I found an instruction for a cute notebook that is simply made with folded paper as pages and playing cards as cover.
That could be a nice quick small present.
Weave Wrapped Bead Buttons
Once I found an instruction on making buttons by weave wrapping wooden beads and tried it immediatley with different weave patterns: It is great!
I really like the weave wrapping of the buttons and find that the results are too beautiful to be used as buttons, I like them more as beads ;-)
Links:
Weave Wrapped Bead Buttons – scroll down to ‘To construct this type of button,…’
Here at unikatissima: Entries with the tag ‘button’
Sock without Heel
I once read somewhere (but I don’t remember, where) that you can knit a sock without a heel if knitting a given pattern.
Therefore I tried it. I find the colours of the sock hideous, on the skein I still liked them, but here… ;-(
I won’t knit another sock.
Actually I should have it knitted higher up and it could have done with a cuff, but because I won’t wear it I restricted it to a Sneaker sock.
Anyhow, the thing about the given pattern is right: That’s how the sock looks like: flat ;-)
I began at the ‘cuff’ and at the toes I decremented by rule of thumb so not to get corners.
As for the pattern you alternately knit three, purl three stitches, every row the pattern is shifted one stitch.
The result is a kind of spiral rib-knit that makes the sock so elastic that it fits the foot all around very well.
Links:
The ‘pattern’
PAPERgraphic
I already presented quilling which is not exactly my cup of tea, mostly because I find it often old fashioned.
I’m converted!
Links:
PAPERgraphic
via Do Something Pretty » Yulia Brodskaya
Little Improvised Knitting Helpers
Recently I knitted more often (mostly mazes and cellular automaton patterns) and got some little helpers together on the spur of the moment.
The first is a take-those-threads-away (I simply don’t know the name of this item!) for two-coloured knitting, that I made from a plain piece of wire: …
… simply bend the wire twice around the finger, hook the threads into and begin knitting.
The second are paper clips used as stitch markers…
…that I hooked in every 10. stitch, everywhere where the decimal lines from the pattern are.
I selected a different coloured paper clip every five clips, that helps to orientate in the pattern faster.
For the partly chaotic cellular automaton patterns it can be a real help.
And the last are my post-it notes I use to mark the row I’m working on.
Some people use rulers but the post-its stick better to the paper and if necessary I can take it with me without having to mark the last row.
However I noticed that I have to change the notes quite often because the glue gets weak from the constant tackling and untackling.
Links:
At unikatissima:
Entry concerning the maze pattern generator
Maze Pattern Generator
Entry concerning the pattern generator (cellular automaton)
Pattern Generator (Cellular Automaton)
TED Talk: Nature, Crochet and Geometry
Recently I presented the beaded hyperbolic planes, now I found a TED Talk to this that inspired me to eventually crochet a hyperbolic plane.
I wanted to crochet this in fact for a long time, ever since I got this beautiful pin I still adore.
Thank you again!
Links:
TED Talk: Margaret Wertheim: The beautiful math that links coral, crochet and hyperbolic geometry
At The Institute For Figuring:
Crocheted Hyperbolic Models and Coral Reef Taxonomy Gallery at The Institute For Figuring
– a wonderful gallery
Hyperbolic Crochet Coral Reef
– ditto ;-)
Beaded Hyperbolics
– still ditto ;-)
Crochet instruction for a hyperbolic plane (Interweave Knits article Taking Crochet to a Higher Plane)
At unikatissima: Beaded Hyperbolic Planes
Quick Natural Stick Deodorant
I’m fascinated about what can be done at home!
Now I found a tutorial on how to make a natural stick deodorant that seems to be made quite quickly.
‘Natural’ means here that the only ingredients are baking soda, cornstarch and tea-tree oil.
However I don’t know whether every baking soda can be used, because Leo says that ‘baking soda’ means ‘Natriumbikarbonat’ whereas on my baking soda is written that it contains ‘Natriumhydrogenkarbonat’.
Well, it’s rather spring time than summer now, I still have a lot of time to find out ;-)
Links:
Quick Stick Deodorant
LEO German-English Dictionary
LEO Deutsch-Englisches Wörterbuch
Pizza Box Gift Box
I presented all sorts of boxes already, but when you want to wrap something little and flat like a cookie or a necklace pendant, most of them aren’t suitable because of their shape.
Quite different the pizza box gift box: it is folded like a pizza box and what could be flatter? ;-)
I really like the idea and the template and will use it for sure when needed.
&*@!?#%
Do you know the story, too? You have a very good instruction or a great idea and work hard and – wham! – everything goes awry.
craftfail features an amusing compilation of such ‘experiences’.
Actually I could have shown easily an own photo, but 1. I’m not yet ready to share my failures and 2. I found the dog soo cute! ;-)
P.S.: I don’t even have a category for failures ;-)
Fringed Buttons
I found the fringed buttons very nice. But they are done with ready-made fringes which I don’t have at home.
Therefore I made a kind of pom-pom from wool rests and put my button inside there and although I find the button awful kitschy I quite like the combination ;-))
Of course you can as well tuck a Crazy Daisy under the button ;-))
Links:
Fringe-y Goodness
Here at unikatissima:
Crazy Daisy Ring
Crazy Daisies
Crazy Daisies II