Arm Knitting on a Plane - Quick Holiday Gifts

Yes, that's me arm knitting on a plane - it can be done!

Ever heard the adage ‘Give a man a knit scarf; he’ll be warm for a day. Teach a man to knit, you’ll be warm forever’? Alright, that isn’t quite accurate, but it does have a ring of truth. If I could only give one gift for the holidays I would teach all my loved ones to knit to keep themselves (and me) warm throughout the season. But the time commitment on a craft like knitting can be daunting, so I put aside that thought until I heard of the newest and goofiest sounding trend in the world of weaving, Arm Knitting.

Arm Knit Scarf with Buttons

It’s not a joke, but you do look silly, because you really use your arms as knitting needles. With wide availability of extra bulky yarns and the two largest knitting needles possible, a scarf can take under an hour to whip up using this method, making a plane ride enough time for anyone to learn and walk away warm. Another body knit, Finger Weaving, is also an easy craft for kids and adults alike. So if the whole fam is hopping a plane for the holidays, pick up a few skeins on the way and get your body knit on. Plus seeing that row of entanglement will be a holiday gift for the rest of us this Christmas.

Finger Weaving turned into a Looped Infinity Scarf 

Arm Knit Infinity Scarf with Buttons

Supplies: Three skeins chunky weight yarn, your two hands

Step 1: Hold three strands of chunky yarn together to make one thick strand and about 2’ along make a slip knot and pop it over your wrist.

Step 2: Cast on 6 total stitches onto your right arm. The original slip knot does count as the first stitch. Casting on is the most difficult step so follow the images here. There are also other options for casting on. I’ve outlined the quick and easy method, but search online for other versions and videos. Make a 4 shape with the tail of the yarn (the end not connected to the skeins) in your left hand. Insert your right hand into the top of the four and cinch the loop down onto your wrist. Repeat this until you have 6 loops on your right wrist. With this easy cast-on method you then must transfer these stitches to your left arm by sliding them over one at a time.

Step 3: Six loops should be on your left arm and the working end (the end connected to the skeins) will be hanging near your left hand. Grab this end with your left hand.

Step 4: Pull the first loop off your left hand with your right hand. Keep holding the working end in your left hand.

Step 5: Pull up a loop of the working yarn through the loop you just pulled off and pop it over your right hand. First knit done! Cinch this down and take the working end in your left hand again. Continue the process of pulling the loops over your left and creating new loops onto your right until all are on your right arm.

Step 6: Reverse the process exactly onto your left arm. Continue until all except 2’ of yarn is knit.

Step 7: Cast off by repeating Step 6 but for each loop on the final row you will pop it over the loop behind itself to bind off the end.

Step 8: Attach large buttons or weave the ends of the scarf together to make a loop.

Now wrap it up or wear it!

Finger Woven Looped Scarf

Supplies: One skein chunky weight yarn, your two hands

Step 1: On your right hand (you may reverse this onto your left hand if you’d like) hold the end of the yarn between your thumb and index finger with your palm facing you.

Step 2: Bring the working end of the yarn behind your index finger, in front of your middle finger, behind the ring finger, around the pinkie and weave the rest of the way back to the start. Make a small knot securing the yarn.

Step 3: Weave the yarn again as in Step 2.

Step 4: Bend your pinkie finger and pull the bottom loop up and over the finger. Repeat on each finger from left to right.

Step 5 & 6: Repeat Steps 3 & 4 until yarn is completely knit. This will create a large icord (invented long before the other i-electronics). Knot off the end by running the last tail of yarn through the loops on your fingers.

Step 8: Loop this long cord several times and then neatly wrap and tuck the end to create a multi-layered looped scarf. Enjoy!

Halloween makeup for the procraftinator

The Alaska Crafter column is back!  Check it out in its print edition in today's Juneau Empire, or read on for a last minute halloween fix!

Here we are again Juneau, another blustery year gone by and October ushering in the crafter’s most hectic holiday, Halloween. If you’re anything like me you’re aflutter with a mixture of trepidation and excitement brought on by a little thing I like to call procraftination. Yes, the fine art of waiting till the 11th hour to whip together your Halloween costume. I hear you protest, that has never been me! Hah! Even the most dedicated and honed crafter has slipups — some years the Halloween deadline approaches and we all find ourselves sheepishly in the ransacked costume aisle with no supplies, no shipping options and a touch of panic.

