Marly Bird's Blog, page 164
June 22, 2017
Knitting Beginner Basics How to Knit 4 Stitch Back Right Cable
Cables are a technique that some knitters shy away from. When you break it down making cables is just rearranging the stitches on your needles. Let me show you how achievable this technique is in my new video tutorial all about the 4 stitch back right cable.
*This post contains affiliate links. By clicking one of these links and making a purchase a small portion goes back to the blog, while the price you pay is not changed. Thank you for your support.*
Cables are achievable if you break down what you are doing an work on it step by step. Known as the 4 stitch back cable or right leaning cable this stitch pattern is worked over four stitches. Alter this stitch pattern to meet your pattern needs by using any even number multiple.
Rearranging your stitches to make the cable is accomplished by holding stitches to the front, in this case, while you move them to a new position. Moving your stitches is made easier with the use of a cable needle. Cable needles help you to hold your stitches as you work so that you do not drop them. There are a few different options for cable needs and you should try them out until you find the style that you like.
[image error] 4 Stitch Back Right Cable Tip:
Working cables requires you to keep track of where you are in your pattern. Using stitch markers helps to keep you on track. Placing a stitch marker at the end of your cable rows will help you count to know where you next cable should sit. Learn how to make your own stitch markers with my knitting stitch marker tutorial.
Practice the 4 Stitch Back Right Cable:
The Exquisite Cable Throw, a FREE pattern from Red Heart Yarns, is a great option for getting some practice. Not only will you work a back/right cable but you will also work a front/left cable. Breaking up the cables are sections of garter stitch making it a wonder option for starting out with cables.
Also on the Blog:
The post Knitting Beginner Basics How to Knit 4 Stitch Back Right Cable appeared first on Marly Bird.
June 21, 2017
Shimmer Shawl Crochet Pattern by Marly Bird
[image error]Through midnight MST tonight (6/21/17) you can purchase the Shimmer Shawl Crochet Pattern for only $1 in the Marly Bird Ravelry Store. Pattern must be purchase in the Marly Bird Ravelry Store. Code must be applied to the purchase before the discount will be applied. Click the image above for the code to automatically be applied to your basket. Due to the nature of digital products I will not be able to offer a refund. Customers must be sure to use the code and be signed into your account before making a purchase.
*This post contains affiliate links, which means if you click on the link and purchase something I will receive a small percentage of the value of your order. The amount you pay is not changed. Thank you for your support of the blog.*[image error]
Wrap yourself in a sparkling, glittering shawl perfect for those cool spring and summer nights. Mohair forms a soft graceful halo, perfectly accenting the dazzling viscose thread of the shawl. The broomstick stitch creates a lacy and yet substantial fabric to keep you warm and stylish.
Kollage Yarns, “Delightful” was the perfect choice for this shawl. It had the right amount of halo to give the look of a soft hug wrapped around you. The Shimmer Shawl crochet pattern can be made with other worsted weight yarns but it will give a different look without the halo. Mix up the yarn choice to better suit the season you are planning to wear the shawl.
[image error]Customers are drawn to this pattern with it’s unique stitch pattern. Broomstick lace is what gives this shawl it’s unique look. While it appears to be a challenging stitch there are only a few steps in creating it. Broomstick lace is a beautiful stitch pattern that is created using a crochet hook and large knitting needle. Taking the crochet stitches and putting them on a knitting needle allows you to stretch them and join them together to get the great open look of the stitch.
Not only do you get the written instructions for this pattern but also a stitch diagram and schematic. Combine the two options and you won’t miss a detail of the pattern.
Shimmer Shawl Materials:
Yarn: Kollage Yarns, “Delightful” [68% Kid Mohair, 22% Viscose, 10% Polyester, (100 yds/53 g), in color #2403 Crimson Fire—5 hanks.
Hook: Size G/7 (4.5mm) or size required for gauge; US size 50 (25mm) needles, for use as broomstick.
Notions: Removable stitch markers, darning needle.
Add this pattern to your Ravelry favorites today.
