Archive for category Uncategorized
Fans of Giants, Celebrate with 2012 Super Bowl Champions!
Posted by Mylynedj in Uncategorized on February 7, 2012
It’s been 4 years since the NY Giants had their first Parade of Champions along the streets of Manhattan and the crowd of fans shows no signs of thinning out. As far as these 500,000 to 1M are concerned, blue and red are the colors of the day, if not the year, representing the 2012 Super Bowl Champs.
Coincidentally, these are the 2012 Scarves of Special Olympics program colors which I blogged about here, featuring an EKS Day Scarf free pattern and another Shriver Scarf free pattern which can be adapted to blue and red.
For hat lovers, what celebration is complete without a Lombard Hat (shown below) to match:
This hat is a quick knit in super bulky yarns with Color A in Michael’s Red Cozy Wool and Color B in Thick and Quick’s Cobalt, of which colors you can reverse to make the predominant color blue, the winning color.
So why does everyone love a winner? Because “History is written by the winners,” says Alex Haley.
Who knows who the next year’s winner will be, but for millions today it’s “Go Giants!”
What to Do with a “Knittin’ Needle” in Space
Posted by Mylynedj in Uncategorized on February 7, 2012
A demonstration of physics in space using water droplets and a knitting needle…
It Takes Two to Tango or Does It?
Posted by Mylynedj in Uncategorized on January 30, 2012
- You can sail in a ship by yourself,
- Take a nap or a nip by yourself.
- You can get into debt on your own.
- There are lots of things that you can do alone.
- (But it)
- Takes two to tango …
- This year, not just two but the following groups of entities have been spotted doing the “Tango”:
- If you have gotten the idea that the Tango I’m referring to is not a kind of dance, but a color, you are right! It’s called “Tangerine Tango.” Yes, tangerine as in
- Tangerine Tango is 2012’s Pantone, a global authority on color, color of the year. “Sophisticated but at the same time dramatic and seductive, Tangerine Tango is an orange with a lot of depth to it,” said Leatrice Eiseman, executive director of the Pantone Color Institute®.
- It is a highly visible hue, from which heat and energy issue forth. Over the past years, orange is increasingly gaining popularity among designers and consumers and is appealing to both men and women’s fashion.
- Need to add a burst of energy and life to a dull and boring space? It’s Tangerine Tango to the rescue!
- As for me, modifying the hat pattern here by using alternating colors of Cobalt and Pumpkin with the latter as the main color, I came up with this hat.
- Now, I can Tango. Why don’t you? 🙂
Showing Your True Colors
Posted by Mylynedj in Uncategorized on January 17, 2012
Last year, it was Turqua and Blue.
This year it’s Cherry Red and Soft Navy.
Who knows what its colors will be next year. Who or what is it? The above images will give you a hint.
It’s the Special Olympics USA Scarf Project Program! It has been a month since the Special Olympics State Winter games started and months before that, knitters and crocheters nationwide have been on a rush to send in their “works of heart” to the 39 participating programs. To date, less than 10 states have met their goals. Scarves have been reported as being transported from one state to which ever one is in immediate need of meeting their scarf quota. One thing’s for sure– while there is a shortage of scarves for most of the states, there is no shortage of scarf patterns. You can find them at the Scarves for Special Olympics website. I have also provided free knit patterns which I have designed especially for this purpose. Clicking on the photos above will each lead you to a different scarf pattern. Just be sure to use Red Heart yarns in the 2012 colors which are Red Cherry and Soft Navy. Get those scarves in before the deadlines! 🙂
If you want a different way to show support for the 2012 Special Olympics or have worked hard to send in your
“work of hearts” for this year’s Special Olympics Scarf Project and wish to reward yourself, the versatile and stylish Lombard Hat like the one shown in the photos above, is the pattern you will be needing. To keep with the theme, I’ve substituted Color A for Michael’s Cozy Wool in Red and Color B for Thick and Quick in Cobalt Blue– both of which are super bulky yarns.
These are only two projects you can adapt for this year’s Special Olympics, but whatever you decide to work on, you’ll never regret showing your true colors.
ETSY Shop Now Open!
Posted by Mylynedj in Uncategorized on January 16, 2012
For months, I’ve been constantly plagued with the thought of having a shop at Etsy, an international web-based store for vintage and handmade items. Placing listings for my hat patterns seems like a good idea, so as of January 5, 2012, LSK Designs at Etsy went public featuring 15 knit hat patterns available in PDF format.
You can check it out for yourself and tell me what you think:
http://www.etsy.com/shop/LSKDesigns
“LSK Designs” was not my first choice as the shop name, but the phrase “Little” + “Sweet” + “Knittings” was not available, to my chagrin, so I thought it was necessary to incorporate this phrase on the banner as it appears in the image above. As a shop newbie, I am tweaking the shop appearance and item information to better assist visitors and assure that these ones have a good shopping experience. For those who are not familiar or those who do not wish to open an Etsy account, I am still keeping all my patterns available through this blog with PayPal conducting the transactions.
Knitting Down the Bones
Posted by Mylynedj in Uncategorized on July 27, 2011
A trembling in the bones may carry a more convincing testimony than the dry documented deductions of the brain. ~Llewelyn Powers
Knitted creation above, Transcending the Material, by Ben Cuevas.
Just One More Row, above, created by Twilight Kallisti of Crafting Chaos.
