Feature Fridays is back, baby! Let's meet Noble Knits!

It is long overdue that I return to my blogging, especially Feature Fridays!  Today I am excited to share with you a blog who I discovered through my hours (and hours) on Pinterest.  (I am still unsure if Pinterest is the best thing to come along....or the worst!  I am on it way too much!)  But I digress.  This fun knitting blog is called Noble Knits.  I love their welcome message to their page, in particular this quote:

"Lots of people think knitting has to be complex and intimidating. Not us. We like to take a fun approach to knitting always remembering that it's a hobby - a great way to relax, unwind and relieve some stress."

It is a great point. I started out in fiber arts as a crocheter through and through, but eventually decided to try knitting.  And my first attempts made me think it was way too complicated.  But after a break and then trying it again, I am definitely glad I did. 

Anyway, I love this site because it has tons of great patterns and ideas for knitting.  For example, check out this cute cowl combo pattern:

Super cute, right?

Or how about this cowl? (I am into cowls a lot lately...)

I love that they have all these great one weekend patterns.  

What...oh, you don't knit?

That is ok.  This blog is still a lot of fun to peruse.  

Maybe you are still into yarn and crafting in other ways?  Then you should check out her great insider info on yarns, like the May Recap - Top 10 Yarns....

She also has a section for felting and for crocheting and more!

And if you do knit, they have an awesome resource for you.  The Knitting Doctor!  How cool is that?

So go poke around and maybe have some fun taking on a new, quick and satisfying new project.  Or just have fun looking at pretty projects in gorgeous yarns and ask your knitting friends to make you something.  

Thanks for sharing, Noble Knits, and happy Friday!

Ash

Pom Poms!!

I am loving the pom pom craze right now.  I have decided to make my own pom pom rug for my future travel trailer.  It has a bright orange vintage oven in it, which made me want a fun, squishy rug that is also super colorful.  Here is what I have so far....

Actually, I have made a few more since I took this pic.  I am pretty excited!  But boy does it take a lot of pom poms!  

 Pom poms are such a great stash buster.  I have decided that I must finish all unfinished yarncrafting projects before moving on to a new one, and that I can not buy yarn unless there is a planned project and I don't have suitable yarn in the stash.  I am happy to say that I just finished a VERY old UFO (un-finished object...hehe) and that got me caught up.  (Pics to come soon.) Now I need to use up all my yarn so I can buy more!  :)

What projects are you working on?  Here are some other pom pom projects that I have recently come across and just loved....

From Design Mom

Great tutorial at Annika Likes

Giant pom pom scarf at Johanna Rundel (in German)

And these adorable pom pom flower...love them in the Ball Jar...over at Eclectically Vintage

Yay!! 

Ash

Hair bands and bike seats...

I just love yarn carfting!  I love the fact that I can create something fun and functional from a piece of string.  And I love the fact that that piece of string used to be from an animal or in some cases, an old plastic bottle.  I love the process all the way through.

I recently learned how to cable knit, and love it!  (I think I may have said that verbatim in a previous post! hehe)  I have also been loving headbands as of late, so I decided I needed to make myself a new headband with a cable on it.  Super fast and easy, but also really rewarding!

I had fun playing with design and deciding how 'long' the cables should be.  I will try and share my pattern soon.

I also love to crochet, and I definitely better at it than knitting.  I have been doing it a lot longer, for one thing.  So it is fun for me to get inspiration from something and try and duplicate it.  For example, I found this picture on pinterest of a 'bike seat cover' that someone crocheted.  I could not track down the original poster or creator though.

(Source and creator unknown)

Soo....I decided I'd try something like it.  I used a much larger hook and different yarn, but here is my version....

I was recently given a bunch of colorful acrylic yarn, and I thought that it would hold up pretty well to the occasional (or not so occasional here in Eugene) weather.

I love the way it turned out!  I may have to come up with the pattern for this to share, too.

Happy yarn crafting!

Ash

Retro yarn wreath...

I do love the holidays, but I can only decorate so much.   I am not the best decorator ever, but I did do a little this year.

One of the things I had to try was a yarn wreath that I'd seen inspiration for somewhere a while back online.  I have a ton of small scrap balls sitting around the house, and desperately needed a reason to use them.  

So, I took an old wire hanger and stretched it back out to a circle and then actually skewered the balls all the way around.  SO EASY!  I felt like it was kinda retro looking, and was a fun and quick scrap busting project for sure!  I took a little funky white skein that was too old and delicate to really use anymore to make a 'bow' at the bottom.

Then just added a ribbon to the top and hung 'er up.  (Upon closer look of this pic, looks like I need to secure the red ball a bit better...hehe.)

I love seeing the wreaths that people make this time of year.  

Hope your holiday season is going great!

Ash

Yarncrafting like crazy!

Oh man...I am definitely feeling the holiday crunch now.  I have been making stuff left and right, and I love it, but I am still quite nervous  about getting everything done.  But this is the norm...I never finish everything right on time, and luckily, I see folks at different times throughout the holidays which helps.

The other thing that is hard is not getting to share so many of the fun things I am making, as I might give away to family and friends their gifts by posting it here.  But...I can share these little baby socks I knitted up for my niece.  I doubt she'll be checking here (you know...since she is not even 1yr old yet...but kids are getting computer skills younger and younger....lol.)

They are so cute!  I wish everyone was tiny...would make my life yarncrafting much, much faster.

Ash

PS - How does anyone get anything done when there are so many wonderful patterns on Ravelry?  I absolutely love all the inspiration, but now I have too many ideas....hmm... (If you are on Ravelry, say hi to me!)

Gauntlets!

I forgot to share those arm gauntlets I was knitting with my souvenir yarn!  But they came out pretty great!!

Super soft and there is even some left over yarn for me to use on another little project.  Hmmm....what next?

Ash

Souvenir Yarncrafting

I was recently in California visiting my family in a tiny town called Clio (as you may have read in a previous post...they have the cutest little population sign!!), and their neighboring town is a tiny tourist-y town called Graeagle.  There they had a cute little yarn shop called "Woolly Notions".  Of course I had to go!!  And what a  great selection of yarn they had!

I had also recently heard someone talk about souvenir yarn and thought it was a brilliant concept!  Why buy trinkets that will inevitably just clutter the house to say that you went somewhere, when you could get a little ball of yarn and make that into something useful and memorable!

So....I got the awesome ball of Mini Mochi by Crystal Palace yarn in a color called Lake, and have started making myself some wrist/arm gauntlets (a.k.a. warmers). I think they are turning out beautiful!

I am finished with one gauntlet, and have to admit that I bound off too tight and had to leave a little piece 'open' when making up the side,  but it is still wonderful.  Will share the finished product with you soon!

Ash