Craft Gossip

Independent craft blog since 2007

Manly Man Candles New Scents

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have some new scents out now, which I found out about through their blog Manly Man Candle Company Presents: Manly Thoughts. Here are the newest additions so far. Sports Injury, Dad’s gum, Manilla and Bob’s Eucalyptus.

I also received an email with a request for some ideas for new manly scents. The man didn’t leave his name but told me how he and his boss were having fun coming up with new ideas such as spaghetti, turkey, the morning after, and locker room.

Maybe he’ll come by with new names but in the meantime, does anyone have more ideas for manly-smelling candles? How about ballgame hotdogs, old spice or roast beef? I bet most men wouldn’t mind the smell of baking either. They already have a candle dubbed Grandma’s Cooking and it smells like a fresh baked apple pie.

Here are 5 essential oil blends that have a masculine scent:

  1. Cedarwood and Bergamot Blend: Mix 2 drops of cedarwood oil with 2 drops of bergamot oil. This blend has a woody and slightly citrusy aroma that is both grounding and uplifting.
  2. Sandalwood and Patchouli Blend: Combine 3 drops of sandalwood oil with 1 drop of patchouli oil. This blend has a warm and earthy scent that is perfect for men who prefer a more musky aroma.
  3. Vetiver and Lemon Blend: Mix 2 drops of vetiver oil with 2 drops of lemon oil. This blend has a fresh and clean scent that is perfect for men who prefer a more citrusy aroma.
  4. Frankincense and Myrrh Blend: Combine 2 drops of frankincense oil with 2 drops of myrrh oil. This blend has a rich and resinous aroma that is both exotic and masculine.
  5. Cypress and Juniper Blend: Mix 2 drops of cypress oil with 2 drops of juniper oil. This blend has a fresh and woody scent that is perfect for men who prefer a more natural and outdoorsy aroma.

 

Have you read?

Learn a Flower Bobble Technique to Knit a Fun Shawl

Generally I like knitting patterns where I feel like you can use whatever yarn you have (because my stash is big enough and I want to use it, thanks) and make a successful project. This is one of those times when a special yarn makes the process that much easier. 

The Floral Bouquet Shawl from Xandy Peters uses a specific extended color pooling yarn from Feisty Fibers, which allows you to place the bobble flowers with increasing frequency as you knit the project. 

It starts with a solid color yarn, then the two color yarn is added in, and you make a bobble whenever you encounter the color pops. This would be hard to replicate with other yarn that doesn’t have the extended color pooling built in.

The background of the shawl is ribbed, making the project reversible. 

The shawl uses fingering/sock yarn and comes out to be an asymmetrical triangle that’s 54 inches/137 cm long and 36 inches/ 90 cm deep and 60 inches/150 cm across the top edge. 

Xandy says the pattern is for intermediate to advanced knitters. Knowing how to work traditional bobbles would probably help, but there’s a great video tutorial for how to work the floral bobbles so you can practice on other yarn or even incorporate the bobbles into other projects. 

The bobbles are five-petaled flowers but they also kind of look like starfish to me, which could be fun on a child’s cardigan or other pattern. They’d also be fun on the leg of a sock or around the brim of a hat for extra whimsy. 

The pattern includes photo and video tutorials, and written and charted instructions. It also includes tips on what to look for if you choose to use different yarn for the project, and instructions on how to dye your own yarn to use in the project. 

If you want to give it a try, you can find the pattern on Ravelry. 

[Photo: Xandy Peters]