Craftside

How to Convert a Photo into a Knit Pattern from Hip Graphic Knits

Hip Graphic Knits:
Unique Patterns and Techniques for Adding Stylish Graphics to Your Knitted Designs

By

Rochelle Bourgault and Lisa Evans

Includes 25 unique patterns and designs!

Graphic knits have a long history, and this type of knitting is quite popular--though typically, the designs have been based on traditional old style motifs like snowflakes, leaves, and flowers. This book gives a growing, younger, experimental audience of knitters a great resource of stylish, contemporary graphics, and shows them how to integrate patterns into knitted sweaters, tanks, bags, hats, legwarmers, and more.

The book will show how you can convert any design--an 8 ball, a palm tree, an Elvis, a heart with an arrow--into a knitting pattern, and translate it into a project. The book covers basic techniques, stripes, intarsia, fair isle, duplicate stitch, embroidery and embellishments, and includes a gallery of graphs for cool projects.

Rochelle Bourgault works in publishing, is a freelance writer, and an all-around crafty gal. She graduated from Dartmouth College with a degree in English Literature and Creative Writing. She attempted her first knitting project at the age of eight, and has come a long way from that first ill-fated slipper. Rochelle lives in Cambridge, MA.

Lisa B. Evans is a landscape architect, a devoted knitter, and a mother of three. She has designed for the needlecraft industry for more than fifteen years and started her own business, LB Evans Handknits, in 2001, with an innovative line of knitted handbags, backpacks, and totes. She designs for Westminster Fibers, the U.S. distributor of Rowan, Jaeger, and Gedifra yarns, leads knitting workshops and retreats, and assists the handwork instructors in her children's Waldorf school in Freeport, ME.

This is so cool-converting a photo into a graphic knit pattern. I now just have to decide who I want to knit.....if you have done it, leave a comment with a link-we would love to see!

(Click on images to enlarge)

Here's a grid:

A Sneak Peek into the soon to be released Felt Inlays

Felt Inlays
Making Textured and Patterned Felt for 23 Creative Projects
By
Nancy Hoerner

It’s not just another felt book. Besides teaching this unique wet felt inlay technique, it includes 23 projects.

Felting has always captivated the yarn and fiber craft audience. Whether you know how to knit/crochet or not, you can do this kind of felting. Wet felting gives the crafter/designer complete freedom and control from the beginning. Hand-painted and solid-color roving--wool that has not been spun into yarn--is arranged on a surface and subjected to hot water and agitation to create felt fabric. With Nancy’s freeform methods, wool yarns, novelty yarns, bits of felt (called prefelt), and other fibers are worked into the felt to create highly textured and patterned fabrics—felt inlays. Each felt inlay (individual piece of hand-made fabric) is unique and creative. But what’s really great about this book is that Nancy takes it one giant step ahead by including 23 projects to show what you can make with your felt inlays.

Nancy Hoerner is an accomplished artist and designer developing her artwork for the past 30 years. She has published art dolls and bead projects in nationally known magazines and studied doll making and beading with renowned artists. Many of her art dolls and bead work are held in private collections. Nancy also works with manufacturers in the craft.

I love trying new crafting techniques and so when I got my preview copy of Felt Inlays I of course had to give it a try! Here is my first felt inlay with wool yarn. Not bad eh? Now I have to figure out what to make with it. The piece measures roughly 6 inches by 3.5 inches. Anyone got any suggestions?

Well I couldn't just try the technique, I also had to make one of the gallery projects 'cause it was just too cool! I did however put my little Sweater Surgery "spin" on it.

With inspiration from this Felt Inlays project this is what I came up with:

I tried filling tins in two sizes and liked how they looked. I then cut another circle to poke a pair of earrings in for a gift. There is another circle of felted sweater under the earring holder for additional padding.

So whether you follow the directions for a project or just take some inspiration from a cool new craft book, make something with your own style and it will rock!

Retro Tuesday-A photo from Fill 'er Up: The Great American Gas Station

Yesterday was all about the spankin' new so today I thought I'd go retro.

So in these times of amazingly high priced gas and it in the news all the time, I thought I'd share with you this way cool retro book from Voyager Press that is packed full of old photos and great stories to contrast the current calamity. (ooh me with the alliteration again, I know corny!)

Young or old if your a fan of nostalgia and memorabilia you will get a kick out of this book.

Fill 'er Up!: The Great American Gas Station   

By
Tim Russell

In this car culture of ours, what could be more American than the gas station, from the roadside pit stop in the middle of nowhere to the spit-and-polish, full service city shop?

This brightly illustrated history of service stations runs the gamut from East to West, North to South, spotlighting the culture and lore of the gas-pumping garage that has kept the United States moving for a century.

