DIY: Striped Hand-Knit Scrap Yarn Afghan

From Crafting a Colorful Home by Kristin Nicholas, © 2015 by Kristin Nicholas. Images © 2015 by Rikki Snyder. Reprinted by association with Roost Books, an imprint of Shambhala Publications, Inc., Boston, MA. www.roostbooks.com

Like most knitters and crocheters, I've a powerful stash of lef tover balls of yarn. This venture is designed to make use of them up. This striped afghan design is a gr eat mission for stash-busting your odds and ends of lef t-over yarns. It may be remodeled a collection of months, even years. This afghan makes use of a complete of twenty-two totally different colours; in fact the colours used may be modified to match your stash of scraps.

5 panels are made out of scraps of colours and knit utilizing a easy reverse stockinette ridge sew, knitted on a round needle. I selected this sew as a result of the knitted materials lies flat when accomplished and the bottom has an attention-grabbing texture and coloration sample. The strips are sewn collectively and the yarn ends are tied in order that they change into an ornamental fringe on the bottom. I’ve used worsted-weight yarns right here, however the design can simply be tailored to be bigger or smaller by altering the variety of stitches or panels or by utilizing a heavier- or lighter-weight yarn (however use the identical weight yarn for the entire challenge). In case you use a bulkier yarn, the afghan will end up bigger, heavier, and hotter.

DIY: Striped Hand-Knit Scrap Yarn Afghan

FINISHED SIZE: forty eight X 60 INCHES

NOTE: As a result of this venture doesn’t want to suit anybody, gauge shouldn't be that essential. An afghan ought to drape and be comfy to snuggle below, so select your needle measurement accordingly for a comparatively free cloth.

SUPPLIES

    1 24-inch-lengthy round knitting needle measurement US eight
    Shade By Kristin yarn by Basic Elite Yarns (50% Wool, 25% Mohair, 25% Alpaca; ninety three yards / 50 grams): 2 balls every of the fol­lowing 22 colours (forty four balls whole):
        Geranium 3258
        Lichen 3281
        Girl’s Mantle 3235
        Deep Blue Sea 3248
        Aubergine 3226
        October Leaves 3278
        Raspberry 3232
        Yarrow 3243
        Julia’s Pink 3289
        Spring Inexperienced 3215
        Cornflower 3257
        Pumpkin 3285
        Turquoise Seas 3246
        Lamb’s Ears 3249
        Deep Forest Inexperienced 3212
        French Roast 3276
        Caramel 3244
        Sunflower 3250
        Coleus 3260
        Blue Thyme 3220
        Rock Henna 3255
        Anemone 3295

Gauge

four stitches = 1 inch in each garter and reverse stockinette sew ridges

Abbreviations

CO—solid on

BO—bind off

St(s)—Sew(es)

Sample Stitches

GARTER STITCH

All rows: Knit all sts.

REVERSE STOCKINETTE STITCH RIDGES

Rows 1 and a pair of: Knit all sts.

Row three: Purl all sts.

Slip the stitches to the alternative finish of the needle following row three after which start one other coloration. This eliminates many purl rows.

You'll make 5 items: 2 medium (panel 1), 2 slim (panel 2), and 1 broad (panel three). The stripe sequence ought to fluctuate among the many panels to make a random patchwork colour impact. Make it possible for the colours distinction with one another. For instance, don’t put two blues subsequent to one another except one could be very darkish and the opposite, very mild. Place complementary colour pairs in stripe sequences following one another.

PANEL 1 (MAKE 2)

Utilizing chosen coloration and round needle, CO 50 sts. Knit 7 rows. Break first coloration, leaving a 6-inch tail.

Be part of the second colour, leaving a 6-inch tail, tying it with a knot with the final colour of yarn near the material. Work the subsequent three rows in reverse inventory­inette sew ridges.

Break yarn, leaving a 6-inch tail. Slip all sts onto the other finish of the circu­lar needle.

Proceed on this method repeating the reverse stockinette sew ridge sew sample and altering colours after three rows are full. Keep in mind to slide the simply-knit stitches to the other finish of the needle after every stripe is full and to tie the tails of the yarn collectively.

Work till the piece measures forty seven inches and you've got accomplished a stripe. Slip stitches to the other finish of the needle. Be a part of one other colour and knit 7 rows. BO all sts neatly.

HINT: When the strips get too lengthy and cumbersome, roll them up, starting on the solid-on edge, and safe with a knitting needle.

PANEL 2 (MAKE 2)

Utilizing the chosen border shade, CO 30 sts. Make as for panel 1, however the colours shouldn't repeat—they need to be random. Don't start or finish the pan­els with the identical border colours.

PANEL three (MAKE 1)

Utilizing chosen border coloration, CO 70 sts. Make as for panel 1, however the colours shouldn't repeat—they need to be random. Don't start or finish the pan­els with the identical border colours.

ASSEMBLE PANELS

Following the chart, sew the stripe panels collectively utilizing a mattress sew (see illustration, web page 187). Tie all of the ends to­gether if not already finished. On the ends of the strands which might be tied collectively, tie a second overhand knot. Range the lengths between the knots so there will likely be an uneven-wanting fringe on the again. Every tied strand could have 2 knots—one near the material and one a couple of inches away from the knot.

