Learn Knitting's 6 Yarn Secrets

Title:
Learn Knitting's 6 Yarn Secrets

Word Count:
649

Summary:
There is nothing like a good yarn, so the story goes! All jokes aside, learning any skill or craft takes time, time you should be devoting to finding out all about it.  To learn knitting is no different. Just getting the hang of holding both needles at once, or working with a cable needle, or just perfecting your knit stitch and purl stitch, can take a long time.


Keywords:
learn knitting, how to knit, knitting, crafts, ebooks


Article Body:
Copyright 2006 Alice Seidel

There is nothing like a good yarn, so the story goes! All jokes aside, learning any skill or craft takes time, time you should be devoting to finding out all about it.

To learn knitting is no different.  Just getting the hang of holding both needles at once, or working with a cable needle, or just perfecting your knit stitch and purl stitch, can take a long time.

And that's ok; nobody said you have to know it all immediately.

Along the way, however, it is fun to delve into all the secondary ideas and information.  Knowing just a little bit about yarn can go a long way!

This article will walk you through *6* yarn secrets; intrigues for even the "craftiest" of knitters.

Secret #1: Always know what you are knitting with! This may sound too simple to be true, but you would be surprised.

Most projects will be knit with "classic" yarns. These are worsted or sport weight, wool, and cotton.  All the rest are merely variations on a theme.

If you have a hankering for something fun fur or ribbon-y, eyelash, or wispy lace; save that thought until you know knitting well!!

Secret #2: When buying yarn, always buy by yardage, and not by weight.  This is one I didn't even know when first starting out!

Yarns, like people, are of different weights; they can vary all over the place.  But, it is the length that is important with each skein; it should be clearly marked and if it is not, then ask for that information.

Secret #3: Always, always, buy enough yarn at one time, for your knitting project!  Do not expect to go back to the store two months from now and find the exact color yarn you bought initially.

Yarns are dyed in lots, and when a yarn store runs out of a particular color, they will order it again; but, the dye lot will be different and the subtlety in the color will be very apparent; take my word for it!

So, if you want that pink sweater to look uniformly pink, just buy the yarn, all the yarn!

And check to see that all the "lot #'s" are the same. And, I will always buy that extra skein, and have never been disappointed.

Secret #4:   Don't know what to do with all those odd- balls?  (And I'm not talking about your relatives, now.)

Well, let's see, you could knit a few placemats, baby washcloths, mittens, coasters, bookmarks, Christmas ornaments, sachets, doll clothes, knitted pins or fancy little handbags, buttons, flowers, tea cozies, table runners, fluffy wristbands (little girls love these!), a cat collar or dog sweater, a scarf or afghan jumble, and if you can think up anything else, knit away!

Secret #5: Get organized!  This is one of my best- kept secrets.  Only, not anymore.

Record all of your knitting projects.  A simple spreadsheet, or word processor, will do the trick.

Save your labels!  This way, when you are finished with your knitting, you can input all the necessary information in order to knit it again, or pass it along to a fellow knitter!

There are even software programs available now, like Needle Trax, to help you keep all your knitting projects organized with simple point and click technology.

Secret #6: A true knitter, like any good craftster, always has too much of everything, and not enough space to hold it all!

Thank goodness for plastic, I always knew there was a purpose for it.

Storage bins come in many varieties, so visit your local shops or even eBay for the best prices around.

Once you have enough storage bins available, then you can sort to your hearts' content!  And you will love feeling so harmonious!

Harmony begets creativity every time; so with these *6* yarn secrets, there is no excuse anymore for not being your knitting best.

May your knitting basket always be full!

How To Make A Paper Bag Scrapbook

Paper bag scrapbooks are really popular now. Their small size makes them great for gift giving, for display on a coffee table, or even just as a “brag book”. They are made by using paper bags (you know the brown lunch kind) and are of a smaller size than the larger scrapbook albums, usually 5 x 5 inches. Since the paper bags are not acid free, it is important to only use copies of your photos. You can get duplicates made of your photos from your photo processing center or even make copies of photos on your home printer.