Never fear, the Alaska Crafter will help set you back on track! Years of self-inflicted procraftination mean I know every trick of the trade to make it appear as if I did not wait until the last minute to hastily assemble my costume. And this year’s secret weapon . . . makeup.

Makeup can be transformative in a very efficient amount of time, is readily abundant and if you can channel your inner artist a few hours before the big spook night you may just be able to convince your friends and family that you are not a procraftinator, which seems like the best of all possible solutions to never repeat that word again. Ever.

Alaska Crafter’s 6 Steps to Makeup Success

1. Plan: Whether you’re a ghoul, goblin, vixen or vampire, you’ll need a little bit of research to keep you on track. Find an image of your ideal makeup and keep it handy. Map out your makeup beforehand by drawing an outline of your face and the general sketch of the design you’d like to apply on paper first so you have it as a reference.

Check out more after the jump

DAILY WALK INSPIRATION

FROM LAND

TO SEA

Workin' the Runway

We have been having too much fun all over this town with our TP gear!

Fabulous Anna Hoke at Southeast Living Magazine (see more shots at her website!)
took some amazing shots at the "No Umbrellas" fashion show, and then I saw
such lovely ways of wearing TPall over Gallery Walk in downtown Juneau. 

If you're wondering where you might still get some check out 

Figment Gallery downtown in the Senate Building or www.tpalaska.etsy.com!

Shyla rocking a Lucy Cowl

The new Riding Hood looks cute up or down

Men need warmth too!

This model even flew in from Washington to get her warm on!

Public Market is Coming!!

Where is the best place to rock some holiday shopping on the blackest of Fridays?  Juneau's Public Market of course (shameless self-plug warning!!).  Come check out the new wares this Friday, Sat and Sun - though get there earlier for best selection.  Doors open at noon on Friday so no need to drag yourself out of your turkey-induced coma too soon!

That's me sporting The Riding Hood

 

The Riding Hood (worn in shawl style)

The Rapunzel

The Leyla (long infinity)

The Leyla (long infinity) worn another way.

The Lucy (triple button big)

The Lucy (triple button big) worn another way.

The Hipster Beanie and The Leyla Scarf

The Terry Beanie and The Lucy Cowl

The Captain sporting The Skipper Tube Scarf

A HUGE Thank you to all the fabulous models who helped with the shoot, and to Anna Hoke who did the amazing photography!!

Fashion for Charity!!!

Hello fabulous people - what are you doing this Thursday?  

Coming out to see some Juneau fashion and supporting 

Hospice and Home Care of Juneau?  FANTASTIC!!!

Get your tickets at the usual haunts plus the Brewery and Depot as well!

What do I have to do with any of this?  I LOVE fashion 

(Cap'n and I host PR nights - oh, that's Project Runway of course) and am donating what I can to get this fabulous event rolling.  The photo from the poster was done by my amazing friend Joel Irwin of irwindigital.com and the beautiful leg model is the famous dancer Gretchen Bucki formerly of Juneau.  Plus, this event will debut the 2012 winter knitwear line of yours truly! 

So much knitting and so many buttons, this is going to be fun!!!

Now, as you prep yourself for fashion, fun, and fancy french cocktails think about this . . .

Where is your runway?

a dock, a beach, the pasta aisle at Freddies? I want to know where you 

WORK YOUR RUNWAY!

Five crafts to keep you warm for winter

I'm headed out of town for two whole weeks to enjoy a fabulous vacation with my new husband.  While away the following fabulous projects will be brewing that you CANNOT MISS!

The Rookery re-opening with a brand new bar in the back - woot woot. 11/1/11

Nov First Friday which will be full of new things- Copy Express/AK Litho has a newly remodeled space and you can vote on their photo contest, Bauer & Clifton Interiors will be opening a storefront- and there will be frost in the air, perfect for sporting your TP Alaska First Friday scarfwear! 11/4/11

The most radically one-filled day ever 11/11/11

A Fashion show with proceeds going to charity, sponsored by the Brewery. 11/17/11

Public Market Madness with a booth by yours truly 11/Thanksgiving Weekend/11

And I am working on a fabulous Opera by Dvorak: Rusalka - which won't open till 2012 but it's on my mind as I'm designing it now~ eek!

So it should be a rousing November to be sure!!

