-
Yarn Guide
What is it? – Stranded colowork is the technique. Fair Isle knitting with its beautiful symmetrical geometric motifs in muted colors or Scandinavian knitting with its striking large asymmetrical motifs in bright contrasting colors or even your own dramatic multi-color creative invention is the result. Each a piece of art. Using two or more strands of yarn simultaneously allows us to create amazing designs in knitted fabric. With a full pallet of colors, wide range of fibers and a limitless assortment of patterns available to us, the creative potential is…
-
Pattern Chart Marker Set
What is it? – Every now and then there is a tool that is so useful, so essential that we wonder how we ever got along without it. But let’s consider, what is the real value of a tool? The value in any tool is in what it accomplishes for us. And in the case or our discussion today, that value is considerable. It’s a challenge that we all face when working from detailed or complicated lines of instruction on charts. Charts are graphic representations of knitting, embroidery or…
-
Takumi Tunisian Interchangeable Crochet Hooks
What is it? – Tunisian crochet is a very cool niche of crochet. Actually you could also look at it as a very cool niche of knitting. That’s because Tunisian Crochet takes its DNA from both disciplines. Little bit from crochet, little bit from knitting. And what’s the result? A unique type of crochet that holds all of the loops on our crochet hook in a manner consistent with knitting but done on a special crochet hook. This combination of crochet and knitting results in a crocheted fabric with…
-
Wonder Fuse
What is it? – Welcome to the wonderful world of Wonder Fuse. What is it? It’s appliqué. Well, more accurately, it’s how you do appliqué. Why do we want to do appliqué? Unlimited creative potential. We can take any fabric, plain or with design, and cut it in any shape to represent pieces of any scene intended by the artist and then attach them all together permanently to embellish our finished project. What genres does it apply to? All of them. This art form is used extensively in quilting,…
-
Rosette Makers
What is it? – Kudos! Well done! Grand Prize! First place! Honorable mention! Special achievement! Student of the month! Employee of the year! It’s all recognition, plain and simple, and we all like it. When we do something exceptional, remarkable or noteworthy, a little personal recognition makes it all the more rewarding. And tangible evidence of that achievement makes it even more memorable and special. The question is, how can we make “one of” type awards for any number of occasions. The short list of those occasions includes, fairs, festivals,…
-
Hair Pin Lace Tool
What is it? – If you’re looking for something old that is really new again in the world of crochet then hairpin lace is just the ticket. Historically called “fork work” or more recently “hairpin crochet”, this is one of those truly unique art forms that comes and goes as each new generation of artists discover it… again. Each of these new generations, however, contribute new and more creative technique. Though credit for the creation of this technique is generally ascribed to Katherine of Aragon it was certainly…
-
Roll & Press
What is it? – These are pressing issues. Shakespeare might even ask, “To press or not to press, that is the question.” Well, no matter who is asking the question, the answer is the same, a resounding yes to press. Some very important things happen when we press each seam as we sew it and they make all the difference between something that looks “finished” and something that looks much more amateurish. Pressing as you go allows your project to acquire the intended shape more quickly and allows you…
-
Nancy Zieman Hobo Tote
What is it? – For today’s active life styles a handy tote is a required accessory. Satisfying requirements of both form and function they are both fashionable and useful. Totes of one kind or another are available everywhere. So many styles, so many colors, so embellishments. But therein lies the problem. Which one? Choices, choices, choices. Well, here’s another choice for you. What if you could make your own tote? Pick your own style, pick your own fabrics, pick your own embellishments. And what if you could have more…
-
Takumi Knitting Needles
What is it?– In its most elemental form, knitting is simply a method by which we apply various technique to yarn with knitting needles and turn it into a unique fabric that mirrors our creative intent. Using knitting needles we are able to manipulate yarn to create multiple loops in a line on the needle shaft or cord. As each of these rows progress, a newly created loop is pulled through one or more loops from the previous row, placing the new row on the gaining needle. The resulting knitted fabric consists…
-
Darning Needles
What is it?– In the history of mankind it is hard to find a tool that is more enduring, more useful than the hand sewing needle. Initially they were basic to the production of everything we made from clothing to shelter. And we still use them today. Modern needles, however, have become much more specialized, adapting shape, length, diameter and eye to meet the unique requirements specific applications. Darning needles are just one category of those specialized hand sewing needles that has been modified for specific techniques. Basically, darning needles…