A Few Basic Knitting Techniques

How often life just gets in the way of all my plans - I had meant to come and post on here with a follow up to my previous post within days of writing the last one.  Luckily for me i have been up to my eyes in orders and been very busy too with the new website.  Its becoming apparent to me that i just can't do all the things i want to, no matter how hard i try, so this post will share links to several other sources of really good information.  There are hundreds of blogs with tutorials to choose from but here are some of my favourites:

For casting on and starting to knit for the first time I would highly recommend having a look at Heidi Bears Tutorial.  She explains the process so well and has extremely clear photos to follow.  She also uses the thumb cast on method that i would use myself.  For me to write a tutorial on this topic would be silly when such a brilliant resource already exists.

Once you have managed to cast on and start knitting i would highly recommend you simply keep going - you will probably find your stitches to be all sorts of shapes and sizes and this is quite normal when starting off.  You will need to simply practice.  If you find your stitches are hard to get off the needle and even if they start squeaking at you your knitting is too tight - try to not pull the wool so tight when going around the needle and give the stitches a little wiggle now and then to loosen them off a bit. If you continue to find your knitting to be tight you can try moving up to a larger sized needle. If you find the stitches are loopy and falling off the needle then your knitting is too loose - you need to try and tighten them up a bit more by pulling the wool a bit tighter when going round the needle.  You can also try going down a needle size to a smaller one.  Just so you know when reading a book or pattern on the topic - the tightness or looseness of stitches in knitting is called tension.  

Once you get your knitting to look quite regular in appearance you are well on your way to making your first item.  My first one was a blanket made of squares.  I imagine there are hundreds if not thousands of these blankets out there, and this is certainly no coincidence.  Knitting squares is probably the best practice you can have when starting out........

To knit squares i would suggest casting on about 20 or 25 stitches, and if your knitting is nice and regular you will probably need to knit about 20 or 25 rows to make a square.  Its not always exact but should be roughly the same number of stitches and rows.

To knit a square you will also need to be able to finish off the square properly, and so you need to know how to cast off your stitches.  As you already know how to knit though this is very easy :)

To cast off you simply knit the first two stitches as usual then, taking the tip of the left needle insert this through the loop of the first stitch you knitted (the one closest to your right hand on the needle) and carefully lift it up and over the other stitch and right off the needle (see video below for demo).  You need to be careful the other stitch stays on there! One you have done this you now knit another stitch as usual so you have two stitches again on your right needle.  Again take the tip of your left needle and lift the stitch closest to your right hand up and over the stitch and off the needle.  Keep following this pattern of taking a stitch off until you get to the point when you only have one stitch left. You now cut the knitting away from the ball leaving about 6 inches of a tail on your knitting side.  Gently pull the last stitch to make it bigger but keep it on the needle, and pass the long tail through the stitch.  Remove the needle and pull the tail to make it tighten the stitch right down to the knitting edge.  Congratulations you have now finished casting off!   :)

I hope you have found this useful - next time i will cover how to do a purl stitch!  Hope you get plenty of squares done! 

Knitting Tutorial - Starting Guide

I don't remember when exactly i learned how to knit, but both my mum and my nana were always knitting so i definitely have them to thank! I couldn't imagine life without knitting at the minute as it has been a really good support to me during my recovery.

I have just been knitting a baby cardigan and it gave me the idea to put some information down to help others start.

The first step is to get the right tools - there are many different types of wool and sizes and styles of knitting needles.  Most people who have no knitting experience really have no idea about how to choose either of these and the importance of getting it right.  Quite simply if you don't have the right size needles for the type of wool you are using it will not come out right no matter how hard you try.

I would suggest you start with a wool that is more of an acrylic mix rather than actual wool because it is much cheaper and easy to get. Also you would be best starting with what is called "double knitting" wool - this refers to the thickness of the wool strand.  Note this is the UK name, the US has different names for wool types.  Double Knitting wool will have this written on the label as shown below:

There is a huge variety of double knitting wool so you will easily get a colour you like.  To start off with you only need 1 ball of wool and 1 pair of knitting needles.  You will need to practice the stitches before trying to knit anything or you will be quite disappointed with how it turns out.

