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.

What is the smallest item you have ever knit?

As a Redux of the How Small Can You Go? at about this same time 2 years ago, it was fun to hear answers from many of you about “What is the smallest item you have ever knit?

The earrings compared to size of a U.S. quarter
The earrings compared to size of a U.S. quarter

To go along with the question, I offered a Bitty Beady Christmas Tree Kit for the most recent Weekend Giveaway. I am pleased to announce that Laura G of VA is the winner of the random drawing.

Inspiration for Knitting Small

Thanks to everyone for playing and sharing your experience of the smallest item you have ever knit. There were a variety of answers, many of which will undoubtedly give you and others inspiration as they have to me.
Yvette aka QTWIQ on Ravelry wrote: A mini beaded amulet purse

Susan E wrote: Smallest thing I have knit- I did a bunch of tiny snowmen as ornaments to gift last year, and those scarves and hats for them were TINY. I even made the one set look like a piano pattern for the music teacher in my kids’ program!

Carmen wrote: For knit, it was a snowflake ornament. I’ve made a couple of items in crochet in thread that were a bit smaller – like a little doll and a tiny crab the size of a quarter.

Andrea L wrote: luv to knit itty bitty trees and ornaments

Dee wrote: Tiny sock earrings

Michelle McC wrote: Earrings, beaded, no less, on lace weight yarn.

Joy wrote: Thank you for this opportunity Jackie!
I am absolutely stunned at how much of a challenge thinking back and working out what the smallest item I ever knit was. I don’t think the cast on/cast off chain I make as a button loop counts, so I’m going to say a miniature version of a blue bird pattern I found online is my tinyest project. I made it using Aunt Lydia’s size ten crochet thread on size 2.25 mm needles. the Body and head were knit one piece in the round, then two wings and a tail that were sewn on. And those wings and tail were TINY! The whole bird probably measures less than an inch from beak tip to tail end. It would make an adoreable pin for anyone who wants a blue bird on their shoulder.

Ellen C wrote: I knit a beaded leaf bookmark on #1 needles. It was so pretty I wish I had taken a picture of it before wrapping it up. The tiniest needles used so far in my knitting adventures are size 0?s for the beaded American flag BOBBOL. Didn’t realize I should have used size 0000 for this project so I’ve got my next flag cast on but have not gotten back to it but it is not forgotten! Love the BOBBOL series.

Linda aka lmecoll on Ravelry wrote: I’ve knit a tiny sock for a Christmas tree ornament.

Beth R wrote: I knit a Tiny Viking, from a tiny mochimochi pattern by Anna Hrachovec, to cheer my son up when he was sick. Knit on U.S. size 1 needles, it was 1 inch tall (or about 1.5 inches if you count the horns on his hat, but not his long blond braids).

Nancy N wrote: Smallest thing I ever knit was the hands for a pirate doll I knit for my daughter. It took 10 tries to get them right — I finally used hands #9 and #10!

Carolyn M wrote: The smallest thing I’ve knit (so far) is a tiny shawl, on 00 needles with cobweb lace, for my daughter’s miniature dollhouse. The finished shawl measures about 4? x 2-1/2? – and no, I didn’t do lace -that’ll be the next one. I’ve also crocheted a little 1-1/2? wide basket, which I filled with balls of yarn, and a 2? x 2? knit swatch on long straight pins for knitting needles.

Meghan wrote: The smallest thing I ever knit was a lace wedding garter. Talk about teeny!

girliefriend wrote: a teeny, tiny preemie hat

Rebecca N wrote: Last year I knit tiny spherical Christmas ornaments for my roommates and embroidered their initials on them

Karen wrote: I made a miniature sock monkey.

Marcia U wrote: I knit tiny stockings for the small tree my daughter has in her bedroom at Christmas.

jessicac wrote: The smallest thing I have knit so far.. a tiny cupcake from MochiMochi!

