www.cnymachineknitters.com/iblog/

I did my first Podcast with Heather Thompson she is a lot of fun if you want to do one email her it was fun!

My Knitting Machines And Me: Useful Sites

My Knitting Machines And Me: Useful Sites

http://www.freewebs.com/artknitter/freepatterns.htm

Baby Bunny

For direction to make machine knitted baby bunny http://www.freewebs.com/artknitter/

baby bunny legs and body

This is what the legs should look like.

Notice the arm up. I sewed it then bent it down and sewed it lightly at an angle to the body

Baby bunny

Bottle cap yarn doll
One of the first projects I ever did was a yarn doll. I wasn't happy with the colored head, how can it be avoided since it was all one piece.
The way I made this doll you can have a natural color face of your choice or not.
We should all be helping keep our planet green !!!
There's no shortage of bottle caps. Here is a free project to use yours up. I used Gatorade caps.
When I made these dolls I played with them. I was about 8 years old and had a lot of fun with them all year round.
This doll could be used in a wreath, made in school colors, used as a package top, or a Christmas decoration Make them as a garland for a party.
I will show next how to make a boy
Yarn doll by Karen Lothrop

Materials:
(Color of choice) worsted weight yarn for tassel body and I cords
Yarn Remnants for eyes
Pink yarn or desired complexion color for face
Red yarn for mouth
Small amount of light weight yarn such as 4 ply machine knitting yarn for hair
Tapestry needle
Small amount of polyester stuffing or stuffing from a pill bottle
1 plastic bottle cap 2 inches wide (I used one from Gatorade)
Or 2 bottle caps if you want her to sit
Awl
Bulky or hobby knitting machine


Cast on 16 stitches in pink yarn and knit 24 rows or a 4 inch X 4 inch square cast off.

Place the poly fill inside the bottle cap. This is going to be the back of the head.
The stuffing going up against the back yarn knitted face piece

Thread a tapestry needle with red yarn. Find the middle of the square and 1/3 up from the bottom; sew a duplicate stitch for mouth.

4 stitches up from the mouth and 2 stitches to the right sew a French knot for an eye. Do the same 2 stitches to the left for the other eye.

Two stitches up from the mouth with pink yarn sew a French knot for a nose

Sew a running stitch around the edge of the square. Place the bottle cap with poly fill facing up against the back of the face on the inside. Pull your yarn to gather and sew to secure.

You should have a head like this last picture

With yarn of choice wind 100 times around a piece of card board that’s 7 inches long. I sometimes use a video case Slip off and tie securely at the top with matching yarn to make a tassel.

Cast on 4 stitches and knit and I cord 14 inches long tie a knot in each end for hand

Find the middle on the inside of the tassel, find the middle of the I cord with matching yarn sew the arms in place
It should look like this.

I knitted an I cord for a belt but a piece of yarn tied around the middle works better.

From the back with pink yarn sew the head to the top of the tassel. Make sure it’s sewn on securely

Cast on 4 stitches and knit and I cord long enough to go around the neck and graft in place for a collar.

Cast on 24 stitches, knit 2, 5 X 5 inch squares . Steam and let dry and leave for an hour. You are going to be making 2 hanks of yarn for her hair. Unravel the squares completely. Wind the yarn from the unraveled square loosely around a 7 inch long piece of cardboard. Repeat for the second hank. Slip off. Tie in the middle of the hank. Cut the bottom of the hank of yarn on each end. This is her hair.
Take one hank and place on dolls head around her face and sew in place at the middle

Take the second hank and sew the hair to the head along the middle where you tied it together and to the back of the head.

for a sitting doll

Now if you want a sitting doll
Take your second bottle cap make two holes with an awl

Flip the doll upside down and find the middle of the tassel

With a tapestry needle use a strand from the tassel thread it though the needle and through the hole in the bottle cap and tie

Tie it on both sides. Flip her over.

Now she can sit

new free pattern back scrubber

http://www.freewebs.com/artknitter/

Materials

worsted weight cotton yarn such as sugar and cream

Bulky or hobbie machine

tension on 8

Cast on  11 stitches

 knit 10 rows transfer the middle stitch to the right or left and make sure needles are in working position.

knit 10 rows

repeat 6 more times ( 80 rows)

   Now change to another color and repeat the whole thing until you have 80 rows. cast off.

 Now fold in half.

 You have holes every 10 rows up the middle.

Take one side and thread it through the hole at the top.

 For instance if  you have red and black thread the red through the black then thread the black thru the red.

 Keep repeating until you get to the end.

I cord for looped handle on each end:

With the end of your braid with the wrong side facing you hang 4 stitches on the machine

knit 96 rows

hang   the last 4 stitches of the I cord to  the first row of 4 stitches where you began your I cord

knit one row cast off

hide all your loose ends tie a slip knot very close to the braid

This  technique can be used  to make a great dog leash. It also makes a great bag handle very firm and sturdy just leave off the I cords on one end for the leash and make it longer for the lenght you need for your dog. Make smaller loops on each end for a bag

shrink art buttons washed and dried

These got washed and dryed with a pair of jeans and they are none the worse for it.

I am considering them a sucess

big button shrink art

http://www.freewebs.com/artknitter/

36 years ago I was art major ,I took copper enameling. You had to beat on copper throw it acid no oil could be on it.A coat of glue solution followed by a tiny sifter screen with glass powder. Then it went into the kiln

Embossing powder, shrink plastic and a heat gun. looks darn good! I messed up the button hole with the wire. Hey I am messy