All posts by Jackie E-S

Jackie E-S is the owner of HeartStrings FiberArts, a showcase for her growing roster of original pattern designs. As a certified master knitter and teacher, Jackie continues to share her love of knitting and knowledge through design and publication of skill-building pattern instructions, and conducting workshops, programs and demonstrations. Her interest in the fiber arts extends beyond knitting and spinning to include weaving, dyeing and all needle arts. She also enjoys contract bridge and music.

Knitting Needle Wall Hanging?

How do you organize your knitting needles?

Although I love my Hiya Hiya needles (and the circular interchangeables even come in their own beautiful embroidered silk case), I have LOTS of other different needles collected over many years of knitting.

I used to keep my needles organized by size in individual zippered pencil pockets within a huge zippered binder arranged by size. When the binder got past the point of bulging and I was getting lazy about putting needles away (thus frustrating myself later with the wasted time to find what I needed for new projects), I created an organizer system from a metal merchandiser clip strip and velcro that I had on hand. The result can sort of serve as a piece of “wall art”, but I doubt it will get any awards. Anyway, it serves a purpose. And now there is room again in the binder for my other straight and double point needles. Yay!

Circular Needle Organizer
Circular Needle Organizer

For this circular needle organizer, I simply labeled the needle size with a marking pen on pieces of velcro, the needles are inserted through the layers of velcro and held by their cables, and inserted under the clip of the merchandizer strip.

The velcro holding all needles of a certain size is easy to unclip from the strip. That is handy for me because I like to try out a variety of needle compositions and lengths before making a selection to suit the particular yarn fiber and type of project I will be working on. When I have made my selection, I just re-clip the velcro strip holding the remaining needles.

Not only am I feeling more organized — the wall hanging makes quite a decorative conversation piece!

How do you organize your knitting needles and crochet hooks? Please share in your comments below or post under “This weeks question” at the HeartStrings FiberArts Facebook page.

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The Key to the Mystery

Earlier this week I was looking around for a photo prop to go along with my article The Key to Keeping Your Free Membership Active at the Knit HeartStrings learn-and-knit-along site. A regular house or car key would not be very interesting. And photo’g one of those new-fangled hotel card keys that is loaded with advertisements would be too crass. Then I thought of  this old hotel key that is both interesting and mysterious to me.

central hotel glasglow key
Room key for Central Hotel Glasgow

Isn’t it’s design lovely? (at least I think so) They just don’t make keys like this anymore. I like it’s boldness. It’s strength. It’s manly, rustic look.

How did I come into possession of this key? It’s a mystery! The name plate identifies the Central Hotel Glasgow. A little Internet research reveals this hotel dates back to 1883 and was built at the site of Central Station, the main train hub of Glasgow. I’d love to go to Scotland one of these days, and  now this hotel is definitely on my list of places to see. But I still don’t know how I got the key to room 473. Something in my child- memory tells me my grandmother might have said my uncle had stayed there while on a tour of service duty and gave her this as a momento. But I might just be making this up as a fantasy.

Please help me start solving the mystery behind this key. Does this style of key look familiar to you and could you help date its time in history?

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Loganberry Shawl Kit Giveaway at Mountain Colors 20th Anniversary Celebration

Mountain Colors is having a 20th Anniversary Celebration and the Kit to make my Loganberry Shawl is the GRAND PRIZE at the end of the month. How exciting and YOU could win it! There are giveaways throughout the month as well. So don’t wait to enter now …

I designed the Loganberry Crescent Shawl especially for Mountain Colors 20th Anniversary in their Retro color Loganberry. Inspired by the luscious colors in this yarn, I feature a cabled lace stitch pattern that suggests the slightly oblong shape and seeds of the loganberry. The short-rowed body of the shawl is an easy, very lacy one-row stitch pattern that works up in a jiffy.

Loganberry in Mountain Colors new cashmere/silk yarn called Louisa

Even more exciting is that the shawl shown here (and the kit that you could win to make it!) is made in the brand new Mountain Colors cashmere/silk yarn called Louisa.

I wish everyone good luck in winning. But you won’t have a chance unless you join in the Mountain Colors 20th Anniversary Celebration now.

Even  if you don’t win, you can’t lose with the fabulous yarns and dyed colors that Diana and Leslie produce for Mountain Colors. I hope you check out their yarns at your favorite local yarn shop or online source. And of course, be sure to ask for HeartStrings patterns such as the Loganberry Shawl there, too.

HeartStrings knitting pattern Loganberry Shawl

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bouquet of colorful knitted lace maple leaves for Canada Day

The Maple tops my list of favorite leaves because of fond memories of Canada, its land and its people. In my younger years, I spent many wonderful summers in western Ontario where my grandparents had a log cabin home on a pristine spring-fed lake abounding with natural beauty and wonders. I’ve visited other areas of Canada many times since then, too, and met so many friendly people. A piece of my heart belongs there.

Happy Canada Day knitted lace maple leaves

And thus I want to salute my northern neighbors and friends on their July 1st holiday with this bouquet of colorful knitted lace maple leaves. Happy Canada Day!

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Happy Memorial Day Sale on Red, White and Blue

Please join with me in remembering our friends, family, and unsung heroes who have, and continue to serve to keep our country free.

Mini Lace and Beaded Flag
Mini Lace and Beaded Flag

So I want to give you inspiration and an excuse to knit with red, white and blue. For this Memorial Day weekend only, you can use Coupon Code INMEMORYOF to get 20% off ANY red-white-blue pdf e-Pattern at the HeartStrings Downloadable Patterns store at Shopatron. Valid May 25 through May 28, 2012.

You can follow these links to find out more about each pattern at the HeartStringsFiberArts.com website:

OR, just go to the Patriotic section of the pdf-Holidays and Special Occasion Shopatron catalog to see them all.

p.s. Please be safe and enjoy the long weekend!

 

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