Well, now you can treat yourself to that shirt and upcycle it by crocheting simple flowers to cover the unwanted logo.

photo & project by Noreen Crone-Findlay (copyright)

The other day, I was looking at my summer clothes (finally – what a long winter!)

And, I realized that I needed a new black t-shirt.

My old ones  are beyond wearing, and are destined to become fabric strips for weaving.

They’ll also become rags and other ‘green’ options.

Later that day, we were at a garage sale, and Tah-dah!

There was the PERFECT shirt- black, short sleeves, cute button front…. perfect!

photo & project by Noreen Crone-Findlay (copyright)

The only problem was that there was a very obvious company logo on the back of the shirt , just below the collar.

I had been working on the Simple Crocheted Flower Jewelry tutorial, so immediately, it struck me-  Whee!

I could use the crocheted flower motifs to cover the unwanted logo!   YES!!!

(click the link in bold letters to go to the tute and instructions)

So, I got out one of my most favorite ever threads: South Maid mercerized cotton in Mexicana, and a ball of Aunt Lydia’s Size 3 Fashion Crochet thread in Warm Blue, and a ball of Red Heart Hula in Orangina. I used a 1.75 mm hook for the rainbow thread and a 3.5 mm hook for the orange and blue. I crocheted up a medley of flowers and pinned them over the logo:

photo & project by Noreen Crone-Findlay (copyright)

Then, I stitched the flowers to the shirt, and added a couple of vintage buttons, and a bead or two:

photo & project by Noreen Crone-Findlay (copyright)

and the ‘new to me’ shirt is now gloriously and completely mine all mine!

photo & project by Noreen Crone-Findlay (copyright)

I am really pleased with the way this shirt turned out. I have another one that has an unwanted logo on it, and guess what?

It’s going to get upcycled with crocheted flowers, too!

Post from: Hankering for Yarn

project design and photo by Noreen Crone-Findlay copyright

You’ll need to get out your potholder loom, and your spool knitter  and less than an ounce of yarn in wing colors and less than an ounce of black yarn for the body.

If you haven’t seen my video on

how to weave a triangle on the potholder loom

then, click on the link  above, because you’ll need to know how to do that.

For this butterfly, I combined a strand of variegated fuzzy yarn, a strand of rayon variegated and a strand of rayon in lavender for the wings.

I held them together throughout the weaving, as if they were a single strand.

The butterflies are great on their own, but  they can also be combined with crochet or knitting or weaving. They can be sewn to pillows, bags, curtains – whatever your imagination and inspiration come up with!

I have plans for this butterfly…. and will post updates on where it’s going and how I am going to be using it, so stay tuned.

I’ve made a video of how to make the handmade, woven and spool knitted Nifty Butterfly:

Post from: Hankering for Yarn

with my potholder loom, yarn  and stuff in a project bag .

photo by Noreen Crone-Findlay copyright

As we rolled down the road, I was not happy to discover that I had left my weaving hook at home. Oh rats! That would mean ~no weaving~ for me.

No no no  no no no!

Luckily, I had an extra chopstick, so I knew I would be able to carve another weaving hook by upcycling the chopstick into a weaving hook.

When we got to the grocery store, my husband loaned me his pocket knife (mine was too dull to be safe to work with) and offered to go get the groceries so I could carve the hook…. what a sweetheart!

He went and got the groceries, and I rummaged around until I found a nail file and a little rock. That gave me all the tools  I needed to carve the hook.

I had my camera with me, and snapped pics as I carved, as I knew that this would be fun to share on hankering for yarn.

By the time he had bought the groceries, I had carved the hook. I was such a happy camper! Bless his heart!

So, here you have it: How to carve a handmade weaving hook from a chopstick – a fun bit of upcycling and DIY!

AND please remember: NEVER  work with a dull knife, and DON’T EVER point the knife towards your hands, fingers, or leg when carving or whittling. Always take tiny little slivery flakes off, and work slowly and carefully, nipping of the tiniest bits possible.

Post from: Hankering for Yarn

photo by Noreen Crone-Findlay copyright

It is a treasure. It’s 100 years old and has delightful photos.

I find it interesting that Mary McCormack consistently calls the spool knitted cords, ‘webs’, rather than cords.

I think that this is probably because she likens a child (she always uses ‘he’ as the supposed spool knitting  child, never ’she’, sigh) to a spider spinning a web.

Her projects all involve spool knitting yards of cord, mostly on 2 peg spool knitters, and then stitching them into shapes that are then assembled for the finished project.

To be honest, I don’t know if crafters nowadays would be willing to do that.

Hand stitching things seems to be a process that is really resisted.
As I was reading through the book, my attention  was caught by  the use of  the terms, ’round webs’ and ‘flat webs’.

I thought… hmmmm…. this bears further investigation….. I wanted to see if what she was showing was different from the way I make 2 peg cord.