Whether it's the last-chance Texaco or the Sinclair dinosaur winking in the distance, the beckoning Shell, or the winged Mobil horse, its here in all its small-town glory of compact architecture, inspired promotions, art deco pumps, and endless views of the American horizon.

Author Tim Russell, one of the world's foremost collectors and historians of Petroliana, rolls out the ribbon of highway that takes us to all of those way stations of Americas motoring past.

I love, love, love old photos (and crafting with them) and this is one of my favorites from

Fill 'er Up!: The Great American Gas Station   

It really is amazing how things change!

(click on image to enlarge)

Modern Mark Making-Creating your own Pen with Recycled Materials

New book Monday!

Modern Mark Making:
From Classical Calligraphy to Hip Hand-Lettering

By

Lisa Engelbrecht

A complete volume offering lettering arts techniques as well as project ideas.

Calligraphy, the art of elegant, beautiful lettering, has increased in popularity over the last several years. From brides who want to address their wedding invitations to do-it-yourselfers who want to prepare certificates or make a family tree, and even for art journalers and scrapbookers who like creative text in their works, calligraphy books and classes are hot.

This book will spark the interest of the calligraphy novice by introducing a new approach to lettering, one that combines a lively combination of traditional lettering styles, fun and scripty modern styles, and artsy street-style lettering, along with project ideas that incorporate creative lettering.

Modern Mark Making demonstrates the uses of traditional and cutting edge lettering tools, from classic calligraphy pens to bling-producing metallic foils and glue pens. It introduces a wide array of lettering styles with complete alphabets sample artworks that show an application. Fully stepped-out illustrations breakdown each letterform, taking the reader through each stroke. A large collection of gallery images that provide further inspiration for how to use creative lettering in artwork.

Lisa Engelbrecht is a lettering artist and was an instructor of calligraphy at Cerritos College in Norwalk, California, where she instituted a Certificate in Calligraphy. She teaches workshops and classes around the country specializing in lettering on fabric and alternative surfaces, experimental lettering and the creative process.

It was so hard to pick what to share with you from Modern Mark Making.

But I decide to go with a great DIY project. I love when you learn how to make the tool that then you use to create art.

(Click on image to enlarge)

This was made for me by Lisa at CHA Winter 2008- to see her in action click here.

And since it's Monday , I have Crafty Blogger Links for you!

About Family Crafts
Is it time to start planning your Christmas crafts?

About.com Cross Stitch
When do you do the back stitch on your needlework projects? Vote in the poll and let us know.

Aileen's Musings
Visit Aileen's Musings to find out what Firecracker Martinis and Christmas have in common.

Crafty Princess Diaries
Tammy is "so" learning the ropes over at Etsy.com with her new jewelry making supplies shop. Is it too much of a hodge podge? How big of a learning curve are we talking about here?!

Layers Upon Layers
Cyndi has DVDs to giveaway from "Beads & Beyond" Magazine!

Stefanie Girard's Sweater Surgery
There are giant pom poms, a giant aluminum craft project, "Superfly", and a fun video from the Knitty Gritty peeps.

The Impatient Blogger
A link to three fabulous free projects on the Simply Beads website and some thoughts about inspiring creativity from a professional designer.

Watermelon Centerpiece from Suddenly A Centerpiece

Happy 4th of July all!
If you're looking for a last minute centerpiece-try this Watermelon one from:

Suddenly a Centerpiece
Assemble These Clever Table Designs in No Time at All
By
Sher Simon

Anyone can quickly pull together one of these twenty-five original table centerpieces for entertaining or seasonal decorating.

Suddenly a Centerpiece presents 25 projects that will instantly transform a dining table from blah to brilliant. Each centerpiece is super-easy yet interesting, beautiful, and impressive. The projects require no crafting experience and combine wonderful craft materials, faux florals, candles, foods, or textiles with decorative objects and dishes that you already have. A little of that, a little of this, and you have a centerpiece to perk up your table. Full of fresh ideas, the designs include centerpieces for every season, holiday gatherings, and casual or special entertaining.

25 table centerpieces for entertaining or seasonal decorating.

The only project book about just centerpieces.
Projects are sensational and surprisingly easy-crafters will love them, and the craft-challenged can easily make them.
Projects use a wide range of materials and accessories sold in craft, fabric, and discount stores.

Sher Simon is a floral consultant to home furnishing stores and private clients. She gives popular workshops on faux floral designs. She lives in the Twin Cities.

If this isn't enough 4th of July crafting pop over to Sweater Surgery for a fun, quick, and easy flag clip accessory you can whip up in a jiffy!