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Recycled Lantern With Soy Wax & Seashell Beads

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This lantern is another one of my thrift store finds that I dressed up today and filled with Millennium container soy wax.

It’s a blend of soy and other natural ingredients (no paraffin) that is fairly smooth and has a decent scent throw.  You only heat it up until it’s 150 F (65 C) and pour it at 100 F (38 C).

Before I poured the soy wax, I centered the wick and fastened it to the bottom with my glue gun. This saves a lot of hassle because it will then stay put.

I thought some seashell beads would go nicely with an orange color and decided to add a mango ginger scent.  Now that I’ve finally tidied the kitchen, I’m off to light the candle and dream of summer.

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Knit a Garter Stitch Blanket with a Twist

When I first started knitting again after a long absence from the craft (which has now been almost 25 years ago!) I really didn’t like garter stitch that much. I found it super boring, somehow even more boring than knitting stockinette stitch in the round, even though it’s exactly the same thing.

Over the years I’ve softened my opinion, and even grown to like garter stitch. There’s nothing wrong with being plain, and actually the texture of garter stitch is more interesting than stockinette.

Also there are fun things you can do with garter stitch to make it more interesting if you want to, such as adding stripes, working on the bias, or doing fun effects to change the look.

That’s the way with the Bernat Twist My Way Garter Knit Blanket. Using combinations of casting on and binding off creates what they call a Swiss cheese effect along two sides of the blanket. This is a lot of fun in the self-striping ombre yarn they chose for the pattern, but it would also be fun in a solid color or making your own stripes.

Despite the dramatic effect, this pattern is rated easy. It’s worked from side to side (if you consider the “cheesy” edges the top and bottom) and has an eight-row repeat that involves binding off and then casting on again to make the holes. They’re kind of like giant buttonholes.

Once you get the hang of it it’s a pretty easy repeat to remember, and it will be smooth knitting as big as you want to make it.

You can download this pattern from the Yarnspirations website for free, or you can buy a kit direct from them that includes the yarn you need (and knitting needles if you need those, too). Bernat Sport Ombre Twist, which is what is used in the pattern, comes in 12 self patterning colors and is a DK weight acrylic yarn.

[Photo: Yarnspirations]