Crafty Crafty

Say it with Opinionated Shopping Bags

deadlyknitshade — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 09:39:11 GMT

This week Alternative Arts, an arts organisation based in London's Spitalfields area, is holding events for International Women's Week. The week follows International Women's day; celebrating the economic, political and social achievements of women past, present and future.

How to: make your own gift bows

deadlyknitshade — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 09:39:11 GMT

Mother's Day is acomin' and there's wrapping to be done. Whether you're forking out for something fancy or handmaking something handsome it always looks better if the packaging is pretty. That doesn't mean it has to cost the earth or make you feel guilty for not being green. You can make your own gift bows from old magazines and save the planet while still maintaining the pretty.

How to: make your own Oscar

deadlyknitshade — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 11:53:11 GMT

Kathryn Bigelow scoops the first female Best Director Oscar, Sandra Bullock tells everyone how much she loves them, Jeff Bridges thanks everyone on the planet individually. Isn't it about time that you had your own moment dramatically clutching a shiny, bald, golden statuette to your chest? If you're not up for embarking on a film career to get you behind that podium you can always make your own Oscar.

Yarn from the Stitch and Bitch Queen

deadlyknitshade — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 09:42:05 GMT

Debbie Stoller's Stitch and Bitch is the book that launched a million knitters. There are very few people with sticks and string who aren't aware of the book and it's follow on Stitch and Bitch Nation and Son of Stitch and Bitch. So when Ms Stoller does something people take notice.

Mother's Day London knitting classes

deadlyknitshade — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 13:39:20 GMT

Keeping the knit in the family is a common occurrence. Stitching is often a generational thing passed down from your grandparents to your parents to you to your kids in some cases. If crafting isn't something being passed down your family generations then maybe it's about time it was. Doing this in Swedish style are MillaMia, a new knitting site offering classes for the Mother's Day weekend.

LOST in stitches

deadlyknitshade — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 12:04:43 GMT

If you're a LOST fan then chances are you're, like me, knee deep in the Final Season, and have been running around a mysterious island being chased by a column of black smoke for the last month now. You know who you are. You have theory-battles over your cornflakes of a morning and you possibly use 'the numbers' for the lottery every week.

How to: amuse your cat with crafty critters

deadlyknitshade — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 15:14:35 GMT

Meoooooow! Mrrrow! Meoooow! Moaw? Cats get bored. They get insistent. They end up patting at your hair and 'settling down' on your keyboard while you're trying to do very important tweeting. The only solution is to whip them up something to entertain them while you're too busy to scratch behind their ears. Which is where we turn to Fantastic Toys.

How to: make your own knitting needles

deadlyknitshade — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 14:58:41 GMT

Knitting needles: for any self-respecting knitter your needles tell your knitting who's boss. I'm a fan of wooden needles as they grip the stitches and an enemy of metal needles off which my knitting seems to slide as soon as my attention is distracted by something shiny.

The Lego loving treasures of The Bothered Owl

deadlyknitshade — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 13:37:44 GMT

Accessories are everything when you're a crafty creature. Once the craft bug bites you need places to store things, bags to tote things, markers to make things and purses to shove all your bits and bobs in. A solution is needed and flapping to the rescue are the good folks at The Bothered Owl.

Knitting pattern: fox fur stole

deadlyknitshade — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 11:30:18 GMT

Apparently fur is back in fashion. In my mind it's never been ok to swan into a fancy party decked in the embalmed remains of one of the forest's furry friends and thankfully most agree. That doesn't stop those of us who admire the animal kingdom longing for a creature companion at such events which is where Knitty's Vegan Fox comes in.

Crafty art: embroidered mattresses

deadlyknitshade — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 12:25:09 GMT

No one ever said that embroidery was boring; the word itself means to decorate, but as with a lot of handcrafts it has a bit of a twee image. Happily there are artists like Louise Riley out there who take their needle and thread and make jaw-dropping view-challenging art.

Wednesday wearables: Mini Bloomers

deadlyknitshade — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 11:20:13 GMT

Knickers are the new jeggings. Ok that isn't true. But flying in the face of the horror that is sometimes high-street fashion you could hand-make your own undercrackers for a bit of vintage style on your booty.

Behold the Lego ball winder

deadlyknitshade — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 11:58:55 GMT

Is there nothing that the wonder of Lego cannot do? Those clever folks at Portland's Twisted yarn store have married the crafty beasts of Lego and yarn to create a robotic wool-slinging wonder: the Lego ball winder.

