photo by Noreen Crone-Findlay copyright

Yesterday,

I cut the body length

tube of knitting

from the original

mile or so of knitted tube.

I gathered the ends and

stuffed it,

tied off the neck,

stitched the ears

and legs, and

made the arms.

Sew on the arms,

stitching them really securely to the body.

photo by Noreen Crone-Findlay copyright

And, now to

embroider the features:

I did 2 versions of the face-

one with an ‘x’ mouth/nose,

and one with a ‘u’ or ‘v’

smile.

Start by bringing

the needle with

black yarn

through the head,

and out  at the

photo by Noreen Crone-Findlay copyright

first eye. (half way down the face).

Stitch over one

horizontal bar

of the face

4 or 5 times,

leaving the

yarn end

inside the head.

Then,

take the needle back

inside the head.

photo by Noreen Crone-Findlay copyright

To make the ‘v’ mouth:

Bring it out at the corner of

the mouth.

Then, take it back inside the

head,  at the

other corner of the

mouth.

Bring it  out

at the center of the

mouth and take a couple of tiny

photo by Noreen Crone-Findlay copyright

stitches to anchor it.

To make the ‘x’

nose/mouth,

bring the needle

out at the upper

right hand side

of the ‘x’.

Go back in at

the lower left.

photo by Noreen Crone-Findlay copyright

Bring it out at the

upper left and

go back in at the lower

right hand side

of the ‘x’.

Take the needle

out at the

left eye,

and stitch in place

5 times, then

take the needle

inside the head.

photo by Noreen Crone-Findlay copyright

Take the needle back

through the head,

and come out

at the back of the neck.

Trim the end close

to the body.

This photo shows

both versions of the

‘v’ and the ‘x’ mouth.

photo by Noreen Crone-Findlay copyright

To finish:

Thread any loose

yarn ends into the

teddy’s body.

Tug hard on the

arms to make sure

that they are sewn

on really sturdily.

And, there you

have it-  a terribly sweet

little amigurumi teddy

designed by me for the love of children everywhere.

Please feel free to make them for your favorite charities and to give as gifts, but please don’t sell them.

That is not what they are intended for.

And, may you feel joy in the making and in the giving- I hope that they will bring delight those that craft them and comfort and feelings of being loved to those who receive them!

(Please remember that this tutorial was a HUGE amount of work to create, so please DO NOT copy or post it to another blog or website, but please do feel free to share the link far and wide! Thanks so much!

Original design by Noreen Crone-Findlay, copyright)

Post from: Hankering for Yarn

photo by Noreen Crone-Findlay copyright

This year,

I decided

to have fun

with my

vintage Mattel knitter.

I love this funky

old gadget!

It’s a little finicky,

but still, oh, so much fun!

I wanted to design an

amigurumi pocket teddy bear

photo by Noreen Crone-Findlay copyright

that  I could make

using the knitted tube made

with sport weight yarn

and the Mattel knitter.

(Note: It has 16 pegs, and

makes a tube that’s a couple of

inches wide, so any spool knitter

that has 15 to 20 pegs would work,

if you don’t have a Mattel knitter.)

If you have a Mattel Knitter, or

a similar round crank style knitter,

knit up a few feet of  cord with it,

to be able to make a bunch of bears.

photo by Noreen Crone-Findlay copyright

BODY AND HEAD:

You will need to separate a section of

knitted tube that is 5 inches/12.5 cm long.

To cut off a length from the

cord, snip a stitch from a row or 2

above the desired length.

If you want a taller bear,

cut a longer piece.

Pull up hard on one end of the cut yarn.

Keep pulling until the yarn

photo by Noreen Crone-Findlay copyright

tightens up, and it gathers in.

Now,  look closely at the

pulled in stitches, and snip

the horizontal yarn,

close to the original

snipped stitch.

When you tug on it,

a length of yarn will be

released,

by Noreen Crone-Findlay copyright

and the 2 pieces of knitting

will come apart.

Thread the end

of the cut off piece

of yarn into a

craft needle,

and take it through all the

stitches on one end of the

Body/Head piece of knitting.

photo by Noreen Crone-Findlay copyright

Pull up to gather the end,

and tie the ends in a tight knot.

Stuff with polyester stuffing &

gather the other end.

Tie it off and knot tightly.

Wrap yarn around the neck 2 times.

Tie and knot tightly.

Pinch an ear at each side of the head

and stitch across the base of

each ear, stitching in place

to anchor.

To shape the legs,

stitch vertically

half way up the body.

Mattel-knitter-teddy- photo by Noreen Crone-Findlay copyright

Stitch the leg line several times

to make it really secure.