The knitting needles you will need to use with double knitting wool should be 4mm needles.  It will give the size on the needles - usually on the end.  Again there are different types of needles - plastic, metal, bamboo and wood are the main types - i would suggest you start with a pair of metal needles (although plastic ones are good for children to start with from a safety perspective).  You don't need to buy very long needles as you will be starting with some small projects, the average length of needles is approx 10-12 inches. If you are having any difficulty in choosing wool and needles a local wool shop will help you to choose suitable ones if you tell them you are a beginner.

A variety of needle types

Thats all you need to know for now - time to go and buy 1 ball of double knitting wool and 1 pair of metal 4mm needles :) Next time i will tell you how to start actually knitting! 

Big Plans

Well in my last post i mentioned some big plans so i thought i should elaborate on that a bit and let you all know what it is i have been up to:

Gosh there is so much i hardly know where to start!! LOL! Well let me see, i did mention my website before which was based around a craft fair calendar......well that one no longer exists :( BUT!! it has been replaced by a much bigger and better one :)

Really it is the original version but much more developed and with a better design.  I guess it is a sign of how my website design skills have been developing since first starting all this just a few months ago really.  The new site Craft Fair Central has been live for a while now, but i am still developing it.  The main task was to sort out a selling section and i wanted to do something that was on a pretty big scale.  I have now completed this and the new Craft Artist Shops area has now been live for just over a week :).

The concept for the selling area is based around ebay.  It is an auction site with the option for individual shops to be added.  It allows sellers to list their own products and receive notifications of sales as well as payment via paypal.  There have been a few blips here and there but overall the site has been received well and i now have 32 registered sellers and 96 items listed for sale.  The site has had one sale already and has also led to an order being placed.  The current traffic to the site is an average of 40 visitors per day at the minute and that is without much in the way of advertising.

In addition to the selling section i have also developed the main site to include additional resources such as the crafters directory, the calendars feature (which now includes NI, IE and UK events), a tutorial section, and a useful resources section.  Some of these areas still need additional work as i don't have much in the way of content added just yet, but it is shaping up well i think.

I do have more plans for the site, which i will be working on in the near future.  In the meantime i want to try and focus on getting the content added now because i know that will add value to the site for everyone! 

Where have i been?

My goodness it has been such a long time since i have posted on here!! I'd like to say i have been travelling the world or something equally exotic but no unfortunately only in my imagination!

Things have developed considerably since i last posted however - I have been doing a little bit of website design, still doing lots of crafting and have been attending several craft fairs. At the minute i am looking at organising some craft classes and have been doing a lot of networking with other craft artists on facebook and a few other sites.  I have some big plans which are coming together slowly but surely as well but i will save that for another post ;)

I have been working away on various crafts as i said so i will share some pics of what i have been doing!

Shamballa Work

Little bit of Sewing

Little Bit of Knitting

 And a bit more sewing :)

Extended Calendar and Websites

Isn't it funny how one little idea can open the door to more and more? 


My last post was about developing a calendar for events in NI......but this quickly led on to developing a website with an event calendar that anyone accessing it could be add events to.  I have to admit here that i have never developed a website before so it was a huge learning curve for me! 


I used the moonfruit site for this as i had heard some good things about it.  It was hard to figure out how to do a lot of the adjustments i have to say, but once i got to grips with it i was able to make a site i was happy with.  Again, the site started off as one thing and then led to another - originally it was for Northern Ireland only, but i soon extended it to include 2 different calendars so the site would cover all of Ireland.


The site as it stands at the minute can be viewed here: crafteventsireland.  I say at the minute because I am pretty sure it will develop a bit more as time goes on! 


Once i got the web development bug, i also thought it was time to design my own craft website - I really enjoyed playing around with the software and came up with a site i'm pretty happy with now.  The brand new Funky Junk Website can now be viewed at www.funkyjunkcrafts.com


I have a feeling thats not going to be the end of my web designing and development.........all sorts of ideas are whizzing around in that strange place i dare to call a mind :D 

Craft Fairs Calendar for Northern Ireland

I have quite a few contacts in the craft fair organising circles in Northern Ireland and have decided to put together a craft fair calendar for any local events.