Also on the Blog:
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June 20, 2017
FiberCrafty with Pam Maher
FiberCrafty with Pam Maher was a dream come true for every listener of the Yarn Thing podcast with Marly Bird, that we can take some of what we’ve heard and turn it into a career for ourselves.
My name is Pam Maher and I love the idea of putting myself in the [image error]creative space while helping small businesses and crafty people find each other. When I’m not knitting or thinking about knitting, I can be found in Raleigh, NC with my husband, Scott; my kids, Avery and Bradley; and my critters Pepper the cat and Daphne the best rescue dog ever.
The knitting, crochet, spinning and fiber crafting community in general has changed so dramatically in just the last 10 years. We are fortunate to have so many resources available to us today! When I first started knitting about 20 years ago, patterns were not available online, there were no online communities, blogs, YouTube, Ravelry… however did we manage?? It has been exciting to watch these changes over the years.
FiberCrafty was created to help enrich our community even further, making it easier for indie shops and crafters to connect. Our goal is to create a virtual fiber festival that can be attended for shopping or selling at any time from any place. As a part of that goal we also wanted to improve and enhance the online selling experience with a feature rich marketplace
We have included filters that you are familiar with to help make your shopping experience efficient – if that is what you want. We also know that sometimes you just want to browse and meander and you can do that, too. We created four categories which include Yarn, Fiber, Tools & Accessories (think project bags, crochet hooks, yarn bowls, stitch markers, WPI tools, etc) and Other. Why Other? We didn’t want to put limits on what our fabulous community is capable of creating. We know you are out there coming up with tshirts, tote bags, note cards, hand towels, jewelry and so much more.
[image error]FiberCrafty also has a cart-jacking prevention system! If there are a limited number of a particular product and you add it to your cart, you have a fixed amount of time to check out before someone can cart-jack you. It’s like buying concert tickets, except it’s crafting stuff and that’s even better.
Shop owners can set up their own shopfronts, manage product listings, share news, offer promotions, manage shipping, and get paid the same day their products sell.
Everyone can have favorites! You can have favorite items and favorite shops. You can even share your favorites lists with non-crafty muggles that might want to buy a gift for you.
And do you know what the coolest part of this is? FiberCrafty is small business and we are in charge of it! If our community has amazing ideas, we can make them happen! If we want more categories, or more ways to filter, we can add them. We also don’t have special interests or agendas. We just want to play with yarn and shop for pretty things.
Our hope is that FiberCrafty will make our fiber crafting community an even better place to be… a place to find your people. Find the website at www.FiberCrafty.com, there’s also a Ravelry Group, Facebook page, Instagram and YouTube channel.
If you missed hearing this when it was live, the video is still in Marly’s Facebook page, or the audio content at the podcast location: http://www.blogtalkradio.com/yarnthing/2017/06/20/introducing-fibercrafty-with-pam-maher
Also, please show our sponsors some love:
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June 15, 2017
Thursday Trivia with Marly Bird
It’s time for Thursday Trivia with Marly Bird and Red Heart Yarns!
*This post contains affiliate links. If you click on one of the links and make a purchase a small portion will go back to the blog. Thank you for your support*
What can you win in Thursday Trivia:
For you to have a chance to win a prize package of $25 from Red Heart Yarns you must answer this week’s trivia question correctly. Make sure you read to the bottom of the post to get your clue for where to find the answer. Rafflecopter will help us choose a correct answer randomly to win, be sure you enter your email address so we can verify the winner.
Giveaway Timeframe:
You have one week to answer the question.
Winner will be announced the following Thursday at the launch of next week’s question.
Be sure to come back and see if you were the winner.
This Week’s question:
Please comment on this blog post (and enter the Rafflecopter widget)–What technique is used on the bottom of the Seaside Beach Bag pattern?
Spread the word:
Help spread the word about #ThursdayTrivia. You can find each week’s question on the blog under Thursday Trivia.