Meanwhile, keep yourself warm with some winter crafts on me!

October in Alaska is the perfect month for crafting. Soggy gray days turn dark quickly while the white dust creeps down the mountainsides, so I cozy up with a giant caramel latte and my favorite craft. But let's be honest, the October nip in the air is sometimes hard to contend with as my cold crafter's hands try to stitch and string one more strand. So I've come up with five crafty ways for us all to cut the chill and get back to the task at hand.

Kodiak Coats and Steam Punk Funk together!

Jasmine Allen of Kodiak Coats tries out some new wares in the Kodiak Coat workroom.

 By Tanna Peters | For the Capital City Weekly

JUNEAU - "My job is to make messes," says Bridget Milligan, the owner, designer and seamstress behind the Kodiak Coat Company.

Her job seems more about making high-quality handmade outerwear, so I was a bit skeptical of these first words out of her mouth upon entering the Kodiak Coat workspace. Looking around at the yards of fleece, half-made coats and piles of dyed wool, I thought that for a creative space it was fairly neat and tidy. With her daughter Jasmine Allen around to keep the business running smoothly and assistant Dani Byers at her side, it turns out Milligan can both crank out coats and have time to make creative messes, which for her is where the fun is.

The custom-designs board at Kodiak Coats shows that the company is ramping up for the busy season.

 "I'd rather play and make things, but my job is to make coats," she says, slightly wistfully.
Milligan faces the quandary of almost every successful crafter-turned-pro: how to find time to experiment in between creating the money-earning staples. But with a little help she will unleash both a batch of new coats and new crafts this First Friday, as well as welcome jewelry artisan Angie Lawlar to her current storefront above Paradise Café.

Just one of the vintage pieces from Angie Lawlar of Steampunkfunk.etsy.com

click here to jump to the article in full . . .

9 Days Until . . .

Well, where have I been? 

Looking for a ring and getting a bit crafty for a big day that is almost upon me/us. 


The short version: we switched the date and location of our wedding to the beginning of August.  When did we make this big decision?  Five weeks ago.  Yup, I had six weeks to plan a wedding.
 :)

With all the hectic craft-sanity going on I have been trying to do some documentation, so after this whirlwind we will try to decompress and show off a bit.  But for now I leave you with this irony . . .

In a town full of jewelry stores (literally filled, Juneau is a mad summer tourist destination and the streets are lined with the same store in every port, plus more, let's say there are about 40 jewelry stores) I cannot find a wedding band that I love that fits with my engagement ring.  Any fabulous ideas???

FREE PAPER FRIDAY!

Nothing in life is free . . . except for awesome paper this Friday!!

It's a crafter's paradise here at Alaska Litho (one of my day jobs is working at a local printing company akLitho) and we are clearing out extra inventory of paper this Friday and Saturday - all day starting at 10am! Totally Brilliant!

There is neon paper and white paper, 8.5x11 sized and 11x17 sized, cream paper, and recycled paper, aaaaaaahhhhh- it's full of endless possibilities- my brain can barely comprehend, and my craft room is about to cry from overload.

Also, we've got extra monitors if you're a computer junky who needs to stock up.  Or teachers who want to load up for kids playtime.  Whatever your shtick - there is paper here for you.

This Friday and Sat at Ak Litho- near the mall at 8420 Airport Blvd.  Across and down one from Les Schwab- or better yet, right next to the new Aspen Hotel!

See you here!

I'll-Ask-A-Crafter: Crafter Coming to Alaska

Dear Alaska Crafter,
I'll be in Alaska for a week on vacation in August-- Anchorage, Seward and thereabouts, and a drive up to Denali.  I am always on the lookout for local craft shops-- fabrics, yarn, other cool local craft items.

I live in New York, so I have plenty of stores here for this stuff (and not enough space to store all my purchases! :) ,  but I would love to get something super Alaskan on my trip.  For instance, in France, I bought a cross-stitch project of a blue Vespa and some Provencal fabric for table linens, in Japan I bought some scraps of kimono fabric that I haven't figured out what to do with yet.

In my cliched imagination, I see some bear- or moose- printed fabric that would make an awesome throw pillow for my city apartment.  But what does a local crafter think I should get in Alaska?  And do you have any suggestions where to get it?

