I just got some new molds!! I just got some new molds!! Time to cast some cute little jewelry parts. Today I received some new molds from Colour de Verre and I’m so excited to try them out. And I’ll tell you all about it tomorrow (or the next day…but soon). I got Tribal Beads, Geometric Beads, Small Ring Beads, Pillow Pendants and Nano Beads. So cool!! I saw these wonderful people at Glass Craft and was very happy to meet Larry, their fearless leader. I’m planning on using some of the parts I make for jewelry and some to fuse onto plates and platters. Pictures to come. In the meantime wander on over to their web site and look around. They have great products, fabulous tutorials and videos. Make something cool!!
Have you read?
Learning to Knit? Try a Garter Stitch Washcloth
I used to always teach people how to knit by giving them bulky yarn, teach the knit cast on and have them knit a scarf (like this garter stitch scarf). That’s still a great first project, but I acknowledge people might get bored knitting all that garter stitch before they can say they’ve finished their first knitting project. Plus they might not want to wear something that comes out a little wonky, as first knitting projects often do.
These days I’m more likely to recommend a garter stitch washcloth to a new knitter.
Washcloths are usually made with medium weight cotton yarn, which is one of the easiest yarns to find at big box stores and craft stores, and it’s usually inexpensive and comes in lots of fun colors. You only need one ball of yarn and one pair of needles to make one, so there’s not a lot of outlay in terms of supplies.
Everyone can use washcloths, and even if you drop stitches, add stitches, have weird tension issues or all of the above, it will still work as a washcloth. And you can keep that first thing you made to see how much progress you make in just a couple of projects.
And if you still want more garter stitch when it’s done, you can move on to a scarf (or even a sampler scarf if you want to try some new stitches).
That post linked above is a great one for a brand new knitter or someone who just needs a refresher, because it walks you through everything you need to know how to do to make it. There’s also a full video tutorial for people who would rather see moving images rather than still pictures.
What was the first thing you made when you learned to knit? Or if you’ve taught someone to knit, what first project did you give them? I’d love to hear about it!