If anyone would like to add an event please just let me know :) 

The Creative Crafts Show - Kings Hall, Belfast

I was treated to the most lovely day out to the Creative Crafts Show in the Kings Hall today, by my equally craft mad mum! There was a huge array of sparkling beads, woollen bits and bobs, fabrics to die for, highly intricate hand made lace, card making of all sorts, the most fabulous cross stitch and embroidery and a choice of modern or traditional tapestries.  What can I say? I wanted it all! LOL


Every wall and nook and cranny was full of everything imaginable to tempt and inspire the many craft loving visitors.  Unfortunately, but understandably, there was a no photography rule so i can't share the  wonders that were on show, but i did manage to take an overall picture or 2 from the balcony:

I have to say there were a few stands that captured my attention more than others, but every single exhibitor did a fantastic job.  There were lots of workshops going on throughout the day as well, how to make shambala bracelets, lace making, card craft and extreme knitting to name just a few! 


I was particularly impressed by the products on show and being demonstrated by The Stitch Witch - I have a bit of a soft spot for African patterns and they had some stunning ones on show - you can view some of them here.  Also the stained glass window effect quilts were just too gorgeous to walk past and mum decided to treat herself to a few patterns! 


We were tempted too by the beautiful knitted items on show from the Glen Gallery in Cullybackey.  The lovely ladies we were speaking to really sold the shop to us well, without even trying, and i imagine a trip that direction will be on the cards soon enough :) They regularly host workshops by international designers in the Glen Gallery so we might just see about visiting when we can decide which of the many workshops we would like to attend most! 


Finally, I was tempted into a purchase of some Celtic design fabric from Rags for Linda - I have an absolute love for traditional Celtic design and have been talking about doing some work with this myself recently.  Well, when I saw the fabric I knew it just had to be mine:

All I have to do now is decide what I would like to make with it!! Watch this space I guess...... :) 

Patchwork Bag

Patchwork is something i have been meaning to try for quite a long time.  I bought some patchwork books several years ago, and after getting myself confused and frustrated i thought i would just have a go at it myself.  I hardly even remember what it was i used to make my first patchwork attempt, but i do remember it was supposed to be a cushion cover but it came out a bit lopsided LOL! 


This time i actually went to a class......highly recommended i have to say, if you have never done patchwork before!! 


Because i was just starting out and didn't have a lot of different coloured fabrics i opted for buying some mixed squares - ok so it was cheating a little bit as i didn't have to cut them all, but i have learnt how to do that now as well :).


The colour of the project was determined by the colours i got in the pack to a large degree, but i spent some time sorting and matching up what would go together as a theme.  As you can see from the pics below i decided on an autumn colours sort of theme.


The main shape of the bag i got from a pattern book, but i altered it quite a lot, putting my own stamp on it really.  As usual i also decided to not follow the pattern when my head was telling me of another way to do it!! 

 These first 2 pictures were taken after sewing the squares together and adding the wadding which gives the padded effect and gives the bag some form.  On the second picture you can see the quilting that i did on it by sewing lines both diagonally and horizontally just on the inside of the squares.


I lined the bag with a complimentary colour and added both a pocket and a key fob in a colour that provided some contrast on the inside of the bag.  You can see these in the pictures below.

The bottom of the bag, as shown in the next picture, is square which helps to provide space inside the bag, and gives the overall boxy style.

The square colours are completely mixed and so the two sides of the bag are different.  Despite the squares looking like they are randomly placed i did have to spend some time planning where the colours would go to get the best arrangement and prevent there being several dark or light squares together.  I also decided to have a brighter side with the yellows and reds, and a side that was less bright, giving some flexibility with which side would be on show when i was being used as well.

The completed bag has a dark brown tone of edging around the top, which is continued on as a shoulder strap.  This i chose as a way to tie all the colours together, both inside and outside.

