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Fiber For The Beginning Spinner

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Coarser wool fibers (like Romney and Corriedale) are best for the novice spinner

If you are just learning how to hand-spin yarn, your best bet is to find a yarn store with knowledgeable staff, and ask them to help you choose a roving that is suited to your skill level. Not all yarn stores stock roving, but those that do will usually stock at least one kind of fiber which is good for beginners.

If you are ordering online, look for phrases like "easy to draft" and "suitable for beginners." And if you aren't sure, just ask! My experience is that people who sell fiber - whether online or at a bricks-and-mortar store - are incredibly kind and helpful, particularly when it comes to newbie spinners.

The Basics of Plying Yarn

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Spinning it is only half the battle!

Having only just learned how to use a drop spindle, I find that I almost have more trouble with plying than I do with the actual spinning. When you spin yarn, what you are creating is called a "single." As in, a single ply of yarn.

As you may have noticed, most yarn is made of several plies all twisted together. (The exception being some single ply yarns like Brown Sheep Lamb's Pride or Malabrigo.) When a yarn is made up of several plies twisted together, it is stronger than it would be if it were made of one ply on its own. And just from a knitter's standpoint, I prefer the structure of a multi-ply yarn. I have noticed that single ply yarns tend to collapse or deflate in your knitting. I like my purls and cables and stitch patterns to pop, the way they do with a plied yarn.

Brown Paper Bag Flowers

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This DIY craft is as beautiful as it is easy.

This craft project showed up on my Pinterest board, and I am so excited to try it! Using any kind of paper, you can create beautiful flowers to use as decorations. I can totally see decorating like the picture for a fall-themed party or just as part of your autumn décor. The kids would love to have these hanging in their rooms with papers made of bright colors. Read more about Brown Paper Bag Flowers

Spinning With A Drop Spindle

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Make your own yarn! Break the bonds of the industrial knitting complex! (Kidding!)

Over the weekend, I took a two-hour course on how to spin yarn with a drop spindle. It was a shock, to be so bad at something involving fiber. It's good to learn new things, if only to shake yourself out of your complacency!

The drop spindle is how yarn was originally made. This device is literally ancient, as ancient as the sheep itself. (Sheep are a domesticated animal, a creation of humanity. In every meaningful sense, there is no such thing as a "wild sheep" in the same way there is no such thing as a "wild chihuaha.")

DIY: Valentine’s Day Wreath

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A crafty way to keep kids busy.

My daughter loves to celebrate just about every holiday because it means she gets to make some sort of craft. One Valentine’s Day we decided to make wreaths. This craft is of the paper heart wreath that she made. I made mine out of wire, but felt this was safer for children under the age of 12.

First, give each child a large paper plate and a pair of scissors. Instruct the kids to cut the center of the paper plate out (there should be a natural indent that they can follow). You will now have the frame for the wreath.
Read more about DIY: Valentine’s Day Wreath

Craft for Charity

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If you love to craft but are beginning to get overwhelmed with finished projects, one way to fulfill your crafting desires and keep your home free from craft clutter is to craft for charity. It doesn’t matter what type of craft you do; you can find a way to use it to help a charity. Read more about Craft for Charity

Valentine’s Day Locket Craft

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It won’t be long before Valentine’s Day arrives, so my daughters and I are preparing with a few fun crafts. This week we are going to make a Valentine’s Day locket. The craft is very inexpensive, and a great way to recycle old bottle caps. As a parent or teacher, you may even want to work in a lesson on the importance of reusing items when possible.

Take two bottle caps for each child that will be creating their own Valentine’s Day locket, and place them on a sheet of newspaper. You should do this outside if possible. Give each bottle cap a coating of pink spray paint. Set them aside until they have dried completely.
Read more about Valentine’s Day Locket Craft

Make Your Own Household Items

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When we have a need in our home, it is so easy to make a quick jaunt to the nearest big box store to get whatever it is on our list. This is certainly quick and convenient, but most of the time, mass-produced items just lack that character and unique appeal many of us are looking for in our homes. For that reason, sometimes it is better just to make your own household items. Making your own is also a great opportunity to give your kids craft projects too. Read more about Make Your Own Household Items

When The Knitting's Over: Weaving In Ends

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Doing it right can make a huge difference in your finished item

I have heard of knitters out there who don't dread having to weave in ends, but I have never met one myself. Weaving in the ends is one of those final finishing tasks that seems incredibly arduous when you're facing it, even though it really isn't that big a deal in the grand scheme of things!

The problem is worse if you have a project with a lot of stripes or colorwork. Last year I knit a chullo hat and ended up with 172 ends to weave in and clip! (Yes, I counted.)

Option 1: Don't weave them in

In a situation like that chullo hat, a lot of people opt to simply… not weave in the ends! With some colorwork projects, particularly those involving steeks or seams, you can sometimes get away with just clipping all the ends short. Lucky knitters may be able to hide the fringe of ends under a placket or button band.

Valentine’s Day Mailboxes for the Classroom

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I remember the days in grammar school when every student brought in a Valentine card for every other student. Handing them out created a bit of chaos in the classroom. Now that my daughter is grammar school age, the teachers utilize a nifty mailbox craft to keep everything organized.

There are several ways that the students can make their own mailbox, but I’m going to just focus on two of them-the shoebox method and the cereal box method.
Read more about Valentine’s Day Mailboxes for the Classroom

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