Stitch Diva Studios

Stitch Diva Studios is a site I found while searching for random crochet hats. Sometimes I just think of a string to search and when I put it into the Blingo search engine really fun stuff comes up!

At Stitch Diva you can get patterns for both knitting and crochet as well as tools, kits, classes and gift certificates. Besides the lovely pattern you see <--- over there, there are incredibly cool hats, vests, tops, slippers, dresses and even a skirt!

If you're looking for fun patterns to follow, I'd suggest taking a look at their offerings. Fun and stylish is where I'd categorize them.

(image borrowed from here)

I love this slouchy coat. It's probably not the one I would wear everyday, but it is the one I would choose to wear for those special occaisions where you don't have to worry about what your carrying. Where you can wrap yourself up and feel sexy underneath because your dress is flimsy and soft against your skin.

I'd love this coat for those occaisions. . . I think if I give myself enough time and space, I can create something like this in big bulky soft yarn. Something that will be a prize to anyone who owns it, because it is so rare to see. . . yes, folks, the wheels in my mind are turning.

Stella McCartney

Do you know this designer?

I didn't. . . duh!

She is Stella McCartney daughter of former Beetle, Paul McCartney, and clothing designer extraordinaire! I went to her website and this Fall/Winter collection is full of felted wool designs!!! They are very nice and so inspiring! When I read a bit more about her I found that she is a vegetarian committed to animal-product-free clothing so she doesn't use any leather or fur in her designs. That just tells me that she probably wouldn't purchase yarn from farms that don't treat their yarn producing animals with care as well.

Check out her designs, they will inspire you, I've already been inspired!

Crochet, Knitting, What's the difference?

Most people don't know the difference between the two art forms so I went online to see if I could find a good, concise explaination besides, one is with a hook and one is with two needles. . . I found this:

"One of the more obvious differences is that crochet uses one hook while most knitting uses two needles. This is because in crochet, the artisan usually has only one live stitch on the hook, while a knitter keeps an entire row of stitches active simultaneously. So dropped stitches, which can unravel a fabric, rarely interfere with crochet work. This is also because of a second, perhaps less obvious, structural difference between knitting and crochet. In knitting, each stitch is supported by the corresponding stitch in the row above and it supports the corresponding stitch in the row below. In crochet each stitch is only supported by and supports the stitches on either side of it. If a stitch in a finished item breaks, the stitches above and below remain intact, and, because of the complex looping of each stitch, the stitches on either side are not likely to come loose unless put under a lot of stress.

Round or cylindrical (This is crochet------>)patterns are simple to produce with a regular crochet hook, but cylindrical knitting requires either a set of circular needles or four or five special double sided needles. And free form crochet can create interesting shapes in several dimensions because new stitches can be made independently of previous stitches almost anywhere in the crocheted piece.

Knitting can be accomplished by machine, while many crochet stitches can only be crafted by hand. Although some crochet patterns can emulate the appearance of knitting, distinctive crochet patterns such as the Granny square cannot be simulated by other methods.

Crochet is more suitable than knitting for joining pieces of fabric and knit patterns for sweaters may incorporate crochet for finishing. Crochet can add borders or surface embellishment to both knit and crochet fabric. Crocheted fabric uses 1/3 more yarn than knitted fabric. Crochet produces a thicker fabric than knitting, and tends to have less "give" than knitted fabric. And, generally speaking, crochet technique produces fabric faster than knitting."

Not exactly what I'm going to tell someone who asks on the street, but some good information for myself and other enthusiasts who have searched for the "other" differences.

Personally, I think they look totally different, but I suppose I've been looking at them both for quite some time now. . .

Web Finds Wednesday

I've decided that I'm going to create a theme for each day of the week (excluding weekends) in order to be more consistent with my posting. Good idea? We'll see!

Today is Web finds Wednesday! On Wednesdays I will highlight a shop, item, story or whatever I find on the web that I think will be of interest.

Ardith Keef is the coolest store I've seen in a long time. It is the namesake and brainchild of Ardith Keef who is the daughter of Missionary parents and married to a pastor. She is currently an associate professor of music at the University of Southern Maine.

All their profits go to various mission projects around the world. This includes medical equipment to a hospital in Ecuador, & Ethiopia, and supplies for children in an orphanage in Siberia. Their motto is "We exist to help others".

I stumbled upon them while looking for knitting needles, I'm going to stay with them because they offer much more than just a shop. Stop by and say hello, they may offer something useful in your craft too!