To get started you will need 3 paper lunch bags. You can use either the brown lunch bag kind or the white bags. I find mine in the regular grocery store aisles. For the cardstock backgrounds, you will need 3 sheets of 12 x 12 in a solid color and 3 sheets of 12 x 12 in coordinating colors. For securing the book together, you will need about 2 feet of ribbon. I use several different coordinating ribbons to add flair to the books. Finally, you will need whatever embellishments you choose such as stickers, brads, ribbons, tags, etc. to decorate the individual pages.

To begin, lay the 3 paper bags flat. Fold each bag in half so that it looks like a little “book”. Put the 3 folded books together so that you now have a 6-page book.  Hole punch 5 holes in the left side of the “book” (near the fold) . Then, to secure the book together use the ribbons and tie a small bow through each hole.

Once the book has been put together, you are ready for the next step. Cut the background cardstock pieces into 5 x 5 shapes and adhere them to each page of the album. Leave the ends of the paper bag open, as you can use that area as additional storage space for photos, tags, and other special items. Embellish each page as you choose with special stickers, photos, journal entries, brads,tags, etc.

Enjoy your completed paper bag scrapbook!

Families are Beautiful

It's nice when the whole family spends time together. You share a special bond between one another that cannot be recreated with anyone else. Father, mother, sister, brother, you all belong to each other in a special way. Each member of the family needs to rely on each other for love, companionship, advice, support and sometimes just to listen. Times aren't always going to be smooth sailing. A family that is strong in love can make it through the worst of times. In order for a family to work well together, each member needs to give of themselves to one another, without thinking about getting anything in return. This is giving from your heart. If each member were to do this, everyone's needs would be met and there would be no selfishness in your family, only true love for one another. Sometimes in a family, there can be a fight where it is so bad, that one seperates themself from a member of the family or the entire family for a long period of time. It's a shame when something like this happens. It can hurt a family really bad. There's bitterness and pain that winds up leaving a void in one's heart because they seem to have lost that bond they once had. No matter what happened or how terrible it may have been to cause such a seperation, families need to be reunited. Forgiveness can mend more than one heart. Pride is not worth losing family over. There's nothing like having dinner together as a family. There's just something that makes the end of the day more pleasant. Take for instance if you had a bad day or you have a problem that you would like to discuss. Here at the table, you have loved ones that are willing to listen and help you get over your bad day. Nothing like quality time with your family. You have to eat, right? Eat together and spend that time keeping the bond tight and the love flowing. Family time together, whether it would be watching a movie or going to a movie, or a day in the park, or maybe a camping trip(here's a hint:you could even camp out in your backyard) it's what you do with the time you have together. There's many things a family could do together. Sometimes there's always that one member who doesn't want to go. If you are that one member, forget about yourself and think of your family. Remember that you are not always going to be living together. The time is going to come when either you are going to be moving out or if your the parent your kids are going to be leaving. Don't miss out on the time you could be sharing with one another. Quality time together is important. Many households have both parents working. The kids come home from school to a empty house. These days even if everyone is home, you can still be seperated. There are so many electronic gadgets to keep everyone busy by themselves. Let's see what we have. Cell phones, gaming computers, laptops, ipods, mp3 players, video games, 200 plus channels on T.V., etc., etc. All the things on the web that will keep you busy like blogging, chat rooms, my space, and so on. There are so many things one can do to entertain themselves without the family. Most of these things can be addictive. People can become strangers in their own family. It only takes one family member to get the ball rolling. So if your family is not as tight as it should be, you could be the one to change it. There's nothing worse than sitting down one day and looking back at the time one missed with their family. You can't go back and change things. Regret is very painful and it will last you the rest of your life. May God Bless You.