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All Things Crafts Blog by Maddycraft
| Aug 9 |
Sizzlin' Stitches
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The weather these past few weeks, at least in the northeast section of the continent, has been termed as a very cool spring. The key word here is cool, as these temperatures are always relative. A forecast of sixty degrees in July may seem on the cool side but if it was mid-January, it would feel downright tropical. Talk among neighbors and fellow gardeners seems to conclude that shrubs and trees are enjoying a...
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- All Things Crafts
| Aug 9 |
Wabi-Sabi Savvy
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Just when we have all learned to correctly pronounce Feng Shui, the Chinese art of appropriate placement of objects in our living spaces, along comes another ancient Oriental aesthetic philosophy, "wabi-sabi". Seemingly destined to become as popular as Feng Shui, wabi-sabi addresses our relationship to all things that surround us, not just to their positioning in our living and working environments....
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- All Things Crafts
| Aug 9 |
Felting, Fulling, or Boiled Wool?
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To ignore one of the basic knitting commandments, "Thou shalt not put wool into hot water" is to risk suffering the dreaded consequence of such action - very small, very stiff, little sweaters into which no family member would ever want to grow. But approaching the hot water as friend not foe, affords an opportunity to enjoy a wonderful new perspective on rows of knit and purl stitches. As a distinct...
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- All Things Crafts
| Aug 9 |
How Does Your Garden Grow
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A vase of beautiful flowers will bring you pleasure for a few days, perhaps a week, but a handknit sweater will bring you joy for many growing seasons to come.
Having lived in apartments for the last twenty years, I have had little opportunity to put my paws into the earth except for planting the odd balcony pot or attempting to grow seeds on a spare-bedroom window sill. So now that I am the owner of a... Read more
Having lived in apartments for the last twenty years, I have had little opportunity to put my paws into the earth except for planting the odd balcony pot or attempting to grow seeds on a spare-bedroom window sill. So now that I am the owner of a... Read more
- Category:
- All Things Crafts
| Aug 9 |
Attention Swappers!
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There was a front-page headline in the daily newspaper recently that definitely caught my attention. It read, "Needlepoint pirates pillage on Net". To see the subject of needlepoint displayed among world news and political commentary was quite unusual in a big city newspaper. Although, the timing was certainly appropriate. It was in that same week that the Napsters web site was being sued in court for...
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- All Things Crafts
| Aug 9 |
It's All Relative
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I must admit that I have never done a survey and my conclusions would be considered unscientific, but I am fairly certain that when any of us think of who taught us to knit, a family relationship or special friendship comes to mind. How many of us learned our knit and purls from our mother, aunt or grandmother? Should I mention in these days of political correctness, perhaps it was an uncle or grandfather who...
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- All Things Crafts
| Aug 9 |
Teaching Us Old Dogs New Knits
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Turning on the radio last Saturday, I found myself tuned into an interview about to begin with a group of artisans who were in the process of setting up a craft show. When the first craftsperson identified herself as a knitter, the interviewer immediately responded, "You sound too young to be a knitter!" The woman replied patiently that knitting is an interest that appeals to many different age groups...
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- All Things Crafts
| Aug 9 |
Yarn In Your Medicine Cabinet?
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"Knit two rows and call me in the morning" is not medical advice you will see written on your doctor's prescription pad, but if we take a closer look, knitting has some great benefits to your health and well-being. Knitting is a craft that is not only creative and mentally challenging, but is relaxing, productive and a stress-reducer.
We've all heard about the importance of exercise to keep our... Read more
We've all heard about the importance of exercise to keep our... Read more
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- All Things Crafts
| Aug 9 |
Mad About Plaid
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In March, thoughts turn to the wearing o' the green for St. Patrick's Day, but this year one might consider the wearing o' the tartan - the St. Patrick tartan, that is. Since these plaid fabrics are most often associated with their Scottish origins, they may not appear to be appropriate dress for a celebration in honor of the patron saint of Ireland, but the St. Patrick tartan is just one of many available Irish...
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- All Things Crafts
| Aug 9 |
Going Public
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A recent welcome break in routine saw me on an airplane to Philadelphia, not everyone's idea of a restful spot, but I happen to like the big city. Philadelphia, with its wonderful historical sites comfortably settled in a busy urban center, is a rather pleasant venue in which to spend a few days. When I travel, with the exception of a long car journey, I purposely do not take along any kind of knitting or craft...
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- All Things Crafts
Blogger:
- Maddy Cranley (aka Maddycraft )
- Pointe Claire, QC, Canada
Maddy Cranley is a professional knitwear designer, who has created exclusive designs for knitting and craft magazines, authored and published three books on the subject of creating felt garments and projects from handknitting, and produces an ever-expanding line of maddy laine handknitting patterns.
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