Craft Discussion: The Russian Join

Just as a foot note, for all you yarn folk out there, when you get to the end of your yarn, what do you do? Do you know how to do a Russian join?

It's pretty easy and it saves yarn. It's prolly my favorite trick. Check it out at this link:

Russian Join!

National Craft Month

Did you know it was National Craft Month? I had no idea!

Of course, it's sponsored by JoAnns, so far as I can tell, so it's likely a commercial holiday, but I'm not sure I care. It's awesome.

Anyone else Pinterest obsessed? You can check out a National Craft Month pinboard here:

CLICKY CLICKY

... yeah, it's sponsored by JoAnns too. Don't hate, they're where I get all my cloth anyway.

Anyway, crafts are pretty much all I use Pinterest for, so this is awesome!

Yarn Along Week 7

We're going to finish! We're going to finish! Are you excited!? You should be!

We're not knitting or crocheting today, we're joining pieces. If you don't know how that works, here's some help:

How to join knitting

How to join crochet

It's the same process for both. If you get stuck, just hand sew it with yarn like you'd hand sew with cloth. It's a similar idea.

Anyway. Grab that first big piece we made. The 7 by 5.5 one? Turn it long ways. Now, join one of the 5.5 by 4 inch tall pieces to one part of the top edge, and the other 5.5 by 4 inch tall pieces to the other. MAKE SURE THE BUTTON HOLES FACE INWARD. You're also going to want them on the right side of the doll's body, so keep that in mind.

A diagram, because I know all of that was confusing:

Now. Take both of the 3.5 by 5 inch pieces, and center them on each seam you just made. Sew them in.

You can probably recognize the basic shape that we've got now. We're making a sweater! But you knew that, right? Fold your sweater along the shoulder seams so that the bottom edges touch, right sides together. Start at one sleeve and sew down to the bottom edge (you know, like you were making a shirt), then do the other side. Turn it.

Ta da! Your own doll sweater! Aren't you proud? If you were wondering, and you weren't, all the measurements came from my old 1995 Kirsten sweater. So this pattern will TOTALLY fit a PM doll.

Of course, now that you know what you're doing, you can vary it with stripes, cables, different stitches, pockets, buttons, whatever you can think of. You can even alter my numbers to make it fit better. Or, you can make it really long and make a sweater dress like all the cool kids wear now adays.

Send me the finished project so I can put it in the gallery!

Yarn Along Week 6

Ah! Last piece! After we get this done, we'll start putting it together. It will look like something and everything!

Today, you're making a flat piece that measures five and a half inches tall by four inches wide.

But.

On the right side of the piece, you need to put button holes. Space them evenly. I'll leave how many up to you. These are dolls, so make them small.

If you're not sure how to do button holes, here's some links:

How to knit button holes

How to crochet button holes

They're really not that hard, you'll do fine.

Oh, button holes ... is this a hint!?

As we go along, tweet or mail me your progress so I can post it. Or, link me to a photo in the comments.

Yarn Along Week 5

All right! Week five! Good on you for hanging in there!

Don't feel behind if you haven't kept up, just keep working! You can do it!

Today's piece is a piece that lays flat and measures three and a half inches tall and five inches wide.

But hey, didn't we make a piece that already looks like that? Hmm. Is that a hint?!

As we go along, tweet or mail me your progress so I can post it. Or, link me to a photo in the comments.

Yarn Along Photos

Here's some photos people tweeted out to me of their supplies for the Yarn Along!

Don't forget, you can tweet me pictures too! I'm always @beanstalktweets!

Got this photo from cymbre_z!.

These are from @allicapri

Don't forget to tweet me out pictures of your progress, or post them in the comments!

Yarn Along Week 4

Hey there! Working hard on your ... secret project? I'm still not spilling the beans (lol) as to what we're making. Here's today's project:

You are making one piece that lays flat and measures Five and a half inches tall by four inches wide. 5.5 by 4. Easy! Use the same stitch you've been using and go to town!

As we go along, tweet or mail me your progress so I can post it. Or, link me to a photo in the comments.

Yarn Along, Week 2 Photos

Hey! Let's get a look at the pictures from the second week of the yarn along!

