Mention vintage to most makers and their hearts skip - whether it’s fashion and style, home decor, notions and tools, or methods and techniques, there is an appreciation for the past.  There are different reasons for admiring vintage and one of them for me is honoring what led us as makers, sewists, designers, and stylists to where we are today.

My mother taught me how to sew I am not only appreciative for the technical skills she gave me, but sewing and creating was also one of the ways we bonded throughout my childhood.

Of course the love of vintage is not always so philosophical - check out the packaging and typefaces on these needle packs! There is something so charming about having such an ornate label on such a little envelope.

The image below of “The Perfect Pinker,” is what was used instead of pinking shears. Opposite the zig-zag wheel there is a smooth metal wheel and the fabric just glides through. How ingenious!

These notions were given to me by a neighbor’s (who passed away some time ago) family.  She had all sorts of vintage goodies left over in her stash and I feel happy that I could preserve some tools which were used in a previous generation for making, an endeavor that I am passionate about today.

Do you have a soft spot for vintage? What’s the draw for you?

So I know it’s the middle of winter but I couldn’t resist writing about some of the exceptionally cute miniature planters that seem to be popping up in the handmade blogosphere.

                                  {Shell-Potted Succulents from radmegan}

Succulents are hardy and easy to care for and if you’re apartment dwelling like myself, what a perfect way to garden in a small space!

                                     {Micro Planter How-To from The Etsy Blog}

Happy Growing!

♥

Here are a few of my favorite diy holiday ornaments that I’ve seen floating around the blogosphere this season!

{Felted Bell Ornaments, Washi Tape Ornaments, Pom Pom Ornaments, Clay Lollipop Ornaments, Simple Statement Ornaments, Candy Cane Marbled Ornaments, Vintage Felt Baubles, Balls Up Ornaments}

Happy Holidays!

♥

Today’s post will cover the most basic stitches used in knitting and the only ones used in the Irish Hiking Scarf pattern for our Knit Along!

So you’ve cast on your first row of stitches (42 for the Irish Hiking Scarf) and you’re ready for your second row. Hold the needle with the stitches on it in your left hand and the empty needle in your right.

Now, there are two ways you can hold your working yarn (the yarn coming from your ball.) The first is called the English, or Throw method where the yarn is held in the right hand. The second method is called the Continental method and the yarn is held in, you guessed it, your left hand.*

Let’s take a look at what both of these ways look like:

            {Continental - held in left hand}                 {English - held in right hand}

If you’re just starting out and don’t already have a preferred method, try both and see which one is most comfortable for you - neither one is better or worse!

For the knit stitch, make sure your working yarn is behind your needles. To start the stitch, I usually think “up and back” because you want to insert your right-hand needle into the stitch from the bottom upwards, at the back of your work. Check out the picture for a little more clarification:

Now here’s where it’s different depending on your chosen method although the principal remains the same for both. Your goal is to wrap the working yarn counter-clockwise around the right-hand needle, pull it through the stitch, and slide the stitch off of the left-hand needle.

                             {Continental}                                               {English}

If you have the working yarn in your right hand, use your fingers to wrap the yarn around the needle, then bring it through the stitch. If the working yarn is in your left hand, use the needle to pick the yarn and bring it through the stitch.

Slide the stitch off of the right-hand needle and there you have it - your very own knit stitch! Give yourself a round of applause.

Ready to purl?

Purling follows the same concept as knitting, but this time think “down and forward.” Make sure your working yarn is in front of your needles. To make a purl stitch, insert your right-hand needle from the top to the bottom and in the front of your work through the stitch on your right-hand needle. Again, wrap the working yarn counter-clockwise around the right-hand needle and pull it through the stitch. Slide the stitch off the left-hand needle, and you have a purl on the right!

                      {Continental}                                                    {English}

You may want to practice first before you start following the pattern just to feel comfortable with the stitches. Remember, you can always pull the stitches out and start again so don’t worry about wasting yarn for practice.