For the first few bears that

I made, I spool knitted

cords to use as the arms

and legs and ears.

I wasn’t happy with this,

as I wanted the entire bear

to be made from the tube.

So, I twigged to pinching the ears,

and doing the stitched legs.

photo by Noreen Crone-Findlay copyright

The arms were more of a challenge.

I solved this dilemma by

cutting short lengths of tube (approx. 5 rows)

for the  arms.

I picked up the stitches on the top

of the short length of

tube, and gathered them.

Then, I picked up the stitches on

the other end of the tube,

and gathered them, too.

This makes a poofy little piece,

which I then folded in half

photo by Noreen Crone-Findlay copyright

and stitched lengthwise.

Because it is now 4 layers

of knitting,

the arm does not

need to be stuffed.

And, because this tutorial is

getting to be so long,

I am going to

finish it up tomorrow,

so come back tomorrow

for the rest of the tutorial…..

(Please remember that this tutorial was a HUGE amount of work to create, so please DO NOT copy or post it to another blog or website, but please do feel free to share the link far and wide! Thanks so much! Original design by Noreen Crone-Findlay, copyright)

Post from: Hankering for Yarn

copyright Noreen Crone-Findlay

When I am working on a new book,

(like I am right now)

I have dozens of projects in the works all at once,

and each of the projects has heaps of iterations.

I make a project over

and over and over,

refining and honing it.

Lots of the versions will simply

get frogged as soon as I recognize

a problem and note what I

have to do to fix it.

But, some of the versions of the

project are worthwhile keeping,

so I can end up with a whole lot of  variations on a theme.

It is absolutely essential to have each piece labeled with basic information.

copyright Noreen Crone-Findlay

The system that I have developed over the years

is a simple one that works beautifully for me.

I recycle lightweight cardstock boxes

by punching out hang tag labels.

Then, I punch a hole in it,

and tie a cord to it.

I number which iteration it is

so that I know what the progression

was, date it,

write the name of the project,

info like yarn and hook size

and anything else that’s relevant.

Then, I attach the label to the project with a lark’s head knot, and place all the projects together in a box or bag in a larger container.

I have other designer/author ’sanity saver’ systems that I can share if people are interested….

Post from: Hankering for Yarn

photo by Noreen Crone-Findlay copyright

The other day,

on one of my fave lists,

someone posted a link

to Bog Coats.

Bog Coats are an

ancient style of

woven coat that

are rather like

a kimono.

They are made from a

rectangular or square

woven piece of fabric

and are simple to make

but offer endless opportunities for embellishment and exploration.

Because I have been playing with tiny vintage Magic Looms that a friend sent to me, I immediately thought-

Woohoo! I could use the Magic Loom to make a tiny bog coat that would work as a Christmas ornament…….

sketch and photo by Noreen Crone-Findlay copyright

I knew that I wouldn’t be

able to cut into the fabric

made on the Magic Loom,

so I decided to make 4 squares

and stitch them together

as shown in the sketch.

photo by Noreen Crone-Findlay copyright

I used the 2 inch

square Magic Loom

to weave these 4 squares,

but you could use

any size or style

of loom that would give you

squares.

photo by Noreen Crone-Findlay copyright

The 2 lower squares are

for the body.

The 2 upper squares

will become the sleeves.

Body: The center back is stitched

together by joining 2 squares.

Then, the shoulder section

of the back is stitched together

(also at the center back),

by joining 2 more squares,

but only stitching half way,

so that there is an opening for the front neck.

photo by Noreen Crone-Findlay copyright

In this photo,

the sections between the

2 needles have been

stitched together,

and from the ‘x’ down to the

center ‘x’.

The other seams aren’t stitched

until the fronts

and sleeves  are

folded into place.

photo by Noreen Crone-Findlay copyright

The lower 2 squares

are folded to the front,

to complete the body shaping

and the upper 2 squares

are folded down

to complete the sleeves.

The sleeve seams are

stitched, and then the

remaining seam across

the fronts, and the  bog coat is done!

When I went searching through the studio to see who wanted to model this tiny Bog Coat ( It’s about 3 inches tall and 4 inches from sleeve cuff to sleeve cuff),  Albert Einstein volunteered!

Well, okay…. my Albert Einstein Action Figure volunteered…  and immediately invited a friend over for a cuppa tea to admire the new addition to his wardrobe, and to discuss the nature of the Universe……. If you listen carefully, you might hear them chatting…..

photo by Noreen Crone-Findlay copyright

Post from: Hankering for Yarn

I’ve been making all kinds of pumpkin-ie things in the studio,

photo by Noreen Crone-Findlay copyright

and over the next

few days,

you’ll be seeing

more about

that!