[image error] FINE PRINT:
The Thursday Trivia Giveaway with Marly Bird and Red Heart Yarns is open to US and Canada addresses only. One winner will win a $25 prize package from Red Heart Yarns. This giveaway ends on 6/21/17 at 11:59 pm Mountain US time. To enter, use the Rafflecopter form below. If you are on mobile and have difficulty entering, please use a desktop computer to enter. You must enter a blog post comment on THIS post and click the Rafflecopter button to be eligible. Click the button below to enter your information to be entered to win.
Also on the Blog:
The post Thursday Trivia with Marly Bird appeared first on Marly Bird.
Knitting Beginner Basics How to Knit 4 Stitch Front Left Cable
Cables are a technique that some knitters shy away from. When you break it down making cables is just rearranging the stitches on your needles. Let me show you how achievable this technique is in my new video tutorial all about the 4 stitch front left cable.
*This post contains affiliate links. By clicking one of these links and making a purchase a small portion goes back to the blog, while the price you pay is not changed. Thank you for your support.*
Cables are achievable if you break down what you are doing an work on it step by step. Known as the 4 stitch front cable or left leaning cable this stitch pattern is worked over four stitches. Alter this stitch pattern to meet your pattern needs by using any even number multiple.
Rearranging your stitches to make the cable is accomplished by holding stitches to the front, in this case, while you move them to a new position. Moving your stitches is made easier with the use of a cable needle. Cable needles help you to hold your stitches as you work so that you do not drop them. There are a few different options for cable needs and you should try them out until you find the style that you like.
[image error] 4 Stitch Front Left Cable Tip:
Working cables requires you to keep track of where you are in your pattern. Using stitch markers helps to keep you on track. Placing a stitch marker at the end of your cable rows will help you count to know where you next cable should sit. Learn how to make your own stitch markers with my knitting stitch marker tutorial.
Practice the 4 Stitch Front Left Cable:
The Exquisite Cable Throw, a FREE pattern from Red Heart Yarns, is a great option for getting some practice. Not only will you work a front/left cable but you will also work a back/right cable. Breaking up the cables are sections of garter stitch making it a wonder option for starting out with cables.
Also on the Blog:
The post Knitting Beginner Basics How to Knit 4 Stitch Front Left Cable appeared first on Marly Bird.
June 14, 2017
Seaside Knit Beach Bag
[image error]With summer right around the corner a beach bag is the perfect project for your next trip to the beach. The Seaside Beach Bag is the perfect knit beach bag for this summer and beyond. Doubling as a market bag while you are not on vacation you will always have reason to use it.
A felted bottom creates a sturdy foundation for this fun bag. It is perfect for your next outing at the pool or the beach. The mesh sides will leave the sand at the beach while keeping your toys and snacks secure inside.
This bag can stretch and hold a TON! I simply love it.
*This post contains affiliate links. By clicking one of these links and making a purchase a small portion will go back to the blog. The price you page will not change. Thank you for your support of the blog.*
[image error]When making a bag you want it to be study so that it can hold your belongings. Worked holding two strands of yarn together for base and trim to give more structure to be able to hold all of our necessities. Felting is done after entire bag is complete giving a stronger and sturdy base to the bag.
Felting the Seaside Knit Beach Bag:
Felting can be one of those scary knitting techniques that people are hesitant to try the first time. My biggest piece of advice when it comes to felting is TEST! Knit a swatch using the same yarn in the same colors shown and test felt it before proceeding with your project. Just as I recommend doing a gauge swatch before every project I recommend testing a felted swatch as well. By doing a test swatch you will know exactly how your yarn will react and not have surprises as you work your project.
The effects of all washing machines, detergents and local water conditions cannot be predicted. You are felting at your own risk. Felting is irreversible. Please proceed cautiously with the felting process. It is easy to felt “just a little more”, but impossible to undo the effects of over-felting.
Using Double Point Needles (DPNs):
Another ‘scary’ knitting technique is using double point needles (DPNs). I often hear that knitters don’t want to make socks because they will have to use DPNs to complete the project. The Seaside Knit Beach Bag is a great project to start using DPNs. DPNs are used to start the project at the base and this section will be felted so any inconsistencies will be hidden in the felting.
