Sharing Good Blogs

Many thanks to Swapna at her Cook and Craft blog for sending me a blog award. And when I opened an email yesterday, Cathy at Cate's Back Porch gave another. Thank you so much, Swapna and Cathy.

Reasons to receive blog recognition are:

... blogs who receive this award are exceedingly charming. This blog invests in the PROXIMITY in space, time and relationships. These kind bloggers aim to find and be friends. They are not interested in prizes or self-aggrandizement. Our hope is that even more friendships are propagated". The award recognizes the quality of the person writing the blog. I consider your blog to one of the best. You take the time to provide enjoyable tutorials. You are a giving talented person and I decided other people should know!

The Noblesse award is presented to bloggers who display consistency in any one or a combination of these conditions:

1. The Blogger manifests exemplary attitude, respecting the nuances that pervades amongst different cultures and beliefs.
2. The Blog contents inspire; it strives to encourage and offers solutions.
3. There is a clear purpose at the Blog; one that fosters a better understanding on Social, Political, Economic, the Arts, Culture and Sciences, and Beliefs.
4. The Blog is refreshing and creative.
5. The Blogger promotes friendship and positive thinking.

The Blogger who receives this Award will need to perform the following steps:

1. Create a Post with a mention and link to the person who presented the Noblesse Oblige Award.
2. The Award Conditions must be displayed at the Post.
3. Write a short article about what the Blog has thus far achieved- preferably citing one or more older post to support.
4. The Blogger must present the Noblesse Oblige Award in concurrence with the Award Conditions.
5. The Blogger must display the Award at any location at the Blog.

Nancy's arts and crafts is about creativity and making crafts. I try to research "how to" tips and give credit back to the people who have also found ways to use their talents in cooking, reading, crafts of all sorts, and artistic endeavors. I like to research the internet and give references to websites that are meaningful to the referenced subject.

Examples of some of my recent posts incorporating the above criteria are:

how-to-knit-moebius-scarf
paper-beads-used-in-earrings
how to make beads-and-sequin-ornamental balls
art-in-eye-of-a-needle

Thank you so much, Swapna and Cathy, for the awards. The deal is that I may now share the honors by linking to a few other interesting blogs. Just copy the pictures of the awards and pass along according to the rules to play in blogland. I'm passing the awards along to the following blogs written by the thoughtful, talented people:

freeprintablefun (Jamie Sue)
my_little_orange_kitchen
Cast-on blog
Mama Flo's

Making Knitting Markers Using Beads and Acorns

In a previous post about making knitting markers from beads, and with references given on a previous post, these colorful markers were made with beads and wires.

Having recently returned from South Carolina visiting with my daughter and her husband, we picked up lots of acorns from around the area. Many acorns were perfectly separated from the seeds, and looked like little leprechaun hats.

Although it is not a new idea, I decided to glue several atop a few wooden knitting needles, using Sculpey or Fimo clay and regular craft glue to hold them on securely.

The steps to making the acorn topped knitting needles are:

1) Choose your needles (NOT double points);
2) put a bit of malleable molding clay atop the end of the head, ensuring the acorn cap will easily fit over it after baking;
3) bake the clay on the needles according to directions on the clay (about 25 min.);
4) let the knitting needles cool, then adhere the acorns atop the clay with any good crafting glue.

Here is a pictures of the finished product using size 11 knitting needles :

This is an inexpensive craft, and one children will enjoy. You can read about a first grade teacher's project she accomplished several years ago with her students at Burrobird Blogspot. The children even made their own bamboo knitting needles. By now, some of them are possibly accomplished knitters, having been inspired to make their own tools.

Good job, Burrobird!

mp3 holders or Cell Phone Neck Holsters

Over your shoulder or around your neck, these knit pouches are handy to hold keys, lipstick, and your cell phone or MP3 player. Off you go on a walk or quick trip to the grocery.

These little pouches can be used in many ways. Vary the dimensions according to your needs. (I made seven of them in different sizes!) Women's clothing is notoriously poor for providing pockets, so you might need to resort to making this as your own "pocket" to wear around your neck.

Materials: any DK weight yarn, ribbon yarns and purchased broaches and fur yarns for embellishment. A half ball of yarn makes a small pouch; size 6 or 7 dp needles; broaches for embellishment (optional)
Directions are provided at Fig and Plum.

For a long strap, you might want to try this simple technique described in Elizabeth Zimmerman's instructions to make the handle termed Idiot Cord I-cord. They are fun to make and can be used for a variety of purposes.