Tina_Hilton
Boone, NC, UScontributor
Member Since: 04/09/2008
Craft an Innovative I-Cord Needle Cozy
Keep your needles safe and secure in this fun yet practical needle case.
How to Make a Custom-Knitted Button and Win the Style Game
Button, button, who’s got the button? For a flawless finish, consider knitting your own buttons for a one-of-a-kind look.
Avoid Knitting Disappointment—Choose the Right Yarn
Preplanning and careful consideration will prevent the dreaded knitters’ remorse.
Scarfittens: Dual-Purpose Cold-Weather Gear
Get ready for the cool weather by knitting up this ingenious scarf-mitten combo. This simple, chic accessory needs only a couple of balls of yarn and couldn’t be easier.
The British Invasion - Knitting Magazines From Across the Pond
Expand your knitting savvy by observing styles from our knitting cousins overseas. We may share a common heritage and language but our styles are sometimes worlds apart.
Knit a Pretty Rose Pin
Knit up a bouquet of colorful roses in the time it takes to drive to the garden center. Even if you don’t have a green thumb, you can “grow” this everlasting rose pin in less than an hour. Forget about fertilizer and bug spray, all you need is a few yards of yarn that reminds you of a perfect summer day.
Twist and Shout - New Patterns are Out!
If you are constantly on the look out for the latest and greatest knitting patterns available scouring magazines and websites (Ravelry and Knitty addicts you know who you are), check out The Twist Collective.
Addictive Knitting—An Entrelac Workshop
Entrelac's lovely basketweave design is not as difficult as you think and is great for using up your odd bits and pieces of leftover yarn.
Your Yarn Inventory—To Slash or to Stash?
Don’t let the fiber we love and cherish take over. Examine your yarn collection to determine if you are a sensible saver or an incurable obsessive-compulsive hoarder.
Hot New Knitting Television Series Launched
Knitting Daily TV offers a fresh, interactive appproach for needlearts devotees.
The Original Eco-Friendly Yarn
For generations, folks in the Appalachian Mountains in western North Carolina have been creating beautiful dyes to color their hand spun wool yarns. North Carolina native Dede Styles follows in the footsteps of her ancestors with the age-old process of coloring yarns with elements from nature.
Last Minute Gift to Make-Woven Ribbon Scarf
Create this easy and elegant scarf for a special last minute gift. The recipient will never guess you whipped up this artsy little number in a day!
Big Needles + Big Yarn = Fast Projects
Feel the need for speed? Check out these resources for a big needle project that you can complete in no time.
The Electric Kool-Aid Dying Test: Psychedelic Sock Yarn Dying Is a Blast
Kool-Aid is a fun, inexpensive way to dye wool sock yarn. Not only do you achieve rainbow bright colors, but it also takes you back to one of the great aromas of childhood!
Repurpose, Recycle, and Reuse: Cutting Edge Creations From Cast-off Sweaters
Don’t toss those old wool sweaters! Use your creative genius to create eco-savvy objects on the progressive side of cool.
A Capitol Trendsetter: Knitting Hip in DC with Marie Connolly
This knitting mogul personifies the concept of multitasking with style and grace. It appears that she seamlessly manages her three-store creative empire with two kids (soon to be three), a patient husband, and her publishing pursuits.
Knit a Fabulous Fabric Clutch
You may be used to knitting with fabric to make place mats and rugs, but this project will show you how to make a quick clutch from your leftover fabric pieces.
Fiber Arts Cross Training
Get a creative workout with these project ideas that will take your knitting to the next level. Try knitting with fabric or dyeing yarn, or come up with your own embellishment inspiration!
Summer Color Trends
This summer's hottest colors are inspired by those found in nature. See what "it" colors are being offered by leading yarn manufacturers.
Lace Is Not a Four-Letter Word
Lace knitting is intricate, delicate, and, at times, extremely difficult—but always worthwhile.
Audio Delights for your Knitting Pleasure
A brief review of music and podcasts designed to increase your knitting productivity and enjoyment.
High-Tech Knitting with POLARTEC PolarKnit Yarn
The ultimate combination of cozy and warm, this revolutionary new yarn is perfect for knitting up fast and easy cold-weather gear for you and yours.
What Do You Like to Knit? Simple to OMG!
Are you the type who plays it safe or would you describe yourself as overly ambitious? Do you knit to unwind or do you like to give yourself the kind of challenge that defies the possibilities of two needles and a ball of yarn? The trick for achieving a happy knitting life is striving for a balance—a creative challenge that offers some leisurely rewards. I struck my own knitting equilibrium after a long period of trial and error.