$1 Wednesday Offer:
Through midnight MST tonight (6/14/17) you can purchase the Seaside Beach Bag for only $1 in the Marly Bird Ravelry Store. Pattern must be purchase in the Marly Bird Ravelry Store. The code BEACH must be applied to the purchase before the discount will be applied. Click the image above for the code to automatically be applied to your basket. Due to the nature of digital products I will not be able to offer a refund, be sure to be logged in to your account and use the code before you purchase.
Also on the Blog:
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June 13, 2017
Knit and Crochet Flowers in Red Heart Scrubby Yarns
[image error][image error]Here we are again in another month of the 7 Months of Scrubby Campaign by Red Heart Yarns. June features knit and crochet flowers made in Red Heart Scrubby Cotton Yarn. Scrubby Cotton is the newest addition to the Scrubby line of yarn. Perfect for making washcloths and dishcloths Scrubby Cotton was made for all of you who like working with cotton yarn and the original Scrubby Yarn.
*This post contains affiliate links. By clicking one of these links and making a purchase a portion will go to the blog. The price you pay is NOT changed. Thank you for your support of the blog.*
Scrubby Cotton vs. Scrubby Original:
Before getting too excited about the amazing knit and crochet flower patterns for this month lets break down the differences between Scrubby Cotton and Scrubby Original.
Scrubby yarn was developed to give knitters and crocheters an alternative to cotton yarn when making dishcloths and washcloths. The driving force being this was to give something that wouldn’t sour as easily as cotton. Red Heart found the solution in a polyester yarn that we love and know as Scrubby.
Scrubby yarn was so well loved that Red Heart made a second version called Scrubby Sparkle. Scrubby Sparkle was a great upgrade to the original Scrubby yarn. The sparkle of the yarn took it out of just being for a washcloth/dishcloth to a yarn that you could use for home items as well.
Again after seeing the success of the sparkle yarn Red Heart decided to make a cotton version so that all of the cotton lovers out there could experience the great texture of the Scrubby line of yarns. Red Heart put the best of both worlds together and made Scrubby Cotton.
7 Months of Scrubby LIVE Facebook Video:
If you missed the LIVE Facebook video that I did yesterday on the Red Heart Facebook Page be sure to head over and like their page and sign up for notifications. On the 12th of each month, during the campaign, you can find me LIVE on the Red Heart Facebook page showing you some of the patterns from the current month.
July’s theme will be Summer Time and you aren’t going to want to miss the reveal of the patterns. Head over to the Red Heart Yarns Facebook page now to like and follow them.
Best of all, if you watch LIVE you can have the chance to win a $25 prize package from Red Heart Yarns. ONLY live watchers in the US and Canada are eligible.
7 Months of Scrubby June Theme-Flowers:
June is an exciting month for me. Flowers were one of the first things that I experimented with in my knit and crochet journey. This seems to be the case for many people. Using the Scrubby line of yarn will take your flower making to another level. Rather than a bouquet of flowers to cheer up your friend try making them a bouquet of Scrubby flowers. Try working up some knit and crochet flowers today in any of the three Red Heart Scrubby yarns.
Recently I posted a FREE video tutorial for the Cotton Daffodil Scrubby pattern that is included in the June round up of flower patterns. On my YouTube channel you will find an entire playlist of Scrubby related videos. Be sure to check them out for tips on using the Scrubby line of yarns. 
Scrubby FREE Patterns:
Red Heart has so many FREE Scrubby cotton patterns to choose from. Not only do they have Scrubby Cotton patterns but they also have Scrubby original and Scrubby Sparkle FREE patterns. One of the great things about the Scrubby line is that you can interchange the yarn types in the Scrubby patterns. (Always be sure to swatch before starting a project. This will ensure that you are getting a gauge similar to the pattern.)
Scrubby Cotton Patterns
Scrubby Original Patterns
Scrubby Sparkle Patterns
7 Months of Scrubby Knit and Crochet Patterns:
March-Animals
April-Food
May-Spa
June-Flowers
Also on the Blog:
The post Knit and Crochet Flowers in Red Heart Scrubby Yarns appeared first on Marly Bird.