I have to say i am rather pleased with the finished bag - it did take me some time to finish it but i think it was worth the effort ;)

Cream Ted - The finished Project

He is here! No longer Headless Ted because he has been transformed into Trew the Cream Ted! Trew used to be a pair of trousers.....that is until i was wearing them one day and my rather unruly bum decided to made a break for freedom!! I was about to get into the car when rrrrriiiiiiiiipppppppp and the neighbours saw a little bit more than either i or them ever expected to see!! 


You know when you have some item of clothing that you just love wearing and even though they had become unwearable you just can't bear to part with it? That was these trousers.  Anyway after sitting in the "i need to do something with these things" pile for just a few weeks i bravely chopped them up and made about sewing and stuffing them into shape until Trew the pudding loving bear was born!! 

A little bit here and a little bit there!

I really am trying to get some of my unfinished projects completed, honest I am! I do seem to have a bit of an aversion to doing any one project right through to the end before starting a new one though - don't know if its just my head getting too excited and running way ahead of itself or what it is to be honest! I drive myself doo lally with it sometimes!

Anyway, at the minute i am working on:

The infamous headless ted - literally just needs his head sewed on now as i have got him stuffed and all now!

The also infamous purple elephant - have been doing a little bit of sewing up on him and he finally has feet all joined to his legs :) head partly sewed up and body is the same.  He is actually really big, much bigger than i had thought! He is lovely though, can't wait to see him taking shape.

The patchwork bag - I have just the binding to add on this and a strap to design.  I did take some pics of it yesterday as i was sewing it up:

It gives you a wee idea of what it will be like without giving it all away :D

Yesterday i also came across an old jumper that i used to love - but it is way past its best now, so i decided to start unpicking it and have an idea for recycling the wool.  I love being able to do that - take something old and turn it into something new! 

Oh i forgot about the 2 doggy coats i'm working on as well! I have decided to undo the neck of the multi coloured one and make it easier to get on and off - I have the second goldie coloured one at the same stage now too - just need to add some elastic and sew up the collar bits.

So, as you can tell I am progressing with the projects, but it is a bit here and there so nothing is actually finished as yet.  Getting really close mind you.......well i would be if i stopped thinking about what to make with the recycled wool! Hahahahahaha honestly I'm not wise ;)

Branding the Cow???

Its a funny word branding isn't it? It always makes me think about cows and hot metal designs being seared into them!! I suppose technically we are talking about the same thing when we talk about branding ourselves and our businesses - its about being able to recognise our 'cows' from the rest of the herd.

In my working life we talked about branding a lot.  I worked for a charity and the need to be a recognisable and household name was key to being able to have successful services - The public needed to know who we were, what we did and where to find us or they simply couldn't or wouldn't support us.


Now that i am considering setting up as a craft business the concept of branding comes back into my mind, but where do i start? and do i really need to be thinking about this already??


Honestly, my answer has to be i'm not really sure, but i know its something that i need to bear in mind.  The brand i choose is what will tell people about what it is i do and why they should be interested in looking at my craft products rather than the thousands and thousands of other crafters products that are available.  


I have been crafting and selling for quite some time as i have already said, but this time i feel the need to re-brand myself somehow, changing the name of my business signifies a new start for me and a chance to really stop and think about what it is i want to do and the messages i want to send out to potential customers.  This time i have chosen to use the name Funky Junkified Crafts which relates to the core value of recycling that i want to embrace, hopefully it portrays a fun and unique sort of personality as well :).  The issue of recycling is an important concept for me personally, and has been for many many years, so it is something that i can use to add to my passion for crafting as well as striving to be unique.  


I guess what i am trying to say in my usual long winded way is in my view it is important that a 'brand' is not something that is made up simply because it sounds good.  Its something deeper and much more meaningful than 'just a name'.  It also provides me with a framework for working in and so in my view the earlier i think about this the better as it will give me a natural direction and theme for my work.

Building an Online Presence

Anyone who makes crafts to sell at some point has to consider what outlets they have for advertising and selling their projects.  Over the years i have used various options including having my work sold in craft shops, attending craft fairs, holding craft parties and more recently starting a Facebook page.  Due to my on/off crafting history i have not been able to use any of these methods of getting my work seen on any sort of consistent basis and so they tend to come and go.  


