penguin ornament

[glassmouse13.livejournal.com]

Ideas?

[standtillwefall.livejournal.com]

Hey! So I'm new here... actually I was a lurker, but I decided to make a journal to meet all my crafty needs :) I'll probably do a post later on with some pictures of what I've done, but right now I have a few questions.

When I was really young, like in first grade or something, I learned to finger knit. Just recently I found some yarn laying around (no idea why we have it, no one I live with knits.) so I started playing around with it but I have no idea to do with any of it. I don't know how many people are familiar with finger knitting but the end product is a long tubular shape, ( seen here. )

So any ideas on what I should do with them? As a kid, I'd use them as a collar for my dogs since we never had to actually walk them (the upside of living rurally.) Because of that my friend suggested I should make and market them as doggie scarves, lol.

Also, has anyone ever used ( these kits )

There are a bunch of different ones by the same company. Do they work well? Do they come with everything needed?

need help finding decent priced medium quality yarn

[nux-vomica.livejournal.com]

i need to find a good yarn source that is not so expensive and exclusive, where i can get yarn for making the amigurumi dolls. my son and i just picked up a book on it at the library and i am dying to try it out, but since we do not need a LOT of yarn, and i do not want red heart synthetic crap, we need something that has more variety than super duper pricey plush snobbishness. any tips? web sites? local stores (portland)? halp!

and thanks.

weeee! my first stitches

[yurtgirl.livejournal.com]

After mulling over advice I received here, i decided to pack up my old kenmore and get a new machine. I found a manufactured refurbished Brother online at Overstock for $100 w/ free shipping. I got it today and busted open the box like I was a kid at Christmas. After going over the first few steps w/ threading, loading the bobbin and practicing w/a few straight and zig zap stitches, I was able to choose a fancy schmancy stitch. I was doing a happy dance in my chair when I saw how smooth and quiet this machine is compared to my old model. I am soooo stoked to get going.
I'm going to make stuffed ornaments for my co-workers, like stars and angels, etc. I'm also gonna use the iron on paper from my computer and print their names in cool fonts and put them on the ornaments. You have no idea how excited I am. Since I'm a newbie to sewing more than a seam and a hem here and there I will not have the great stuff I've seen here but someday...........

looking for a llama pattern

[herophelia.livejournal.com]

i need to find a pattern for a knit llama. or maybe even a pattern for something like a sheep that i could alter enough to make it look like a llama. i have a friend who's nuts about them, and i want to give her something handmade for the holiday. she's crazy difficult to shop for, but who wouldn't love a handmade llama plush? seriously?

any help you guys can offer would be greatly appreciated, and of course i will post pictures once i finish.

Question!

[starbreaker85.livejournal.com]

I'm making 8 top hats for tomorrow night's choir show.  Usually when I trim curved edges before turning them, I cut notches like:

\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/

Well, this is taking FOREVER on these semi-mass production hats, since three edges need it done on each.  I've never owned a pair of pinking shears in my life, but do you think I could use them on this?  If so, have you seen them in Wal-Mart?   (Big city Walmart doesn't carry fabric anymore, just one isle of sewing stuff.)  Nowhere else is open late, and I'd need semi proper ones that aren't made for paper.

Thanks, and I promise pictures when they're done!