Give pom poms more respect

deadlyknitshade — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 11:11:12 GMT

The humble pom pom is an unappreciated beast seen only on the top of woolly hats or on the buttons of sinister circus clowns. Shouldn't a fibre-based beast be given a little more love? The Resurrection Fern, craft website of the stunning photography and endless imagination, thinks so.

Crafty body art: knitting tattoos

deadlyknitshade — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 17:50:10 GMT

There are many ways to show your passion about your hobbies but saying "I love craft" with a bit of body art is way up on the scale when it comes to hardcore craft passion.

How to: make your own taffy

deadlyknitshade — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 17:34:06 GMT

Sod the diet. Fancy something so sticky and sweet it'll stick your teeth together for the foreseeable future? Then why not have a go at making your own taffy?

How to: make your own recycled dryer balls

deadlyknitshade — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 10:13:09 GMT

As recent craft trends show saving the planet doesn't mean you need to grow the kind of beard that it looks like birds may be tempted to nest in and start eating nothing but lentils. For a start you could use dryer balls to keep your consumption of electricity down. You could even go one further and make your own, from recycled materials. Greenorama.

Knot by Gran'ma's crochet creatures

deadlyknitshade — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 09:41:26 GMT

Who doesn't love a bit of kooky crochet? Well whoever you are turn away now because Knot By Gran'ma has kooky crochet by the stashload, with free patterns to boot.

Freakly fashion and 3D shoes

deadlyknitshade — Thu, 25 Feb 2010 13:25:27 GMT

The fabric and frills monster that is London Fashion Week has sashayed, swirled and pouted across the city this week. So when I stumbled across a jaw-dropping 3D shoe on Make and its shoe-like accompanying outfit I thought I would pass it on.

Knitting pattern: vintage lace heart brooch

deadlyknitshade — Thu, 25 Feb 2010 12:53:33 GMT

You've got to give a little love to get a little love of your own according to indie folk band Noah and the Whale, and as all fibre-flingers know knitted love is the best kind to get. Especially if it's quick to stitch up. At Stitch and Bitch London, my not-so-little knitting group, we pass on the knitting love weekly and our Stitched Heart on Your Sleeve pattern allows you to give love with minimal stitching effort. Whipped up by the button-obsessed Fastener the simple free knitting pattern is a combination of knits, purls, increases, decreases and a little fanciness with a bit of vintage lace and some cute as a button buttons.

Wednesday wearables: Cherry Brooch

deadlyknitshade — Wed, 24 Feb 2010 09:38:33 GMT

Flickr isn't just about photos these days. Something crafty picture-snapper Elegant Musings proves by using the site to pass on her tutorial for her good-enough-to-eat Cherry Brooch.

Dollshouse craft: tiny, eerie and crafty

deadlyknitshade — Wed, 24 Feb 2010 09:38:33 GMT

Tiny versions of every day things are always fascinating, so it makes sense that an entire tiny house full of tiny things would be a must-see. The Call of the Small site doesn't disappoint.

Embroidery with sass from Sublime Stitching

deadlyknitshade — Tue, 23 Feb 2010 12:37:54 GMT

Embroidery allows you to add a bit of whatever you fancy to something run of the mill and is an essential weapon in any crafty warriors arsenal. Inspiration for what to embroider is another thing entirely but happily there's help at hand. If you haven't already stumbled across it then Sublime Stitching may very well be your stitching saviour.

Crafty Art: knitted Pyramid Piece at Tate Britain

deadlyknitshade — Tue, 23 Feb 2010 11:35:01 GMT

When the holiday is over for some indulging in a sneaky souvenir from your holidays can help keep those memories fresh. A cocktail glass from Vegas, a Do Not Disturb sign in Italian from your hotel door, a fluffy white bathrobe from a Singapore luxury room. You're not supposed to take them but people do and go on to live guilt free for the rest of their lives. But taking a piece of Ancient Egypt home with you? Crafty penance may be required to soothe your shame.

How to: make your own buttons

deadlyknitshade — Mon, 22 Feb 2010 16:44:41 GMT

Buttons are all kinds of fabulous. There really isn't any piece of clothing that can't be improved without buttons. Or a person for that matter, I mean even the button-eyed 'Other Mother' from Neil Gaiman's spooky Coraline had a bit of stylishness about her. You can't always get your crafty mitts on the perfect button for your project though. You're a crafty lots though, obviously, so why not make your own.