I thought that perhaps, I should make a  2 peg spool knitter just like the one she uses in the book, but then, I thought…. nah, let’s just make the cords, and THEN see about making some spoolies like hers.
So, I got out one of my Cordelia cordmakers, and  cast on in a figure ‘8′.

photo by Noreen Crone-Findlay copyright

McCormack does all her spool knitting on 2 peg spool knitters using the figure ‘8′  wrap. She doesn’t start with a slip knot, just by taking the yarn around the right hand peg. She uses a dowel with a center hole that she drops the yarn down, but since I am using a Cordelia cordmaker that doesn’t have a hole, I just hold the tail in front of the cordmaker.

I am using 2 strands of yarn held together, just because I wanted a thicker cord. I realize that that could be confusing….. sorry about that…..

So, you take the yarn around the right hand peg,between the pegs,  and around the left hand peg, then back between the pegs……and around the right hand peg again.

photo by Noreen Crone-Findlay copyright

Then, you lift the lower wrap of yarn over the upper wrap….  of course, I had to take the picture, so I left the loop lifter dangling in space, but you’re not going to do that…

McCormack has the reader take the yarn around each peg, always following a figure ‘8′, and lifting the lower loop over the upper loop.

This creates a cord that is actually closer to being square than round. I worked the McCormack figure ‘8′ style for several inches. I kept looking closely at the resulting cord, trying to see if it looked any different from the cord that I make by the ‘zip round the pegs to the outside’  technique. I decided that I needed to try the ’round  the outside of the pegs’ method to see if I could see any difference in the resulting cord.

photo by Noreen Crone-Findlay copyright

The littler girl in the picture captured my heart…. she has the classic resignation of the younger sister who knows that she is always going to be the one who is ‘the student’ when she plays school with Big Sister.

And, that Big Sister is ALWAYS going to be the one clucking, ‘giddyup’, and that she will always be cantering in the reins….. never the one who cracks the whip….Anyhow…. back  to the cords…. I placed a bit of yarn in the center of the spool knitter to mark where I had shifted from wrapping a figure 8 to going around the outside of the pegs.

I still was lifting the lower loop over the upper, so the only difference was not taking the yarn between the pegs.

I spool knitted for several more inches, and if I had not placed the pink yarn in the cord,   honestly, I would never have been able to tell the difference between the 2 wrapping techniques. So…. if you prefer to use the figure 8 technique, then do that. If you prefer the  other way of just going around the outside edge, then by all means, use that method. McCormack’s second technique for working with the 2 peg spool knitter creates what she calls, |The Flat Web|

photo by Noreen Crone-Findlay copyright

This is a really neat, decorative cord that I quite like. The Flat Web is worked in the figure 8 wrap method. Wrap 2 figure 8’s on both pegs. Lift the LOWER TWO wraps over the upper wrap  on each peg. Then, wrap 2 figure 8’s again, and continue to lift the lower 2 over the upper one. (This is also  a great way of ‘beefing up’ a thin yarn ) I wouldn’t use the ‘Flat Web’ cord for dolls or toys, but for jewelry and embellishments, I would definitely choose it. Here is a comparison of the ‘Round Web’ and the ‘Flat Web’ cords:

photo by Noreen Crone-Findlay copyright

Both are made using 2 strands of Lily Sugar’n Cream cotton. Spool knitting cotton is more challenging than spool knitting wool, as cotton doesn’t have spring or memory, so it’s not as fast as wool or most smooth spun synthetic yarns. I thought that it was really neat that McCormack has wristlets in her book. Just goes to show that some things that go round, come round again even if it takes 100 years.

photo by Noreen Crone-Findlay copyright

Post from: Hankering for Yarn

A Reader Shares Her Sewing/Quilting Room Organization
Patti, visiting Quilting and Patchwork, shares videos showing frugal organization of her sewing area.

    Collage Workshops
Some links to collage workshops.

    Fabric covered notebooks
Chloe is using fabric to cover notebooks – they’re great for gifts or just as a treat for yourself.

    Fingerprint Mini-Mosaic with Scrabble Tiles
A tutorial from guest poster, TheScrabbleGal

    Instructions for a Tatted cord
Last week, I made a tatting shuttle and this week I’ve tatted the cord for a necklace (also made from a tatting shuttle that I carved)

    Layers Upon Layers
When your summer sandals have seen better days, paint them!


  Print Your Own Wedding Invitations
Did you know you can print fancy professional looking invitations using quality card stock and any word processing program? Eileen tells you how.

Image Source: Noreen Crone-Findlay copyright 

Post from: Hankering for Yarn

Christmas in July?
Chloe has issued a challenge to start your Christmas or holiday crafting now!

  Favourite Art Supplies
Sharing some of my favourite art supplies to use in my journal. So, what are your favourites?

  Frugal or “Green” Quilting Tips
In these days of saving money and being environmentally friendly, quilters have some tips to contribute.