Once you feel comfortable with the knit and purl stitches, take a stab at following the pattern! Below is a little cheat sheet for the abbreviations that are used:

WS/RS - wrong side/right side (you don’t really have to worry about which is which for this scarf)

P - Purl

K - Knit

(Note: the number after the “K” or “P” is the number of stitches you should knit or purl. For example “K2” means knit the next two stitches.)

C6F - Cable 6 stitches forward

Next time, we’ll talk about how to create the cables!

♥

*Many lefties find Continental style knitting more comfortable, but go with what works for you! A quick Google search can also provide some lefty friendly knitting techniques.

Today we’ll be talking about how to cast on the stitches to begin your scarf. There are numerous ways to cast on stitches and many knitters have personal preferences. If you have a favorite, feel free to use it! I’ll explaining the simplest method, which will work perfectly for this project. All you’ll need for this step is one of your needles and your yarn.

Remember, if you are new to knitting it might be helpful to have some additional resources to help you along in these first stages.  Don’t worry if it’s tricky at first, you’ll get the hang of it!

First, make a slipknot at the end of your yarn, leaving a small tail, and slide it onto a needle.  (A slipknot is like a regular knot except you pull a loop of yarn through when you would normally pull the other end through.)

The loop of the slip knot will be your first stitch. To cast on the second, draw the yarn (attached to the ball) around your thumb and hold it gently with three fingers against your palm as pictured below.

Now, take the point of your needle and bring it around the outside of the yarn, away from your fingers.  Then slip it underneath as seen below.

Pull your thumb out and use your fingers to grasp the yarn and pull the stitch taught to the needle.

You’ve made your second stitch! Repeat the process (beginning by wrapping the yarn around your thumb) and your stitches will look like this:

*make sure your stitches aren’t pulled too tightly - they should be secure but still able to move along the needle freely.

The pattern calls for 42 cast on stitches.  If you feel comfortable starting the scarf right away, go for it! If you still feel like you need some practice, try casting on some stitches, pulling them out, and repeating a few times for practice.

Next up is learning about the knit and purl stitches (which are the only stitches that this pattern requires!)

Hi Friends! I know I was MIA last week and I do apologize but I have some exciting news. A Maker’s Affair is starting its very first knit along! 

The pattern we’ll be using is the Irish Hiking Scarf from helloyarn.com. It’s a very simple scarf pattern that yields a beautiful result. Whip one up and stay nice and cozy this upcoming season!

Since this pattern is fairly simple, we’ll be covering be covering all the techniques required.  However, if you’ve never knitted before, it might be helpful to consult some additional help. One of my favorite books for absolute beginners is The Chicks with Sticks Guide to Knitting.

To start out, you’ll need these supplies:

1. The pattern - found here

2. A set of size 8 needles

3. A cable needle, or one double pointed needle (even a smooth pencil will do in a pinch)

4. 350 yards of worsted weight yarn - The scarf can be very different depending on what type of yarn you choose.  Acrylic craft yarn is fine, but if you’re looking to try something else, consider wool, cotton, a mohair blend, alpaca, or even silk!

So gather your knit along supplies and next time we’ll talk about casting on!

I am always eager to expand my base of crafty knowledge as well as my reserve of tools and supplies.  This wonderful chart and accompanying article from DesignSponge is a great resource for doing just that.

Adhesives are a fundamental part of many handmade projects so learn which ones will work for you!

♥

Just recently I’ve been intrigued by the diy and decor possibilities of vintage suitcases. I’ve found beautiful images of stacked suitcases being used as side tables like these:

as well as some other creative ideas:

                        {DIY chair from a vintage suitcase - See Kate Sew}

                                         {DIY craft suitcase - inspire co.}

So, I decided to check out Etsy to see if I could find any vintage suitcases that were in need of new life.  Click the images to follow the links!

                                               {via blurredvisionary}

                                                      {via Vinskord}

                                                   {via jackandtilly}

♥