VERTICAL BORDER

The edges are completed with skinny blocks of various colours of garter sew.

With the round needle, decide up and knit 1 st for each 2 rows alongside one facet, selecting up a random variety of sts so only a small portion of the facet is knit in a single coloration. Work in garter sew for 7 rows. BO. Choose up and knit a second random variety of sts (1 st for each 2 rows) and repeat. Work in garter blocks till the whole vertical edge has a border. Repeat on the opposite ver­tical facet, altering the colour and the variety of stitches you choose up and knit every time so that every garter sew part is a special dimension. Utilizing the tail ends, sew the small seams the place the garter sew sections be a part of.
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DIY Liberty Eggs

visitor submit by Blair Stocker of Wise Craft Handmade
Am I the one one who thinks that Liberty of London cloth is simply in regards to the prettiest, happiest, Spring-impressed material there's? Once I determined I wished to make an Easter DIY, I rapidly zeroed in on the concept wrapping some eggs in slightly Tana Garden.

Now that my children are older, and we don’t all the time dye eggs at Easter, it’s enjoyable to make some eggs that I can convey out from yr to yr.

Though the benefit of this venture makes it excellent for youthful children to make too. Right here’s how-

Study How one can Make DIY Liberty Eggs

Supplies

Eggs- the actual factor would work right here, however as a result of I needed these to final I made a decision to go along with white wood eggs from the craft retailer.

Liberty Tana Garden Scraps- Any quilting weight cotton with a small floral print would work too.
Material Scissors Mod Podge Brush One thing to guard your work floor (I used an previous slicing board)

To Make

Lower the material into strips measuring roughly 1” vast x four-5” lengthy. Utilizing a brush, paint an space of the egg’s floor with the Mod Podge, and lay the strip on the egg, utilizing the comb and extra glue to flatten and form it onto the floor. Proceed doing this throughout the egg.

As you attain the final areas to cowl, you might wish to reduce the strips to a shorter size earlier than gluing them onto the egg. Enable the glue to dry, then give the whole egg one other coat of the Mod Podge.

Mom’s Day DIY Spherical Up

Mom’s Day is in two days! Sure, it crept up on us too. So now you’re most likely scrambling on what to get your mother on this special occasion. What higher strategy to present your appreciation for her than creating a present from the center. We spent a while looking for inventive DIY Mom’s Day Presents and located these four straightforward to do DIY items for mother that can brighten up her day. You’re welcome.

Purchase mother a present card from her favourite retailer and spice it up with a customized Reward Card Holder

A bouquet of flowers is nice, however they are often costly, and cant be proven off. This DIY Floral Bangle Bracelet is a superb accent to present mother an additional pop to her outfit.

Skip the standard jewellery and create a good looking Crochet Flower Necklace or Crochet Flower Bracelet.

Let mother calm down and make her a set of DIY Candles, excellent to make use of whereas she soaks in a shower and relaxes.

Painted Thrift Retailer Clutch

This can be a visitor publish from Blair Stocker of Wisecraft Handmade
Am I the one one who might watch Heather Ross sketch and paint all day? I’ve been so impressed by her Drawing and Illustrating Fundamentals sequence. The opposite day I gave a couple of of her easy strategies for capturing ranunculus flowers and strawberries a strive. I’d discovered a silver leather-based clutch whereas thrift looking for $2. It was in good condition and for that worth if I ruined it, no massive deal. This complete challenge took a day espresso break to finish, and was such a calming factor to do! However don’t restrict your design inspiration to flowers, what about geometrics, triangles, some inspiring painterly quotes?

The right way to Make a Painted Thrift Retailer Clutch

Supplies

• Purse or clutch from the thrift retailer- you possibly can use canvas, however a clean leather-based is straightforward to color on.
• Acrylic paints in assorted colours
• Massive and small paintbrushes
• Pencil
• Water
• Scrap paper to combine your colours on
• Inspiration flowers

Step One

Be sure the bag you’ll be portray is clear, wipe with a moist fabric if wanted. Use a pencil to make mild marks to ascertain the place you’ll be portray. I didn’t erase these marks after I was finished, most of them have been painted over, so maintain them mild and also you received’t have an issue.

Step Two

Squeeze out somewhat of every paint shade you intend to make use of on scrap paper, a paper plate, or wax paper. Go away somewhat area in between them to permit room to combine them collectively.

I began my flowers by portray a base shade over the entire space of every flower (utilizing some flowers I had at house for reference, I selected yellow-orange, pink, and a purple for the strawberries). In a couple of instances, I did a second coat to get the correct depth of shade.

Combine up darker and lighter variations of the bottom coloration so as to add shading. (Don’t get too caught up in making this good, have enjoyable with it.)

If you happen to determined to color on a particular picture fairly than flowers, use switch paper to hint the picture onto the bag (flippantly). Be sure you paint over the traces or rub them away while you’re performed with them.