Thanks for any help or advice! 
Best,
On My Way to the Big AK

Dear On My Way,
Let me be the first to welcome you to our great state! The tourist season is just days away for us here in Juneau and, like each year, we welcome crafters of all kinds. From crafting cruises, to cruisers who like to craft, independent visitors, family, friends and even locals, our state offers handcrafted takeaways of every kind to remind you of adventurous times passed and still to come.

Read more after the jump . . . 

And as this article is mostly focused on the Juneau area, if you are in the interior area of Alaska and have info to add please leave a comment so that all crafters coming to Alaska this season can find out where to go to get the goods!! Thanks so much!!!

Alaska Folk Festival Preview: Poster Art

Poster art by Bill Hudson from the 17th Alaska Folk Festival

The streets are abuzz with the final countdown to Alaska Folk Festival number 37. Who can wait for balloon animals in the lobby, meeting long lost friends, dancing in the aisles and of course the musical styling of generations of folks from near and far. Take a closer look and you'll find out what begins the buzz: one singly crafted sheet of paper hanging plainly in a window. The poster.

Another Bill Hudson original Folk Fest poster.

 Artists and crafters have lent their creativity over the years to these brief but meaningful masterpieces. From drawing and painting a silk-screened poster to digitally rendering, scanning and printing, the processes of creation have changed dramatically over the years since Folk Fest began, but the heart of the artist has been ever-present. Taking a look back over the cadre of Folk Fest posters, one former Alaskan stands out as the most prolific: artist Bill Hudson.

R&R At Martina's Fabrics

Interior of Martina's Fabrics in Lemon Creek

SABLE: Stash Accumulation Beyond Life Expectancy (craft slang).

Is this you? Do you have endless piles of fabric swatches, yarn skeins, or bead bins? This is what’s known as a crafter’s stash, and chances are, if you know what a craft stash is, you’re bordering on a little SABLE yourself. Since spring has finally arrived (cross your fingers), it’s the perfect time to take inventory and do a little purging of whatever SABLE you’ve got piling up. Don’t let your crafter’s guilt take over by throwing out perfectly practical fabrics. Instead give yourself a spring gift by taking them to Martina’s Fabrics for a little stash R&R.

Fabric R&R, a win-win for all!

 Not quite a spa vacation for your fabric friends, but the new Recycle & Replenish program at Martina’s Fabric is Juneau’s first fabric stash consignment where you can buy and sell fabrics that are in desperate need of a new life. The program was conceived by shop-owner Martha Narino-Torres when a fellow quilter brought in her stash of felted wool that had been destined for a project that simply fizzled. After pondering what to do with a pile of wool in a cotton-fabric quilt-dominated store, Martha’s crafty daughter gave her the key; why not upcycle the pieces into blocks for beading? The idea blossomed from there. Simply drop your stash extras at Martina’s and pick up a few new-to-you pieces at the same time. Not only does the program help in harder financial times, but it’s also a source of inspiration.

Like Snow and Beer?

 Then rock your body over to Eaglecrest this weekend because the Alaskan Brewing Company turns 25 and wants to celebrate with you at the High Gravity Games!!!

Okay, this is part shameless self-promotion (I designed the poster), but mostly all about how fun this crazy day sounds.  When else are you going to get to see dudes hitched to a dogsled and chicks tossing kegs while dummys get thrown down the mountain all from the comfort of a fabu beer garden?  Only in J-town!! And only at Eaglecrest this Sunday- so hopefully I will see all your crafty faces there!

Handmade Nation and Faythe Levine Come to Juneau!!

"Handmade Nation" a documentary about craft is brought to Juneau Jan. 26 by the Alaska Design Forum

In the world of artistic pursuits, “craft” often takes a backseat to its seemingly more prestigious cousin “design.” A crafter is seen as maker, following the steps of previous artisans where the pursuit is to replicate and recreate with precision, whereas the designer is the master of the invention, with an end goal of creating the new and never-before-seen. So it is apropos that the Alaska Design Forum has chosen to celebrate the new and inventive in the craft world with its upcoming showing of “Handmade Nation,” a documentary that follows the youthful, feminist, punk and rebellious side to the DIY craft movement.

Photos courtesy of Faythe Levine

As a featured speaker for ADF’s 2010/2011 Un/Common lecture series, author, director, boutique owner and crafts artist Faythe Levine will share her film “Handmade Nation” (released in book form in 2008), and speak about her travels across the country connecting with indie crafters, artists and designers.