Now that i am once again in a productive mindset and also considering rebuilding contact with potential customers i have been looking at online selling.  I opened a Folksy account a little while ago but to be honest have not really added much to the stock on there as yet.  


Over the next weeks i intend to start trying to build up an online presence again, including updating the Folksy shop and the Facebook page - i believe the two will interact well together, but i guess only time will tell! 


The link to the Folksy Shop should you want to have a look is http://folksy.com/shops/junkified though i have only 2 items listed on there at the minute! 


The link to the Facebook Page if you would also like to drop by on there is facebook.com/FunkyJunkifiedCrafts.  Don't forget you can 'like' the facebook page to be kept up to date with my news and new products.


I guess i have quite a lot of work ahead of me with developing these online resources - I will of course keep you informed :) 

Some More Ceramics

I did complete quite a range of ceramics, so here are a few more pics I'd like to share! 

This one was my version of the Mindwise Butterfly 

Collectors Money Box

A couple of Baby Gift Items

My version of Lord of the Rings Figures

Flower bud Fairies

This is just a very small range of ceramic figures that I painted and sold at various craft fairs.  I completed many projects that i didn't photograph - something i have always regreted actually! I did a lot of paint to order items as well as ones I painted to sell directly.

I haven't done any ceramic painting for quite a while, a couple of years probably, but i'm sure i will go back to it at some stage :) 

Ceramic Alphabet Teds

Just to show that I do actually finish projects I thought it would be good to share some pics of hand painted ceramics that i did quite a while ago.  One of the sets of ceramics i did was these cute little teds!

Another Month, Another Project!

Sometimes I wonder just what on earth I have been doing! Its more than a month since I actually finished the last project I added to this blog. I would see through it if the projects I was working on were large and difficult, but the fact is I just find it difficult to concentrate on any one thing at the minute.  I have had a lot of health issues and so despite the fact I am not getting projects finished very quickly, I have been doing little bits as and when I can.


I seem to have had a bit of a preference for knitting things recently, although I have been doing some sewing as well.  I am still working on the patchwork bag which is really taking shape now - I should take a few pictures of that to add really shouldn't I? Well until I get myself organised enough to do that you will have to have a wee look at the latest knitting project I started on Sunday and finished today!! I know its nearly unheard of for me to finish something so quickly - I actually did most of it on Sunday night when I wasn't able to sleep LOL.


So there I was tossing and turning and I just had the idea of making a bag - a bit strange I know but hey it was at least more useful than lying in bed getting more and more frustrated about not being able to sleep.


Given the fact that it was about 2am I decided to just lift the knitting needles and make something up.  I combined 2 different types of wool to add some interest and give the bag some sturdiness.  I also used small sized needles to give a sort of felted effect.

Its a whole New Year

I just had a read of my last post on here and it made me laugh quite a lot! It is now the beginning of February and months have past since i was last on this blog.  The reason the last post made me laugh though is because the elephant is still unfinished, in fact has not been touched at all, and ted is still headless, but has now got a face at least.  The patchwork bag is coming along nicely, but is unfinished as well :( I think i need help - is there a support group for people who start lots of craft things and don't finish any of them???????

Something has happened though, I actually finished something today!!!!! I started to knit a wee doggy jumper to auction off for one of the charities i have decided to support and try to do some fundraising for.  I only started it about a week ago, and I liked it so much that i thought i would do another one in a different colour.  I started the 2nd one a few days ago and have still a bit of knitting to do on it but hopefully i will get that finished very soon as well!

I was so pleased with myself for finishing the first one i even took some photos - i know don't die of shock now will you?? LOL!

This is the doggy jumper believe it or not - looks a bit odd from this angle, like a hot water bottle cover!! But no this is the top view.

This pic shows the other side - as you can see there is a wee belly flap bit that buttons up to keep the wee soul warm! 

This pic shows the belly flap bit unbuttoned and you can also see the shaping for the legs to go through.  I did try the jumper on a wee doggy soft toy i have but it was much too small for the jumper hahahaha! 

Will have to add some more pics very soon - might do some photo progress reports on the other things i'm working on at the minute otherwise it might take a while for me to post anything more!