:Yarn Love :

Don’t Sweat The Technique: Weaving In Ends

Nicky2 Comments

Whether you’re crocheting or knitting, weaving in ends is part of the job.  Part of the job that many crafters don’t like but hey … why battle against the wind?  If you want your finished product to look it’s best, weaving in ends is a necessary evil.   In my mind, I don’t have to like it but I must do it well if I want my finished object (F.O.) to shine.

For the crocheters among us, especially newbies like me, here are two videos I found today that teaches the technique of weaving in ends as you go along rather than at the end of the project.

Happy weaving!!!!

And for all the ole skool rap lovers out there ( I miss real rap) — here’s some Eric B & Rakim to help you as you get this technique and weave in your ends!  😀

Home …

Nicky20 Comments

The home to everyone is to him his castle and fortress, as well for his defense against injury and violence, as for his repose ~ Edward Coke

My babies needed a safe home, and they needed one badly.  Everyone does … don’t they?

My Knitpros, my rosewoods, my flexi-grip hooks, my lace hooks and my speed stix — they were just being bounced around, from place to place.  From a plastic bag, to a too-small pencil case, to errr … nothing.  It was a shame that they had no “fortress”; they had no place to call home.  So I “made” them one. 

I was home again today, still recuperating from this last whooper of a migraine and I was glad that I had a place to rest today.   So why not make one for them?  I didn’t want to sleep anymore; I needed a quick project that could be an even quicker F.O. (finished object) to relax some more.  I didn’t want to crochet or knit a case so this yarn wrapped pretty was just the ticket.

The colour palette was inspired by my Knitpro hooks and project just took off from there.  Armed with a glue gun, yarn, a random strip of tulle, a button and a storage jar, my babies home went from:

to this:

I made sure to use a jar that was short enough so the hook sizes are not hidden because the jar is too tall.  With this, I could read the hook size on the handle of all the hooks in the jar.  Yes, pretty storage is a must but so is practicality.  Hunting for the sizes — no bueno! 

The back doesn’t look as tidy with all the glue residue, but I’ll leave it overnight then clip the residue off with a nail clipper or trim it with my tiny scissors.

Tip: For anyone who tries this project, if a wide mouth jar is used, to have your hooks stand up well, trim and glue to the inside of the jar a trimmed to size Styrofoam cup.  Once the cup is securely fastened in the jar, place the hooks in the Styrofoam cup — no-one would be the wiser.  😉

ETA: 8.4.2012 — craft glue is better to use than a hot glue gun.  It dries cleaner.

Don’t they look happy in their new “castle”?!!!!

ETA: I’m joining Tami’s for F.O. Friday with this post … hop over to her site and be inspired. 

Happy Friday!  😀