Here I go again…digging through the internets looking for tutorials to share with all of you. And I dug deeper this time. First I ask Mr. Google…then I go to page 10…digging deeper and I found a portal through HGTV to find Suzy’s Artsy Craftsy Sitcom and this fab tutorial. She builds a letter out of cardboard and then attaches glass and grout…voila…a monogram mosaic. Very cool. You can make words or just letters. Whatever inspires you. What’s cool is that she paints the letter after she’s done creating it and uses matching color “sea glass” which brings out the color of the glass. Now if you can find pre-made letters you can always go that route. Suzy says she’s a bit of a cheapskate so she’s making it herself. Also, she did get her glass at a $1 store. Who knew? Looks like a great project…
Have you read?
Knit a Blanket with the Texture of a Ceiling
Knitwear designers can get inspiration from almost anything when it comes to re-creating a color scheme, an image or a texture in stitches. Sometimes the inspiration isn’t always obvious in the finished project, but sometimes it’s more literal.
That’s the way it is with the Tin Ceiling Blanket from Purl Soho. Not just because the inspiration is in the name, but if you’ve ever seen one of these old ceilings you can see that the design of the blanket is quite similar to the pattern of the tin tiles.
This is also a good example of the idea that you don’t have to use fancy stitch patterns or lots of color to make a big impact with your knits. This single-color blanket (designed by Gianna Mueller and inspired by a washcloth and towel set designed by Sandi Rosner) is made completely with knits and purls, other than slipped stitches at the beginning of rows to make neater edges.
The pattern is written out row by row, but there’s also a chart, which means this project is a great opportunity to practice reading a chart where you can check your work against the written pattern if you need to.
It comes in two sizes, a crib blanket and a throw. The yarn used in the sample is an organic cotton sold by the cone, which is a great way to get a large quantity of yarn and have fewer ends to weave in. In fact, you can knit either size of the blanket with just one cone of yarn, which isn’t inexpensive but makes you a great, sturdy, heirloom quality but still washable blanket you’ll use for years to come. (Of course you can use any sport weight yarn you like to make this blanket.)
Check out all the details and grab the free pattern from Purl Soho.
[Photo: Purl Soho]