Now that you have cast your stitches onto your needles, it’s time to learn the knit stitch!
Tips
Over tightening stitches will make it difficult and frustrating to knit.
Aim for consistency. It will come with practice.
Congratulations you just learned twonew stitches. That’s right 2 new stitches! The knit stitch of course and by repeating the knit stitch over and over, row after row you also learned the garter stitch. Who’d a thought – a two-fer.
The Garter Stitch creates a fun bumpy texture. We particularly like that bumpy texture for dish clothes as it makes cleaning dishes easier. Look for our video on dish clothes coming soon!
Come read all about the story of Jingles the Gnome, soon to become a Christmas legend or at least folklore.
You have heard of the Island of misfit toys, right? Well, Jingles the Gnome has been hiding deep in the darkest forest. You see just like Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer was ashamed of his shiny nose, Jingles the Gnome was ashamed of his shiny nose too! Not because it glowed but because it makes a lot of jingly jangly noise. Gnomes are supposed to be stealthy so they can sneaky up on you especially when you are being naughty.
Just like Rudolph, Jingles discovers that his special shiny nose can do something no other gnome can do. He can turn the naughty to nice. But how? He starts jingling and jangling and pretty soon everyone is enticed to sing along. And who a can be naughty when rocking along to Jingle’s hit version of Jingle Bells!
So simple Jingles the Gnome takes only minutes to make. No sewing, not even glue is required to make him. He does have a secret ingredient to make him stand up but you will need to watch the video to reveal Jingle’s secret.
Do you know the folklore tale of Jingles the Gnome? He can turn the naughty nice. Once you read his story, you will have to have him in your home. So simple to make. No sewing! No Kidding! But he has a secret you need to know!
Gnomes really do grow on trees or do they grow from trees? Find out with this super fun and inexpensive craft. Gnomes are known to bring good luck to boot and this one comes attired with a buffalo plaid hat!
Prices subject to change. As participants in affiliate programs, we may earn small commissions on products and services linked in our blog/website. There is NO additional cost to you however it gives us a boost and allows us to continue to provide you with easy link access to items we use. We are participants in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program and the Cricut affiliate program. An affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to products and service of affiliated sites.
Gnomes are good luck. Some live underground and protect the ground, especially minerals and buried treasures. Others protect gardens and livestock. And the special woodland gnomes protect the forest. They have become so integral to tree live that they literally grow from the trees and are attired with buffalo plaid hats.
Print pattern full sized on 8 1/2″ by 11″ paper. Can’t sew? Use glue from hat as an alternative.
Prices subject to change. As participants in affiliate programs, we may earn small commissions on products and services linked in our blog/website. There is NO additional cost to you however it gives us a boost and allows us to continue to provide you with easy link access to items we use. We are participants in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program and the Cricut affiliate program. An affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to products and service of affiliated sites.
You found the perfect card stock or paper package. Using this cool tip I was able to get nearly 30 extra images from my package. And if you would like to see just what comes in the featured pack, then look no further.
Did you see the ceramic blade I used of cutting? I absolutely love these. They last almost forever. You can go from paper to quilting cloth with ever changing the blade. And it is really hard to cut yourself but accident.
Prices subject to change. As participants in affiliate programs, we may earn small commissions on products and services linked in our blog/website. There is NO additional cost to you however it gives us a boost and allows us to continue to provide you with easy link access to items we use. We are participants in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program and the Cricut affiliate program. An affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to products and service of affiliated sites.
Whether your a seasoned player, a beginner, a want-a-be, or your child is interest in playing, we picked out a great ukulele. One of the most important things is to start with a good instrument as it is frustrating when an instrument won’t stay in tune or has other issues. Everybody wants to have success at playing and make beautiful music.
How come ukuleles make a great gifts? They are almost magically. For a child, it can a hobby that lasts and is never outgrown. They say as we age we should learn new things. This makes a ukulele an ageless gift. Ukuleles are little and relatively small in both size and price, yet they can bring joy that endures a lifetime.
You wondering why with a recommend a this Flight Salamander Ukulele? Sweet sound, great looks and durability at a good price to boot.
The majority of this instrument is made from ABS. What is that? Well it is plastic. This is Flight’s specialty and they don’t apologize for it not should they. Because is has an ABS body, neck, and fret board it is durable and not subject to changes in humidity which can wreak havoc on wood instruments. These two factors make it perfect for travel. We take ours everywhere. Another advantage is that because it is molded plastic you get consistently good instrument every time.