June 8, 2017
Thursday Trivia with Marly Bird
It’s time for Thursday Trivia with Marly Bird and Red Heart Yarns!
*This post contains affiliate links. If you click on one of the links and make a purchase a small portion will go back to the blog. Thank you for your support*
What can you win in Thursday Trivia:
For you to have a chance to win a prize package of $25 from Red Heart Yarns you must answer this week’s trivia question correctly. Make sure you read to the bottom of the post to get your clue for where to find the answer. Rafflecopter will help us choose a correct answer randomly to win, be sure you enter your email address so we can verify the winner.
Giveaway Timeframe:
You have one week to answer the question.
Winner will be announced the following Thursday at the launch of next week’s question.
Be sure to come back and see if you were the winner.
This Week’s question:
Please comment on this blog post (and enter the Rafflecopter widget)–What size crochet hook is used for the Daffodil Cotton Scrubby?
Spread the word:
Help spread the word about #ThursdayTrivia. You can find each week’s question on the blog under Thursday Trivia.
[image error] FINE PRINT:
The Thursday Trivia Giveaway with Marly Bird and Red Heart Yarns is open to US and Canada addresses only. One winner will win a $25 prize package from Red Heart Yarns. This giveaway ends on 6/14/17 at 11:59 pm Mountain US time. To enter, use the Rafflecopter form below. If you are on mobile and have difficulty entering, please use a desktop computer to enter. You must enter a blog post comment on THIS post and click the Rafflecopter button to be eligible. Click the button below to enter your information to be entered to win.
Also on the Blog:
The post Thursday Trivia with Marly Bird appeared first on Marly Bird.
June 7, 2017
Knit Father’s Day Patterns
[image error]With Father’s Day just around the corner I wanted to share with you 7 FREE knit Father’s Day patterns from Red Heart. Our dads do so much for us and support us in many ways. Many of us like to make something special for the fathers in our lives and something hand-made is a perfect way to show him you appreciate him.
You will find a few quick projects and some larger ones too. These are perfect for the men in your life. Use them as father’s day gifts or save them for another special time. Red Heart has so many amazing FREE patterns in both knit and crochet that you will be sure to find something that fits the dad in your life perfectly.
*This post contains affiliate links. By clicking one of these links and making a purchase a small portion will go back to the blog, the price you pay will not be changed. Thank you for your support.*
Knit Father’s Day Patterns:
[image error] Garter Stitch Neckties
Garter Stitch Neckties Pattern Link
Designed By:
Trish Warrick
Materials Needed:
RED HEART® Heart & Sole®: 1 ball 3932 Denimy for each Tie
Susan Bates® Knitting Needles: 2.75mm [US 2]
Yarn needle
[image error] Slippers for Him
Designed By:
Nazanin S. Fard
Materials Needed:
RED HEART® With Love®: 1 skein of 1308 Tan
Susan Bates® Knitting Needles: 5.5 mm [US 9]
Stitch markers
Yarn needle
[image error] [image error] Knit Golf Headcovers
Knit Golf Headcovers Pattern Link
Designed By:
Marly Bird
Materials Needed:
RED HEART® Super Saver®: 1 skein each 400 Grey Heather A, 312 Black B, 319 Cherry Red C, and 311 White D
Susan Bates® Knitting Needles: 5mm [US 8]
Susan Bates® Easy Pom Pon Maker, 2″ (5 cm) diameter
Yarn needle
[image error] Men’s Mosaic Vest
Men’s Mosaic Vest Pattern Link
Designed By:
Brenda Bourg
Materials Needed:
RED HEART® Soft: 3 (3, 4, 4, 5) balls each in 9820 Mid Blue A and 4604 Navy B
Susan Bates® Knitting Needles: 5.0mm [US 8]
Susan Bates® Circular Knitting Needles: 5.0mm [US 8], 60cm [24”] long
Stitch markers
Stitch holder
Cable needle
Yarn needle
His Skull Hat
Designed By:
Cathy Payson
Materials Needed:
RED HEART® With Love®; 1 skein 1401 Pewter
Susan Bates® Knitting Needles: 5 mm [US 8]
Yarn needle
[image error] Men’s Golf Vest
Designed By:
Cathy Payson
Materials Needed:
RED HEART® Soft®: 4 (5, 5, 6, 6) balls 9870 Deep Sea.