Felting for a Fuzzier Knit
Why would a sane person spend countless hours knitting a beautiful wool item and throw it into a washer full of scalding hot water? Don’t they know that it will shrink and become hopelessly matted? Yes, felting, that’s exactly what we want!
Feel Like Felting a Fish?
Create the perfect aquatic pet that needs no smelly food or messy tank cleanings. These fuzzy finned friends are a snap to knit and are fashioned from all the odd bits of surplus wool yarns you have been saving for a perfect little project just like this!
The Best-Kept Secret in the Knitting World: Craft Yarn Council of America
Improve your knitting skills, learn how to teach someone how to knit, and discover new ways to use your talent to give back to your community. Check out this underutilized resource to take your knitting to the next level.
Barbie Couture - A Cultural Icon Inspires an Exquisitely Knitted Wardrobe
Knitting transcends utility and function and feeds our desire to produce a tangible result of our artistic pursuits. We craft these treasures to share with family and friends and often for our own secret pleasure.
I Must Have Died and Gone to Knitting Heaven - 2008 TNNA
The National Needlearts Association Wholesale market is a sight to behold.
Take Inventory of Your Knitting Toolbox
Having the right tools for a job can make all the difference. This is especially true for knitting. Take stock of your knitting toolbox to see whether you have what it takes to get the job done.
Make an Easy No-Knit Felted Purse
I used the quickest, easiest felting technique to make this darling little felted purse— and there was no knitting involved. So put down those needles, and try an entirely new way of working with wool.
Tips to Avoid Knitting Disasters
Dropped stitches, size anomalies, running out of yarn, and pattern translation blunders are some of knitter’s most dreaded disasters. They strike without warning, wreaking havoc and widespread panic. Here are some simple tips to help you out of those knitting catastrophes.
Make a Quick and Easy Newborn Hat
What is more precious than a newborn baby?—a newborn baby wearing a hand-knit hat! Many local hospitals have newborn cap programs so that knitters can make special use of their talents. Here’s a pattern to get you started.
Knitters Reflect on their Craft
Why do we knit? I am fascinated by what drives people to knit so I reached out to famous knitters and the knitter next door to learn what motivates them.
How to Fix a Dropped Stitch
It happens to the very best of knitters: the dreaded dropped stitch. Should you rip out your whole project? Or is there a way to fix it up? Read on to find out how you can best diagnose your drop and get yourself back to knitting in no time.
Conquer Your Unfinished Projects
They lurk in the dark corners of closets, or deep inside an old knitting bag. They might be our secret shame or the pride of an arch procrastinator. But the one thing they definitely are is unfinished. Do you have any half-completed, hand-knit orphans lying around? If so, here's how to let them go and move on with your life.
Come Full Circle and Knit a Sheep
I love the idea of a hand-knit sheep made with a hand-dyed natural wool, but that's as close as I'm likely to come to owning the real thing. Who wouldn’t love to have one of these little lambs of their very own? The pattern is simple and fun to follow, and because this sweet knitted lamb is fairly small, it won’t take long before you're finished!
Solve the Knitter's Dilemma of Natural vs. Synthetic Yarn
I hardily admit that I have been known to be a yarn snob. Aspiring to knit with only the very best natural fibers. However,sometimes budget constraints or the purpose of the project dictates the actual yarn I end up with. I advise you to keep an open mind about slipping a bit of acrylic into your knitting diet.
Farm to Yarn—Watching Wool Come to Market
A recent pleasure trip to a local sheep farm reminded me of my first experience on a sheep farm in New Zealand 20 years ago. It was an experience that changed my life. There is something special about being able to see the animals that provide the rich fiber that we craft into our exquisite projects.
Knitting on the Go: Stitches to Take with You
Whenever I am planning a trip, abroad or just to the doctor’s office, I am always grateful to the art of knitting: the ultimate take-along craft. Jury duty, subway rides, or extra innings never leave me antsy, as I am always thrilled at the prospect of some good uninterrupted knitting time. With the right knitting project to keep me in stitches, I am never bored no matter where I am. Check out these resources for knitting projects to keep by your side.
Knit a Pet Cozy for an Animal in Need
If you love knitting and animals, here is the perfect project for you. It's sponsored by The Snuggles Project, a nonprofit organization dedicated to bring hand-knit items to our furry friends most in need. So far, this program has provided thousands of handmade beds for homeless animals.
Who Do We Knit For—Me, Myself, and I or You and Yours?
One of the reasons that knitting is making such a huge comeback is that a hand-knit present is one of the greatest gifts to give or to receive. Who or what inspires you to knit? Here are some of my own personal inspirations.
