I have a much-loved pair of Fluevog shoes that needed a new pair of shoelaces. And since I'm a girl with a lucet, I've got a handy way to whip up a pair of pretty shoelaces whenever I please. I also have magic powers in color-matching my laces to my shoes as long as I can find the right yarn color. (Try to find a full array of colored shoelaces for sale in the length and style that you need. Not going to happen!) I felt like keeping the look of these shoes classic and versatile. In this case black yarn was a pretty easy color to get a hold of. The sheen and weight of Lucci Rayon was perfect for...
Lace requires blocking, otherwise it just looks crumply and distorted! I don’t care whether you’ve knitted or crocheted your lace: just please block it once you’re done! (Case in point: Guess which swatch above is blocked and which one isn’t?) In this post, I’m going to talk about the different blocking techniques and provide links to where you can learn more about them. (There are many ways to block and everyone has a favorite!) Then I’ll share my favorite blocking technique with you and the tell you why it works best for me. I haven’t seen anyone else do a write up on the technique I use. Blocking knitting is the same as blocking crochet. There are so many great tutorials online for...
I’ve made about 20 Stash Buster Blankets over the last 10 years or so. I absolutely love them because they’re like painting with my stash yarn. They are made with the odds and ends of leftover and forgotten yarns that I can't bring myself to donate but never seem to use either. Usually, I use yarn that I would never want to wear: eyelash yarn for example. But they look fun as home decor. (And I still have a ton of stash eyelash yarn that’s a decade old!) Last year I moved from a cold place to a warm place (Hello Florida!!!). I needed a new throw for the couch. Something lighter than the blankets I used to make in California. And in colors reflecting my...
Did you ever consider that your lucet could help with a home improvement project? Anywhere you need a cord around the house presents a chance to use your lucet. It gives you a chance to not only make an everyday thing that is functional, but beautiful as well. For years I’ve had this teak cabinet that requires a removable skeleton key to open and close the door. I used to store part of my yarn stash in it when my son was a toddler. Well, of course, one day he removed the key and for the next 3 years I had no way to open the cabinet. (Living with small children is chaos.) It felt like Christmas when I found it under the sofa and could...
I don’t know what it is about Eastern European knitters and crocheters but they put out the most innovative technical stuff. If you aren’t aware of what they are doing, Duplet Magazine is a great example. The site I link to lets you preview the magazines online before you buy. I may not be a fan of the aesthetic in this magazine, but the technical level of work is phenomenal. It's my favorite needlework magazine. It just blows away what we publish in the United States. Why is that? Seriously! Would love to hear from any Russians, Ukrainians or other Eastern Europeans who can explain what it is about the culture that has preserved so much varied and interesting needlework techniques. What they are doing with Hairpin Lace...