Little Things Mean a Lot
Posted by Mylynedj in Uncategorized on June 29, 2011
Give me a hand when I’ve lost the way
Give me your shoulder to cry on
Whether the day is bright or gray
Give me your heart to rely on
Send me the warmth of a secret smile
To show me you haven’t forgot
For now and forever, that’s always and ever
Honey, little things mean a lot
–Kalen Kitty
I’ve been a member of Thread Animals Yahoo Group at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/threadanimals/ for over 2 years now. Inasmuch as I love, love, love to knit, I have found that being a part of this thread crochet and needle-felting group can be very fulfilling. I particularly enjoy the challenges or contests they offer to their members where all get inspiration and learn from the pieces that fellow members turn up. The group recently came out with a crocheted rabbit challenge (Hopp) which was based on the pattern
designed by Thread Artist, Joanne Noel of Wee Bears at http://joannesweebears.blogspot.com/ (Free pattern available upon emailing her)
Here’s my take on her Hopp pattern which is inspired by Beatrix Potter’s Benjamin Bunny:
Here’s another rabbit from the same pattern. This time in a cabbage/lettuce cup:
These crocheted animals are no larger than 4 inches- certainly a miniature in stature, but possess a huge space in their crocheters’ hearts.
Switching Gears
Posted by Mylynedj in Uncategorized on June 4, 2011
Humans are creatures of habit. Everyday we find ourselves reworking on the same things we did the day, week, or month before. While some may, at times, be caught in a rut, most of us find a sense of stability and security in having a set routine to keep us busy for any given amount of time. But as the seasons change, our habits or activities change like the flora and fauna around us as if some invisible gears were switched. For knitters, cool weather means working with bulky and super bulky fibers on bigger needles.
And warm weather means working with lace and fingering weight yarns and smaller needles.
As I contemplate on new designs that require the latter kind of yarns, I have added a craft or two as I switch gears from working exclusively with knitting needles
to one which includes crochet hooks. Knitting continues to be my first love, but would like to expand my boundaries to include crocheting miniature animals and accessories.
To the mix I’m adding jewelry-making and French flower-making. I don’t exactly know how these will fit under the blog’s theme, but I believe that engaging in these crafts will inspire me to be a better knit wear designer.
So I hope that you accompany me in my journey and find how switching gears may be best for things other than just the engine.
Special Olympics Scarf Project Update
Posted by Mylynedj in Uncategorized on May 2, 2011
The 2011 Special Olympics Scarf Project received overwhelming support from the knitting and crocheting communities as these contributed over 26,000 scarves to 35 participating programs. Little Sweet Knittings Designs is a proud supporter and even has published an original design, Shriver Scarf, for the occasion, which is posted here.
But don’t put your knitting needles and crochet hooks away just yet. The Scarves for Special Olympics has announced the official 2012 colors:
- Red Heart Super Saver 387-Soft Navy
- Red Heart Super Saver 319-Cherry Red
- Red Heart Soft 4604-Navy
- Red Heart Soft 9925-Really Red
Although submissions do not start until November 2011, you can get a head start by checking out the free patterns at the website or using the official colors to knit our Shriver Scarf pattern. Let’s get working to beat the 2011 scarf contributions!
Thread Artists for Earth Day
Posted by Mylynedj in Uncategorized on April 22, 2011
It’s Earth Day 2011 today! Thread artists who want to reduce their carbon footprints consciously use eco-friendly, non-synthetic yarns for their projects since synthetic ones are made from petroleum. There are several “green” choices available from animal, plant to bio-synthetic fibers. If you decide to use any of these products, this post lists a brief description of these commonly used eco-friendly alternatives.
Animal Fibers: Many yarns fall under this category and mostly includes wool, alpaca, llama and cashmere. Fibers of this nature are warm, breathable, yet lightweight and are well-loved by spinners. Care must be taken when choosing these in that the animals need to be raised cruelty-free and according to organic specifications. In addition, fibers purchased from local farmers is said to best support one’s community. If local wool is not available, online options include those from: Knit Picks, Lion Brand Yarn, Jimmy Beans Wool, and Fiber Organics.
Plant Fibers: This category includes cotton, hemp and linen. Though inelastic, fibers made from plants sources are stronger and less itchy and provide a good alternative for those allergic to animal fibers. Because pesticide usage is commonly associated with plant fibers, it is best to go organic when choosing from this group. Online sources includeLanaKnits and WEBS.
Bio-synthetic Fibers: Because these are highly sustainable and bio-degradable, they make good choices for more eco-friendly projects. These commonly include bamboo, corn, and soy-silk. Unlike natural fibers, this group (though inelastic) has key features such as moth-proof, may be hypoallergenic, and machine washable. Bamboo is currently controversial as a “green” source because of the long process involved in its manufacturing. Online sources for bamboo are NobleKnits, and NearSeaNaturals. On the other hand, corn makes a good choice for children’s clothing because of its easy-care properties. Yarn companies offer fibers made of corn under the following labels: Cornucopia, Corntastic, and aMaizing. Made from the residue of soy beans in the manufacturing of tofu, soy-silk yarns are as soft as cashmere with a silk-like drape, yet it wicks away moisture. An online source is The South West Trading Company.
So here you have it– there are abundant choices for eco-friendly fibers. If you haven’t worked with any of these, why not consider using them in your next project and make every day an Earth Day.
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