Knitting Needles: Tools of the Trade
To a knitter, there are never enough needles. Straight, circular, bamboo, nickel plated, long, short, fat, and skinny—we need them all and then some! Here is a list of some favorites and soon-to-become favorites—once they hit the market!
How to Make a Log Cabin Throw
This easy how-to explores the basics of modular knitting in the ultimate take-along project. The log cabin throw is fun to knit, and because it is made one square at a time, you'll have a satisfying sense of accomplishment with every square that you complete. Before you know it, you will have enough squares to complete the throw. This is a great portable project you can take to the kid’s ball game, doctor’s office, or on your next road trip.
Luxury Large Button Wrap
Here is a project that my fellow blogger Susan Beal would love, a gorgeously thick and luxurious wrap decked out with the season's hottest embellishment: a great big button. This is an easy weekend project that'll set you up in style come Monday morning.
Bargain Yarn Shopping – Build Your Stash for Less
Recently I blogged about the importance of buying the very best yarn that you can afford, and while I stand by that bit of advice, anyone who seriously knits knows that a great yarn can easily break your bank. Yet, where there is a will, there is a way. Here's how to find the very best yarn buys around.
How to Make a Hand Knit Scarf
Most of the knitters I know have an enormous stash of fabulous yarn. That's why I love this trendy, furry, knit scarf: not only does it make great use of all your overflowing single skeins, but the yarn variations make the simple stitches of this pattern look like it was made by a pro.
Yarn Quality Comparison – Decadent to Discount
When I first started knitting I got the kind of advice that while I heard it, I didn't really take it to heart. But over the years, time and time again I learn (sometimes the hard way) why this little pearl of knitting wisdom is such a great thing to keep in mind. It's simple really—always buy the very best yarn that you can afford.
Easy Elegant Scarf
Toss this Easy Elegant Scarf around your neck and instantly see a dreary day with new eyes. In just an evening you will have a lovely scarf to spark up any outfit! Even better, the scarf can be worn year round.
The Big Step – Try Something New
I sometimes think that knitting projects are like that old saying--if it's not broken don't fix it--in that if you have a project that you've made successfully, why not just make it over and over and over again? Well, for one thing it completely destroys the surprise of opening a handmade gift made by you. And, let's face it-it can also be boring. I strongly advocate branching out and applying your knitting skills to new and beautiful things.
Welcome to the new CraftStylish.com Knitting Blog
Ah, my dream come true–my own blog devoted to all things knitting. Like most of us knitters, I am constantly on the lookout for new yarns, sources, ideas and great resources. I admit I'm not always great at keeping track of these things for myself–but a blog? An online knitting diary bringing you all the new twists in knitting.
How to Make Scrap Paper Mosaics
Jeff_Rudell | September 8th, 2008
Howdy There
FriendyWendy | September 7th, 2008
Sheet music flower power assemblage piece
giab | September 7th, 2008
Re: Barbie Couture - A Cultural Icon Inspires an Exquisitely Knitted Wardrobe
Do you mean recreate the Barbie size or scale it up to fit a normal woman? Either way, it would be an interesting project but not an undertaking I would be able/willing to tackle. I would wear that little pink number with the sequins though...
posted: 11:21 am on August 3rdRe: Repurpose, Recycle, and Reuse: Cutting Edge Creations From Cast-off Sweaters
I love your ideas! Please send me pictures of your creations to kick start the repurposing inspiration. It has been a little toasty to work with felt lately but it's fun stockpiling sweaters for the frenzy of deconstruction/reconstruction I have planned for this Fall!
posted: 10:57 am on August 3rdRe: Big Needles + Big Yarn = Fast Projects
If you love big needle knitting, check out a range of knitting books - Twinkles Big City Knits, Twinkles Weekend Knits and the latest, Twinkles Town & Country Knits (out September 2008). The fun and fab Twinkle designs are by designer Wenlan Chia (http://twinklebywenlan.com) who also has a range of companion yarn produced by Classic Elite and a range of ready to wear designs. Continue to have fun in a "big" way!
posted: 10:48 am on August 3rdTina
Re: The Big Step – Try Something New
Hi Cindy,
posted: 9:43 am on June 22ndSounds like you are quite an ambitious knitter! I find that to break free of "Knitters Block", I need to have an easy project that I reach for to clear my head with the simple, rhymthic flow of knitting. Get back to your stalled projects by dedicating some quiet time to move through the steps to completion. Grab some tea or coffee (caffine helps drive focus), turn on the Mozart and tune in to the project at hand. When the alloted time is up, set it aside and move on. You will feel a sense of acomplishment and look forward to your next session.
Good luck and have fun!
Tina