LoopyKnits

I’m thinking I would like to be a mini-me even more than my dieting self usually longs for. Because then I could slip into one of the delicate miniature knit creations from fiber artist Althea Crome Merback. Her site, BugKnits.com, displays a gallery of fairy-sized sweaters, socks, gloves, and more.

To get an idea of the scale, check out this quote from one of her gallery pages: “I make my own knitting needles out of stainless steel wires that are so thin (.001″) that they can accommodate more that 80 stitches per inch. The gloves I make are 1/12th scale which means that 1 inch =1 foot in the ‘real’ world. That means a finger the size of a grain of rice would be about the right size to fit inside a pair of my gloves.”

A grain of rice, people! Learn more about this eagle-eyed knitter here.

Photos reprinted with permission; all rights reserved by the original artist. Found via the Craftzine.com blog.

Technorati Tags: fiber artist, miniature knitting

Every time hunting season rolls around, I’m glad I don’t live with a Mighty Hunter intent on conquering the forests, one bullet at a time. But this is a trophy I could get behind. Thank fiber artist Rachel Denny for thinking of cable knits (with a zipper down the front, no less!) when she came up with this lovely creature. See more at her website, RachelDenny.com.

Photo reprinted with permission; all rights reserved by the original artist. Found via CribCandy at Wists.com.

Technorati Tags: Rachel Denny, fiber artist

I fully intend to treat myself to a nice set of sock blockers right after Christmas if I don’t get them as a present again this year (hint, hint, hint, dear family). So I did a little preliminary scouting of my options:

• Red plastic sock blockers from The Loopy Ewe, $19 (large)
• The most widely available non-wooden ones I’ve seen, from Fiber Trends; sold via Shopatron ($24.95); probably the most practical because they don’t absorb moisture and they resist mildew
• Chappy’s Fiber Arts and Crafts’ wooden sock blockers that range from knee-high ($36) to standard ($26) with cut-out designs of kitty cats (my favorite), lightning bolts, rabbits, dogs, duckies, acorns, yarn and knitting needles, and way more shapes than I can list here. In short, I think they could make darned near any shape you wanted. Found via WendyKnits
• Adjustable wooden sock blockers from Halcyon Yarn ($28.95)
• The Etsy.com page for Thank Ewe! Home of Hand Dyed Yarns has these gorgeous sock blockers stenciled with Chinese symbols for the four elements — earth, water, fire, air ($23.99)
• Leggy Creations’ hand-painted sock blockers for about $30. I’m drooling over these and these (unfortunately, it looks like the store is currently in a production lull, but I’m hopeful for the future)

Do-It-Yourselfer Links

• Needletrax.com’s instructions for making simple sock blockers out of coat hangers
• Little Sesame Knits’ instructions for making sock blockers from placemats

Whether you’re a beginner or an experienced knitter, at some point you will get stumped by a new stitch or technique. That’s when it helps to have a knitting buddy, supportive local yarn store, or a local knitting guild of friends who can help you puzzle through the mysteries. But what to do when you’re chomping at the bit to knit and no one else is around?

Try some of these great online knitting videos. Many are available for free, and if one site doesn’t have what you need, one of the others probably will. Here are some you can check out:

• Knitting Help: Very clear audio and good pacing; videos are up close but a bit grainy
• Knitting at KNoon: Up-close videos, although not as clear as some of the other sites
• The Knitting Site: Clear, up-close videos
• CraftSanity.com’s how-to on continental knitting at YouTube.com: Very clear audio; camera work is a bit shaky at the beginning, but it’s very clear once they go to the close-ups
• Knit Witch: Very clear audio and video; has more than the basics, including such quirks as backwards knitting and magic loop, too

Now THAT is determination! (FYI: Vid may take a few secs to load. If it’s taking forever, you can click here.)

Ooh, do I have some cool knitterly links for you today! These were clipped many months ago but got lost in the shuffle. All the better to brighten your day today, right?

• Big screen knitting: How many movies and TV shows can you list where knitting has appeared? The good folks at Angel Hair Yarn Company have an exhaustive list of onscreen knitting to task your knitrivia brain.
• Decorate your sticks: Lion Brand popped out a nifty set of instructions for decorating your knitting needles.
• You did WHAT with your needles? Nell Knits blogged a short but cool list of unusual knitting needle usages. (Snapdragon stake, anyone?)

Technorati Tags: knitting trivia, knitting in the movies, knitting on TV, decorative knitting needles