, no matter what age you are.

In the spirit of thinking bigger, I am posting an image of a soft, knit, city sculpture that I created from Anna Hrachovec's book Knitting Mochimochi. If you are looking for some cute and funny patterns for soft sculptures, I recommend checking out her site http://mochimochiland.com

And remember THINK BIGGER!

Felted Lunch Bag

2012-01-15T20:51:00.001-05:00

Well, here it is, my felted lunch bag off the lion brand yarn website. I am now watermarking my photos because I found my photos posted on other websites and if they are going to end up other places, I want people to know that they're mine.

Other then that, not much is new here. The weather has been quite cold, but no snow here on the East Coast. I often wish that I had more time to travel to more rural places. Being in an urban environment is great for meeting other artists, but one also needs to experience nature as often as possible. I think it is important for keeping one connected to what is real. With "reality" TV, Facebook "friends" and everything else that to some extent seems to draw us from what is tangible and concrete, a good walk in the forest is what one needs to keep him or herself connected to him/herself, the earth, and other people.

So it's been forever since I last posted....

2012-01-11T19:51:00.000-05:00

Hello blog community!
Well, it has been a millennia since I last posted. (Well, maybe not that long, but it sure seems that way.) I suppose in essence, it makes it a good time to reflect on the year behind us and my hopes for the year ahead. I have been knitting a lot, maybe in essence to keep some sense of place in a world that changes too much too fast. I've been working a lot with developing new skills in the knitting arena, and right now I am working on a fair aisle cowl off the lion brand yarn website. The link for the pattern is here: http://www.lionbrand.com/patterns/90660AD.html?noImages=.

In addition, I recently completed a felted lunch bag pattern (also off the lion brand website, http://www.lionbrand.com/patterns/L0618.html?noImages=&utm_source=20111104_Nov04&utm_medium=Emails&utm_campaign=Weeklynewsletter&utm_content=P-KnitFeltedLunchBag) As soon as I get photos taken, I will upload images of the bag.

As for my hopes for this year, well, I for one am hoping that people feel a greater sense of abundance in their lives this year. This is something that I need to work on in my own life and a lot of it relates to gratitude and mindset. In addition, I also hope to regularly post blog updates! I still have an attachment to this little blog, and my goal is to update once a week if possible.

Anyhoo...please feel free to comment about your hopes and goals for the year, and have a blessed and super abundant week and year!

Cheers!

Green and Brown Beanie Hat

2011-01-23T21:49:00.000-05:00

Warm and fuzzy beanie hat. This super warm beanie was crocheted from two strands of bulky weight yarn held together. The green is a warm moss color and the brown is highlighted with stands of green so it blends together perfectly.

This is the perfect hat to wear when you are out playing in the snow or out running the city streets!

http://www.etsy.com/listing/66545337/green-and-brown-beanie-hat

Workspace

2011-01-15T19:02:00.000-05:00

So it is the new year and I am again reflecting on my artistic process as well as what it means to be an artist in the world. I am in the process of rearranging my home workspace in the hopes that it will give me a more productive work space. I have recently taken the TV off my desk in the hopes that I will be more productive in my lesson planning for the week and will also give me a place to set up the small, portable sewing machine that I purchased. Today I had velvet laid out on my rug for a dress that I am making and I realized how helpful it would be to have a table to spread it out on. Right now I am limited on space so I have to make due with what I have.
I am definitely in the process of experimentation right now. I am playing with different materials and rearranging my workspace. I also have a few t-shirts lying around that I want to make into a laundry bag to replace the giant plastic bag that I have been carrying back and forth to the laundromat. As for my crocheting, I am almost finished with the shawl that I started in the Czech Republic. It is constantly reminding me of traveling and I am a bit restless to explore a new culture again. Hopefully as I continue to rearrange things, it will also help me to rearrange my thought process and help me to see new opportunities. And hopefully I will be traveling again soon!

Holiday Thoughts

2010-12-28T14:54:00.000-05:00

On my long train ride from New York City to Cleveland, Ohio, I had an ample amount of time to reflect on our modern idea of doing more in a shorter amount of time and whether this thinking is healthy for the human spirit or not. Right now I am of the opinion that doing less but with great enthusiasm is more important than getting more things done.

I have also been reflecting on this in my art work. It is easy to get caught in this idea that you need to produce more, make more, and try to sell more. However, the act of enjoying the process and letting your creative life grow and meander is also important.

So now I am in Ohio and I am in the process of finishing a shawl that I started in the Czech Republic two years ago. At this point it is almost finished but it has taken me two years to get it done! But that's not the point. The point is it has the same quality that an old friend acquires after years together. This shawl was with me through my first year of ESL teaching, traveled with me on the bus to Vienna, made a long journey on the plane back to the United States and will be a finished article of clothing that will come back to New York City to keep me warm at my current teaching job. And hopefully it will travel abroad with me again in the near future!

Cream Knit Scarf

2010-12-05T21:24:00.003-05:00

I would like to introduce my newest creation, a bulky weight, cream colored, knit scarf. I have been working with heavy weight yarns as of late because of their fun, funky texture. This scarf is suitable for a woman or man and it is super, super, duper warm! It is a wool and acrylic blend yarn and has beautiful hints of blue and brown interwoven into the main cream colored yarn. It is also easy care machine washable. Hope you enjoy and please feel free to visit http://www.etsy.com/listing/63659261/cream-knit-scarf for more photos and info. :)

Crochet Beanie Hat

2010-11-27T14:52:00.002-05:00

Super warm crochet beanie hat!

So I am finally adding a new blog post after several months hiatus! I must confess that outside activities have taken me away from knitting and crocheting for a bit but now I am trying to fit it back into my schedule.

I crocheted this hat using lion brand super bulky weight wool/acrylic blend yarn and used two strands of thread held together at the same time. This means that it is super warm and it is 8.5" long so it can cover your ears. It is also easy care machine washable. The top of the hat is denim blue and the bottom is a cream color with accents of blue and brown woven into the yarn. http://www.etsy.com/listing/63014967/crochet-beanie-hat

Right now my mom's kitty is sitting on my lap watching me type this, so I thought maybe she would like to be included in the post.

In addition, I have updated my background on this blog. Shabbyblogs.com has quite nice backgrounds for anyone looking to spice up their blog.

Anyhoo, hope everyone is having a warm and snuggly holiday weekend with their family or someone special and please let me know if you have any comments on the hat or my new background!

Update

2010-08-25T21:48:00.001-04:00

Quick update! The scarf is finished and photos of it will appear very soon!