Today, I’ll

show you how

I made the tiny cauldron

pumpkin pincushions.

Tomorrow, I’ll show you

how to make the

Jack O’Lantern

pumpkin pincushion.

photo by Noreen Crone-Findlay copyright

A couple of weeks ago

I found a bag full of

cute miniatures at a

garage sale.

There were 2 little

cauldrons in the bag,

that were perfect for

a photo shoot for some

of my designs. (You’ll be

seeing them soon)

When I was working on  the Goddess of Upcycling Doll, I stuffed a scrap of orange fabric that I was upcycling into one of the wee cauldrons, and ding! a light went off in my head….

I thought…  oho! this would make a great pincushion!

photo by Noreen Crone-Findlay copyright

I guestimated

what size circle

of fabric I would

need to make

a yo-yo circle

to fit the cauldron.

I used a

cd as a template

to cut out a circle.

photo by Noreen Crone-Findlay copyright

Then, I made a

yo-yo, by

folding a hem and

stitching

around the edge.

Before I pulled

up the gathers

tightly, I stuffed

it firmly.

The cd size circle made a ball that fit the larger cauldron perfectly! I didn’t even have to glue it in- it just wedged in nicely.

The smaller cauldron needed a smaller ball, so I cut out a 3 inch/7.5 cm diameter circle, and made a yo-yo circle ball for it.

Voila! Two wonderful little pumpkin-ie cauldrons to keep my pins from vanishing!

That’s rather magical, wouldn’t you say? And, besides! It’s another great upcycle! YAY!

Post from: Hankering for Yarn

photo by Noreen Crone-Findlay copyright

Recently, I found some delicious tea that comes in silk teabags.

Well… if that isn’t an invitation to upcycle, I don’t know what is!

After all, if I am going to pay for the silk

in those tea bags, I am certainly not

going to waste it!

It’s silk, for goodness sake!

and silk’s precious!

So, now, after I savour my cuppa tea,

I save the bag and turn it into all kinds of  upcycled embellishments.

photo by Noreen Crone-Findlay copyright

I used to snip one edge of the teabag open,

but I realized that I can pull at the edges

and break the seal,

thereby saving some of the silk.

So, pull the teabag open,

and toss the used leaves in the compost.

Open all the seams, and you’ll have a small rectangle of silk.

photo by Noreen Crone-Findlay copyright

I began my adventures

in upcycling silk teabags

by making one of my most favorite motifs:

The yo yo circle:

You can make a very small yo yo circle

by using just one bag,

or a larger yo yo by stitching 2

silk rectangles (2 flattened, opened silk teabags)

together and cutting a circle from them.

They are so sheer that you can barely

see them in the photo.

Challenging to photograph!

photo by Noreen Crone-Findlay copyright

After you have cut the circle,

fold a tiny hem over

and stitch

around it

then

pull up

on it,

and stitch in place to anchor.

Voila! silk yo yo circles!

You can use them to embellish all manner of things.  I have stitched them to a sampler that I am weaving with natural cotton:

photo by Noreen Crone-Findlay copyright

I stitched a bead into the center of each yo yo circle.

Tomorrow…. other neat ways in which I have upcycled silk teabags.

Green living can be fun, even if it means having used silk teabags hanging up to dry in the studio….. 

Post from: Hankering for Yarn

This is a great way of upcycling old clothing and turning it into something new.

I cut up a sweatshirt  for this project….. the outside was lovely and soft, but the inside was like steel wool.

It just wasn’t wearable, so it was time to upcycle it.

First, clamp the garment to a desk or table, and use a sharp knife to release the lower band from the sweatshirt.

photo by Noreen Crone-Findlay copyright

Then cut it into a continuous strip by cutting a narrow section, around and around the band….

Photo by Noreen Crone-Findlay copyright.

And, then, use it like yarn to weave  on the potholder loom:

Photo by Noreen Crone-Findlay copyright.

This wooden potholder loom is from Natural Baby It’s a 14 peg loom, which means that it’s better for heavy weight yarns or -you guessed it… fabric strips!  You can weave all kinds of great stuff from worn out clothing….. how very green!

Photo by Noreen Crone-Findlay copyright.

Upcycling and weaving are a very happy partnership!

Post from: Hankering for Yarn

Photo by Noreen Crone-Findlay copyright.

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 other, and the middle section is oh so frazzled.

I sketched and worked on the pattern and made some adjustments and arrived at my version of the Sunbonnet Sue Needlebook:

Photo by Noreen Crone-Findlay copyright.

I cut out 2 outside pages from cream colored felt, and one inner page of white felt. I cut the feet off the inner page:

Photo by Noreen Crone-Findlay copyright.

