Yay… it’s Artsy Bloggers day on Hankering for Yarn!
There are some fun links for you in this week’s Artsy Bloggers roundup:
Arts & Crafts Examiner :
Designer Minoo Hersini shares her unique fall centerpieces, perfect for  Thanksgiving entertaining for our American friends.
Make-unique-fall-centerpieces-with-tree-bark
Creative Dreamer
June shares a post from August when she was experimenting with creating hand made books. She wanted to see if she could create a round one, and these are the result.
hand made books
Gadabout Media DIY
Do you have a pair of blue jeans with a hole? Don’t throw them out – it’s easy to repair them!
how-to-repair-blue-jeans/
…read more

The other day, I was wearing a crocheted shrug, and thought that it would be great if it had a single large button to hold it closed.
I was thinking
of one particular
vintage button
that a friend
sent me last year.
It’s kind of
translucent
and totally
wonderful.
I decided that I didn’t want to sew the button to the shrug, as that would mean that I could only enjoy it on one garment.
I thought…. why not attach a safety pin to the back of the button so I can wear it on lots of things?
I wanted the pin
to stay in one place
without glue, so
I unwound the coil,
then slipped …read more

A few weeks ago, I was enchanted by finding this adorable little vintage Sunbonnet Sue Needlebook in a second hand store:
Poor little thing… she’s very stained, and rather frayed around the edges.
Even so, she stole my heart, and I knew that I just had to see if I could rescue and re-create her.
If you are wondering what a needle book is, it’s a rather sweet bit of stitchery history.
Needlebooks are small ‘books’ with cloth pages that are alternatives to pin cushions.
Needles are stored in the inner pages of the needlebook.
Her front and back are way out of kilter with each …read more

Alright! Summer is officially here!
What better way to celebrate summer than to make a special summer friend that is an exploration of all kinds of wonderful fiber arts and crafts?
I have designed a very simple flat doll that is 8 inches/20 cm tall.  I am going to be posting all kinds of patterns and tutorials about wonderful clothing and accessories for the Flat Fanciful Dolls, using all kinds of yarn and other fibery techniques.
Here’s the pattern for the Flat Fanciful Dolls:
I’ve drawn the pattern out on 1/4 inch graph paper, so when you print it, adjust it so the squares …read more

When my daughter and her husband moved into their new house, they trimmed a branch that was hanging over the sidewalk.
I brought the branch home and let it dry out for a few months.
I trimmed the small stickie outie bits off….
And carefully sliced pieces off the branch. The pine wood smelled wonderful!
Then drilled holes
Voila! Handmade wooden buttons- they need to be waxed or varnished…
perhaps embellished with a little woodburning or paint first?
Hmmmm….. my son trimmed the apple trees…. perhaps I should make some apple wood buttons…..

In these challenging and  stressful times, people are finding relief by reaching back in time to embrace and re-interpret vintage crafts.  Yarn is one of the greatest sources of comfort imaginable, so it is natural for yarn lovers to find ways of soothing themselves, AND other people with their yarnworks. I have been mulling over some yarnie comforts lately…..
Yesterday,  we had a very stressful day. We went to visit an old friend who is terribly ill in the hospital.
As we were leaving the hospital, talking quietly together about our friend, a young woman dashed into the elevator with us.  We …read more

I know we have a way to go before February 14, but if you want to make something for your sweetie, you have to plan ahead. Here are some links to FREE patterns, all of them with a heart motif of one kind or another:
Wee hearts
Valentine cloth
Seven of hearts socks
Hearts dishcloth
Hot pad
Chain of hearts bookmark
Lattice hearts dishcloth
Enjoy!

Don’t think I forgot about man’s (or woman’s!) best friend just because I posted free crochet patterns for kitty yesterday. Today, I bring you some crochet patterns for your favorite pooch:
Dog bed
Easy dog sweater – With helpful tutorial
Bandana – Very cute and quick!
Doggie bone – You’ll need this additional 3D heart pattern
Enjoy! And, if you can’t get enough of puppies and doggies, check out The Doggy Blog, where it’s all dogs, all the time.
Image: Photos.com

If your cat or kitten is your best friend, you want to make something for her/him for Christmas, right? Fortunately, you can whip up a crochet gift rather quickly. Here are some ideas for the furry feline in your life — and all of these patterns are free: 
Crochet chicken (or other bird) – Perfect for stuffing with catnip
Kitty sweater – Because what cat doesn’t just love to wear clothes?
Catnip mouse – More catnip
Snuggle tubbie – Although meant to provide a safe and comfortable place for shelter animals, this is great for any pet  
Octo-puss toy – Great for using up scraps
Want more kitty? Be sure to hop over to …read more

Let’s say you waited until just now to knit and/or crochet gifts for the holidays. You need some ideas that you can work up fast. Usually, the smaller the project, the quicker you can whip it out (though yarn thickness and needle size also come into play). What types of projects can you dive into and finish before December 25? Here’s some ideas:
Crochet Christmas tree air freshener
Knit baby poncho
Crochet stocking
Knit Peter Rabbit
Crochet angel wreath
Knit squiPod iPod cozy
Crochet penguin ornament
Knit Anna of Green Cables hat
Crochet purse
Knit coffee cup cozy
Small projects are perfect for using up leftovers from other projects or for stashbusting, …read more