Don't forget, you can tweet me pictures too! I'm always @beanstalktweets!

I tweeted out my own at the halfway point.

Yarn Along Week 3

Hey, if you didn't get Week 2 done, don't quit. Just keep working at your own pace, you'll get there!

This week is a little easier, we're making a smaller piece. What you're working on this week is a piece that lays flat and is three and a half inches long by five inches wide.

That's 3.5 by 5, number heads! You can do it! Use whatever stitch you used last week, for consistency.

As we go along, tweet or mail me your progress so I can post it. Or, link me to a photo in the comments.

Yarn Along Week 2

b Today's the first day of the yarn along! All right! You're ready to go, right?

I've decided to start with the biggest first. Today, you're making one piece, the sort that lays flat, that measures seven inches wide and five and a half inches tall.

That's 7 by 5.5 for those of you who need everything written out in numbers. That's it. Easy, right?

Use any stitch you like. I would use something small if it were me (crocheters -- go at it with single crochet! This is not the time to bust out your triples!), but after that, if you'd like to get creative and do seed stitches or ribs or something, go for it. Just make sure your piece measures 7 by 5.5 by the end of it.

Don't forget! As we go along, tweet or mail me your progress so I can post it. Or, link me to a photo in the comments.

Good luck!

Yarn Along

Announcing! The first everrrrrr:

What is a yarn along?

Easy. Have you ever heard of a crochet along, or a knit along? Every week, someone posts directions for you to follow. At the end, everyone winds up with a completed project!

This one's slightly different: you can do this one as knit OR crochet. I've got it designed so it'll work both ways. Actually, you could likely weave it or do macrame just as well ... huh. I'd probably stay away from those huge hoop knitter things, but other then that, so long as you're using yarn, we're cool.

I'll make each step small, so don't worry about getting too far behind. It'll easily be completable in a week for someone who's got a full time job or goes to school or takes care of kids.

As we go along, tweet or mail me your progress so I can post it. Or, link me to a photo in the comments.

I'm keeping the results of what we're making a secret, but rest assured, it's an oft-requested Bean Stalk pattern! You'll love it, I promise.

I accidentally posted before I was ready (duh) a discussion of materials you need here, so check it out.

Yarn Along Week 1!

LET US DISCUSS DOLL YARN before we go further into our Yarn Along.

Any time you craft for a doll, you should be working to make something in scale to the doll's world. The doll is small. You're making small things.

Worshed weight yarn, also known as "most of the yarn you own, likely," is too big to make our project, or any piece of doll clothing. I'd let you get away with it for a hat or some scarves, because humans commonly wear chunky yarn scarves (even if they look pretty putzy -- did I just say that?) But clothing? You do not make clothing out of this. Unless you want to look like a putz.

The biggest yarn I'll let you get away with is sport weight. The yarn will actually say "sport weight" on the label, so it's not that tough to find. I like yarn that doesn't seperate so easily when I jab my hook in it -- a lot of that sock yarn is guilty of this, as is that Microspun stuff from Lion Brand. Here's some suggestions that are easy to work with and won't have you tearing your hand out:

Red Heart Sport Yarn is cheap, comes in a bunch of colors, and it's easy to work with. For whatever reason, Red Heart makes crappy worshed weight yarn and really nice sport weight.

Patons Astra is another good one, and easier to find.

Err, I'm allergic to wool, so I can't suggest any brands for you there. (I can't use them!) But, I've heard that Knitpicks yarn is really, REALLY nice. Actually, they stock acryllic, cotton and non-wool blends for people like me. I've just never used them, so I can't reccomend them personally, but I've heard good things.

I'd use either a size H hook or size 6 needles, depending on if you're crocheting or knitting.

Now, everything I've said is the biggest I'll let you go. Can you go smaller? Sure! You can go much smaller. Make the whole thing with a C hook and crochet thread if you're brave. Sock yarn is really easy to find, you can use that too. The smaller you go, the nicer your result, but the more maddening it'll be. At least, it is for me, you might be some kind of whizz with small stuff.

When you get your supplies, tweet or email the results to me!