Susan Bates® Knitting Needles: 4.5mm [US 7] and 5mm [US 8] straight needles
Susan Bates® Circular Knitting Needle: 4.5mm [US 7] 24″ [60 cm]
Cable needle
Stitch holder
Two stitch markers
Yarn needle
[image error]
Men’s V-Neck Cable Cardigan
Men’s V-Neck Cable Cardigan Pattern Link
Designed By:
Julie Farmer
Materials Needed:
RED HEART® Soft®: 5 (5, 6, 6, 7) balls 3729 Grape
Susan Bates® knitting needles: 5mm [US 8]
Stitch markers
Stitch holder
Cable needle
Yarn needle
Five ¾” (19 mm) buttons
[image error] See all of the Red Heart Gifts for Dad:
Also on the Blog:
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June 5, 2017
Daffodil Washcloth in Cotton Scrubby-Video Tutorial
As we start the month of June we are moving in to the next month of the 7 months of Scrubby Campaign by Red Heart yarns. This month is featuring flowers. There are 6 great new patterns for you to make with the Scrubby line of yarns. Today I will be showing you how to make the Daffodil Cotton Scrubby. This Daffodil Washcloth is perfect little gift or an accent in your own home. Add a touch color to your bath or kitchen with a crocheted daffodil in Scrubby Cotton. Read through to the bottom of the post to see the video tutorial.
*This post contains affiliate links. By clicking on one of these links and making a purchase a small portion of your purchase will go back to the blog. The price you pay is not changed. Thank you for your support of the blog.*
For this tutorial I broke it into two parts to allow you pick where you needed more assistance. Part 1 will show you how to make the center 3D portion of the flower. Tips and tricks for using the Scrubby yarn are also included in part 1. Part 2 continues the pattern and shows you how to make and attach the background square of the motif.
Scrubby started out offering one version that is a polyester yarn. This is great because it dries much faster than cotton yarn so that there is less of a chance of the yarn going sour. After such a great response of Scrubby Original, Red Heart came out with Scrubby Sparkle. Now Red Heart has launched Scrubby Cotton to give all of the cotton lovers out there the ability to use the textured yarn of Scrubby for all of your washcloth and dishcloth patterns. You’ll enjoy the all-cotton fiber and how it gets softer when wet. And it washes easily by machine!
[image error] Video Tips for using Scrubby:
[image error]If you watch the video you will hear some of the tips that I have about using Scrubby yarn. Because the yarn has texture it can be hard to see where the stitches are. In order to find your stitches, just feel around for them. You will need to rely more on your fingers finding the stitches vs. your eyes finding the stitches. A great way to know where the start and end of the row are is to use removable stitch markers. These can be purchased wherever you get your knitting and crochet supplies or you can make your own.
Some choose not to make their own washcloths and dishcloths but find that they like the motifs that are made. In the video I used Red Heart Baby Hugs Lite to show you the pattern. Since Scrubby has the texture that we talked about and is harder to see the stitches I wanted to show you the steps with something you could actually see. By using an alternate yarn you can turn any square motif into a blanket easily. All you need to do is make multiples of them and seam them together when you are finished. This allows you to adjust the size to your specific needs.
Daffodil Cotton Scrubby Materials:
RED HEART® Scrubby Cotton™: 1 ball each 7275 Coral A, 7760 Lemony B, 7586 Jade C, and 7100 Cotton D
Susan Bates® Crochet Hook: 5.5mm [US I-9]
Yarn needle [image error]
Daffodil Cotton Scrubby Video Tutorial Part 1:
Daffodil Cotton Scrubby Video Tutorial Part 2:
Also on the Blog:
The post Daffodil Washcloth in Cotton Scrubby-Video Tutorial appeared first on Marly Bird.
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