Features
The top is a walnut laminate that is not only a beautiful wood to look but also has bright tone- some says as bright as Koa. Koa is considered the best as it is the authentic wood of Hawaiian ukuleles. The sound hole features salamanders.
The body is arched which gives lets the sound resonate freely and have more volume than most other ukuleles of the same size. The body has a nice texture to it making it easy to grip. There is even a strap button.
Since the neck is ABS, it won’t warp with the weather. The finger board has a nice faux wood grain. The frets will never be sharp.
The zero fret and bridge construction give this ukulele a low action. A low action means the players doesn’t need to press hard making it perfect for the beginner and those whose hands find higher actions difficult to play due to finger strength. The construction keeps the tone consistent as well.
Prices subject to change. As participants in affiliate programs, we may earn small commissions on products and services linked in our blog/website. There is NO additional cost to you however it gives us a boost and allows us to continue to provide you with easy link access to items we use. We are participants in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program and the Cricut affiliate program. An affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to products and service of affiliated sites.
Are you bored with the plain look of your stringed instrument? Why not jazz it up and make it your own snazzy piece? We drew our inspiration from the Mandy Harvey Learn to Play Signature Series Ukulele from Kala brand. Start this do it yourself project with a nice sounding yet inexpensive ukulele or instrument of your choice and you can create your own personalized version at a fraction of the price.
One of a Kind Ukulele or Guitar
We cut the adhesive backed vinyl for this project with our Cricut. Click the Cricut banner to get your supplies. Learn how to design and make the Sound Hole Decal
Mitchell MU40C
We used a Mitchell concert sized ukulele for this project. The model number is MU40C. It is easy to play right out of the box. A lot of schools buy Mitchell products to teach kids so you know they have to be durable. It stays in tune and has a nice sound. Check out the sound in this video and note I’d only been playing for a couple of months.
This beautiful Kala Tenor Ukulele – the Mandy Harvey Learn to Play Signature Series – gave us the idea to decorate one of your ukuleles. Certainly if you can afford a Kala uke – Go for it!
Prices subject to change. As participants in affiliate programs, we may earn small commissions on products and services linked in our blog/website. There is NO additional cost to you however it gives us a boost and allows us to continue to provide you with easy link access to items we use. We are participants in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program and the Cricut affiliate program. An affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to products and service of affiliated sites.
Has your cutting mat lost its stickiness and just isn’t tacky enough? Whether it’s a Cricut, Silhouette, other another brand, chances are it is just dirty. Watch this quick instructional video to learn how to easily rejuvenate those dirty mats with our simple and fast cleaning hack.
You will save tons of money with this tip as it will extend the life of your cutting mats several times over.
Surprisingly once the cutting mat has been cleaned, the adhesive properties magically reappear. We are using everyday household products that you have on hand for this process.
Prices subject to change. As participants in affiliate programs, we may earn small commissions on products and services linked in our blog/website. There is NO additional cost to you however it gives us a boost and allows us to continue to provide you with easy link access to items we use. We are participants in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program and the Cricut affiliate program. An affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to products and service of affiliated sites.
Pencil games never go out of style. In our Library you will find three FREE printable pencil games. Each game board in complete with game instructions. Since saving trees and reducing trash is so important for the planet’s environmental health, we thought making these games reusable would be a terrific idea. Check out this video to see how we created the reusable feature with commonly available items.
These games are not only fun to play; they make excellent gifts for the kids and everyone who is young at heart!
The classic trio of games are Tic-Tac-Toe, Triangles, and Boxes (aka Dots)
Prices subject to change. As participants in affiliate programs, we may earn small commissions on products and services linked in our blog/website. There is NO additional cost to you however it gives us a boost and allows us to continue to provide you with easy link access to items we use. We are participants in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program and the Cricut affiliate program. An affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to products and service of affiliated sites.
We are delighted and honored to be featured asFaveCrafts’ blogger of the week. The timing is a perfect way for us to celebrate our very first anniversary of this website!
Upset about having to wear a mask? Try thinking about it in this light. Most public places require that you wear a shirt and shoes. Wearing a shirt is just common courtesy. However the requirement to wear shoes because of safety concerns and so is wearing a mask! No one has to say wearing pants (or skirt, shorts, etc.) is required. It is not only common courtesy it is just common sense.
This article will discuss the science behind why wearing a mask it extremely important plus explore considerations for choosing mask materials and getting an effective comfortable fit. Proper reuse is another important factor. By the way when we say masks, we are referring to devices that cover the nose and mouth. Our hope is that imparting knowledge will help you and your love ones stay healthy.
Most public places require you to wear a shirt and shoes. Why should adding a mask to that list be any different?
