The Tangled Nest

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Entries Tagged as 'craft'

Travel Knitting: Tiny Projects to Take Along

April 16th, 2012 · 8 Comments

We spent last week in New York City, and had a fabulous time.  While packing for the trip, I knew I wanted to take a little knitting project to keep my mind and hands busy during the in-betweens of airports and cafes–it had to be something I could carry easily, that would tuck into a [...]

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Tags: craft, DIY, knitting

Create an Inspiring, Low-Budget Craft Room

March 17th, 2012 · 12 Comments

Ever since we moved into this house SEVEN years ago, I have intended to make a corner of the basement into a craft room, where I could keep all my supplies, spread out projects, and find inspiration.  But instead it turned into–well, if you have a basement you know exactly what it turned into–a Subterranean [...]

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Tags: craft, inspiration, sewing

A Mending Morning: Set up Your Sewing Basket

May 31st, 2011 · 10 Comments

I love hand-sewing, and I always have–ever since I was a little girl.  I also love mending.  It makes such good sense, imparts calm, gives you a pleasant sense of accomplishment, and is something nice to do for your family.  That said, it’s been a mystery why, these past few months, the family “to-mend” pile [...]

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Tags: craft, DIY, sewing

Knit Graffiti, Yarn Bombing, And Other Dangerous Hobbies

March 27th, 2011 · 10 Comments

And now, surprise surprise, a guest post from Tom about knitting! What is it about yarn bombing that’s so compelling? “Knit graffiti” — it brings a smile to my face just to think about it! Guerrilla crafters wrapping yarn creations around objects in the streetscape under the cover of darkness, adding a touch of whimsy [...]

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Tags: art, craft, DIY

Pretty Patching: Giving Old Clothes New Life

February 28th, 2010 · 16 Comments

Even though I found them on the deep discount rack at REI, my Prana cargo pants were quite a splurge.  But in the spring of 2008 I was on my way to East Africa for two months, and the pants were so light weight, had a touch of spandex that made them perfect for everything [...]

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Tags: craft, sewing

Homemade Knitting Needles, Knitting Evangelism, and a Pretty Scarf Pattern

December 20th, 2009 · 7 Comments

For my seventh birthday, my mom gave me a pair of light blue knitting needles and a ball of white yarn.  She didn’t know how to knit, but sent me across the backyard to our neighbor’s house, where the retired librarian Marion Milligan took me under her wing.  Marion taught me to knit and purl.  [...]

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Tags: craft, knitting, simple gifts, Uncategorized

Simple Winter Sewing Project: Hot Rice Bags

November 28th, 2009 · 44 Comments

Warm face, warm ‘ands, warm feet Aow, wouldn’t it be loverly? –Eliza Doolittle Cloth bags of heated grain are great for warming the bed or soothing sore muscles–much cozier than hot water bottles, and a nicer quality of heat.  I kept seeing them in boutique shops with shocking price tags, and whenever I asked what [...]

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Tags: craft, energy use, sewing, simple gifts

Hats Indoors, Nightcaps, and a Simple Gift Project–My Favorite Easy Knitted Hat

November 16th, 2009 · 8 Comments

My dad always said, “Leaper, if your toes are cold, put your hat on.”  And all of us have heard that we lose 50% of our body heat through our heads.  This last was recently debunked, sort of, by the scientific community.  Evidently the heat loss “myth” is based on murky science from the 1950s [...]

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Tags: craft, energy use, knitting, seasons

DIY Autumn Leaf Chandelier

October 23rd, 2009 · 6 Comments

When we moved into this house, I was overjoyed to finally have a dining room (I’d never had one), big enough for a long table.  I dreamed of an old craftsman hanging lamp to replace the new ceiling fixture that had been installed, which looks a bit like a leftover from the set of Twin [...]

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Tags: craft, seasons

DIY Rubber Stamp Jam Labels

July 2nd, 2009 · 1 Comment

Folks have been asking about the labels on our jam jars. We made them from Speedy Carve–an eraser-like art medium for creating your own rubber stamps. Our friend Audrey showed us how, and this was one of our first efforts.  We think they’re pretty darn cute. If you don’t have a crafty friend to teach [...]

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Tags: art, canning/preserving, craft