Monday, August 25, 2014

Studio Tips and Guest Blogging


Today I am a guest blogger on the Bella Crafts Quarterly Blog.  I am sharing some studio tips and a work in progress. While there, check out the other creative posts!

Happy Creating!

Denise Buchwalter-Losczyk

http://bellacraftsquarterly.com/bella-blog

Friday, August 15, 2014

When not Quilting….Knit!


Knitting is one of the activities I do when I’m not working on arts/crafts which I consider my “artwork”.  It is a form of relaxation when I’m not working on projects, and want to unwind at the end of the day, or meditate a bit.

It is also very useful for making gifts.

Recently I finished a blue baby blanket and washcloth for a new great nephew. My second time as a Great Aunt!  I used Shine Sport yarn from Knitpicks.com in Sky color. It is a 60% pima cotton, 40% modal yarn and is very soft and pleasant to knit. For the afghan, I used a free downloadable lace pattern from www.Knitpicks.com. They also have many free dishcloth/washcloth patterns there as well, and I used one as a start to my baby washcloth.  I’ve attached a photo of the completed projects.

Baby blanket and washcloth - knitted from
 free downloadable pattern(s) from www.knitpicks.com
After I completed the baby blanket and washcloth and sent them off to their new destination, I went back to knitting an afghan I am making using acrylic yarn. I found myself saddened that I wasn’t still knitting with the luxuriant feeling cotton/modal yarn! It was very soft, smooth and pleasant to work with.  The quality of yarn definitely enhances your knitting experience.

I haven’t purchased much new yarn, lately, as I’m determined to make use of my yarn and project stash, but when I do need yarn for a new project, www.Knitpicks.com is one of my favorite places to shop. They have reasonable prices and free shipping if you spend $50 or more. They are a great resource for knit, crochet, weaving, spinning, tatting and needle-felting tools, books, and fibers.  They have many free patterns to download, videos to watch, and designer patterns that you can purchase and download.  I like browsing their website, even when not purchasing, just to look at and be inspired by their many beautiful designs and fibers.  

Knit, create, and meditate!



Denise A. Buchwalter-Losczyk