Felting is a bit of a mystery to some of us. In fact at times felting can be the enemy as the hardwork of a handknit sneaks into the washing machine by accident and comes out a stitched shadow of its former self.
The formula behind the art of felting can be tough to get your head around so to make things a little clearer SciFi Knitter has embarked on a mission to show the process of crocheted item to felted thing.
Based on a formula from Sarah Bradberry's book The Any Yarn, Any Size Hat Book the blogger and her crafty assistant put together a cat hat large enough to fit several heads at once. Then, through the magic of felting, they turned it into a hat fit for a human head.
It's a fascinating process to see stage by stage. See the whole thing from starting stitch to fine cat hat on the Scifiknitter blog.
Mother's Day is acomin' and there's wrapping to be done. Whether you're forking out for something fancy or handmaking something handsome it always looks better if the packaging is pretty.
That doesn't mean it has to cost the earth or make you feel guilty for not being green. You can make your own gift bows from old magazines and save the planet while still maintaining the pretty.
Craftster member Miss American Pie has posted a 'super easy' recycled gift bow tutorial which takes your once-read glossy magazines and turns them into gift bows galore. It'll make you look at your used mags in a whole different way as you pick out colourful ads and the celebs with the shiniest teeth for trimmings.
She ends her tutorial with this helpful hint. "WARNING: May cause serious addiction. Craft at your own risk." so don't tell me you haven't been warned when you Mum can't get to the present for all the fabulous bows you've fashioned to decorate the wrapping.
Kathryn Bigelow scoops the first female Best Director Oscar, Sandra Bullock tells everyone how much she loves them, Jeff Bridges thanks everyone on the planet individually. Isn't it about time that you had your own moment dramatically clutching a shiny, bald, golden statuette to your chest?
If you're not up for embarking on a film career to get you behind that podium you can always make your own Oscar.
The Everything Mom site begins by ruthlessly shaving the head of a charity shop Barbie doll and ends up with a slightly bustier version of the coveted Oscar but with better legs.
Perfect for practising the part where you well up and talk about how honoured you are to be up there with so many other great bald golden Barbie winners.
Just remember to thank us in your speech because without Crafty Crafty you'd be Oscarless. We can say we knew you when.
Knitting needles: for any self-respecting knitter your needles tell your knitting who's boss. I'm a fan of wooden needles, which grip the stitches, and an enemy of metal needles off which my knitting seems to slide as soon as my attention is distracted by something shiny.
My love of wooden needles is why I may have broken out in a small Snoopy dance when I was sent this link to Martha Stewart's Custom Knitting Needle tutorial via Twitter. It's about as simple as a how to gets.
Step one talks you through making the shaft of the needle involving easy to find tools such as a pencil sharpener and sandpaper. Step two deals with the end of the needle.
Voila! Your very own handmade knitting needles for you to handmake your own knitting on. You'll be spinning your own yarn next.
The humble pom pom is an unappreciated beast seen only on the top of woolly hats or on the buttons of sinister circus clowns. Shouldn't a fibre-based beast be given a little more love? The Resurrection Fern, craft website of the stunning photography and endless imagination, thinks so.
With a simple photo how to on pom pom making and the usual loveliness of craft through a lens, Margaret Oomen helps paint pom poms in a whole different light. Placing a few piles of pom poms around the home with an eye for classy decor they look more arty than bound for bobble hats.
She also puts one on a bandana-wearing cat for those of you who can't resist felines and fibre.
She also has an Etsy shop featuring some of her achingly lovely creations for sale. *sighs*
The Winter Olympics are over and you're feeling a bit empty. Sod the diet. Fancy something so sticky and sweet it'll stick your teeth together for the foreseeable future? Then why not have a go at making your own taffy?
Taffy is a type of chewy candy which is made by stretching or pulling a sticky glob of boiled sugar, butter or vegetable oil, flavourings, and colouring until fluffy and sweetlike. According to my sweet-toothed informant a poor UK equivalent would be Starburst or Chewits but there's nothing over here like the real thing.
You can make your own taffy with the recipe on Skip to My Lou's blog.
You can also have a gander at how to make your own Maple Taffy if you're snowbound and happen to have some syrup lying around. Keeping that little bit of Canada in your lives even after the skating and skiing is over.
Just remember to brush your teeth afterwards.
You've got to give a little love to get a little love of your own according to indie folk band Noah and the Whale, and as all fibre-flingers know knitted love is the best kind to get. Especially if it's quick to stitch up. At Stitch and Bitch London, my not-so-little knitting group, we pass on the knitting love weekly and our Stitched Heart on Your Sleeve Brooch allows you to give love with minimal stitching effort.
Whipped up by the button-obsessed Fastener the simple free knitting pattern is a combination of knits, purls, increases, decreases and a little fanciness with a bit of vintage lace and some cute as a button buttons.
In a shameless bit of self-promotion I thought I'd let you Crafty Crafty folks know that all sorts on woolly wonders appear in the S&B London newsletter every fortnight. So whether you're a Londoner or not it's well worth joining us. It's free too.
Knit someone you love a bit of vintage-style heart-shaped adoration. Go on. It's less messy than giving someone a real heart too.
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