Simple and Free ...

There's nothing better than finding free patterns with easy directions and beautiful projects. Are you with me?  Check these goodies out for your summer knit and crochet adventures.

Abby (Berroco)
Lobby Look Tank (Knitonthenet)
Catch-A-Wave Top (Creative Knitting)
4th Of July Potholders (LionBrand)
Flag Pin  (VogueKnitting)
Baby Janes (RedHeart)
Love My iPad Case (RedHeart)
Key Ring Pouch (RedHeart)

Remember to keep projects simple for travel.  Try new stitches when you can and discover a true knit or crochet summer journey that's uniquely your own.

Happy travels!
Margaret (thinking of Dora the explorer, before the makeover)

“The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new landscapes but in having new eyes.”Marcel Proust
thinkexist.com

Knit Knitavian Style: Allow your knitting adventures to begin.

Freebies for creative living...

The lovely folks at Interweave have compiled an array of free e-books to get your creative juices flowing and fill your life with some much needed pre Memorial Day inspiration. There's something for everyone, even if you don't get your craft on.  It's a great way to delight your friends and family, so remember to spread the freebie word for maximum creative potential.

Enjoy and live your crafty life to the fullest. 

Margaret (I spy a cool knitting accessory e-book and a crafty wave coming around - woohoo!)

“If you only do what you know you can do- you never do very much.”  
Tom Krause
Visit thinkexist.com

The Best of Interweave Knits


Interweave Presents Crocheted Gifts: Irresistible Projects to Make & Give


The Best of Interweave Crochet: A Collection of Our Favorite Designs

Trendy Knitting Tuesday

Are you tired of the ordinary in knitting?  Explore new possibilities...

Knitted Taxidermy,
Rachel Denny's Zipper Buck





Gnarly Knitted Skeletons,  
'Transcending the Material' by Ben Cuevas


Rellana Woolly Heads Packages

Alla Bartoshchuk's Teapot,  a sculptural look at the knitting bag.

Need more?  Grab your art trends at trendhunter.com

Please remember to respect the artists' work and images by observing all copyright restrictions. 

Margaret (stepping trendy and knitting a chemo cap today)

"Design is like gravity - the force that holds it all together." - E A Whitney
arts2u.com


Looking for crafty goodness?  CreatingTheHive is the free, fun and friendly place to bee!

Color your world Sheep(ish)

Just two of the beautiful Sheep(ish) colors available at BuyCaron.com

There's nothing more exciting in the knitting world than a new line of yummy yarn and fun free patterns to go with it.  Sheep(ish), the latest goodie from Caron and designer Vickie Howell is now available at JoAnn Fabric and Craft Stores. Visit their store locator to find the nearest one.  You can also see and purchase all 21 colors online from BuyCaron.com. 

Hooray...it's going to be a great adventure discovering all the fun projects coming our way, thanks to Caron and Vickie Howell.  This is the part where we all raise our needles and hooks for a full needleart salute.  What a way to start the weekend.

Margaret (feeling colorful and adventurous)

"Colors, like features, follow the changes of the emotions."
Pablo Picasso
brainyquote.com


AwareKnits: Knit & Crochet Projects for the Eco-Conscious Stitcher


Vickie Howell's Pop Goes Crochet!: 36 Projects Inspired by Icons of Popular Culture

Eventful knit and crochet ...

Greets!  Just a little reminder to both knit and/or crochet readers that events are happening.  Check with your local yarn store for events coming near or to your town.  Visit Knitter'sReview and InterweaveKnits for more events.  The Daily Crocheter also has a wonderful lineup of events.

CGOA and TKGA Events (Public is invited)
2011 Knit and Crochet Show July 27-31in Minneapolis, MN
2011 Knit and Crochet Show Sept 21-25 in Greensboro, NC

Knitters Connection
2011 Knitters Connection June 15-18, Columbus, OH

Celebrate your knit and crochet abilities, projects, and friends.

Margaret (feeling inspired)

©MargaretNock, 2011. All rights reserved.

May your walls know joy; May every room hold laughter and every window open to great possibility.
Maryanne Radmacher-Hershey, 1995
quotationspage.com


Knitting: Fashion, Industry, Craft



At Knit's End: Meditations for Women Who Knit Too Much


The Crochet Answer Book

The Complete Photo Guide to Crochet: *All You Need to Know to Crochet *The Essential Reference for Novice and Expert Crocheters *Comprehensive Guide ... Charts, and Photos for 200 Stitch Patterns

Inspired by wildflowers...

Pic taken at Longwood Gardens last weekend.

“Love is like wildflowers; It's often found in the most unlikely places.”

thinkexist.com

This week has been filled with getting caught up.  Work, work, work should really be knit, knit knit, in a perfect world, but then we would become spoiled and never have a chance to look forward to our knitting projects.

Now, about that wildflower part of the blog...

Imagine knitting with the colors of Meadow, Blue Hyacinth, Helenium Mardi Gras or Coral Hibiscus.

What would you make with a beautiful, soft, bulky muticolored cotton yarn that's made in the U.S. and inspired by American wildflowers?  Take a look at the scrumptious colors and imagine the beautiful projects that you could make with Florafil created by TexturedYarnCompany. Visit the Retail Store Locator...and at Webs.

Live your knitting dreams in color, and enjoy the beauty that surrounds you.

Margaret (loving lavender today)

©MargaretNock, 2011. All rights reserved.

Knitting With Novelty Yarns : Exploring Color, Texture, and Style

Hand Dyeing Yarn and Fleece: Custom-Color Your Favorite Fibers with Dip-Dyeing, Hand-Painting, Tie-Dyeing, and Other Creative Techniques


National Audubon Society Field Guide to North American Wildflowers--E: Eastern Region - Revised Edition

Winston and Buddy are here!

Winston, the cat

Winston, the cat, and Buddy, the dog, are the new kids in the String Doll Gang.  They're a super cute accessory and gift for your favorite knitter or dog/cat lovers.  Each of them has a bell, a lobster claw key ring and a fabric tag.  Cute, irresistable and a great way to accessorize your knitting bag, purse and keys. I found one of the Purls(Purl the red head of course) at a knitting event and have her  clipped to my lamp chain in my work room to inspire me. Check the whole gang out at your local yarn store, knitting event, or online.  There's one for everyone.

Kamibashi.com can help you find a local store and give you more info on their products.

Patternworks and YarnDogs also have a variety of these little goodies.

Merry Monday Everyone, Merry Monday.
Margaret (needs more merry, less Monday -lol)

©MargaretNock, 2011. All rights reserved.

Kamibashi String Doll- Purl




Mondays are the potholes in the road of life.
Tom Wilson
Brainyquote.com