Why masks work…
Studies show that mask wearing reduces the spread of COVID-19 (and other respiratory diseases). Here’s why. When breathing or talking (and of course sneezing or coughing), you expel tiny respiratory droplets. The droplets start out relatively large. A mask catches these droplets before they have a chance to evaporate into much smaller particles which can linger in the air. Even though a mask drastically reduces the particles from getting through, some may still escape and can travel about 6 feet. Without the barrier that a mask can provide, small particles are able to travel 30 feet or more. Thus infectious particles can travel more than 5 times as far without a mask. Please keep in mind that about 40% of infected people have no signs or symptoms of COVID-19.
Wearing a mask will also reduce the likelihood that you will breathe in infectious particles. It help prevent you from touching your nose and mouth with potentially hidden dirt and germs from your hand.
Learn how to get the most from your mask.
Material considerations…
Don’t think that if you don’t have a 100% effective material that you shouldn’t even bother with a mask! This is like saying I am not going to take my heart medicine because it can’t guarantee that I won’t have a heart attack. It reduces the risk. As discussed in the science section above, masks will catch a lot of the large particles before they become small. Here are our top 3 material tips:
First you want the moisture from your breath to be wicked away to prevent skin irritation. Secondly on the outside of your mask you moisture to bead up and not penetrate your mask.
See how the sprayed water beads up on the material on the left and soaks into the material on the right
Fiber Orientation
Woven materials like cotton clothes have distinct holes between the fibers. This is great for breathe-ability and often allows moisture to escape. Moisture wicking material is perfect for the inside of a mask.
Materials with spun fibers have smaller holes at random intervals. Polypropylene is an example of this type of material and is the material used to make the coveted N-95 masks. Many reusable grocery bags are made from polypropylene. Recycling surgical wrap can be another great option for those who have access to this material. We highly recommend polypropylene for the outside of a 2 layer mask or a thin sheet of it in the middle for a 3 layer mask.
Breathable
Let’s face it. You need to be able to breathe when wearing your mask. This is also where moisture wicking properties come into play.
Comfortable and Effective Fit…
A comfortable it is much easier to wear. And you want your masks to be as effective as possible. Take a look at our top 5 tips:
1 – Keep the inside as smooth as possible.
For comfort, limit seams that touch the face.
Smoothness against the check can create a slight suction seal.
2 – Glasses fogging up? Fogged glasses are caused by a poor fit that lets your breath escape around your nose. Here’s what to do:
Add a noise piece – see below.
Wear your glasses down over the top of mask to help seal mask against your noise.
3 – An adjustable nose piece will help you get a better fit
When constructing a mask, using an straightened paper clip works well. We ended up breaking needles when zig-zaging over the wire. Check out our video to see how to make a simple sleeve to house the wire. We likes plastic coated paperclip. A chenille stem, aka pipe cleaner, also works well.
Use duct tape to add a wire to the outside of a premade mask. Remember to make additions to the outside of the mask to reduce chances of skin irritation.
4 – Look for a shaped mask that will fit snugly. Check out our design for FREE.
Ties work fine for wearing a mask over long periods of time. But are not very convenient.
Elastic that wraps around the head in 2 places is our preference. It is comfortable and easily adjustable. Check out our video.
For short term wear, elastic ear loops are convenient and work well. Your ears may get sore over long periods of usage so we suggest getting an extension. Affiliate disclosure – Please read before purchasing products from links
Be sure to follow CDC guidelines for removing a mask and wash you hands afterwords. If a mask is washable, machine wash it with laundry detergent in the hottest water the material can handle. Then completely dry in the dryer.
Have a different mask for every day of the week. This way you can rotate thru your supply. There current information is that the virus can live on surfaces for about 32 hours. Just because the virus can live doesn’t mean it is viable enough to cause infection. Err of the side of caution and give the virus time to die.
When not in use, hang masks in the sunshine and let the sun’s ultraviolet rays help kill the virus. Don’t depend on sunshine alone to kill it. A UV light is another great option. Just be sure to use it safely and protect your pets from it. We typical plugin ours into an Amazon Alexa Echo enabled outlet. After leaving the room (no people or pets) and closing the door, when turn the light on and let in work for a period of time. After turn the light bulb off with Alexa, we unplug and store the bulb in a safe place.
Prices subject to change. As participants in affiliate programs, we may earn small commissions on products and services linked in our blog/website. There is NO additional cost to you however it gives us a boost and allows us to continue to provide you with easy link access to items we use. We are participants in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program and the Cricut affiliate program. An affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to products and service of affiliated sites.