Rose S wrote: The smallest things I have knit were finger puppets for my nieces’ and nephews’ itty bitty fingers. They loves playing with them.

Linda wrote: I knit little buttons to go with charitable baby sweaters, they match and they are free.

knittingdancer on Ravelry wrote: The smallest item I have knitted is a Christmas tree ornament.

Christy wrote: I’ve knit a few pairs of earrings with wire and beads. They came out very cute.

Janeen wrote: The smallest was a pair of beaded earrings that looked like a purse knit on 0000 needles.

Laura wrote: Probably the 1″ crocheted cat I made 🙂

Marilyn G wrote: I love these [Bitty Beady Christmas Tree] … I bought the pattern last year, I think, and I’ve made several of them as gift tag add-ons! I haven’t done any yet this year, but I will be!

Judy wrote: knitted stocking earrings

Chris wrote: A lace bedspread for a doll house.

What is your favorite?

My fav idea (if I had to pick only one, but fortunately I do not, lol) is the tiny “piano” scarf on the snowman ornament for the music teacher. But I am swayed in fav’ing that because of my piano background (in case you might not know that connection). What is your favorite?

Stay tuned for the next Weekend Giveaway

Thanks to everyone for entering the Weekend Giveaway for Bitty Beady Christmas Tree Kit. Check back soon for announcement of this holiday season’s next Weekend Giveaway at HeartStrings FiberArts.

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Weekend Giveaway – Bitty Beady Christmas Tree Kit

What is the smallest item you have ever knit? Leave a comment here with your answer (can be as hilarious or serious as you want). For another chance to win, you can also post your answer on the HeartStringsFiberArts Facebook page. Tell your friends for extra chances to win. To claim prize, you must provide a U.S. shipping address.

Bitty Beady Christmas Tree Supplies Paks and Kits are also available for sale in your choice of color combo with either loose beads to string your own, or beads already strung on project yarn.

Bitty Beady Christmas Tree Supplies Paks and Kits

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Thoughts on What Leaf Is This

Carole wrote: “So — I’ll bite! What kind of a leaf is it?”

A couple of months ago while watching the leaves change color in Colorado, I envisioned the design for a garland of leaves that would change color auto-magically while knitting with a ball of yarn in slow-changing colors (I used Crystal Palace Mini Mochi yarn). That was the concept behind what eventually became Fantasy Leaves Scarfette.

I had a lot of fun playing around with designing the leaf-like shape that incorporated a bit of lacy holes, some veiny texture, and hint of serrated edges. Then I realized I had come up with a leaf that I could not identify in nature as we now know it. I guess that is what “art” is about – ha! ha! At a loss for any specific leaf name(s), I simply went with them “Fantasy Leaves” which, after all, was a true statement.

John humored me by suggesting I should have a “name that leaf” contest. Sounded silly at the time, but then I thought — sure, we can do that. That is how the “What Leaf Is This” Weekend Giveaway came about.

So many good answers (I wish I were as creative with words as some of these!) — I thought it well worth pulling them all together here so we can all enjoy them. I was rolling with laughter with some of these.

  • Diana said: This is obviously a BeLeaf. I believe I can knit, I believe I can create, I believe things made by hand are the most beautiful. I am full of BeLeaf.
  • Knittingdancer said: It is the last leaf to fall off the yarn bombed tree.
  • Sydnie said: Evidently it is the Greta Garbo leaf. . . leaf me alone. . .
  • Carolyn said: Black walnut. Definitely black walnut. See them every year at the end of fall all over my back yard. You may come pick the rest of them up if you wish:)
  • Girliefriend said: It’s one of many leaves I see with my rose colored glasses.
  • Susan said: Related to a pear tree leaf, which is one of the earliest trees to bloom (beautiful white blossoms) in our neighborhood in the spring, so if I knit this, I can “beleaf” that spring is almost here (I am so not a dreary days winter person). It could be one leaflet of a rhododendron, but I don’t have those in my yard so I wouldn’t think of the scarf as that. But yes, a pear tree leaf would work for me.
  • Andrea said: this is the most beautiful leaf to fall this year
  • Kay said: As my husband says about ANY plant he doesn’t know … “It’s a curly leaf ligustrum!”
  • Saunya said: Tough question, since it could be many, but I’ll go with Magnolia.
  • Judy said: The real leaf
  • Ron said: The Diamond Leaf
What Leaf is This?
What Leaf is This?

