Karman Vortex Scarf PDF Pattern for Nalbinding - now available!

Finally after the last revisions, I was able to list my pattern for my Karman Vortex Nalbound Scarf in my Etsy shop. Woot! 

23 pages of detailed instructions with images of each step. Here's a sneak peek.

Now to finish one of these as a gift for my friend's birthday. More crafting news to come. Are you all making nalbound gifts for Christmas and birthdays?

Tiny Nalbinding Mitten Ornament Pattern

I think I've made close to 20 of these for Christmas.  (I don't know for sure how many because I've given several away before I could photograph them.)  These little mitten ornaments are perfect for using up scraps and take me 1-2 hours to make (depending on how many distractions there are at the time.)  Since my pattern was only written on an index card, I figured writing it down here would be a good thing.  (Paper and I have a tendency to loose each other...)  And you all can enjoy the pattern too.

(This pattern is free for personal use only and my Christmas gift to my readers.  If you wish to sell mitten ornaments from this pattern, please contact me.  We can work out an arrangement.)

Recommended yarn weight: sock yarn
Amount: Small scraps.  I think its about 10-15ish or so yards  (I use 3-4 arm lengths of yarn at a time.  And I use about 3 of those.)
Nalbinding stitch: Oslo stitch.  (For small stitches, I use the needle width to gauge my stitch size.  Not my thumb.  Like Sanna-Mari does in her video - at 6:20.)

Start: Make a chain of 5 stitches, turn and skip 1 stitch.  Work back to start (3 stitches worked back). (8 stitches total)
Round 1:  Work around, increasing in every stitch.  (16 stitches)
Round 2: Work around, increasing in every other stitch (24 stitches)
Rounds 3-6: Work around.
Round 7: Work 6 sts.  Chain 6 stitches (for thumb hole).  Connect work in 5th or 6th stitch of previous row, and work the rest of the way around.
Rounds 8-11: Work around.
Finish off.  Tie a loop of string to the bottom of your mitten - so it can hang as an ornament.

Thumb:
Connect a new thread 1 stitch into a row on the thumb hole.  Work 3 rounds.  (Just be careful to only use the stitches in the thumb hole, and not into the mitten.  You don't want a really wide thumb.)  Decrease around on next row.  Finish off and tuck in threads.

Enjoy your new mitten ornament!  Merry Christmas!

Simpler Nalbinding Tote for Beginners

After my test class for "Beginning Nalbinding" - we found there isn't enough time to cover color changes.  (Ah well - this just leaves more room for more classes next year - nalbinding I, nalbinding II,...nalbinding X)  So I simplified the pattern and will have 2 simple tote patterns now.  One with stripes and one even simpler with out stripes.

So I present the new little pattern!  Enjoy!

Work in Progress - Sashiko Sampler with 3 Traditional Designs

Striving for perfection.  It's a blessing some times.  Working through beautiful crafts and knowing your hands did the work for the final product is so rewarding.  Sashiko is a pretty simple craft, but perfecting it takes time and practice.  I'm putting in my dues so I can feel more confident teaching, so I'll be ready for the next course when it's available, and so I can help keep this craft alive.

Currently I'm working through a new sampler that I finished designing this week.  Started it Saturday and I'm one third of the way though.  Considering the lack of time I've had to work on crafts - it's good progress.  (Archery, science fairs, game days, etc - can't escape them and that time with family and friends is why I'm a stay at home mom. ;)

I'm working through quite a few samplers of late and wondering what should be the final project to use them and combine them.  Currently I'm thinking a lap blanket.  (I have WAY too many bags - so those are out!)  Adding them into an apron design could be fun too.  Any other ideas?

The PDF version of this Sashiko Sampler with 3 Traditional Designs is available in my shop.  Stitching order instructions are included.

What projects are you working on lately?