Then, I crocheted 5 tiny flowers, using a .6 mm hook and size 50 crochet cotton, and my pattern from Crocheted Flowers:

Photo by Noreen Crone-Findlay copyright.

I stitched tatted lace edging  to her hat, and to the  hem of the skirt in the inner pages.

I stitched the flowers to her muff, as well as tiny felt leaves.  I stitched a bead to the center of each flower.

Photo by Noreen Crone-Findlay copyright.

I made a  bow from a narrow strip of felt, and stitched that to her hat.

I also stitched leaves and a flower and beads to the inside of the front cover,

and covered the stitching along the hat with another strip of felt.

The original needlebook just left the inside cover with the raw stitching showing, but I prefer the way it looks when it’s ‘cleaned up’ :

Photo by Noreen Crone-Findlay copyright.

Then, I sewed the 3 layers together at the 2 ‘X’s -

the original was only stitched at the nape of the neck, but I prefer the stability that the exra stitching gives.

Photo by Noreen Crone-Findlay copyright.

I just love her to pieces….

Here she is with her much older sister:

Photo by Noreen Crone-Findlay copyright.

I think that she’d make a lovely gift…. I can see that I am going to have to make more Sunbonnet Sue Needlebooks!

Post from: Hankering for Yarn

Photo by Noreen Crone-Findlay copyright.

Well, I haven’t gotten around to making the bag yet,

but I did snip a little flap off the coat

and have used it to make

the perfect accessory

for the Fanciful Flat Fiber Friends Dolls: Shoes.

Doesn’t every doll need the perfect pair of shoes?

Well, Flora did, so I got busy

with my sketch book and graph paper.

I snipped out a half a dozen different versions

of shoes for Flora and her friends.

When I was happy with the pattern, I cut out 2 fronts and 2 backs for Flora’s shoes.

Here’s the pattern:

I drew it on graph paper so that you could print it out to the correct size.  This is 1/4 inch graph paper, so print it out so that the squares of the paper are 1/4 inch. The back of the shoe is just over 1 1/4 inches tall.

Photo by Noreen Crone-Findlay copyright.

Sew the fronts of the shoes to the backs. I used my old Singer sewing machine, as I can turn the hand wheel and make one stitch at a time. You can also stitch the shoes together by hand.  Do use a leather needle in your machine when stitching leather.

Photo by Noreen Crone-Findlay copyright.

You’ll need to trim the seam allowances after the shoes are finished.

Photo by Noreen Crone-Findlay copyright.

Photo by Noreen Crone-Findlay copyright.

There you go. Stylish footwear for your Fanciful Flat Fiber Friends Doll!

Post from: Hankering for Yarn

In this pic, Flora , my FFFF Doll, is modelling the prototype origami kimono that I made from scrap paper.

Photo by Noreen Crone-Findlay copyright

Once  I was happy with the kimono, I got folding with proper origami paper. I used a 6 inch/15 cm square of origami paper for this kimono. You could easily use a square of decorative paper, or brown paper or wrapping paper or even junk mail!

Fold the piece of paper in half from top to bottom, then open it up, and fold it in half  from side to side….

Photo by Noreen Crone-Findlay copyright

Then, fold the edges in to center, open, repeat  again and again,  until you have folded the square into 16 equal squares:

Photo by Noreen Crone-Findlay copyright

Now, snip a ‘T’ shape for the kimono opening  up the center, snipping 5 squares at the center and snip one square at the top of the center line for the front opening:

Photo by Noreen Crone-Findlay copyright

To cut the sleeves: Fold the square in half and snip away 4 squares at the lower corners, and snip up one square for ease in the under arm:

Photo by Noreen Crone-Findlay copyright

Snipping the lower corner of the sleeves into a curve is optional.

To shape the front bands, fold one square’s worth at the front center, on each side of the center front opening:

Photo by Noreen Crone-Findlay copyright

And now fold the band in half again:

Photo by Noreen Crone-Findlay copyright

Now, make a pleat at the center back – this will bring the edges of the center front together:

Photo by Noreen Crone-Findlay copyright

Now, glue one of the little cut away squares from the corners,  into the side back edge of the kimono: (Do this at both sides of the kimono)

Photo by Noreen Crone-Findlay copyright

Fold the kimono in half again, and glue the side gussets to the inside front edges of the kimono:

Photo by Noreen Crone-Findlay copyright

Slip the kimono onto the doll:

Photo by Noreen Crone-Findlay copyright

Squish and squiggle the sleeves down into a pleasing shape: VOILA! She’s got a spiffy new kimono!

Photo by Noreen Crone-Findlay copyright

Post from: Hankering for Yarn