Which are your favorites? Or if you have another take on “What Leaf Is This”, let us know your thoughts, too.

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Weekend Giveaway – What Leaf Is This?

What Leaf is This?

Weekend Giveaway – Answer “What Leaf is This?” and Win a 50g ball of Crystal Palace Mini Mochi yarn + HeartStrings pattern to knit Fantasy Leaves Scarfette

What leaf is this? Leave a comment here with your answer (can be as hilarious or serious as you want). For another chance to win, you can also post your answer on the HeartStringsFiberArts Facebook page. Tell your friends for extra chances to win. To claim prize, you must have a U.S. shipping address.

Giveaway Prize

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7 Ways to Gift It With A Handmade Touch (plus a bonus)

Giving handmade is a way of showing love and appreciation for others. It means something special. But sometimes there just isn’t enough time to make completely handmade gifts for everyone on your list. Or at least it isn’t for me! Here are 7 ideas (plus a bonus) for making it special with handmade by complementing ready-made commercial items with small, quick knits http://www.247locksmithsnearme.com/residential-locksmith. Each is a nice handmade touch with just a little time and materials invested. Note: You can click on the pictures to visit the HeartStrings website with more details about each of the handmade touch projects shown.

Bitty Beady Christmas Tree

Idea #1: Knit a gift tag that can be kept as a collectible momento or ornament decoration.

(Kits and Supplies Paks for Bitty Beady Christmas Tree are available at the KnitHeartStrings Store.)

Pinwheel Flower Face Cloth

Idea #2: Arrange a small hand-knitted bath spa cloth plus fragrant herbal soap in a pretty basket. giftalong

 

Quick Lace-edged Baby Socks

Idea #3: Make hand-knitted edgings to sew to the cuffs of ready-made socks.

Shown here for baby socks; works for kids and adult socks, too. Just knit the edging to fit around the cuff when moderately stretched. giftalong

Knitted Snowflake

Idea #4: Applique a hand-knitted medallion to a ready-made sweatshirt or tote bag.

xxx

Idea #5: Knit a bookmark and pair it with a book.

(Check out the entire collection of Bookmark patterns at HeartStrings.)

Knitted Ribbon

Idea #6: Wrap your gift with the handmade touch of a knitted ribbon. It’s a gift in itself.

10 Reasons for Ribbons

Three Eyelets Sachet

Idea #7: Include your hand-knitted sachet, filled with your lavender or other favorite potpourri, along with a pretty handkerchief or lingerie. giftalong

Candy Filled Mini Sock

Yes, I know I said 7 ideas. It’s hard to stop coming up with ideas! Here’s a Bonus Idea: Knit a mini-sock and fill it with candy favors. (free pattern)

What are some of the ways you like to gift with a handmade touch?

p.s. What’s the sparkly gold gift tag for? I am featuring 10 popular quick-knit small projects for heartfelt gifting during the 2013 Indie Design Gift-A-Long (GAL) at Ravelry running through December 31st. I just wanted to let you know that 3 of the above patterns are eligible for the Indie Design Gift-A-Long group. Get any of these patterns and you can  participate in the GAL, have chances to win any of hundreds of prizes to be awarded throughout the GAL, see beautiful projects by your fellow knitters, rub shoulders with your favorite Indie Designers, and enjoy heaps of friendly, giftie chatter. Indie Design Gift-A-Long 2013

 

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