Get on Board With the Hottest Trend in Crafting
Anyone with an eye on the latest crafting trends couldn’t help but notice the resurgence of knitting and crochet. Yarn arts are no longer something left to grandma, as young people everywhere are discovering the crafts. Getting started is easy, with only a few supplies needed. Of course, you need to get a set of straight knitting needles. Second, it’s wise to use a thick, light-colored yarn with a smooth feel for your first project.
With just a few dollars, you can get started learning to knit. Free knitting patterns are easy to come by. The ideal place to find free patterns is to look online. The major yarn manufacturers keep libraries of free patterns on their websites. Often, a free pattern is included on the paper wrapping around store-bought yarn. Numerous personal hobby blogs have patterns devised by knitting enthusiasts the world over. The large social networking sites offer yarn fan communities, that offer free patterns, tips and tricks.
After getting the hang of knitting, you may want to try you hand at felting. Felting supplies are easy to obtain, and you can learn the technique quickly and easily. An important thing to remember about felting is that it shrinks your project, so the knitted piece needs to be bigger than the final product. Felting is ideal for projects that benefit from rigid texturing. For example, felting is popular for knitted toys as well as knitted handbags.
Felting is achieved through the use of heat and agitation. This is why most home felting is done in the washing machine. Setting the machine to the hot water setting and the most vigorous agitation should achieve the results you desire.
The perfect first project, whether felted or not, is the traditional scarf. Scarves are a great starter project for several reasons. First of all, gauge, or “stitches per inch” just isn’t that important in scarves, because it is not a fitted garment. Since scarves are not complex garments enveloping the body, whether it comes out thinner or wider than the pattern calls for is unimportant. It still keeps the neck warm! Also, scarves knit up quickly, giving you a sense of accomplishment in a short period of time.
Knitting and other yarn arts are a great activity that can relieve stress. You can do it anywhere, and easily carry it with you on any kind of outing. If you’re seeking out a new hobby, try out knitting!
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