Tutorial ~ Plump Yarn Tassel

I have been cleaning and organizing my studio over the last few weeks. It was a long haul to say the least, but I found many things that I had forgotten about or some projects that I meant to start and never did. "Out of sight out of mind" is so true. One of the projects I wanted to do is to make tassels. I bet many of you have some ball of left over yarn somewhere in your house perfect for this project. I know there are different ways to make tassel, but I am sharing the way that works for me the best.

1. I made a 3" board from cardboard and wrapped medium size yarn 120 times. This is just a random number. If you want your tassel to be fuller, you can always do more.

2. Cut long yarn(mine is 12" long) and put it through yarn needle. Put the needle through in the middle of one side of the card board and tie it in the middle.

3. Flip the cardboard over and cut the middle.

4. Set the cardboard on the side and fold the yarn in half. Pull the yarn tied on top away from the rest. Take long yarn (12" to 15") and wrap it around the folded yarn about 3/4" from the top.

5.Thread the yarn ends from step 4 to yarn needle and stab it behind where you tied a knot and pull it through towards the middle and the bottom to hide the knot.

6. Trim the yarn.

7. I put a wooden bead through the top and made the knot so it will stay in place. You can skip this step, it is just an option.

I haven't decided what I am going to use this for, but I added them to my chair in the studio for now. LOVE THEM!

Are you going to give it a try?

Book Review ~ The Knitter's Handbook

It has been so cold where I live the last few days. The hard wood floor is one of my favorite parts of my house, but I needed to find my fluffy slippers. It takes a little adjustment, but the cold season has its own flare and ways to be enjoyed. Around this time I always want to break out my yarn and play with them. I know some basics of crocheting and knitting, but I am self taught and not confident enough to say that I am a knitter.

The book I am reviewing today is The Knitter's Handbook by Eleanor Van Zandt. It's beautiful cover made me excited to turn the pages right away. There I found many useful and comprehensive information for yarns and patterns.

This book will guide you through more than 90 stitches and techniques. Clear and easy-to-follow instructions and 250 step-by-step illustrations are surely encouraging for me to try it. Look at all these beautiful patterns. Wouldn't it be fun to knit a beautiful hat or a sweater using those stitches??

Oh, one more pretty picture from this book... I couldn't resist. :)

Whether you are new to knitting and want to learn more (me!) or an experienced knitter who wants to try advanced patterns, the Knitter's Handbook will be the go-to book.