Kreate-a-lope® {Product Review}

Creating your own custom envelopes is a cinch with the Kreate-a-lope® envelope template! Nick Romer, the creator of these handy templates, sent a couple of sizes for me to try out and review. I received the A2 standard invitation size and the A7 size template. You can check out the Kreate-a-lope® Video for all the details on how to use this product.

I gathered together some of my favorite papers so I would have a variety to experiment with including: light-weight scrapbook paper, handmade paper, a page from an old atlas, vintage sheet music, vintage dictionary paper, and a couple of discarded road maps.

In the end, the vintage sheet music and the atlas page turned out to be my favorite envelopes! I’m especially smitten with the map envelopes. They would be ideal for a travel-themed wedding and could be customized to feature the couple’s home city or state, the wedding location, or even the honeymoon destination!

Over all the templates are very easy to use, and provide a great way to upcylcle all those pretty papers you’ve been collecting! Shown above are my top 5 tips for using the Kreate-a-lope® based on my own experience. I am so happy to have a way to put that vast pile of papers in my studio to good use. Many thanks to Nick Romer for sponsoring this post and sharing such a great product. Don’t forget about the Kickstarter campaign for Kreate-a-lope® and be sure to check out our giveaway of the product here at DIY Weddings! 6 readers will win an A2 standard invitation size Kreate-a-lope®. Click this link for all the details and to enter the giveaway before midnight CST on May 20th, 2013.

Getting ready for back to school makes me think about pencil crafts, so let’s take a look at some pencil themed knitting patterns!

I recently made a pencil on a circular knitting machine, and it was a fun, quick, easy project that uses little bits of leftover yarn (and if you don’t have yellow you can make it a colored pencil using whatever color’s your favorite). And if you want to make a bigger version check out this pattern from Orange Olive Road on Etsy.

If you want to knit a pencil pillow by hand, check out Sketchy, available on Ravelry from Shana S. Cohen. This one uses worsted weight yarn and has two size options and the choice to make a pencil with an eraser or a colored pencil.

Pencil scarves seem to be the most popular kind of pencil knitting pattern, and there are lot of cute ones. This one from Cosy Craft UK mostly uses garter stitch, with some welts to add texture and what looks like an I-cord edging. It calls for DK weight yarn.

If you want to go all garter stitch try this version from Emsley Co Creations, which uses five colors of DK weight yarn and just a little shaping to make the point of the pencil.

There’s also this fun, mostly stockinette so it looks like it curls a bit, pencil pattern that looks like it’s worked in chunky yarn from Little Knits Studio. This one uses just a little garter stitch and easy shaping for the point.

If you don’t want a pencil scarf, how about some pencil socks? The No. 2 Pencil Socks from The Yarn Enabler are available from Ravelry and use five colors of sock yarn. They feature wide ribs to mimic the texture of a pencil and have options to be worked from the top down or the toe up.

Needs Sharpening by Alexander Walker is a free pattern on Ravelry that uses five colors of sock yarn to make a sort of shortie sock. The little bit of black at the tips of the toes inspired the name. These, too, can be worked in either direction and are available in three sizes.

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