  How to Make Mint Matchbook Party Favors
Have you seen these cute little matchbooks as wedding or party favors? Each matchbook contains an after dinner mint and is inscribed with the occasion, date and/or some significant saying.


Layers Upon Layers
Cyndi’s readers are sending in pictures of the best thing they’ve made so far this summer! Wanna join in?


Making and breaking and making again- A tatting shuttle becomes a necklace
Last week, I carved 2 tatting shuttles from some recycled wood. I broke one of the tatting shuttles and recycled it into a very spiffy necklace. And now, I’m debating about the cord for the necklace. Opinions are welcome!

    Win Scanalog: A Great Way to Organize Magazine Articles
Store directions, recipes and more for later use, then recycle your magazines.

Post from: Hankering for Yarn

“A Blast from the Past” Includes Pioneer & Patriotic Quilt Designs
Mary Emma Allen at Quilting and Patchwork names a number of patriotic and pioneer quilt designs and quizzes you on them.


Barbara Brabec and Me: Helping Crafters to Be
If you want to craft for profit, you should know about Barbara Brabec and Eileen, whose motto is “The Artful Crafter – Helping Crafters to Be”.


Crocheted Friendship Finger Puppets
Finger puppets are great gifts, and they are wonderful for summer travels. Crochet up a handful or two of these charming little finger puppets for your young friends!

    Layers Upon Layers
The beauty of a small Italian town took up all of Cyndi’s energy during her travels!

  Men’s Homemade Birthday Gift Idea
Make a collage for your favorite sports fan.


Mister Skunk’s Magnificent Creations
Skunk creates toy art from used bicycle parts and trash. On exhibit in Boston until July 18.


One Piece of Paper
Pop-up inspiration for your visual journal.

  Sewing shirts? Try this easy way of marking buttons
Here’s another tip from Chloe to help you finish off your shirts easily.
Image Source: Noreen Crone-Findlay 

Post from: Hankering for Yarn

A butterfly T shirt with reverse applique, recycled weaving and spool knitting
Here’s a great way to reclaim scraps of weaving to embellish garments and accessories

    Creations from Organic Artist Paul Schick
Paul transforms twigs and more. You’ll love the earthy feel of his work.


Layers Upon Layers
Be ready to ooooo and aaaaah over Bonnie Meltzer’s mixed media pieces!

Shortcuts for sewing shirts
Chloe from Tangled Thread shares one of her quick & easy shortcuts to save you time when you’re sewing shirts.


Turn Off the (Mod Podge) Bubble Machine!
If you’ve been plagued by bubbling and wrinkling in your decoupage projects, you need to read Eileen’s solutions.
What is the Value of Your Quilt?
Mary Emma Allen at Quilting and Patchwork will start you thinking about the value of your quilt(s).

IMage Source: Noreen Crone-Findlay copyright 

Post from: Hankering for Yarn

It’s Artsy Blogger Link time! Here’s a whole new crop of lovely links!

10 Ways to Save Money Quilting
Guest blogger, Karen Weideman, at Quilting and Patchwork provides some great tips for saving money on your quilting.


Creative Therapy
Another great visual journal inspiration blog

  How to Craft for the Retiree Market
If you craft for profit, you need to know your market. Read Eileen’s market tips for selling in an area with a lot of retirees.


Jewelry from favorites fabrics
Use fabric motifs to create embroidered pins and brooches


Peace Angels Project is alive and well again
A couple of years ago, I started the Peace Angels project. I designed simple to make Angels of Peace dolls as meditations on Peace and the peacemaking process. People have been asking for the patterns again, so I am posting patterns for the Peace Angels, starting with a simple crocheted one.

  Recycled Mint Tin Craft Project
This project is fun to do with kids or can be a very sophisticated craft for adults.

  Recycled wood made into freeform bracelets
Chloe and I are celebrating our 2nd blogiversary at b5, so, I made us each 2 wild and wonderful freeform wooden bracelets to celebrate.

    Ways to Reuse Old Neckties
Discover 10 ways to give new life to ignored neckties.
Image Source: Noreen Crone-Findlay (copyright) 

Post from: Hankering for Yarn

It’s Friday, and the 13th at that! It’s a good day to check in with the crafty bloggers and see what they’ve been up to this week!

Decoupage Beach Memory Box
Put your beachcombing mementos in full view all year round by arranging them on a pretty decoupage box.


Experience Time Travel with a Quilt
Now that your children are home from school, experience some “time travel” quilt related adventures with them.


Father’s Day craft ideas
Make a special hand-printed t-shirt for your Dad this Father’s Day

  Spool knit a magical little ‘Fairy Window’ for making wishes
Here’s a tutorial for an enchanting little ‘Fairy window’ to hang in your window, or in a tree, or…..

    Yard Art from Scrap Metal
One reader shares some wonderful junk creations.

Image Source: Noreen Crone-Findlay 

Post from: Hankering for Yarn