Learning to knit—from YouTube
Written on November 30, 2009 at 1:02 pm, by DIY on the Fly (Beth Eslinger)
I’ve been wanting to learn how to knit. But sitting through a night class, spending a weekend with mother-in-law instruction, or figuring out knitting code from a book was just not happening any time soon. So six weeks ago I decided to learn DIY-style: on the Web (and wearing my PJs).
First things first: I picked up a few balls of medium-weight yarn, some bamboo needles (which I now love and have several sizes), and a darning needle. After an hour of surfing YouTube videos, I landed on these easy-to-follow links, and by night one had finished a pair of fingerless gloves. The addiction had started. (By the way, if you’re looking to learn how to knit, start small like I did. Knitting is labor-intensive, so if you’re looking for instant gratification, do a quick project like gloves or a neck wrap. Heavyweight yarn speeds the process, too).
The Videos
I landed on a video series from Expert Village. Easy to follow and few distractions.
1. Learn an easy casting-on stitch.
2. To create a basic knit stitch.
3. To create a purl stitch.
So over the past six weeks, I’ve dabbled in a few patterns using these basic stitches and have made several scarves, fingerless gloves (they’re hot with all the little girls in my ‘hood), a wrap, and a pillow. I’ve figured out how to switch yarn colors, and bind off so I actually can finish projects (also from YouTube). Not everything’s perfect, but that’s part of the charm, right?
My projects are all about embracing mistakes. The neck wrap (on the chair seat) : Oops! I missed a stitch and ended up with a hole (which ended up a perfect buttonhole). The wrap (draped on the chair back): The flower started as a headband, but my stitching was long enough to fit two heads, so I just turned it into cool flower pin. The pillow (on the floor) was going to be a swanky scarf. But the curling edges looked pretty lame, so I hand-stitched the ends together to make a sweet pillow for my living room (I added the leaf design by hand--so easy). Love it.
Now I’m crazily knitting up projects for holiday gifts. Fingerless gloves for the little girls (check), scarves and neck wraps for the big girls (check). And for me: I get the pink wrap with the flower pin. It took me a week of nights knitting, and is oh-so my color (check).
Next month, I’m thinking about digging into hats and maybe cableknit patterns. But that’s another whole round of videos. Stay tuned for the results.
Categories: Misc, Projects, how To, trends | Tags: DIY, easy project, fingerless gloves, knitting, pillow, scarf, yarn, Youtube | 2 Comments
Whip up an apron this weekend
Written on November 13, 2009 at 1:51 pm, by DIY on the Fly (Beth Eslinger)
Here’s a quick gift idea for the DIYers on your list: A utility apron embellished with fabric tool silhouettes.
Here’s what you’ll need:
- Premade apron (this one’s from Restoration Hardware)
- Fabric scraps
- Fusible webbing
- Pencil
- Scissors
- Random tools to trace around
T0tal project time:
- 1 hour (sans shopping)
Get going!
Pick through your scrap fabrics, 0r if you need to buy, try quilting quarters from the fabric store (super affordable). Press iron-on fusible bond, also from the fabric store, to the fabric back. Trace shapes of scissors, cell phones, or tools to the fusible bond side. Cut out the shapes, iron onto your apron, then zigzag stitch to finish the edges. Topstitch decorative ribbon onto the apron just for fun.
Categories: Misc, Projects, how To, inspiration | Tags: Apron, craft gift, DIY, easy project, embellishing, handmade gift, holiday gift, sewing | 1 Comment
